Ventura County Kite Flyers

Welcome to the VCKF Home Page. We're GLAD you dropped in. Within this site, you will come to understand why we do what we do. LAST UPDATE - 2/3/2012 DISCLAIMERS: 1) These pages are factual, not fancy. 2) No animals were run over by a kite buggy during the making of this webpage:

SEE...NO HURT ANIMALS!

We are a group of kite flyers with many different backgrounds, interests, & flying styles. Kites have evolved from single line, to 2,3 & 4 line versions. The way Indy cars get lighter, faster, & safer each year is a good analogy of what today's technology has brought to the kiting world. Whether you enjoy strolling down the beach with a Diamond on a string, being a light wind guru, or a POWER HUNGRY buggier or surfer, kites conjure up good things in all of us.. We fly Recreationally, Support Regional Festivals (including our own), & for Competitive Practice. COMPETITIVE KITE FLYING? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! NO, WE'RE NOT KIDDING! There are now 6 main types of competition (All with uniform international guidelines): 1) Precision...Preset compulsory manuevers - (figure 8's, tulips, starbursts, etc). You can see ALL of the figures we fly in a link below. 2) Ballet...Flying to music. The competitor is judged similar to figure skating where music, choreography, & continuity are the main focus. 3) Fighter...Single lined kites that dart around & bump or cut each other out of the sky. 4) Free Style...ANYTHING goes including Costumes, Props, Multiple Kites, etc. 5) Traction: a) Buggy...Pursuit races on closed courses using LARGER traction kites to pull you around in a 3-wheel contraption. www.buggythang.org b) Surf...Slide on the glass-like water or Catch Air! c) Snow/Ice...Skis, Snowboards, etc. you name it, just wear your gloves. 6) Indoor...YES, you can now fly a kite indoors with NO WIND, no fans, no nuttin :) Proof is in the pudding...You see the picture below. Below that is a link to our Pictures and Video archive. Check out the "Quicktime" movie files. There you will see videos depicting Indoor Flight from the Catalina Island Terminal in Los Angeles Harbor to the Main Gallery @ Cal Arts in Valencia. Yet another aspect of Kiting is what we call "KAP" - Kite Aerial Photography. This is where Kite Flyer meets Shutter Bug and the results are STUNNING photographs from the air of places you go everyday. The views are spectacular and it allows you to see life from "A Bird's Eye View". A special section on KAP is forthcoming on our site.

An Example of Indoor Flight:

Home Base - Oxnard State Beach

Fill in your starting address here and this Google Gadget will give you driving directions!

latitude & longitude: N 34 DEG. 10 MIN. 52.8 SEC. W 119 DEG. 14 MIN. 15.1 SEC GPS: 11 S 0293790 UTM 3784525 On a map, the address is 1601 W. Harbor Blvd, south of Wooley and north of Channel Islands Blvd. You'll find anyone of us up in the sky on any given day of the week. Saturday is when the field really starts rockin! Just after dawn, the first flyers drop kite bags, coolers, & travelling chairs (very important) on the grass. The following is a textbook example of how it goes: Light winds usually prevail in the morning. By noon, it's 6-12 from the west & there can be up to 7 of us flying at once. Thanks to Hector and the Pizza Slingers @ American Pizza in Oxnard - the ONLY pizza place that takes us seriously (cash helps too!) - we're munchin on DELIVERED PIZZA through the afternoon. High winds start to kick up around 2, and go til 4-4:30. As the sun starts a droppin, Mother Nature kicks it down to ultralight time again. Just after the sun sets, you'll find people dragging this webmaster (who's crying & wants to stay) over to Victoria Pub for Cider & good, live, no-cover music. If your lucky, MARTINI NATION is rockin the house that night. Of course, when they arrive, we switch to ABSOLUT Martinis!!! Stop by and Fly, Don't be Shy. We invite all Comers, Flying or Not. ***Post Fly Update*** The Pub has recently remodeled and continues to be one of our "Safe Havens". Sadly, Martini Nation is currently not touring. We support many other eateries in the Oxnard/Ventura area as well. Some Favorites are: Latte 101 - Telephone & Victoria Pepe's - South End of Victoria/Island View & Rossmore The Great Central Steak & Hoagie Company - Ventura Road & Pleasant Valley Oriental Buffet & Teppan Grill - Hill Road Off Telephone Pirate's - 5th & Victoria CJ's BBQ - 5th & Victoria More to Come, We're Full & Quenched Right Now.

