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 - 3/19/2013 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

Click on the Directions tab in the graphic below to enter your starting location and get driving directions to Oxnard Beach Park   View Larger Map

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. While we always enjoy lending a hand, there certain events that require more planning, scheduling, materials and possibly Permits. If your event flies into any of these categories, we may need an entire sandwich and more water. Short story long, not all of our participation can be provided without certain support from the inquiring organizer. Please contact us via the below email address for further info. 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 KEEN in 2013 ! 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 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 3/2 65th Annual Ocean Beach Kite Festival. Put on each year by the local Kiwanis chapter, this year their turning it up a notch with the help of the SDKC and others. - www.oceanbeachkiwanis.org MAP Good Nature'd Kite Fliers and the Rest of You, I have the pleasure of sharing the following: On Saturday, March 2nd, Ocean Beach Kiwanis celebrates their 65th Annual Kite Festival. 65 years is a long time. We must applaud their efforts and resilience. What makes this year that much more special? I'm glad you asked. Expanding the event and bringing it to Dusty Rhodes Park, this year will feature Sport Kite Demos, a Candy Drop and maybe even some Bol Races. How does happen? You're asking good questions. It happens when gracious kite fliers like yourselves join in. This is your first official AKB (All Kiter's Bulletin) of 2013. Members of the San Diego Kite Club, Ventura County Kite Flyers and the American Kiteflier's Association will be descending on the park to lend a hand. If you plan on attending, please prepare for a grand time. If you'd like to participate, small or large, let me know. Demo Fliers will need to bring kites and a few routines. Candy Drop Helpers can bring their Gusto, and a Heavy Lifter. Kiwanis already has the Candy and I have the Drop Bag (Thanks again, Rod). As we get closer to this awesome event, expect more details. Again, if you'd like to be a part of it "inside the lines", do let me know. Best Wishes and Winds, ger Glen E. Rothstein - Director - Region 12 American Kitefliers Association www.aka.kite.org https://www.facebook.com/akasocial?fref=ts Dawn to Dusk Flyer - Ventura County Kite Flyers www.vckf.org 3/9 - 3/10 Kite Party 11. This “non-structured” event, is just what it claims to be...a Party, don't miss it. - www.kiteconnection.com and/or www.kiteparty.com 3/10 39th Annual Festival of the Kite. This is one of the most intimate, feel good festivals around. Go for the Kites and the Kids, stay for the food. - www.pierkites.com National Kite Month will be back in force from March 30th thru May 5th More info HERE 4/1 to 4/7 Kite Traction Mania Spring Break Buggy Blast Reunion Ivanpah Dry Lake / Primm NV www.buggyblast.net 4/14 28th Annual Santa Barbara Kite Festival. Dave and Rakesh continue their tradition of putting smiles on kids faces – www.sbkitefest.com 4/21 4th Annual Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum's Family Kite Festival. What started as Tail Chases and Face Painting has turned into one of the Central Coast's largest events of the year with Sport Kite Demo's, Candy Drops and Bol Runs. Oh Yeah, let's not forget about the Barbecue either.Stay tuned for info on Hotel Packages. – www.smvdiscoverymuseum.org. 4/27 - 4/28 The rock at Morro Bay is shadowed by ripstop & polyester. Expect more news on this great event as we get closer to the day. www.winecoastcountry.com More 2013 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 March 19th, 2013

Thank you for stopping by!

Website design and hosting by

Wizard Industries Web Services

Copyright © 2013