|
Editor/Publisher |
John Barresi |
|
Assistant Editor |
Dave Shattuck |
|
Directors-at-Large |
Troy Gunn
Central USA |
|
Contributors: |
David Gomberg |
Dave Colbert |
Doc Counce |
Grant Lovett |
Lance Storr |
Cathy Palmer |
Rob Pratt |
Charmayne Umbowers |
Jim Barber |
Kevin & Doris McGrath |
Ron Schwartz |
Rick Agar |
Larkey Family |
Marc Conklin |
Irene Walser |
Marc Conklin |
Doug Mullins |
Frank Feng |
Cliff Pennell |
Chris Shultz |
Al Stroh |
Scott Weider |
Cori Davies |
|
Founder |
Mike Gillard
1954-2006 |
|
|
|
Greetings, welcome to issue 48! First off, I'd like to comment on the incredible increase we've seen in visits to the site... About a year after I took over ownership of Kitelife, in August of '04 we had roughly 31K... In August of '05 we had roughly 43K... Now, in May of '06 we've seen a stunning 90K+ visitors grace our pages, in one month alone! |
| Simply said, I'm tickled pink that we're getting kiting in front of that many people - having literally grown up in this community, it's the least I could hope to accomplish! In addition to the amazing visitorship we've had on the main site, we've also seen a separate 355,000 viewings on KiteVideo.net, which we use to host all of our video content... What else can I say, wow! |
| In this issue, we made a concerted effort to get "pre-event reports" from as many festivals and competitions as possible... Apparently unknown to much of the community, Kitelife happily publishes press releases and photos from coming events in an attempt to bring more exposure and attendance at our events nationwide. |
| As many of you know, we suffered a hefty set back on our recent trip to France and China when our lap top died... After putting out the word and soliciting donations, the kiting community stepped forward and showed their generosity with an incredible $2,200 in donations (through cash and auction items). This went entirely to Dell, when we obtained an excellent replacement that will actually enhance our ability to do things like video footage in some of our our daily updates, and much more... To all of you who contributed, and helped spread the word, my warmest and most heartfelt thank you. |
| I'm pleased to let you know that we are schedule to do our traditional Daily Updates during the whole week of WSIKF this August in Long Beach, WA, and during the entire week of AKA Grand Nationals which will be held in Des Moines, IA in October... Stay tuned for news and links for these updates! |
| Needless to say, we can always use the support of those who recognize our long term goal and want to help us keep expanding our attempts to preserve and promote kiting. Our subscribers are the front line - they're entered into monthly prize drawings and expanded photo storage in the Kitelife Forum, they are also provided with exclusive access to festival collage videos and high definition sport kite competition videos... If you'd like to get on board, please subscribe today! |
| This has been an incredibly busy year, I look forward to more and more projects, and to meeting many of you at events around the country... Please never hesitate, say hello and let us know what we can do to improve Kitelife! |
Cordially yours,
Publisher/Editor
Kitelife Magazine |
Next Prize Drawing to be held August 5th, 2006! |
|
|
|
AKA Corner
Elections are just around the corner for the AKA, bringing a new president and a great deal many considerations for the future of the organization. |
|
Dave's World
Gomberg's latest edition for Kitelife took him to Weymouth, England where fliers tackled tough winds to loft amazing creations into the sky. |
|
Drachen Archive: Featured Item
We don't know if anyone owns a 1911 Donzella "Monobloc" kite, but DF recently added a replica built with the guidance of Falk Hilsenbek. |
|
Join the Team
Our staff here at Kitelife extends a heartfelt invitation to share your experiences, your insights, your knowledge, and delight in kiting. |
|
Letters to the Editor
Sometimes our readers take time to comment on the projects and issues here at Kitelife, and we're always happy to share them with you. |
|
Competitor Profiles
