Go Fly a Kite

This is the only date we know of where it's cool for even your mom to ask, "Did you get it up?"

It's the kind of date where both of you have an opportunity to build something together and then have fun with it. Or if you're not as adventurous as all of that, you can get a prebuilt kite from a kite store and fly it right out of the package.

COST

Kite flying can be one of the cheapest dates you'll ever have, considering that it only costs around $3.00 to build your own kite. You can spend a lot more on the pricey kite kits, but it doesn't mean you'll have a better time. You can also paint your date's name on the kite, and hope it doesn't catch a sudden downwind.

HISTORY AND PURPOSE

The first kites were flown a few thousand years ago by the Chinese, mostly for military purposes. Today, kite flying has many roles. Some people take their kite making and kite flying very seriously— they have clubs and magazines and internet chat rooms. For others, kite flying can be a fun and relaxing way for releasing tension and string.

HOW TO BUY OR BUILD A KITE

Fortunately, nearly every location on the planet that has wind has a kite store, except for maybe Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. You can also order kites and/or kite kits online. The sites that follow include all the information you will need to build or buy a kite.

The cool kite site at www.kitelife.com has everything from an online kite magazine to kite shop links and internet sites which tell you how to build your own kites. (Check out the UFO Kite from Cutting Edge Kites for $18.95. Its silvery material acts like a prism when it is in the air.)

An exceptional website that is run by kite aficionado Andrew Beattie is www.kitez.com. It has a tremendous number of links, kite-building plans and resources from all over the world.

BOOKS

Go no further than Kite Lines Bookstore. This store sells nothing but books about kites from all over the world. Their catalogue includes books on stunt kites, fighter kites, and even one that teaches you how to make kites from an letter-sized sheet of paper. Call them at (302)945-0449 or order online at www.kitelife.com.

According to Valerie at Kite Lines Bookstore, the most reliable, clear and correct book for basic kite building is KITES by David Pelham; $15.95.

For easy kite building plans, she says to try Kites for Everyone by Margaret Greger; $12.95.

There are many other interesting kite books, such as Marvelous Mini-Kites (for making kites from 8 1/2" x 11" paper) by Norman Schmidt; $19.95 and Building Kites by Nancy Ann Belsky; $11.95. Kite Lines Bookstore charges $3.00 shipping for the first book, $1.00 for each additional.

KITE ASSOCIATIONS

If you truly enjoy kite flying, consider joining the American Kitefliers Association. Their website address is www.aka.kite.org or phone them at (800) AKA-2550. They are informative, inexpensive and they even provide liability insurance for kite-flying members at sanctioned events.

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR KITE UP

Running is the hardest way to launch a kite. The uncontrolled tugging on the line as you run will make the kite dive and crash. Let the wind and your reel do the work instead.

To launch in good winds, stand with your back to the wind and hold your kite up to catch the breeze. Let the line out only as fast as the wind is able to lift your kite. If the wind lulls, pull in the line to make your kite gain altitude.

In light or gusty winds, have your date hold your kite 100 feet or more downwind from you. This can serve an important double purpose if it's one of those days when you are generating a serious amount of wind yourself. Stretch the line tight. When your date releases the kite, reel in the line to make it climb.

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

If you decide to build your own kites, this can easily become two dates. For the first date, you can have fun building your kites together whether it's late at night or on a day with no wind at all. You can always wait until the weather's just right to have your second kite flying date, when you'll get to see if your little craft is airworthy.

BE SURE TO HAVE A BACKUP

Anytime you make a date to fly kites, make sure you have backup plans in case the weather doesn't cooperate. You might also have a cheapo backup kite in case numero uno breaks a bow.

WHEN NATURE WON'T BLOW

If you are trying to fly your kites on a day when the winds are still, consider borrowing a trick from the ancients: sacrifice a virgin. Of course, if there are no virgins to be found, one of you can always pretend that you still are!

NO DATE—NO PROBLEM

There is little you can do on your own that will help you meet more people than flying an interesting-looking kite. Complete strangers are always coming up to kite flyers and asking dozens of questions, from "Did you make that kite" to "How do you fly it?" It can be a neat way to meet people.

ALTERNATIVES

Why not pack a picnic lunch to accompany your kite-flying?