Events are underway! We got up this foggy morning at 6am to make sure we secured decent parking a sweet spot at the field… We’re staying the Super 8, which is graciously owned and operated by Jane and Roger Holman with the help of Lorna (mom) and an able bodied staff… Jane is a very active component of organizing the event. After a hearty breakfast at Debi’s (restaurant) right across the street we finally made our way out to the field and set up, utilizing one of the built in wind break / picnic areas to arrange camp, hoist banners and set up a few kites.
With light to moderate winds through a good part of the morning Troy brought out his New Tech Air Yo for a few flings in the breeze… In the meantime participants in todays train and arch ascension which was held throughout the day, featuring several different styles of thousands of multi colored, multi appliqued kites between all of the different representatives from all over the place!
A gentleman was out with his gorgeous 6-stack of Pizazz Kites by Dick Barnes… At home in the light mid-morning wind, these babies were a blast to fly.
And the the Revs came forth… The home made stack of Rev style kites shown above caught my eye as we headed out to get in a bit of quad line action ourselves. Troy Gunn drew quite a group of onlookers at serveral points while flying his Rev SLE on short lines, demonstrating “3D” flying where the flier gets the kite up overhead and pulls on the top lines, then catches the Rev when it falls straight down out of the sky… After a quick check of the lines, toss it back out into the wind like a javelin.
I unfortunately didn’t get quite all the way down the beach to check out the Fighter Kite group… However, I could see them shooting about like darts just over the horizon.
The first big stuff to take the field was a couple of giant Bols (or Crowns), followed by a pair of Geckos… I always look forward to the inflatables, and hear way more good stuff is in store as the week progresses.
Around midday the sun broke out and lit everything up… From the sound of it, we’ll be seeing good weather through the rest of the week!
After a good amount of flying with our Revs and talking with passerby, it was time to break for lunch and sample some of the fares that were being offered among the many vendors along the closed off drive to the beach… Seafood, diner staples, elephant ears, you name it.
Later in the day, on the north end of the field several Sutton parafoils took to the air, with a number of sweet handcrafted appliqued and other kites peppering the sky between.
Tell you what, if you’ve never been to WSIKF (or Long Beach for that matter) it is well worth the trip… Aside from the beautiful surroundings and winds (which did come up a little later in the day), it’s only Monday, the first day of the event, and the energy here is kicking already!
Reporting to you “live” from Long Beach
with great pleasure,
John Barresi