***Public Service Section***

We're available for Parties !!! Well, Sort Of. We enjoy all aspects of Kite Flying and especially love to share. If you have a group (young or old) that would be interested in enjoying a "Day of Flying" or having us perform Indoor as "Halftime Entertainment", We'd love to hear from You! We are a Non-Commercial Entity, so odds are you can get us to show up for a Bottle of Water & Half a Sandwich. To find out where or when We'll be flying next, please zap an email to this humble webmaster via: Flyers@VCKF.ORG

Electrifying Schedule of Upcoming Events:

We travel near and far to fly our kites, or, to just "savor a moment" with other flyers. Besides our relaxing days & nights of "casual" flying @ Home Base, we are invited to participate in other events - Join Us If You Can:

Kiting will be HEAVEN in 2011! REGULARLY SCHEDULED CLUB EVENTS: San Diego Kite Club - 2nd Saturday of Every Month - Tecolote Shores - www.sandiegokiteclub.com Seal Beach Kite Club - 2nd Sunday of Every Month - North of Seal Beach Pier - www.kiteclub.org And Now, The Rest of the Story............ 12/31 Annual New Year's Eve Fighter Kite Challenge - Tecolote Shores, San Diego - www.sandiegokiteclub.com 1/1 Annual SDKC New Year's Day Fly - Don't miss the BIG One! Mariner's Point, San Diego - www.sandiegokiteclub.com 3/12 - 3/13 Kite Party 9, Huntington Beach Pier Huntington Beach, California - www.kiteparty.com 3/13 Please attend the City of Redondo Beach's Signature Event 37th Annual Festival Of The Kite Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Beach, California - www.pierkites.com   HERE COMES NATIONAL KITE MONTH!!! March 26th - May 1st, 2011 3/24 - 3/28 NABx Pre Event, Harper Dry Lake, CA - nabx pre-event 3/29 - 4/3 More Traction! NABx Main Event, Ivanpah Dry Lake, Primm, NV - www.nabx.net 4/9 San Pedro Kiwanis Kite Fly 12-4pm at 22nd St. Park, San Pedro, CA Click HERE or on the above thumbnail to see/print a full size flyer   4/10 25th Annual Santa Barbara Kite Festival, Santa Barbara City College West Campus - www.sbkitefest.com 4/17 2nd Annual Family Kite Festival - Santa Maria The Discovery Museum festival was a great success last year. In 2011, we are partnering with the festival organizers to help them grow this worthy event. This year's additions will include Sport Kite Demos, Candy Drops (for the children who behave, of course!) Bol Races and few surprises. Please join us at Rotary Centennial Park! - More Info Here - www.smvdiscoverymuseum.org/kite.html Also, a lodging special HERE Fairfield Inn & Suites Santa Maria 4/23 Red Hat Society Fly, Channel Islands Chapter @ Oxnard State Beach Park, Oxnard, CA Saturday starting at 11AM - Updated info here as we get it Check the Red Hat site at www.redhatsociety.com 5/22 In honor of Lag B'omer, the Ventura County Kite Flyers will gather with Chabad of Oxnard at Home Base to share a day of "Yiddish-Kite" !!! Click the thumbnail above for a larger flyer image More information HERE 6/4-5 Buggy Boogie Sprang Thang El Mirage Dry Lake , El Mirage, CA www.buggythang.org 8/13 Kite Club SATURDAY - (1 PM - 9 PM) - Seal Beach, CA Kite Club - NIGHT FLY SATURDAY - right side of Seal Beach Pier. BRING YOUR LIGHTED KITES AND HAVE FUN WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN! Monty Weston Memorial Fly (4 PM - 6 PM) Seal Beach Pier, Seal Beach, CA Family & Friends will meet on the right side park at the top of the parking lot. Come down and fly your favorite kite in honor and memory of Monty Up Up and Away Kite Club Greetings Fellow Kite Fliers ! As many of you know, the Up Up and Away Kite Club of Seal Beach has “Kite Club Sunday” on the second Sunday of each month. For those of you unfamiliar, it's your typical “SUAFYK” gathering. With August quickly approaching, we wanted to give you a head's up that instead of the Regular Sunday Fly on the 14th, we will once again be having a Night Fly on the evening of the13th. Been to one? You know what to expect...If not, here's what happens: Fliers gather in the afternoon for flight and enjoy chill time. Then, as the sun falls away, the hardcore bunch sets to attaching their lights (button cell, bike flashers, LED's, and yes, even Fiber Optic) to their kites and the standard gentle breeze puts the show in the dark sky. It's quite the sight for fliers and non-fliers alike. If you haven't figured it out, you're invited... Please join us North of the Pier. For further info, please contact the club's email address or mine via