I’m honestly not sure how many times I have been to Berck. I was first invited back in 1990 or ’91. All I can say for sure is that the kids I met back then have grown and some are bringing their own children now. It’s a bit scary.
Regular readers have seen reports of the fabulous skies and amazing kite creations flown during this ten day event. This year is no exception. As the rainly week began, some time was spent in the two main exhibitions set up in tents along the prominade. One features original art kites from around Europe and Asia.
The second exhibition was a wonderful collection historical pieces and reproductions. A complete Gibson Girl air rescue kite and balloon was on display together with a variety of Garber Target Kites. The room was filled with carefully crafted copies of other original kite designs from the turn of the last century.
The ten day festival in Berck sur Mer remains one of the premier kite gatherings on the European circuit. It seems you never know who you will see or what will appear in the air.
That said, I have to tell you that this 19th Berck gathering was not the best. The people were still wonderful, but a cold rain set in Monday morning and didn’t leave until the following Friday night. The weather left plenty of time for sharing ideas and camaraderie in the beer tent, but limited the sky show to the sunny weekends.
And I even missed half of that this year! Commitments in Weifang meant I had to leave Berck at 6 a.m. Saturday morning.
But the one good weekend I enjoyed was absolutely amazing. A half mile of wide beach was saturated with flying creatures, ground displays, sport kite shows, and floating fabric.
The flight to Oregon was cramped and fidgety. When I finally touched down, the Immigration Agents asked “How are you today?”. “Tell me what day it is and I’ll tell you how it has been.” I smiled back….
I’m now home for a day and flying out to China first thing in the morning. Yes, I am a bit tired. But I’m sure the spectacle of Weifang will jolt me awake when I get there.
See you in the skies,
David Gomberg