October 5th, 2020 Newsletter
Welcome!!
Well this is the first issue of the Fortuna Found Weekly Kite Newsletter. Thank you so much for signing up to stay current with the kite world. Every week we will feature news that has happened around the kite world, along with new and exciting photos and videos from some of the top kite fliers and kite makers out there. Hope you enjoy, and if you have any feedback, or have something you would like to share with the rest of the kite world, let me know! These newsletters are meant to have a little bit of everything Kite related, some weeks they will have more of a focus on one particularly 'flavor' of kites. If it is not your thing, hang on for the next week. Never know, you might discover something new in the kite world!!
TIP OF THE WEEK
When you purchase a line set, make sure that you have the strength (typically in pounds) and length listed on the winder. It also helps to add the year purchased. You never know when it might come in handy!
TAKE AN AWESOME NIGHT SHOT
Tony Ragusea shares a video "that explains how to take photos of light trails from kites in flight that have been mounted with lights. Because I only get 15 min I'm only focusing here on the necessary equipment and some of the settings you need to take the pictures, not the post-processing"
Check out https://www.instagram.com/tonyragusea/ to see some examples of Tony's night time photos.
Virtual Kite Events?
Over the past few years more and more kite events have been happening in some fashion online. Whether it was engaging would be attendees ahead of time, or hosting competitions fully on a virtual kite field.
As we navigate this socially distant landscape, there are a few things we can learn from Virtual Kite Events.
VIRTUAL FREESTYLE : http://vf.kiteclique.com/
This event is in it's 37th edition of purely virtual competition. Sport kite fliers submit a video clip of their freestyle flying, and the community judges them based on technicality and artistic appeal.
Virtual Kite Building for a Kite Event :
As a part of an upcoming kite festival, the organizers for this kite event have recorded a video on how to make a kite, along with providing kits for attendees to pick up. They are then able to build their own kite at home, then celebrate by flying their kites on the set date.
Kitemaking Conferences Online :
On the heels of the We Fly Global Kite Conference, several of the major Kite Making workshops have been exploring the options of having something similar. Either a fully virtual event, or as a supplement to an in person event. Leading the charge at the moment is the fine folks at U-Make. Check them out, and plan on attending!! http://www.u-make.org/
Cape Town International Kite Festival :
"Fly a kite at the first-ever virtual Cape Town International Kite Festival from October 10 to 31 and help keep #HopeOnTheRise in support of Cape Mental Health. Enjoy a mix of real-life and online activities with competitions, kite-making workshops, interviews with kiters around the world and a special showcase of laughter, music and dance featuring Dalin Oliver, Jarrad Ricketts and Manila von Teez."
A BIT OF VISUAL DISTRACTION
Check out this new video from Brett Marchel as he takes his quad line sport kite down to the 'docks', proving yet again that you don't have to have a big sandy beach to fly your kites. Brett also shares a great tip on how to wrap your quad lines directly on to your handles.
STORIES FROM THE KITE WORLD
There are some incredible stories happening out there and we aim to share them with you. Whether it is a personal account, an interview, or something that has happened that is worth noting, you might find it here! If you have a story you would like to share, let us know!
Makani makes kite-based wind-power data available
Kite-based wind-power systems developer Makani is making technical materials, including its technological development and insights, available to the public on an open-source basis. The collection of information includes open source code repositories, flight logs, technical videos and a non-assertion pledge for free use of Makani’s worldwide patent portfolio. CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE
"Pulling Power From the Sky: The Story of Makani" chronicles the thirteen-year quest of an eclectic band of scientists, artists, sailors, pilots, and engineers as they team up to design and build kites that can efficiently harness energy from the wind. Created by members of the Makani team, and featuring beautiful footage from test sites in Hawai’i, California, and Norway, this film provides an intimate portrait of the team and spirit.
Kites for Peace - Zimbabwe - Virtual Kite Festival
Kites for Peace is a global movement for unity and inner peace.
Launched in 2014 as a world record breaking attempt, it is now an annual kite flying event held in commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Peace. With the current Covid-19 Pandemic, the kite festival was hosted online with participants from around the world submitting photos of them flying their kites.
The Kites for Peace movement’s focus is on inspiring joy, peace and hope through the simple, forgotten act of kite flying with loved ones. We believe that recreational activities such as kite flying help individuals find their inner peace, and this makes for peaceful communities, peaceful nations and a peaceful world.
Find out more about this great organization at: https://www.flykitesforpeace.com/
(photos courtesy of Kites for Peace Zimbabwe)