Home
Thumbnails
Lesson Plans
Captions & Stories
Photo
By Dale Gerhard 5/26/01
FESTIVAL PROVES FLYING
A KITE NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT USED TO BE
Date: Friday, May
25, 2001
Section: At The Shore
Edition: All
Page: 3
Byline: By ERIC FINE For the Press
Column: HOT TICKETS
CAPTION:
Kites of many different shapes, sizes and colors were flying over the
beaches of Wildwood this weekend for the 16th Annual Wildwood International
Stunt Kite Competition and Festival.
Wildwoods International Kite Festival
WHERE: Taylor Avenue and the beach, Rio Grande Avenue and the beach, and
the Wildwoods Convention Center, Burke Avenue and the Boardwalk
WHEN: Various times from Friday, May 25 to Sunday, May 28.
HOW MUCH: Admission to all events is free. Call (215) 932-3887.
Kite flying isn't
just for kids anymore. Adults have gotten into the act,
and the 16th Wildwoods International Kite Festival will serve as their
playground.
If the festival is a barometer, then kite flying is headed in an extreme
direction. Extremely extreme.
The festival, which takes place Friday, May 25 to Monday, May 28, provides
a showcase for kite buggies and kite surfing (or kite boarding, depending
on who's calling the shots). The former will be on display on Friday and
Monday at Taylor Avenue and the beach in an event interestingly titled
the
Wild Wheels Buggy Blast.
These buggies will burn up the sand at speeds of 30 to 40 miles-per-hour.
The starting time on Friday depends on the tide - either late morning
or
early afternoon - but the competition is expected to begin 9 a.m. on
Monday.
As for kite surfing, just try to imagine surfers flying through the air
above the ocean. An expo that showcases this unique sport will take place
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday. Kite surfers are apparently not content with just cutting a
swath through ocean water, with a wave curling over their heads. Instead
these daredevils strap on a harness and attach a kite.
"They're using the power-kite design that they use on the buggies,"
says
festival founder Roger Chewning. "The sport's going to explode worldwide.
It's already a monster in places like Brazil, Hawaii and France. As the
kite goes up, these guys leap out of the water."
These two events represent but one facet of the festival. Chewning, who
operates Sky Festivals in Morrisville, Pa., waxes poetic about several
indoor shows that will take place in the Wildwoods Convention Center,
Burke Avenue and the Boardwalk.
Marc Ricketts and Curtis Mitchell, who operate the innovative Guildworks
in Madison, Wis., will put on an aerial show at noon that demonstrates
the
ornate side of kite flying.
"It takes kiting in a totally different direction ... in the realm
of
theatrics and magic," Chewning says. "It's a performance art
like dance.
The kites are very light, and I think the fliers have to be light on their
feet. It's very cool."
In keeping with the festival's long tradition, several top builders from
around the country will be on hand. Others will travel from Haiti, South
America, Taiwan and Canada. The public will have a chance to mingle with
these experts and check out their displays at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Hand
Avenue and the beach.
The festival begins noon on Friday, when the ocean will be officially
"unlocked" at Rio Grande Avenue and the beach. An illuminated
kite show at
9 p.m. followed by a fireworks display wraps up the first day. Saturday
will feature a full schedule of events running from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m.
The hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday
(Memorial Day).
The highlights include kite ballet (9:30 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. Sunday),
fighter kite challenge (2:30 p.m. Sunday), kite ballet (2 p.m. Saturday;
3
p.m. Sunday) and the World Indoor Competition (1 p.m. Monday). Children's
kite-making workshops have been scheduled at 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday
and
Sunday. The festival takes place in the vicinity of Rio Grande Avenue
and
the beach. Admission is free. Call (215) 932-3887.
All content © The Press of Atlantic City and may not be republished
without permission.
All archives are
stored on a SAVE (tm) newspaper library system from
MediaStream Inc., a Knight Ridder company.