When life is free and breezy
ANY time a 5-year-old opens his tiny hand and lets fly a colorful kite that sails high above the trees, his heart soars too.
“For kids, anything that flies is amazing,” said Ani Fine, owner of the Sunshine Kite Co. in Redondo Beach. “Watching it go from their hand to the sky and get smaller, it’s teaching them everything. You’re teaching them eye-hand coordination and they love the colors, and these days there are all kinds of kites -- airplanes, boats, butterflies -- catering to every child’s imagination.”
His first kite experience launched a natural high he’ll never forget, said Dave Shenkman, owner of Kite Connection in Huntington Beach. He flew an inflatable Mickey Mouse kite with a childhood friend in a schoolyard near his house. “We got it up so high you could not see it. We were afraid we wouldn’t have it down in time to get home by dark.”
The feeling? “Very cool,” he said with a smile.
The arrival of spring is a great time for parents to give young children a first kite experience or offer older children a chance to get outdoors. Here are some tips on flying kites with children from two experienced fliers who also are parents.
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How old does a child have to be to fly a kite?
Fine: An 18-month-old can fly a delta (triangle-shaped kite). They have to be with their parents because they can only hold it for so long and they don’t understand what happens when they let go.
Shenkman: One of the top sport kite fliers in the world was 8 when he started competing in the professional class. At 4, a child can fly a two-line kite [stunt kites that can be manipulated to flip and do other acrobatic tricks]. But it’s good to start on a single-line kite that flies well.
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What are the best one-line kites for a 5-year-old beginner?
Shenkman: Typically a diamond-shaped kite or triangle-shaped delta, or a dragon kite that has a huge, long tail and a parafoil that looks like a flying parachute. Ship kites are very stable too.
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What’s a good kite for an older child who has flown one before?
Shenkman: The two-line trick kites are very appealing to older kids. They do loops, spins, dives, figure eights and ... slack-line maneuvers. They can also do radical tricks: axels, coin tosses, lazy susans, back flips, flick flacks -- there are videos and CD-ROMs that show you how to do these tricks.
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Why buy from a shop that specializes in kites?
Shenkman: We test everything. We go to a trade show each year where we get to preview everything on a product demo day; if they don’t fly, we don’t buy.
Fine: If it needs to be fixed, the other stores don’t have the experience to help you. And kite stores have a larger variety and our kites last longer.
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How much should parents expect to spend on a decent kite?
Shenkman: You can get a very good single-line kite for $10 or you can spend $500. Most are in the range of $10 to $30. For two-line kites, you can get something decent at $47, one with some good string. The flying string is crucial. Sport kites need a string smaller in diameter so you don’t have wind resistance. You need lower stretch and a slipperiness so when you do spins and the lines twist around themselves, you can still maintain control. You can get a nice package for less than $50 with a kite and good line. Assembly time is about two minutes.
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Name some good places to fly kites in Southern California.
Shenkman: The beach is the best because it’s consistent. It’s much better to be in a light-to-medium breeze that’s consistent than to be in a strong breeze that’s inconsistent or gusty.
Fine: A mountaintop where there’s nothing in your way. I’ve flown at Griffith Park, and it’s a cool thing to do. Go near the observatory, where there’s nothing behind you.
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What’s the biggest frustration when kite flying with kids?
Fine: Not having the right wind or not having the correct kite for where you’re flying.
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What about safety rules?
Shenkman: Stay away from trees, power lines, airports, roads and crowded areas.
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What’s the biggest mistake parents make when teaching children about kites?
Fine: A lot of parents want to get the kite up and then give it to the child. But it’s important for the kid to feel like they’re doing it. Let them get it up there. There isn’t a lot you can teach a kid about flying a kite: It’s the wind and you.
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What’s up with kites?
How to fly: Tips at www.gombergkites.com/how.
Where to buy: A schedule of kite festivals in Southern California, places to shop for kites and more: www.windwizard.com.
Go sky high: Information on National Kite Month, which begins April 1, as well as the history of kites, a schedule of kite-flying events nationwide, kites as educational tools and links to sites with more on kites and kids: www.nationalkitemonth.org.