Posts Tagged ‘rokkaku’

The 17th Maryland International Kite Expo is at the end of April and very start of May – April 29 – May 1.
You can read more detail at the Kite Loft page.
OceanCity.com lists rokkaku fighting as one of the events, which you know got my attention.
Expo features impressive ground & air demonstrations of color & imagination. Activities include sport kite demonstrations, giant kites and lessons in kite making. Events & other competitions such as candy drops & rokkaku battles throughout the weekend. Come enjoy one of the largest kite festivals in the USA. Located on the beach at N. Division St. on 6th St. Hours: Friday through Sunday from 9am – 9pm. For more information, contact Jay Kerr at 410-289-7855 or visit www.kiteloft.com.
Interested in going? Arranging travel & rooming? Discuss in comments!
The Smithsonian Kite Festival is this Saturday, 27 March. It runs from 10 AM to 4 PM The kite-making show & competition starts at 10:15; I expect to see some interesting designs and engineering from Harold Ames and Mike Mosman, among others. Our favorite rokkaku combat is scheduled for 3 PM, but remember that they held it early, at 2 PM, last year.
Please come out and cheer for the Squadron in the Rokkaku Challenge. I think we’ll give you a lot to cheer for — we usually put on an energetic and noisy show, and we’ve been winning a lot. To brag a little, last year, our various teams won at Smithsonian and Wildwood and took second in the AKA Nationals, and I won the individual combat in the Nationals. So I can promise that your enthusiasm will be well placed and rewarded with action.
I’ll continue posting info and follow-ups here, so check back in. You can also find more details about the festival’s schedule, children’s events, and rules at the Smithsonian Kite Festival website.
Read ongoing festival news at our twitter feed, MidnightSquad, which is also shown on the right side of our home page.
Just a quick note before bed: Complex is going to represent the Squadron on the tail end of Sunfest in Ocean City. Mini rokkaku tomorrow (???) and regular battles on Sunday. Watch the twitter feed (http://twitter.com/midnightsquad ) for from-the-beach updates.
Two weeks from now: AKA in Minneapolis!
Complex reports via the Midnight Squadron Twitter feed:
rok battle-lost heat 1 but won rest.Wwoods champs!
Congrats to the Midnight Squadron team for winning team rokkaku at the Wildwood International Kite Festival! I’m sure Complex will give us the tip-by-tip when he gets online next.
We’re a little late but we’re gonna fly kites this Saturday night!
Meet us at Capitol College at 9 PM to fly on the old racetrack field.
As usual, be quiet & polite b/c they’re letting us fly there, and we don’t want to disturb the students housed nearby.
We’ve got an earlier event, too — a Rokkaku duel demo with the Bam’s Kung Fu of Laurel!
Chrooke and Complex will be demo’ing Low Down Dirty Kite Fighting this Saturday at noon for the Bam’s Kung Fu of Laurel, MD. Note the update: time and place is noon Saturday 4/18 at the Bam’s (8750 Cherry Lane #C15 Laurel, MD 20707)
Obviously, if you’re interested in Kung Fu, this is probably a good chance for you to talk to the Bams about that, too. I’ve found they’re very approachable. I’m interested in what a champion sport karate & kung fu master has to say about our dueling (besides “train regularly, already!”).
That’s two events this Saturday — there’s a Fullish Moon Kite Fly on Saturday night.
Just a quick note — the Midnight Squadron team won a very tough Smithsonian Rokkaku Challenge!
The field was great, tough, and fierce. The weather was friendly to us — the ugly dampness soaked our line, protecting us from Harold Ames & Charlie Don’t Run’s skilled slicings, and the light wind was familiar from our usual low-wind Low-Down Dirty Kite Fights.
Iron Kite spooled and Complex piloted, while Kalika Chris coached. We lapped the field 3 times, and finished last in the air in the first and third heats.
More later!
The Smithsonian Kite Festival will be held on Sunday, March 27 — only now it’s the Blossom Kite Festival!
Our favorite kite festival is now run by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and is called the Blossom Kite Festival. The schedule looks familiar:
Blossom Kite Festival Schedule*
10:00 AM Opening remarks; Registration beginsDemonstration Field
10:15 AM – 12:00 PM Kite Ballets & Demonstrations
12:00 – 1:00 PM Youth Kite Makers Competition
1:00 – 2:00 PM Kite Ballets & DemonstrationsCompetition Field
10:15 AM – 1:00 PM Kite Makers Showcase (Hand-made kites only)
1:00 – 2:00 PM Kite Makers Competition
2:00 – 3:00 PM Hot Tricks Showdown
3:00 – 4:00 PM Rokkaku Battle* Depending on wind and weather, schedule is subject to change
So the rokkaku battle is around 2 pm (remember, it may be early!) on Sunday, March 27.
The event’s Advisory Committee contains a lot of familiar names that indicate this event is in good hands:
The Blossom Kite Festival presented by the National Cherry Blossom Festival is produced in partnership with the Blossom Kite Festival Advisory Committee: Harold Ames, Bevan Brown, Jon Burkhardt, Rick Kinnaird, Paul LaMasters, Ruth Oyen, Drake Smith, and Mike VanMeers.
Read more about the Blossom Kite Festival on their site.
![Kite Arch Kite arch in front of the Washington Monument [Courtesy of National Cherry Blossom Festival press room, 2011]](http://midnightsquadron.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/nationalcherryblossomfestival-kites-monument-AFeller2006MAR25DSC_2thin.jpg)
The 2009 Smithsonian Kite Festival is 2 weeks from today, on Saturday, March 28!
This year’s theme is Green Environmentalism. As usual, there will be lots of fun kiting and kid-centric events for all of you spawners.
Our Rokkaku Fighting Team will be on the field seeking a fourth (? I’ve lost count) 1st place trophy. The combat is at 3pm!
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