First, a little background information. If you think about it, you won’t be too surprised to note that sport kiting has been struggling a bit... Major competitions drying up… Fewer new competitors... Or just going “Festival,” without the comps. Moreover, the overall number of competition participants is slowly dwindling.

We read an Al Hargus post on a kiting forum a couple of days ago citing a message from Mike Gillard (Kitelife’s Founder, now editor of the AKA's “Kiting Magazine”) who writes:

“Ken McNeill puts it best: ’ Before we can get big again, we have to get small again’. The Northeast and Southwest are dying... The large events have gone away, and we are losing one of the last ones next year ( Newport ). We've got to get those folks past the model of the huge, 3-day deal with trophies, banquet, auction... Time for groups of folks with a boombox, a high school ballfield, and a joy of flying to take the fore. The areas that are showing growth are doing it organically, by themselves.’”

Well, Kitelife certainly seconds that notion wholeheartedly... It’s high time for us to pull ourselves up by our boot straps and jump start the competition/festival combinations.

In that vein, Kitelife feels that the following kind of information is important enough to the sport kiting community that it needs publication wherever and however possible. And if you need further info on this event, you are encouraged to refer to the RWRSC’s web site.

Richmond/Washington Regional SKC (RWRSKC)

What:

AKA Sanctioned Sport Kite Competition.

Who:

Primarily intended for first-timers,
though others can compete as well.

Cost:

Free for first-time competitors,
Others = TBA (estimated @ $10 or less).

Where:

Loriella Park in Spotsylvania, VA.

When:

March 26, 2005.

Schedule:

Sponsors:

Richmond Air Force (RAF)
Wings Over Washington (WOW)
Blue Moon Kites
New Tech Kites
CCG Facilities, Inc.

RWRSKC Philosophy:

We have a goal; to offer the first-time Novice-class competitors a no-stress, mentored opportunity to experience both precision and ballet disciplines, and to have fun doing it. Since the right gear is so essential to competing, we're doing it right:

Blue Moon is providing kites and lines for the Novices to use during the event; thanks go to Ken McNeill and Doug Charleville for stepping up on this one!

New Tech Kites will be donating prizes for not only the NIP/NIB winners but for the winner of the " Mentor 's challenge" as well. Many thanks to Chris and Dodd!

This one-day event expects to be AKA sanctioned so we will be offering NIB/NIP solely for the first-timers; all current competitors will have OIB and OIF available.

For more information visit:

RWRSCK’s web site