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Photo: R. ESWARRAJ

SOARING SIGHT Kites can come in any shape and size, as Italian Edoardo Borghetti’s giant Bol or turbine kite showed

Spotting the setting sun through Italian Edoardo Borghetti’s giant ‘Bol’ or turbine kite set many hearts aflutter. Unlike other kites powered by the gentle breeze coming in from the Arabian Sea, the Bol, tethered to a stone and true to its description, turned like a turbine, hovering inches above the ground. Resembling a parachute, whose canopy has been sliced open at the top, the Bol at full tilt was a sight that many will not forget.

Unlike the earlier edition of the event, which was a one-day affair, the organisers – Team Mangalore, a group of intrepid local kite flyers – spread the vast canvas of kites over the weekend. Each of the ‘kiters’, as the kite flyers refer to themselves, had brought with them at least 20 of their creations. With each kite as distinct as their flyers, what one got to see was a slice of culture of the land from where these kites came.

While most kiters preferred the ‘rip-stop nylon’ kites, Raymond De Graaf from The Netherlands grabbed attention with his historical ‘Anemometre’ and ‘Navy Dove Kite’ made of cotton. This was also keeping in tune with the theme of the kite contest — ‘global warming’. The Frenchman Dom Martin took home the honours in this contest in the international category and Srinivas from Hyderabad in the event for Indian kite flyers.

Dutchman Petrus Hynen was much sought after not only for his unique ‘Sanjo Roccako’ Japanese model kites, but also for his neatly maintained handlebar moustache.

The kite, which depicts a Samurai with his geisha, is a fighter kite, explains Hynen. “I took more than three months to hand-paint this kite using 85 colours,” he says. The ‘Cody’ and ‘Devil’ too made their own statement when aflutter against the azure sky.

The Longbottom couple from Herafordshire in United Kingdom, Sara and Karl, were at home displaying those oversized ‘briefs’ kite of theirs. ‘Caped Spirit’, a soft kite without frames and the line laundry kite with a ‘snoopy dog’ and ‘jack-in-the-box’ flown by Bob Cruickshanks, an engineer officer with the Royal Air Force, vied for attention. Bob also had the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ kite up his sleeve, and in full flight, had the children in splits.

It was not that the festival was all about the foreign kiters. A 65-foot long ‘King Cobra’ from the stables of Ashok Shah from Dahanu Road in Maharashtra left one gaping. Incidentally, he also has a 200-feet version of the same kite and it is believed to be the longest in India. He is also the proud owner of kites of all sizes ranging from one inch to the massive 200-footer King Cobra. “Kites are my passion,” he says.

Van Hoven from Belgium was busy with his didgeridoo when he was not flying his kites. Although an Australian aboriginal musical instrument, Van’s mastery over it meant that more people thronged his stall to see him in musical action. Local artists, who took up vantage positions all around the designated flying area, captured all this action on their canvases, much to the appreciation of onlookers.

Then there were sand sculptors, unmindful of the bustle, created magic out of sand. Kite stalls at the venue did brisk business with children grabbing kites rather than ice-cream. Sponsors ensured that the beach was left in pristine condition even after all those people left after a memorable weekend.

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