Born from the old Satori Kites project, the Kitelife Profiles give sport kite competitors and announcers a central place for info about fliers. |
|
Featured Store: Cutting Edge
We'll be visiting with one of our retail sponsors each month, getting a little insight into their store, owners, managers, and their specialties. |
|
REVisions: Trip to Quad Heaven
Fresh off a trip to France, and several days of flying with Europe's top quad teams, Monkey shares some of the mega fly buzz with us. |
|
Empty Spaces
Our love goes out to some dear kiting friends who have passed on recently, and now fly eternal in the sky we treasure so much as kiters. |
|
Gallego by HQ Kites
Born from the well known Tramontana line from HQ, the Gallego continues it's heritage with a fun style and eye-appealing design. |
|
Lincoln City Indoor Festival
Continuing what is now a fine tradition, Lincoln City and Aerial Experience turn out yet another truly amazing indoor festival. |
|
Berck Intl. Kite Festival
Amazing single line displays, the world's best sport kite teams, international quad teams and more made this one truly amazing event! |
|
Weifang Intl. Kite Festival
IRBC competition comes to Weifang for the first time, teams attend from abroad, and a true international festival shines through. |
|
Great Lakes Kite Festival
With a top notch list of performers, this 17th annual event continues to deliver a wide variety of kiting to the Michigan public. |
|
Cutting Edge Spring Fling
The NWSKL and it's fliers turn out a sport kite competition in record time to avoid a dose of nasty weather, and have an absolute blast doing it! |
|
White Rock Kite Festival
Just a short jump across the border into Canada and you'll find yourself at one of the prettiest little festivals to be found in the Northwest. |
|
Midwest Area Kitemakers Retreat
Grant Lovett returns from MAKR with tales of creativity, inspirations and jubilation from one of the premier kite retreats in North America. |
|
WKM Sport Kite Workshop
Barresi takes it on the road to teach sport kite “trick flying” to fellow enthusiasts and help the World Kite Museum raise funds. |
|
Wind Dancer Sky Dazzle
Fliers from all over Oregon, Washington and Canada descend on the city of Seaside to duke it out in regional sport kite competition. |
|
Cloud Buster Kite Fest
Thanks to the help of some local fliers and residents, Perrin Texas gets it's very first annual kite festival and some truly great firsts all around! |
|
Snowkite World Championships
Snowkiters gather for top honors in Vadsø Norway... With both ski and board, freestyle and race events, this extreme sport pushes the edge. |
|
Festival/Comp Schedules
Looking for an event? You can find full schedules and contact information for events all over the country on the web sites listed here. |
|
Boston Area SKC
Competitors from the Northeast will soon be heading for Boston. At stake are the Comp points for an AKA Grand National invitation. |
|
Northwest SKC
As the longest running sport kite competition in the Northwest, NWSKC still offers up one of the finest venues around. |
|
Old Dominion SKC
The RAF and Eastern League team up to bring this popular event back with the 2006 schedule... Tricks Party and more, come on down! |
|
Southern Oregon Kite Festival
Although it's under new leadership this year, the SOKF promises top notch performances on the beautiful southern Oregon coast. |
|
Westport Windriders Festival
You might check this Fest out. Hot comps, a superb SLK display, and a killer banquet, bag-raffle and auction. What more need be said?
|
|
Rogallo Kite Festival
This 24th annual event takes place on the Outer Banks of NC, in honor of Francis Rogallo, NASA scientist and inventor of the Flexible Wing. |
|
Steveston SKC
Every year, it's worth a trek across the northern border to the Steveston SKC, where the BCKA put on their annual NWSKL event! |
|
Berkeley Kite Festival
A mainstay for Bay Area kiting, the BKF offers one of the largest varieties of kite styles in the country, all on the San Francisco Bay. |
|
WA State Intl. Kite Festival
The largest kite festival on the west coast returns for it's 25th anniversary, complete with both single line events and sport kite competition. |
Photo Collections
(added since last issue) |
|
|
 |
