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Jane Holeman, who retired last year. “I love
seeing the look on people’s faces when they
first see the fantastic array of kites,” Darland
said.
She marvels at the skill of the flyers, add-
ing that the art of keeping a kite airborne is a
mix of science, math, music, aerodynamics,
dexterity and luck. She also recalls her own
kite experiences growing up.
“I had an iconic Joel Scholz parrot kite as
a kid and I was so excited to actually meet
him,” she said, looking forward to festi-
val attendees’ chance to meet kite flying leg-
ends. “I can’t wait for others to experience all
that our event has to offer, including a music
festival.”
This beach extravaganza is sure to have
something for everyone. Each of the event’s
seven days will be filled with activities,
including workshops,
competitions and
Attendees at
concerts.
a previous
The beach will be
Washington State
divided into fields,
International
where different events
Kite Festival
will take place. The
enjoy the
festival’s main events
breeze.
and competitions
will be held in front
of the Long Beach
Boardwalk, a convenient spot for spectator
viewing.
The family-friendly kids’ day is fun for all
ages, with games, contests and kite makers
giving away small kites to children. Senior
volunteers known as “foster grandparents”
are then available to pair with the children to
help them learn to fly their new kites.
The teddy bear drop is another anticipated
returning kids’ event, where beachgoers will
scramble to pick up teddy bears that fall from
the sky.
Competitions for grown-up kite flyers
include individual and team “battles,” featur-
ing fighter kites and traditional Japanese war-
rior kites, as well as the “senior ballet” for
those over 50. The latter will be judged on
music selection, ease of control, grace and
innovation.
Other events include a “mass ascension”
for junior flyers and the “stacks” competi-
tion, which requires a series of three or more
maneuverable sport kites tethered together
in sequence. This allows for a single flyer to
control all of the kites at one time for a cou-
ple of minutes. The world record for such
a maneuver was set at Long Beach in 2019
with an impressive 20 pilots, keeping 117
kites aloft and choreographed for seven
minutes.
Many experienced flyers create their own
handmade kites. Divisions for these unique
aircraft include traditional, stunt, centipedes
and trains, innovative design and concepts,
novelty, artistry, line accessories and the tini-
est kite.
The festival began in 1981 as a collabo-
ration between local kite enthusiasts and the
Long Beach Merchants Association. By 1989,
thanks to local kite store owners Kay and Jim
Buesing, along with a core of kite devotees,
the nonprofit World Kite Museum was born, a
natural venue to oversee the festival.
“Kay was not just a person who owned a
kite store,” Jim Mockford, a longtime friend
and fellow kite aficionado, said. “She took
a leading role in the museum, organizing
and promoting the festivals. She was doing
remarkable things, working a kind of world-
wide kite diplomacy.”
Kay, who died in 2021 at age 86, put Long
Beach front and center in the international
kite community.
“The breadth and variety of the festival is
astounding,” Darland said. Taking over from
Holeman is an awesome responsibility, she
adds, noting that her predecessor was part of
the original group of festival developers in the
1980s.
“I intend to carry on that tradition and keep
adding to the experiences of the museum and
what has become the largest kite festival in
the country,” she said.
“I love how much fun people have,” she
added. “My face, like theirs, is always lit up
with amazement.”
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 // 9