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For Immediate Release: February 24, 2006
Hundreds of Kites Fill the Skies During Fourth Annual Huntington Beach Kite Party
Named Best Kite Festival in the U.S. by the Kite Trade Association International
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. Hundreds of kites are expected to fill the skies over the Huntington Beach pier during the Fourth Annual Huntington Beach Kite Party, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 4th and 5th. The event will take place just north of the historic Huntington Beach pier and will kick off each morning at 11:00 a.m. with an awesome display of colorful, high-flying, high-tech aerobatics.
Spectators may be amazed by the kites as they loop, dive and dance across the sky under the control of kite enthusiasts from all over the country who come to the Surf City USA™ shores to showcase their kite flying skills. The event was recently named the Best Kite Festival in the United States by the Kite Trade Association International.
"People who live in and visit Huntington Beach love to fly kites. But their passion goes way beyond what children do with a piece of plastic and a tail of knotted cloth on windy day in the park," said The Kite Connection owner, Dave Shenkman. "If you've never experienced professional kite flying, or even if you have, you will be in for a treat at this event."
The Kite Festival is sponsored by The Kite Connection, a local kite shop perched mid-way down the pier that has been supplying sports kites for 23 years. Shenkman, the store owner and avid kite enthusiast, has taught more than 500,000 elementary students about aerodynamics through a program called Kites for Kids. He also offers free sport kite flying lessons, by appointment, every Saturday at 3:00 p.m. to those who wish to brush up on their skills.
Kite flying has evolved over the years from a passive pastime into an active sport. The American Kitefliers Association (AKA), founded in 1964, now has more than 4,000 members in 35 countries. In the next three months alone, the organization lists 272 kite festivals and competitions worldwide.
Kites are thought to have originated in Asia more than two thousand years ago, according to the AKA Web site at www.aka.kite.org. The earliest written account of kite flying was 200 B.C. when a Chinese general flew a kite over the walls of a city to measure how far his troops had to tunnel to pass the defenses. Traders spread the skill across Asia to India, and later to Europe by sailors who brought them back from Japan and Malaysia in the 17th century.
Since then, kites have been used for scientific research, weather prediction and military observation and signaling. The airplane eventually replaced the need for working kites and over the past 50 years, the kite has been used primarily for recreation. In 1972, Peter Powell introduced a dual-line stunt kite and people began flying kites for sport as well as fun.
The Huntington Beach Kite Party is a casual, family friendly event. The event draws more than 100 kite flyers each year, including some of the country's best professionals. But even kite noobs (beginners) are welcome to take flight and soar throughout the weekend.
For more information about the Kite Party, sport kite flying lessons or kiting in general, call The Kite Connection at (714) 536-3630 or visit www.kiteconnection.com.
To learn more about Huntington Beach, visit www.surfcityusa.com or call 800-729-6232 and request a free visitors guide. Surf City USA™ is a trademark of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.