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PrintScott Skinner
Introduction by Ali Fujino
One of the great things about the world of kites is the diverse ways in which individuals can be involved. Over many years, kiting has had influences in cultures, (Asia and beyond), science (Ben Franklin), and history (kites to Kitty Hawk). One of the less frequently described aspects of kiting, and one of the most charming and entertaining is that of the “hobbyist.” These individuals are involved in kiting for the sheer fun of design- ing, building, and flying kites, which are designed from the heart, and created of self-learned skills and time honed craftmanship.
This is something that is not often written about, or shared in literature, as it is sometimes thought of as too frivolous, but because we are the Drachen Foundation and our jobs are to track everything in kiting, this is to be tracked. I will let you be the judge as to whether the Star Farker has a place in kite history.
Text by Scott Skinner
There is a single object that has continuously been a part of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) annual auction for over twenty years and there is no doubt that it has raised more money for the organization than any other individual object. It is not a kite – at least it has never flown as a kite as far as we know – but it is a kite-like object unlike anything most of us have encountered. It is known as the Star Farker, and it has been with the organization for as long as most of us have been members. The history of the Star Farker is murky at best. Like many things in history, once the object is destroyed, its story becomes more colorful, recollections more fanciful, and its pedigree more uncertain. The history of the Star Farker is mix of fact and fiction, legend and tall tales, myth and reality. It is a history in which I have played a small but defining part, and which I will attempt to explain to you.
Scott Skinner. The Star Farker, lying in a tangled mess before it was destroyed.
The Star Farker was made by Mike Simmons, an accomplished sport kiteflier and maker, as a playful parody of Dean Jordan’s sport kite, the Star Watcher. It was intentionally made so that it wouldn’t fly or would be terribly difficult to fly and showed up at an AKA auction in 1991 or 1992. It quickly became a beloved satirical symbol of a “non-kite” with great value as a humorous message and since then, many have bid and bought the rights to own the Star Farker for one year. The tradition and rules of ownership were quickly established; own the Star Farker for one year, modify it in any way, and bring it back to the auction the following year!
I’ve ended up with the Farker at least three times (well…four or five at the most) and I am still not clear as to who sets the “rules” for engagement. Sometimes I have bid for the privilege of ownership, other times “friends” have bid on it and “assigned” me ownership for the year. My most memorable moment with the Farker was the year after Bill Bigge had owned it, and had, indeed, modified it with a beautiful canard wing that created lift so that it performed perfectly as an in- door glider (maybe the only real air-time the kite had ever seen). Almost immediately, it was clear that the Farker wouldn’t fit into my kite bag with- out my “modification.” So “snap” went the beautiful canard and into the bag it went. It is assumed that “modification” adds value to the Farker and is the right of the yearful owner (unlike a master- piece such as the Mona Lisa, for instance, where no one would ever think of modifying her in any way!)
In 2010 when I purchased the privilege of yearful ownership, I determined the Farker would spend the year mounted over the bed of Dave and Suzy Gomberg and I had a sinking feeling that it would come back to me the following year. It did, lovingly adorned with my face on the sail! Needless to say, this was the kiss of death for the Farker.
Provided by Scott Skinner. Scott Skinner holding Son of Star Farker, currently in the possession of Jon Barressi.
GombergKites.com
At the Antelope Island Kite Festival over Labor Day weekend, I decided that my “modification” for the year would be to allow all the attendees to help me finally destroy the Star Farker. It was done with great gusto by all in attendance — even AKA president-elect Jon Barresi. Also in attendance was none other than Dean Jordan, indelibly linked to the Farker (whether he liked it or not). He quickly took stock of the situation and promised a new Star Farker for the annual AKA Convention, just four short weeks away. Remarkably, the “red-headed step-child of the Star Farker” arrived just hours before the convention’s annual auction and I quickly took advantage of the opportunity to address the assembled AKA members, “what is missing here?” I queried. They quickly and accurately responded, “the Star Farker!” Indeed, there was no Farker in the auction. When I announced my unprecedented action of destroying the Farker, gasps, groans, and grimaces greeted me. (Valerie Govig almost fell off her chair!)
Ali Fujino. Artist’s conception of the original Star Farker design.
Enter the Son of Star Farker! Dean had provided a six-sided rokkaku sail with plenty of room for creative modification! As bidding began on the new Farker, what could have been more appropriate than to have newly elected president of the AKA, Jon Barressi, become the keeper of the new Farker for 2012-2013? Jon and his wife had just purchased a sewing machine and both vowed to learn to use it. Would they modify the Son of Farker into a high-flying rokkaku? Would Jon do what he knows best and somehow transform Son of Farker into a four line Revolution? Might he add wings to make it into a twisted clone of the original Star Farker?
Editors Note:
Amazingly, there is little documentation for the Star Farker (Ali Fujino kindly drafted an artists rendering of a possible original design). In particular, no known photos exist of any of the modifications described by the author of this article. We leave it to the reader to determine the merits of this story for themselves.
Plan on attending the American Kitefliers Association Annual Convention and Grand Nationals at the Convention Center in Seaside, Oregon October 7 – 13, 2013. You could become part of the Star Farker history!
Read David Gomberg’s article about the Star Farker on his website: http://www.gombergkites. com/update/584.html