The AKA convention kicked off earlier this week. Steve Ferrel, from kitebuilder.com, is providing day by day blog posts about the event. Yesterday was ground scoring for the kite making competition, check out the pictures in the post below…

AKA Convention - Wednesday October 3

Check out some of the news footage from the first day of Niagara.. man these guys were up early, cold, wet and very little wind…

Niagara gets off to a good start.. we have some rain today but hopefully it will clear up for the weekend…

Buffalo News - Kite-flying icons to abound

2007 festival opens three-day stand in Niagara Falls today
By Pam Kowalik - NEWS NIAGARA BUREAU
Updated: 09/27/07 7:06 AM

NIAGARA FALLS — An 82-yearold man who holds multiple world records for kite flying — one for flying three kites while standing in the back of a moving convertible — will take part in the 2007 Niagara International Kite Festival this weekend.

And Ray Bethell, a kite flying icon who has won numerous awards all over the world as a master kite flier, is the person who will give the festival its international flavor as it takes off today for a four-day run along the Niagara Gorge.

The event starts today in Niagara Falls State Park and moves to Reservoir State Park in Lewiston.

Bethell, who lives in Vancouver, B.C., started sport kite flying in 1980. For many years he flew in team competitions with the Vancouver High Flyers, often placing first, second or third in North American competitions.

He is the holder of 11 world multiple kite records.

“One of the very special [efforts] to me was flying three full-size sport kites . . . simultaneously standing in the back of a red convertible down the main street of Long Beach, Wash., with a police escort with hundreds and hundreds of spectators that lined the sidewalks including the mayor, chief of police and the fire chief,” Bethell wrote in an e-mail.

Bethell was inducted into the World Kite Hall of Fame in Long Beach three years ago, and is among about 40 people who have been honored for kite building, promoting and flying.

“It pleases me that I have been given the opportunity to share my love of kite flying to the people of Niagara along with so many other kite fliers that have come from every part of this planet,” Bethell wrote The News.

The theme for this year’s Niagara International Kite Festival is “Con-

necting the Past, Present, and Future with a Kite String.”

Some of the festival’s highlights include a ceremony from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Friday. The event will take place somewhere along the gorge in Niagara Falls State Park and the exact location will be determined by the weather and the wind speed each day.

A kite made of organic materials will be “sacrificed” to the cascades in hopes of appeasing the wind and weather gods today and Friday. Actors also will display a Homan Walsh 1848 re-enactment contest, trying to connect a string of kites across the Niagara River between Prospect Point on the U.S. side and Victoria Park, in Niagara Falls, Ont. This is how construction started on the first suspension bridge across the river.

Ted Shaw, a director of the Great Lakes Kitefliers Society of Western New York, said he will be flying kites at the event.

“I just enjoy seeing all the color in the air, all the shapes,” Shaw said. “It’s amazing to me to be able to fly all the kites in the same area.”

Shaw spends a few hundred dollars a year on his kite passion.

Kate Scaglione, director of marketing and communications for the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp., said people of all ages will have the opportunity to make kites in free workshops. She also said the festival will go on, even if it rains. “These kite fliers are so into what they’re doing that it doesn’t seem to bother them in the least.”

On Saturday and Sunday, the festival moves to Reservoir State Park. There will be kites of all descriptions — large inflatable show kites, artistic kites, sport kites, historical kites, indoor kites and fighter kites.

Activities run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There will be kite making workshops from 1 to 3 p.m. both days.

Events include a discussion on kite history and exhibitions on kite aerial photography, miniature kites and kite stamps, and demonstrations of kite buggying and kite mountain boarding are scheduled for both days. For information on these activities and more, go to www.niagarakite.com.

pkowalik@buffnews.com

Great festival coming up this weekend with over 100 kite flyers coming from around the world. Check it out here… niagarakite.com

Join the worlds premier kite flyers as they bring the magical delights and awesome wonder of kiteflying to the Niagara region end of September.

The Homan Walsh 1848 kite contest re-enactment on Thursday and Friday which will be followed by an attempt to connect the USA and Canada with an arch of kites.

