Hey folks, I was at the Family Day Kite Festival at Marina Green in San Francisco last weekend. It was a staggering, whirlwind, high energy blast that ended too soon for me.

Here are some highlights:

- I rented a car and was hollering to myself, "Oh wow, I'm actually driving on the streets of SF" while running red lights, pedestrians diving for their lives, and nearly getting killed by blowing the 4 way stop signs. Ok, so driving in SF had, um... a few challenges.

- Renting a car can be inexpensive. Parking a car can require a freakin bank loan! Please don't ask how I know this.

- SF bicycle riders will take over the world if you let them. Actually, they already own the world; we just don't know it yet. (Cab drivers actually have better manners.)

- We had a reception for festival performers and volunteers at the Anchor Brewery, owned by Fritz Maytag. Yeah, Great grandson Maytag. He was not there at the time. http://www.anchorbrewing.com/index.htm Cool place with photographs of Janice Joplin on the walls. (She visited with her band back in the day.) She was very young and incredibly cute.

- I found out that yeast from this beer is never thrown away but recycled over and over. The yeast that I saw being used was 26 years old. Using 'fresh' yeast would be a disaster. After use 'brewers yeast' is poisonous. It's not what some dieters use.

- I met a pretty cool fellow named guy named Ron Young. We talked for a short while. Ron put the festival together. Apparently he knows Fritz Maytag or something. He introduced me to the crowd at the reception and made a big deal of me. (blush) He seemed like a regular Joe to me, and then I found his bio: http://www.aboutsage.com/about/Young.cfm Ron gets 2 thumbs up from me for being so nice.

- I did 4 stunt kite performances in front of large crowds (although I thought I sucked!)

- What the hell is with the black pantyhose thing with the women in SF? Some sort of fad? I dunno. They were everywhere I looked I tell ya. And I would know because I was looking quite a bit.

- Southwest Airlines has the butt-ugliest plane in the sky, I have proof.

Anyways here are some photos.

The cheapest houses across the street start at about 2 mil.


Happy frogs


A colorful spinny thing


A very cool and talented individual I met named David Sabilino http://www.flyozone.com/landkites/de/team/riders/international-team/_david-sabilino/


David made my favorite kite at the fest, a kabuki mask.


He also brought his custom kite buggy and a variety of banners that he made.


Another David creation


Daa-dum-daa-dum-daa-dum-daa-dum


The air was full of color and music. I got to perform in front of this crowd.


I tried to hold this 100 foot manta when a big wind gust kicked up. I leared that if you get caught the wrong way in the lines you'll beome an arrow.


Here is the Hornblower, one of our sponsors. Billed as the greenest boat in the world, it pretty much runs like a Prius.


And as promised, the Southwest Airlines butt-ugliest plane in the sky.


The rest of the photos are at the link below if ya wanna see em.

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Awesome.

I like the mask one as well.

Nice pictures. 

I enjoy seeing kites at the beach but when I've flown them I always get bored.  It's fun to get the kite up in the air but then I think What Now?

 

I like the Kite Kart, looks like fun.

Appy you need to try fighter kites. THOSE can be fun! I love the huge RV sized kites.

Dude, that's so awesome! I'm totally jealous. You get a Rev yet? Looks like you had a blast (pun intended) out there.

I actually kinda like that airplane. The Maryland state flag is one of my favorites (if not the favorite).

Land sakes alive, the steak's alive.

As far as the feeling of "What now?" I can totally relate because I felt the same way at one time. I found out that flying kites around other people who enjoy doing the same can be fun. It's not the type of thing one does every day and quite frankly the kites are not always interesting enough to be the center of activity. When the kites are up some people read, take turns watching the kite(s) for safety sake, teach kids to fly kites, knock back a few cold ones (laws permitting), or enjoy other outdoor activities like volley ball. Kites also make good beach markers.

Kites can be fun or they can be more bother than they are worth. They can be expensive doggy chew toys, colorful objects of art, or moldy smelling closet clutter. For now I use them as an excuse to get out of the house. I try to find interesting places where other people fly them and join in. That, like so many other things is subject to change as life dictates.

Doc, no Revs for me. (lol) They are the Dark Side of the force. And sorry but that plane is awful. Maryland definitely has flag issues.

Very very cool! Love the mask and the Easter Island dude and the scuba guys.

Congrats on your performance

Gray, you ever meet a guy named Corey Jensen?

I am

I think I did meet him. I suck at remembering names though. I do know of his store and his video series.

the mask and manta rock.

Looks like such a cool event.

Corey gave me my Skynasaur in the mid-late 80s. We used to go fly with him in Sand City CA. all the time. He wanted an evaluation of it's capabilities. With the supplied lines, it sucked, put some aftermarket kevlar lines on it and it was average. Great guy. I only recently learned he was something of a "name" in the kiting community.

I need to get my stack of Avengers back out. I need new lines before I do anything though.

The last time I got any stunter out I straightened out a 250lb test snap-swivel. Oregon winds can be a bitch.


I am

From what I hear Oregon and Washington seem to be something of a haven for kite flyers.
Go ahead and put some new lines on the Avengers. You'll be glad you did.

I have a stack of 3. They pull me down the beach in 20 knots or better conditions.

I should get some new lines.

I am

I like mannta kite and moai banner.

What does "become an arrow" mean? It'll shoot down fast and hard and impale someone?

Great pics, Gray.
I like the shark and the frogs. I think I like the shark more because those frogs look like they're pretty high maintenance. Jeez, how many lines does it take to control those things, a hundred?

That was kick ass, Gray!

Emokid is throwing slomo dove at my face, I guess that means he flipped me the bird

Very friggin coolio pics...

I tried to show off flying a kite for the gf over the summer and got the kite way up and used up all the string. Then I tied it to a chair but not good enough because the kite broke free and flew away over the horizon.

the end.

Lizz, the pull on some of the larger kite lines is pretty incredible. It's like pulling a car in neutral on a flat surface. One end of the line is anchored to the ground; the other is tied to the kite. If you pull the line from the middle and the car/kite lunges forward, it would launch you like an arrow.

Also the cost of some of the larger kites is pretty incredible. $1,200.00 for some of the off the shelf stuff to $20,000.00+ for some of the really big custom stuff. Add to the fact that some of these people carry a half dozen or more kites with them and you get an idea of how much of an investment some people put into their hobby. YAY crazy people!

Sorry if I'm running on a bit too much. A quick story. About 10 years ago one of the large kites broke loose at that field and landed in the street and on the roof of one of the million dollar homes across the street. It shut down traffic in both directions on that street for over an hour. The fire department had to use a ladder truck to clear the mess.

One more time, YAY crazy people!

Neat! I like the shark and divers.

What is that thing on the ground in the same pic? A mine?

That's a Fugu fish it doesn't fly it just fills with wind.

Full of wind and doesn't fly...

Sounds like anon.

heh 'fugu fish'.

Charlie the Unicorn reference.

okay, slight diversion carry on.........

I learnt the word "fugu" from The Simpsons and it won me a huge Cranium game one time.

I likes these pics, but I likes the stories that go along with them even more. Sounds like you have an awesome time doing what you do.