Let’s go fly a kite

THEY light up the sky and dance in the wind – and that is the reason Stewart Booth of Southport gives for his lifelong infatuation with kites and the art of flying them.

He is a well-known figure at Southport beach where beachgoers are often stopped in their tracks by the sight of a dozen or so multi-coloured kites tugging at their strings. Stewart occasionally gets up from his deckchair to tweak them and keep them all airborne.

Children who show an interest are invited to fly some of his kites under his supervision – and years later they come back and tell him how much the experience meant to them.

“Kites are all about giving. As much as I love flying them, my greatest joy is to bring a smile to the face of a child,” he said.

His fascination with these bright wind dancers started when he was a child but it was only in 1991, after he had moved to the South Coast from Gauteng, that he began to collect and fly them seriously. Today he is recognised as one of South Africa’s serious collectors and a talented kite pilot, so he is more than enthusiastic about teaming up with another local kite lover, Dawid Dorfling, to organise the inaugural Margate Kite Festival. They both hope it will become an annual tourism drawcard.

The three-day festival will take place on Margate beach between the lagoon and Lucien over the Youth Day long weekend, from Sunday, June 14 to Tuesday, June 16. There is great excitement about it among the kiting fraternity and enthusiasts are expected to arrive from all over South Africa. Dawid and Stewart are even expecting some international kite pilots and makers to attend.

Entrance will be free but, because of safety concerns, entry into the flying area will be restricted when flying is taking place. However, the festival will be an interactive event with visitors encouraged to bring along their own kits or to hire one and fly them alongside the experts.

Both Dawid and Stewart were quick to point out that a kite was far more than a toy. Flying one required skill, not to mention some physical dexterity. In fact, flying some of the bigger ones or the popular stunt kites could be a jolly good workout. Kites were made and flown all over the world and they came in all shapes, designs, colours and sizes, from tiny diamonds to massive, multi-coloured and extremely complex designs. Some were hand painted and some were skillfully decorated with applique work.

Some were built to resemble birds, animals and even beautiful geisha girls. Then there were the tails and creating unusual ones or adding spinners or ‘washing’ – decorative motifs – was another way kite makers could express their creativity. The best kites were hand sewn by experts with a good eye for colour and design and these were truly works of art.

While the modern kite was usually made out of ultra-light parachute fabric and other light, flexible man-made materials there was nothing to stop anyone from making a kite with more humble, cheaper, easily acquired bits and pieces like bamboo, newspaper, tissue paper, plastic refuse bags, scraps of fabric and home-made flour and water glue.

“A kite is basically bits of string, some sticks and a rag. I’ve seen some beautiful kites made by children using designs cut from different coloured plastic bags. Anyone can make a kite. That is what makes kite flying such an accessible pastime for all,” explained Stewart.

One thing he wouldn’t skimp on was the rather pricey but long lasting cord he used for the strings of his kite.

“Some of the more ornate kites are extremely expensive. It is false economy to use cheap line and have them fly away from you,” he explained. This has proved a wise policy. None of his airborne works of art has managed to escape.

He and Dawid have some exciting plans for their festival, The first day will be family-orientated, with the accent on kite flying as an activity for everyone. Dawid is particularly keen on promoting kite flying among young people as an activity that keeps them off the streets, out of mischief and away from bad influences.

For that reason the Monday of the festival will be a special schools’ day. He hopes flyers will entertain some 300 to 500 pupils from rural schools. There will also be workshops to encourage kite making with recycled materials.

There will be a number of special activities during the festival. Team Aero Shark will be there to show off the exiting new Revolution kites. There will be synchronised flying, stunt flying demonstrations by experts, various kite workshops, displays, stalls and plenty of audience participation. Do come along and fly a kite.

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