What are kite festivals all about?
Top teams and individual flyers travel across the country to show their skills. At sport kiting competitions, events for teams and individual fliers are staged in two categories. In precision events, fliers/teams are judged on their ability to precisely mirror a set of pre-determined compulsory maneuvers and showcase their prowess in a freestyle routine. In ballet events, fliers/teams prepare a performance reflecting the mood and tempo of their selected musical piece. Judging is done by qualified five-person panels, and the parameters are similar to those of Olympic figure skating. Teams and individual fliers vie for national points toward regional and national championships. RAF fliers compete in the Eastern League, which has events up and down the east coast. Teams have an additional incentive to excel – the top two American teams qualify for an invitation to the World Cup, which has been held in such locations as Australia, Japan, France, and the U.S. Festivals are not just about ha
