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ON THE COVER:

Holbox Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico viewed from southwest. Kite aerial photography by Oscar Frey. Story on page 8.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2009

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2

Tethered Flights: Drachen Foundation Projects

EDITORS

Scott Skinner
Ali Fujino
Katie Davis

BOARD  OF DIRECTORS

Scott Skinner
Martin Lester
Joe Hadzicki
Stuart Allen
Dave Lang
Jose Sainz
Ali Fujino

BOARD OF DIRECTORS EMERITUS

Bonnie Wright
Wayne Wilson
Keith Yoshida

Drachen Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation devoted to the increase and diffusion of knowledge about kites worldwide.

WWW.DRACHEN.ORG

FROM THE EDITOR

It’s really nice to see that friends of the Drachen Foundation stay dedicated to their pursuits and continue to update us with their progress. In this installment of Discourse, Sarah St. Vincent revisits Cambodian kitemakers and Oscar Frey continues his use of KAP on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula.

Shelly Leavens visits the World Kite Museum and comments on the Museum’s commendable oral history project. Historical kite enthusiasts will appreciate Dörte and Frank and Schulz’s research on the Franco- Scandinavian weather station of early 20th Century Denmark, while I offer a related piece on a replica weather kite in the United States.

Japanese kites are well represented in this edition as we gain insight into the personal kite journey of Aomori’s Tokuko Sato. From Switzerland’s Iqbal Husain comes a highly informative article about Japanese ehon with kite images.

Finally, American Afghan Basir Beria shares his kite running experiences with fighter kite champ Chuck Lund. So we do our kite running around the world: from Mexico to Washington State, to Japan, to Denmark, to Switzerland, and to Cambodia. Enjoy the voyage!

Scott Skinner Board President

Drachen Foundation

Discourse is published on the Drachen Foundation website several times a year and can be downloaded free at www.drachen.org (under “Publications”).

FROM OUR READERS

You did a wonderful job, making this issue a little kite-wonder. Beautiful articles, nice characteristics on the authors and very, very well readable.

DOUWE JAN JOUSTRA
The Netherlands

Thanks for sending me the Drachen publication. It looks great. Like the typeface and wonderful photos.

KATHLEEN PRECIADO
USA

With the Newsletter and Discourse, I feel like I have been touring the world. Japan, Cambodia, Holland, Australia, Blue Hill, Germany, Washington, China, Vietnam, England, Mexico and even exotic California!

The lead story was about kite performance art. I am always interested in Hargrave. What evidence is there that the three cell boxkite was a failure? I am tempted to build a model. It is not clear which is the front end. I would think the superposed twin cells would go in front. It is similar to the Sauls Barrage Kite, except the two cells are stacked vertically instead of arranged horizontally. The recent kite does not follow the Hargrave pattern of two longerons down the center. The Weather Bureau kites used four longerons in the corners, as well as two on the centerline, but they were flown in 90 mph winds. The standard US rectangular boxkite uses just four longerons in the outside corners. I could see a three cell version with four longerons. That would require a way to keep the superposed cells in alignment. …

Sugoroku – Gotta get one for Friday night games at Caroline’s. The game board should be laminated to protect it from food and drink. Maybe little plastic kite icons to move around. I must wait until I get one to see how it works.

Looking forward to more Vietnamese kites. The picture of the wingtips is intriguing, want to see more.

GARY HINZE
USA

Editor’s Note: Sugoroku will be featured in the Ehon Book Exhibit at Seattle’s Cullom Gallery in 2010. This is a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the books. Sign up for notification at www.cullomgallery.com.

The Drachen Foundation is beginning a survey of Vietnamese kites with assistance from the country of Vietnam, the ASEAN Kite Council, and Orlando Ongkinko of the Philippines. There will be more!

Thank you for the opportunity to have my trip published. It was fantastic to work with the children all along Argentina and it was a privilege to share it with Drachen! I also enjoyed the other articles!

MARIA ELENA GARCIA
Argentina

Yesterday I looked with great pleasure through the new edition of Discourse: Congratulations.

WALTER DIEM
Germany

CONTRIBUTORS

Keith May

OSCAR FREY

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Oceanologist and whale researcher Frey has used kite aerial photography (KAP) to study whales since 2004. For the last three years, he has used KAP in the national parks and natural protected areas of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Bas Vreeswijk

IQBAL HUSAIN

Castelrotto, Switzerland

Iqbal Husain was born in Pakistan in 1955, but moved to England with his family at age 11. He graduated from the University of Aberystwyth, Wales and later the London School of Economics. In 1986, he moved to Switzerland.

Kate White

SHELLY LEAVENS

Seattle, Washington

A University of Washington graduate with an M.A. in Museology, Leavens brings her experience in collections management, community-based organizations, and oral history to her new position as Collections Manager at Drachen Foundation.

Eileen Pilcher

CHUCK LUND

Tacoma, Washington

Lund is the Fighter Kite Coordinator for the Washington State International Kite Festival and was one of the founders of the North American Fighter Kite Association. He is a former fighter kite champion and World Cup holder.

George Peters

TOKUKO SATO

Fujisaki, Japan

A member of the Japan Folk-Craft Society, professional kitemaker Sato’s mission is to educate people inside and outside of Japan about traditional Tsugaru kites. She has worked internationally in 43 different countries.

Dörte Schulz

DÖRTE AND FRANK SCHULZ

Buxtehude, Germany

Dörte (not pictured) and husband Frank have been frequent contributors to historical kite workshops in Germany and the Netherlands. They have helped sustain a showcase for historical kites at the annual Fano Kitefliers Meeting.

Jose Sainz

SCOTT SKINNER

Monument, Colorado

A former Air Force instructor pilot, Drachen’s board president has flown and designed kites for three decades.

Skinner’s military training created the structure for him to express himself as a visionary kite artist.

Stephen St. Vincent

SARAH ST. VINCENT

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Originally from Pennsylvania, St. Vincent earned a B.A. in Asian studies at Swarthmore College and an M.A. in East Asian studies at Harvard. She is currently a second-year law student at the University of Michigan.

Articles

Tethered Flights: Drachen Foundation Projects