5 States That Have Kite Competitions
Are you interested in joining a kite competition but don’t know where they occur? Well, you’ve come to the perfect place. This article will list five popular states in the United States that hold kite competitions.
Anyone can host a kite competition provided that they get permission from the local government. States that hold several annual kite flying events and competitions include Washington, California, Maryland, Florida, and Ohio.
If you’re an aspiring kite competition participant living in the U.S. and wondering if there are any kite competitions where you live or near your area, then it would be worth your time to read through this article. So, now let’s get to know some of the states that have kite competitions!
Kite Competitions Held In 5 States
1. Washington
Two significant kiting events in Washington include the Washington State International Kite Festival and the Whidbey Island Kite Festival.
In August, the Washington State International Kite Festival happens as a week-long kite celebration and competition. The festival features such as kite making, kite demonstrations, family games, and kite flying competitions.
The kite competitions in this festival include several events such as Rokkaku Battles, Ballet, and even the U.S. Open Sport Kite Championships. Famous kite pilots from all over the globe also attend Washington’s Kite Festival, as do tens of thousands of astonished spectators, many of whom join in the fun of experiencing various kite-related activities. (source)
The Whidbey Island Kite Festival is a two-day event held annually in September with various kite activities, including sport kite lessons, kitemaking, and kite shows and demonstrations. (source)
The festival also organizes a sport kite competition sanctioned by the American Kitefliers Association. Some of the kite disciplines included in the competition are: (source)
- Multi-line Ballet for Masters and Experienced classes
- Multi-line Precision for Masters and Experienced classes
- Individual Dual-line Ballet for Novice and Masters classes
- Individual Dual-line Precision for Novice and Masters classes
- Individual Open Indoor Unlimited
- Showdown
- Single-line Indoor Ballet
2. California
The Berkeley Kite Festival is held annually in July in Berkeley City, California. The competition events include a Rokkaku Battle and the West Coast Kite Championships organized by the Bay Area Sport Kite League. The West Coast Kite Championships include the following kite disciplines during the festival: (source)
- Individual Dual-line Ballet for Novice, Experienced, and Masters classes
- Individual Dual-line Precision for Novice, Experienced, and Masters classes
- Individual Multi-line Ballet for Experienced and Masters classes
- Individual Multi-line Precision for Experienced and Masters classes
- Pairs Dual-line Ballet for Experienced and Masters Classes
- Pairs Dual-line Precision for Experienced and Masters Classes
- Open Fighter Kite Line-Touch
- Open Kite Making
If you live near or around Berkeley and were wondering if there were any kite competitions held within the city, then you’re in luck because the Berkeley Kite Festival happens every year and has been doing so for the past 30 years. Indeed, this is is one of Berkeley City’s most significant events garnering tens of thousands of visitors every year.
3. Maryland
Maryland is home to the Maryland International Kite Expo, which also hosts the Mid-Atlantic Sport Kite Championships, from April 29th to May 1st every year.
The winners of the Mid-Atlantic Stunt Kite Championships will qualify for the nationals. The kite disciplines during the Mid-Atlantic Stunt Kite Championships include: (source) (source)
- Novice, Masters, and Experienced Individual Precision
- Open Multiline Pairs Precision/Ballet
- Open Individual Outdoor Unlimited
- Combined Multi-Line Ballet (All classes)
- Combined Pairs Dual-Line Ballet/Open Team Dual-Line Ballet/Open Team Train
- Combined Pairs/Open Team Dual-Line Precision
- Experienced/Novice Individual Dual-Line Ballet
- Masters Individual Ballet
To anyone wondering if there are any kite competitions in Maryland, the answer is yes. The Maryland International Kite Exposition is a three-day event full of various kite flying activities. The event features exhibitions and demonstrations, stunt and power kite training, giant kite displays, and much more. Some of the most incredible kite flyers from across the world will also perform during the festival.
4. Florida
The annual Treasure Island Sport Kite Competition and Festival takes place in January on Treasure Island Beach, Florida. The festival is a two-day event that features kite performances and dual-line and multi-line sport kite flying competitions sponsored by the Eastern League Sport Kite Association.
The kite disciplines in the sport kite competition include: (source)
- Team Multi-line Precision and Ballet
- Multi-line Precision and Ballet for Novice class
- Individual Precision for Experienced and Masters class
- Hot Tricks
Sanctioned and sponsored by the Eastern League Sport Kite Association, competitors in the event will be eligible for points if they are members of the Eastern League. Aside from sport kite competitions, visitors and kite fans can also enjoy other kite-related activities such as kite shows, fun fly, night fly, silent auctions, raffles, and more. (source)
5. Ohio
Every year in August, the Cleveland International Kite Festival takes place in Cleveland, Ohio. The event features many festivities and activities, including booths, kite performances, and displays.
If you’re from the area and want to know if there are any kite competitions at this festival, then you’ll be glad to find out the answer is yes. (source)
The Cleveland International Kite Festival also holds friendly contests like the Rokkaku Battle, Mystery ballet, Fighter Kite competitions for novice and experienced classes, as well as the Northcoast Championships. Kite disciplines included in the Northcoast Championships during the festival include: (source)
- Individual Dual-line Ballet for Novice, Masters, and Experienced class
- Multi-line Ballet for Masters and Experienced class
- Pair Ballet for Masters class
- Pair Precision for Masters class
How Is Kite Flying A Competition?
Initially made for entertainment, especially among children, kites were have been a fun pastime for decades, and they still are. However, kite flying became a sport when more people started to take an interest in dual-line stunt kites introduced by Peter Powell around the mid-1970s.
With the increasing popularity of various types of multiple-line kites, more kite enthusiasts also started coming up with new designs that could do different tricks, go faster, or even fly precisely. (source)
Because modern kites are manufactured and designed to perform precise maneuvers, sport kite competitions started gaining traction as well. Kite competitions today are sanctioned and organized by official organizations and associations all over the world.
Official rules govern most kite competitions and provide guidelines depending on the competition’s official sanctioning body. (source)
Official kite organizations and associations have also identified different disciplines and skill levels to determine the events and the participants in a kite competition. It goes to show that kite flying has evolved into something more than just for entertainment.
Kite flying now finds recognition as part of the competitive sports field, evident in the steadily growing community of competitive kite fliers and the continuous existence of various international sport kite competitions worldwide. (source)
So, Are There Any Kite Kite Competitions In Your Area?
We’ve now taken a look at some of the U.S. states that hold various kite competitions and kite festivals. Don’t worry if you don’t see your state on this list because it’s likely that your area will hold a kite festival. If the celebration doesn’t have a competition program, you have two options (a) suggest the addition of competition to the organizers and (b) organize your own competition.
The American Kitefliers Association allows anyone to hold and organize their own competition provided you are a member of the AKA, and you allow the AKA to sanction the event officially.
If you see your state on this list, get your kites ready because a kite competition is right around the corner. Kite competitions are often the main event of kite festivals. Some participants live for the thrill of victory while others enjoy the social aspect of competing with fellow enthusiasts.
So, when you’re at a kite festival either as a competitor or visitor, remember to have fun, enjoy your time, and take lots of pictures of all the beautiful kites.