glen.e.rothstein@gmail.com Best Wishes & Winds, ger Glen E. Rothstein Proud Member – UU&A KC 9/17-18 Buggy Boogie Fall Thang El Mirage Dry Lake , El Mirage, CA www.buggythang.org   10/9 15th Annual Japan America Kite Festival - Seal Beach – - www.kiteclub.org Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, it gives me great pleasure to share the latest and greatest in Southern California Kiting. Our 15th (yes 15th) Annual Seal Beach Japan America Kite Festival will be held on Sunday, October 9th, just north of the Pier. Please join us as we welcome new demo teams as well as some of your old favorites. Show up early to enjoy the great outdoors and also delve into Japanese Traditions. Bring your friends and family to share this wonderful occasion, stick around for the Grand Finale and even help us "Mop Up" afterwards. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the Japan America Society, the Up Up & Away Kite Club or the Ventura County Kite Flyers. Hope to see you there. Best Wishes & Winds, ger Glen E. Rothstein Master of Ceremonies - Seal Beach Japan America Kite Festival See the article in the Los Alamitos Patch HERE The JAKF also got a great article in the OC Register.. See it HERE Click HERE or on the above thumbnail to view/download a full-size flyer.. Schedule links: | Schedule pg 1 & 4 | Schedule pg 2 & 3 | 12/31 Huntington State Beach Fun Fly This just in from Rod Milburn.. Hi there, Some of us have decided not to attend the San Diego New Years Day event. As an alternative we decided to have a small fun fly between 12N and 4PM at Huntington State Beach on New Years Eve day, December 31st. That way those who choose to attend the San Diego event can do both if they want to. So far there are only a few of us but we thought we would extend an invitation to the Seal Beach group. Since I don't have all of the addresses perhaps you could get the word out. The location will be near lifeguard tower #14 across PCH from the Cabrillo Mobile Home Park. Unfortunately the parking fee is a little high at $15.00 for a day pass. I realize its kind of late notice but it would be helpful to know how many are coming so if folks would RSVP to RMMGHG@Gmail.com it would be appreciated. This year we're not planning on a pot luck or picnic or such like as we just don't have enough organization for that. That may change depending on what kind of response we get. Rod & Marti Milburn 1/1 Annual San Diego Kite Club New Year's Day Fly - Don't miss the BIG One! Mariner's Point, San Diego - www.sandiegokiteclub.com Map HERE 3/10 & 11 Kite Party 10 North and south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, 200 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 More info at the Kite Party website - www.kiteparty.com Hosted by The Kite Connection   3/11 Noon - 5pm 38th Festival of the Kite Hosted by Sunshine Kite Company   4/3 to 4/8 North American Buggy eXpo Ivanpah Dry Lake, CA www.NABX.net   4/15 27th Annual Santa Barbara Kite Festival, Santa Barbara City College West Campus - www.sbkitefest.com Map HERE   4/22 Discovery Museum Kite Festival Santa Maria, CA More details and a lodging special as we get that information   6/2 - 6/3 Buggy Boogie Sprang Thang El Mirage Dry Lake El Mirage, CA www.buggythang.org   More 2012 events as we get them!!

Better Times...

We would like to thank Monica & the "Liberty High Spirits of 14B" for sharing the above photo.

In Memorium...

On February 5th, 2003, a cherished member of our group passed away. Chuck Taylor was the kind of person you were glad to have as a friend. A man with a smile on his face and gold in his heart. He was also a core member of the Santa Monica "4th Saturday" Flyers. A memorial fly will be held at "Home Base" on Saturday, February 15th, 2003. At this time, a tribute page is in the works. Smooth Winds to you, Chuck...We are mournful of your passing and lucky to have known you.

Quotable Quotes: "In Gust We Trust" Rachel Hughes - Rehoboth Toy & Kite Company, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware "Remember, If the wind sucks, You're flying backwards" Lynn - Route 66 Kite Club "Takeoffs are Optional...Landings are Mandatory" Author Unknown "The Probability of Survival is Equal to the Angle of Arrival" - Great Aviation Quotes

This from a San Francisco newspaper - circa 3/2000:

Thanks to "Eagle Eye Scotty" for that one.

Past Year's Event Schedules & Recaps:

Last updated February 3rd, 2012

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