On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 & 30th, activities will be at Reservoir State Park in Lewiston. There will be of kites of all descriptions- large inflatable show kites, artistic kites, sport kites, historical kites, indoor kites, fighter kites, and more! A variety of exhibitions - kite history, kite aerial photography, miniature kites and kite stamps- and demonstrations of kite buggying and kite mountain boarding are scheduled for both days.

Because of both popular demand and the remarkable success of the last year’s Niagara International Kite Festival, we; the Niagara Tourism Convention Corporation and Sky’s the Limit; have come to the simple conclusion that we must do our best to make this festival an annual event.

We have no doubt the event holds enormous potential for both the kite world and the regional community. The annual theme for the Niagara International Kite Festival is “Connecting the Past, Present, and Future with a Kite String”. This year’s program highlights the Myths, the History, and the time-honored tradition of Daredevils lured to Niagara Falls.

Keep in mind that both the event and web site are current works in progress. Details will be posted as promptly as they are available.

Here is a huge list of the kiters that will be there..

Over 107 Confirmed Flyers from 10 Countries will be in Attendance

Canada
Vania Beaubien
Robert Trepanier
Bob White
Vaino Raun
Gary Mark
Michelle Welsford
Don Brownridge
Carlos Simoe
George Paisiovich
Ray Bethell ( Watch Master Kite Flyer and World Record Holder Ray Bethell Fly )
Dolores Taylor Bethell
Doug Isherwood
Ziggy Racek
Pete Rich
Mary & Paul Kort
Bill Wilson
Anne Sloboda
Eric Curtis
Royal City Fun Flyers , Guelph, Ont.
Bill Peart
Kerry St Dennis
Kathy Holt
Lucy Jonkman
Jessica St Dennis-Jonkman

Niagara Windrider Kitefliers Association – Port Colborne
Toronto Kitefliers Association – Toronto
Wind Climbers Kite Club - Cambridge

England
Martin Lester
Dave Mitchell
Sheila Mitchell
Michael Howard
Linda Howard
Kelvin Woods (flying 20 of his beautiful hand made Butterflies. Each one of the butterflies represents an actual species)
Malcolm Goodman
Jeanette Goodman

Germany
Team No limit
Kisa

Israel
Eli & Shula Shavit

Japan
Makoto Ohye

Mexico
Jose Sainz

New Zealand
Jenny Cook

Switzerland
Iqbal Husain (Making the arch to connect the US & Canada this year)

Tasmania
Robert Brassington

United States of America
Berkeley Kite Wranglers (California)
Thomas McAlister
David Hoggan
Shaun Hoggan
John Kahn Jr
Michael North
Team Sky Burner (Michigan)
Wayne Brunjes
Jon Trennepohl
Michael VanCleve
Dan Welbaum
Aaron Fegley
Scot Skinner (Colorado)
Kathy Goodwind (Washington)
Bill Albers (New York)
Jim Day (Washington)
Steve & Sue Santos (Rhode Island)
Laurie & Richard Dutton (New York)
Charles Stewart (New York)
Dorothy Stewart (New York)
Cheryl & John Hall w/MAX (Michigan)
Ted Shaw (New York)
Meg Albers (New York)
Russ & Pat Mozier (Florida)
Chris Schultz (Texas)
Glenn Davison (Massachusetts)
Charles “AJ” Jackson (Texas)
Tim & Sue Boyle (Massachusetts)
Sue Edwards (Michigan)
Nancy Swift (Michigan)
Kathy Virgilio (Michigan)
Windjammers (Michigan)
Gary Maynard
Nate Williams
James Kinsey
Mike Carisle
George Wright
Team I-Quad (USA & Canada)
John Barresi (Oregon)
Steve de Rooy (British Columbia)
JD Fabich (Oregon)
David Hathaway (British Columbia)
Glenn Pedro (New Jersey)
Dooley (California)
David Gomberg (Oregon)
John Martin (Maine)
Ralph Reed (Massachusetts)
Jackie & Dick Maciel (Massachusetts)
Arnold Family; John, Suzette, John, Jace (Michigan)
Kaluzny Family; Walt, Sabrina, Alex, Nick (New York)
Team Skyjesters (Ohio)
Dean Proudfoot
Vickie Proudfoot
Don Tuff (Massachusetts)
Kim Linehan (Massachusetts)
Kyle Lemieux (Rhode Island)
Kyle Alves (Rhode Island)
Mark & Brenda Williams (New Hampshire)

Great Lakes Kitefliers Society (Buffalo, New York)

Gary Mark has put together all of the news casts from the Alexander Graham Bell Cygnet Centennial celebrations.

