Huntington Beach Kites

These pictures are from a long time ago, when I stumbled upon a kite festival at Huntington Beach with Tom and our friends G and Jim.  The four of us used to go on Orange County adventures- that's how I first got interested in poking around this weird county in the first place.  It is sad that the inspiration to explore and go on adventures has outlived either of the relationships (meaning me&Tom and G&Jim- Katie/G is still going strong), but what a great legacy and memories for all of us, even if they are tinged with sadness now.  If I remember correctly, we found the kite festival on our way to something else.  We were driving down the PCH and saw hundreds of kites in the sky by the pier, and had to stop and look.  I love unexpected adventures.  They require a willingness to abandon the original plan and pull over quick when something catches your eye.

When we walked onto the beach, I was blown away.  I had never seen kites like this before!  Some of them were gigantic and so detailed.  The one above is a giant puffer fish.  I like how making a puffer fish kite requires a reinterpretation of the form of a puffer fish- the finished product looks abstract and pretty goofy but very impressive up in the sky.

This octopus kite was another of my favorites.  Watching the long legs move in the wind was mesmerizing.  I love the creativity of the kites.  Kites in general are such a good idea.  I love that they use wind to bring an otherwise unimpressive object to life.  I feel like kites are evidence of the inherent playfulness and creativity of humans.

The kite festival was also interesting to me because I have an ongoing fascination for hobbies.  I find it really interesting that there are activities that people become very passionate about and involved in that have no "practical" value.  I like that people become experts in an activity that is outside the realm of work or home.  Buying, maintaining, and learning to fly some of these huge kites requires commitment.  It requires time and money and simply a high degree of sticking-with-it.  There are entire complicated realms of knowledge and skill specific to giant kite flying (or bass fishing or bird watching or driving remote-controlled trucks up rocks in the desert).  To outsiders, it might seem simple, but if you talk to someone who is really into one of these activities you will soon come to realize that it can take a long time to become really proficient.   I think it would be fascinating to do a project where I interview really committed hobbyists of all different types about their hobbies.

One of the most amazing things about the kite festival was the collective nature of it, and how striking it was to see all of those kites in the sky at once.  This feels like such a basic point to make, but there is something amazing about the synergy that happens when a bunch of people show up to do something together.  One giant kite is cool, but dozens is breathtaking, and everyone flying a kite and everyone watching knows it and revels in the simple fact of being together with other people and participating in something really beautiful.