Drachen Foundation Board and Staff
From Discourse 15

DAVE LANG, BOARD MEMBER

What kind of person has the vision to doggedly pursue a need to preserve the artifacts of world kiting; surely an idiosyncratic history introvert? Upon joining the Drachen board of directors, I was surprised to find not a stodgy kite geek as our board president, but rather a person with an avid interest in many diverse things, among the most important of which was Scott’s penchant for seeking out and indulging in fun! Being a technologist, I was further delighted to find that Scott also was very receptive to the science disciplines of kiting. As I learned more about kites and Scott, I found that he was not only a fun-hog, but was indeed a consummate practitioner of flight. Scott’s delightful nature led to interesting board meetings, many frequently accompanied by special adventures to inspire us to greater heights. My association with Scott and Drachen has been a stimulating and valuable addition to my life, for which I have to blame Scott!

STUART ALLEN, BOARD MEMBER

I met Scott about 20 years ago when I was directing the Davis Art Center gallery in Davis, California. While researching kites for what would become an annual exhibition and kite festival called WindWorks, I found Scott in Colorado and quickly realized that his collection could make short work of my curatorial efforts. He was enthusiastic about the show and before the end of our first conversation he had offered to personally deliver dozens of kites to California and help me install the exhibition.

Shortly after that inaugural WindWorks event, Scott invited me to Santa Monica to experience the AKA Convention. His generosity, enthusiasm, and knowledge of kites impressed me to no end, so when he asked me to serve on the board of his recently formed non-profit kite foundation, I readily agreed. The next day he loaned me his rental car so I could make the L.A. gallery rounds. I wrecked it – backed into a column in the hotel’s parking garage. Scott never told me what that little fender bender cost him. (Maybe his super-elite traveler status earns him a bulletproof rental agreement that allows for banged up sedan returns?) He did return the favor though.

Two years later, Scott returned to California with hundreds of Japanese kites for the second installment of Wind Works. Again, his generosity was overwhelming. The two of us spent five days hanging edo, yakko, rokkaku, sode, and dozens of hata, each angled “just so” in the upper reaches of an atrium space. Not once did he question the work, or question my compulsive tendencies when it comes to gallery installations. He just cut string and tied knots while we chatted about the history of these fine objects. At the end of week, we had a glorious display of kites scattered throughout the Center, a show we hoped would impress the illustrious Japanese kitemaker guests we were flying in for the weekend festival. On Friday afternoon, while I busily finalized details with food vendors and Taiko drummers, Scott headed to the airport to pick up guests in a van borrowed from the Art Center’s board president. An hour later I got the call. He wrecked the van – nothing too serious, just a little payback.

JOSE SAINZ, BOARD MEMBER

I have a few words I would like to say about my dear friend Scotty.

Scott and I have been friends for the best part of my kite life, which started in 1989. I was introduced to Scott by my good friend and mentor Randy Tom at the AKA Convention in Seaside, Oregon.

Over the years we have traveled together around the world for kite festivals and special projects for the Drachen Foundation. We have traveled together so often that people think we may be related in some way! Brothers? The truth is that we have nourished a close, friendly relationship to the point that we feel we actually may “think as one.” I have learned so much from Scotty about the history of kites, especially our favorite topic of Japanese kites. Scotty has been my inspiration for making small kites using paper and bamboo. My fascination with new shapes and innovative ideas are a direct result of many late night discussions and mentoring on each other’s part. I will forever be gratefully to Scott for his guidance, generosity, leadership and friendship.

JOE HADZICKI, BOARD MEMBER

How do you bring fun to kiting? This question has been plaguing me ever since I was a kid. Luckily we have friends like Scott to help us out with this kind of problem.

Example one:

One day we were at Scott’s house and decided it would be a great day to try paragliding. Other than the fact that it is one of the most dangerous sports in the world and should only be attempted under the close supervision of trained professionals, we figured we’d tie a rope to Scott and fly him like a kite. So Scott, hooked into a paraglider, is on one end of the rope ready to launch, and three of us (names withheld to protect the innocent) are on the other end. We take off like a team of bridled horses with Scott bouncing behind us on tip toes – he’s floating a few feet off the ground. Luckily Scott is bigger than the average guy and we are smaller than the average team of horses, which kept Scott low enough to keep from being killed. Another successful outing in the quest to bring fun to kiting!