Global Maritimes

CBC News Halifax

CBC News Ottawa
(My double star and lobster are featured in this one, too bad they called Bell’s kites Tetra-Hydrons haha LOL )

CBC NewsWorld - Very good…

CTV News

I compiled a quick video of some of the footage that I took (with my point and shoot) at the Toronto International Kite fest…

It has some of the stuff from the very windy Saturday, and a lot of the dyna kite routines…

Just back from the Toronto Kite Fest. A great time, as usual, I would like to thank George P., Don B. and Gary M. for all their support this year and for making it possible for me to come up and fly at this great 2 day festival.

Saturday greeted us with cool temperatures and high winds, but we still had a blast. I was able to fly my pilot, with my new piranah drouges, my new idol and my banner tail fish. I was very impressed with how the pilot handled the high winds. I would happily fly it in gusty, lumpy wind again without hesitation.

By the end of the day we were all ready for some good food and drink. As in previous years there is a traditional chinese banquet, complete with presentations, entertainment and a raffle. The food was quite good this year, it was our first time at the Mandarin Club Golf Course and it was a nice change from the previous years venues.

Sunday was warmer but the winds were variable and light. That didn’t stop us from putting on an aquarium in the sky theme at around noon. This was a great demonstration with 2 maxi PL octopus kites, 2 mid size fish, a lobster, Scuba Steve, and the huge star from France. The wind came up at the right time and held on long enough for us to put on a great show.

I had to wrap up on Sunday pretty early to catch my flight back to Halifax. This was my 4th Toronto Kite Festival, but hopefully it won’t be the last.

Check out the pictures in my galler… Kite Fest 2007

Hello all,

Yvon from the Dieppe Sky Lines kite club posted this amusing video of what to do when it rains at a kite fest….

Slip n’ slide with out the slide… haha

Hello all,

Great event coming up this weekend (15th and 16th) in Toronto at Miliken district park (Steeles ave east and McCowan)

Featured guests include:

Cliff Quinn, Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
Team Skyburner, Detroit, Michigan
Windjammers Kite Team, Detroit Michigan
Meg Albers, Buffalo, New York
Carl Bigras, Ottawa, Ontario
Terry Thillman. Pierrefonds, Québec
Yves Laforest, St-Éustache, Québec
Daniel Rémillard & Christine McGee, Brossard, Québec
Normand Girard, Montréal, Québec
Jean Poisson, Montréal, Québec
Jean Lamoureaux & Michèle Berubé, Montreal, Québec
Jacques & Francine Létourneau, Québec City, Québec
Bill Wilson, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Gary and Kerry, along with Miss Ohio, the kite flying chicken, were on Breakfast Television this morning to promote the festival…

Good Job to all those that showed up early to setup kites and put on a great face for the fesitval…

Here are some albums from past festivals…
Kite Fest 2006

Kite Fest 2005

Kite Fest 2004

I stumbled upon some really wonderful photos from flickr user “Meanest Indian” today. This person has some fantastic photos of people making kites and manjah in India. Here are some examples…

Multi-Firki - Kites & kites string at Manek Chowk. You maybe counting down to Xmas but here in Ahmedabad the next big event is Uttrian - the Kite Festival on January 14th. Can’t wait… always lots of fun!

Spinning Rainbows - Winding dyed string for kite flying near Gandhi bridge.

Palm Patina - The hand of a man who is coating kite-string with coloured paste embedded with glass. On the roadside near Dilli Diwarja. Have been stopping by these guys the last few days - really dedicated workers and highly productive.

You can see all of “meanest Indian’s” Uttarayan Kite Festival
related photos here.

Cheers,
Bill