Date: Mon, 11 Jul 1994 11:35:45 -1000 From: Frank Kenisky Message-Id: Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice) Subject: Emporia Kite Festival Emporia Kite Festival A few hours outside of Kansas City, KS the Emporia Kite Festival is held on the grounds of Emporia State University. The grounds surrounding the University are well kept for the year round outdoor sports activity so the kite flyers flew on a well manicured field. The field is set off a small incline of about 50 yards from the main gymnaisum. (Great place to do some indoor demos, four separate regulation size with movable stadium seats and basketball nets baskball courts. Ceilings were high... , really high.) Anyway, we did not take advantage of the gym this year, but we sure will next year! This was the 4th year this festival had been in existence and each year it just rode along with the same activities. This year they became AKA sanctioned and were part of the SWSKC. They invited me (Frank Kenisky, not really a dirty word) to run and announce the event they had already set up. Well, although it may not seem like it, I am flexible. It was a little difficult to keep the crowd there, especially since the sponsor/host held the family childrens kite contest on the grounds nearest the gym. After they ran through all the 10 activities in two hours they were out of there. I must admit the weather did not help much. The wind was calm to say the least. And coming off the buildings didn't help. Not to say that if the wind was blowing like it usually does in Kansas, (ie the Wizard of OZ) it would have been perfect. But it was also HOT. Yes it was HOT. How HOT was it well it was so HOT that we bar-b-qued one of Joel Sholtzs' kestrals. (Not really a whole lot of meat on those birds.) Well our sponsor/host and I learned a lot that day and are working together to make some useful changes. Don't get me wrong, this was a very nice event. But was in need of some changes to keep it fresh and alive for the community. Next year they are inviting drink vendors, and a few food vendors, and will also have a few more tents for childrens kites and just plain shade. We will also use the gyms later in the day for an indoor demo. If there is ample opportunity, time and interest we might even consider an indoor competition, (ballet). Well how was the event. It was hot. I'm telling you it was hot. Yes, there were about twenty contestants who competed in the various sport kite competitions. Of course David Bui and Chris Moore were there and endured the heat with a spectatular routine. There was even a rokkaku battle which is becoming a standard event at SWSKC festivals. This was no exception. Towards the end of the Sport Kite Competition the announcer (me) began taunting the group to get out their best weapons. As the rok teams began testing the wind against the sail of their roks, I began to egg them on. Chris Lemon from the Tulsa, OK group first brought out their battle haug. The wind at the time was not at all cooperative and the only way to get it up was to run on a long launch. Out of breath or out of space the kite slowly drifted toward the ground. The announcer (me) would tease him about his lack of flying ability.and began to egg another team on to break out the ripstop roks. Soon there were a number of eagar battle hungry rok pilots testing the winds. And the event sponsor/hosts never knew what was going on. This was not a planned event. They hung in there as did the rok teams. Soon the field was clear. The sport kite competition was complete. And the rok teams took to the field. I pulled out Roadie and also took to the field. A voulnteer and a bit inexperienced and nieve he took to the field with me never to return the same. He learned quickly that to be in a rok battle with me you must keep up and be flexible. Run!!! Bob and weave. Within a few short seconds after the start of the battle there was a massive tangle and teams were trying to get their kites out of the mess. Then after about ten minutes Roadie and another group were cut loose. Soon only two rivals were left on the field. The Kansas City Kite Club and the Group from Tulsa. It was hot. Yes, but they found ways to keep their cool. A water hose was turned on and brought to the field. It caught the teams a bit off guard but was a welcome shower. The battle went on a bit longer than anticipated. Each team being cautious. Then the tag, and they were off to take each other out. Trying to get the best position each team manuevered both on the field and in the sky. But in the end it was the Group from Tulsa whos last tug took KCKC out of the sky and falling to the earth. The Emporia Kite Festival is an AKA sanctioned event and is on the SWSKC. We had a blast! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =