At last! Vacation week has begun. You’ve finally reached that last
mile of Route 50 into downtown Ocean City, Maryland, and as you
wait for the boat traffic to pass under Assawoman Bay Bridge, you
scan the horizon for the familiar sites of your favorite beach
resort. There in the distance, riding high above the beach, are
those wonderful, colorful and wacky kites, greeting you once again
“down the ocean.” You have arrived. Over the years, more and more visitors as well as citizens of this
resort identify kites with Ocean City. Long months of mild
weather, consistent winds and the legendary beaches make kite
flying a natural outdoor activity for any age, any time of the
year. Forget about the kites you grew up with- those flimsy paper jobs
with weak wooden spars, twine strings and tails made of rags. It
took gale-force winds to get them off the ground, and then they
used some mysterious internal radar to head directly for the
nearest tree or power line. Today’s kites are made of nearly indestructible rip-stop nylon.
They have ultra-light carbon or fiberglass spars and use high
strength, thin-as-thread synthetic line made of Spectra. Kites
today are made to withstand the test of time and can be enjoyed by
everyone. Whether you’re three or 103, it makes no difference. The easiest way to enjoy kite flying in Ocean City is to purchase
a single-line delta kite, tail and line. This type of kite flies
like a breeze in just about any wind condition. The beach is a
safe place to fly before 10:00 am and after 5:00 pm during the
summer months. Another way to enjoy the sport of kiting is to try a stunt kite,
meaning a kite with two lines instead of one. The double lines
allow you to “pilot” the kite to perform loops, dives, and
intricate flying maneuvers. Just a ten-minute, free lesson on a
stunter at The Kite Loft and you’ll be “hooked” on kiting for
years to come. By pulling on one line or the other, a practiced
flier can send his kite into figure eights, triangles, or squares.
They can dive at 60 miles an hour, then stop a foot from the
ground and hover. If you’ve practiced long enough, sign up to
compete in The Maryland International Kite Exposition held in late
April every year. Such is the popularity of kite flying that enthusiasts from as far
away as Australia, Germany, Japan, England, California, and Canada
have come to Ocean City to celebrate the Sunfest Kite Festival,
held annually at 5th Street and the Boardwalk in late September.
Thousands of spectators watch world record attempts, such as
strongest-pulling kite, longest tail, largest diamond, and fastest
stunt kite. Ocean City, Maryland holds seven world records in
kiting! In February of 1988, Governor William Donald Schaefer declared
Ocean City, Maryland the Kite Capital of the World. From the look
of the sky up and down the Boardwalk on any given day of the year,
it is no small wonder. |