Example two:

One day we were all in San Diego drinking margaritas and thought it would be a good idea to see if we could build a power station out of a kite. So we hooked up a power kite to an electric generator, bolted it to the back of a truck, and headed down the highway. After blowing out our power indicator light (car headlight hooked up in a series circuit), we figured it would probably be safer to rope it to a stop sign and let the natural wind power the system. The things we do in the name of science.

Example three:

Power kiting out around the dry lake beds near Las Vegas is always an adventure. Scott has a whole collection of power kites that he will gladly share. There’s nothing like having a beer or two and shooting across the lake bed around 40 miles an hour, harnessing the power of the wind. We’re all just lucky we haven’t been taken to the hospital like Peter Lynn (but that’s a whole other story!).

But Scott is deeper than just fun and games. I can’t think of a better ambassador for the world of kites, supporting the kite community around the world for more than two decades.

The history of kiting will be forever richer due to the years of tireless effort and energy that Scott and his foundation has put into collecting and archiving kiting’s treasures for future generations.

It’s a tough life but someone has to do it and I can’t think of a better buddy than Scott! And did I mention he can dance too!

LAURIE LEAK, OFFICE OPERATIONS

In the three short years that I have known Scott, I have been amazed at the variety of projects that he has been involved in. Yet within the variety, there have been certain themes that draw his attention, energy, and commitment. I have come to appreciate how he quietly but persistently works in these areas, delivering on the mission of the Drachen Foundation.

Scott works hard to preserve and share kiting history and has embraced technology so that the kiting community and general public have open and ongoing access to “everything kites” now and into the future.

With old friends and new friends, Scott collaborates on an amazing array of projects, which speaks to his openness to try new things, his unending curiosity, and his partnering and inclusive style.

Scott has a passion for teaching which is seen in his writings, his workshops, and the delight he takes in teaching the passerby in the park how to fly a kite. He has a soft spot for teachers and has worked hard to provide them with free resources and affordable kite kits.

But what comes to mind first, when I sift through my memories of Scott, is his delightful and sincere enthusiasm for EVERYTHING that is going on around him. When I first met him, he breezed through the door at the Seattle office with his trademark smile and what I came to think of as his expectation for fun. You can see it in the twinkle of his eye when he meets someone new, greets an old friend, or enters a room full of strangers. He asks questions with genuine interest and shares his own stories with humor, and you get the sense that the next adventure is just around the corner. Here’s to the next 20 years of adventures!

MARTIN LESTER, BOARD MEMBER

I first met Scott at the Long Beach Kite Festival in the summer of 1986. I was picked up by Jack van Gilder and stayed with Dave Checkley – two luminaries of the kite world at the time. Little did I know that I was meeting another one in his early days. I also met many other fliers who have made their mark in kite flying, too many to name check them all. However, I have to say it wasn’t Scotts kites that I remember, but his quieter, more laid back approach to things, especially compared to some of the others! Having said that, he was there when “beach slammers” and “car dancing” was invented. (You needed to be there!) Since then, the kite world has changed beyond recognition, and Scott’s contribution to that has been great and multifarious – The Drachen Foundation being the most notable, as it has become one of the worlds best resources for information on anything and everything to do with kites. He has also become one of the world’s finest exponents of cutting large pieces of fabric into very small pieces and sewing them back together again! Cheers, Scott. It’s been a pleasure.

PAUL REYNOLDS, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD; THOSE ARE SILVER, THESE ARE GOLD.

NEW-MADE FRIENDSHIPS, LIKE NEW WINE, AGE WILL MELLOW AND REFINE. FRIENDSHIPS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST TIME AND CHANGE ARE SURELY BEST.

Within kite flying, there are always new people to get to know and new friends to make, and these friendships are great, but the old friends, they are really special.

Natalie and I have been flying kites, firstly individually and then together, for around 25 years. Through that time we have made many friends, but the reality is that few people have been around constantly for the entire period. Skinny Scott (as we call him) has been a constant friend to both of us. Now given we are on different continents, the contact has not necessarily been regular, but it has always been good and we always look forward to seeing him, flying with him, chatting with him, and solving the world’s problems with him.

Scott, congratulations on everything you have done with Drachen over the years. You will never know how many lives you have changed. ◆