Fylde Kite Festival 2004

St Annes Beach - 12th & 13th June 2004

We arrived on St Annes beach on the Saturday lunchtime to find the wind blowing a gale (well it felt like it), and not too many people about. Although the sun was shining and the sky was blue (yes it does happen sometimes in St Annes - I should know I grew up there) the wind was rather chilly. And since the wind was whipping up the loose sand and we didn't have the beach shelter with us the family decided to look around the town center then go visiting - leaving me to amuse myself.

Looking through my kite bag I realized that the only kite that would be OK to fly was the Custom Vented Revolution 1.5 I made a few months ago. Not being sure about my movements over the afternoon I decided to set up on the beach just in front of the arena - and as there weren't that many people about it seemed likely to be safe enough to fly there (other people were flying here so I wasn't the only one). The commentator periodically gave the wind speed - usually somewhere just over 20mph with gusts out 22mph. It certainly felt more from where I was - but one thing I have never mastered is guessing the wind speed (not totally true: I can guess 0 mph without any problem). I also found that although the kite was vented it still pulled alot and had a fair turn of speed - and given members of the public were walking about, and children were flying sledge kites made in the workshop there were plenty of things to avoid whilst flying! I certainly enjoyed myself messing around with the Revolution - but apologies to the family I nearly hit when I didn't secure the kite properly when landing for the moment (it took off again - and caused some people to jump back in alarm). The other problem I had was that each time I landed the kite for a rest I would catch sight of someone about to walk into the lines - so I had to launch the kite to avoid them. I muttered about this until I noticed that sandy coloured lines are invisible on a sandy coloured beach - next time I will get coloured lines so they are more visible.

Due to the wind speed most of the program had to be abandoned as most of the larger display kites weren't safe to launch - the commentator did a fantastic job of commentating on whatever did fly. But having said that enough was in the sky to still look good - some sledge kites with drogues attached, Graham Lockwood somehow performing his kite ballet with 3 kites, and various other ones. I stayed until the end of the day then met up with the family with aching arms (that is me with aching arms, not the family.....).

I returned early next morning hoping we would have the nice sunshine, without the silly winds - and we did! This meant that there could be a formal program on the Sunday. Given the experience of avoiding people the previous day I decided it would be safer for all concerned to fly in the arena if that was allowed - and since it was I set up in the official area. Mostly managed not to annoy anyone - I think (sorry if I did!). I was able to fly the Papillon and the Deca as well as the Vented Revolution. I missed the quad line demonstration as I couldn't hear the announcement on the PA speaker - so only watched a couple of minutes of it. The chap doing the usual business of landing the kite on the commentators head with (what looked like) a Revolution 1 certainly looked good (I think I saw him flying on the Saturday - which impressed me as I was finding it a challenge with a vented kite - and his was unvented and was under control).

I had to leave at lunch time - with only enough time to nearly buy a kite, and 4m of ripstop fabric from a trader.

All in all a good couple of days - I spoke to some great people and enjoyed looking at the different kites in the sky. And next year I think I will fly out of harms way..........