Let's go fly a kite!

By SANDY MARWICK Eagle Focus Editor

April 25, 2009 Last Updated: April 25, 2009 12:33 PM Community

Hobbyists go sky high

There is no music playing, but that doesn't stop Tom Baumgardner and Michael Moore from performing a series of axles and loops.

And no, they aren't wearing ice skates.

Hiking boots make it easier to move in the damp grass, where Moore calls out the choreographed tricks the two will enact with kites.

"These are designed for precision. They'll do crisp turns," said Moore as he and his "pairs partner" allowed their multi-line stunt kites to twist together, then untwist, as part of a calculated maneuver.

Both members of the Fly Pittsburgh Kite Club, Moore, 50, of Robinson Township and Baumgardner, 58, of Slippery Rock competed together from 1999 to 2001.

In 2000, they earned a First Place title in Experienced Pairs Ballet at the American Kitefliers Association convention in Florida. The same year, Baumgardner placed first in the Experienced Individual Ballet category.

With about 30 recognized competition maneuvers, ballet entails performing a routine to music that was choreographed in advance.

Judges watch pairs events with synchronization in mind, but precision also is evaluated.

Maneuvers are measured for speed as well as for their size.

Tired of traveling to competitions, Baumgardner says he is "retired." But he remains among a group of enthusiasts who gather to fly for fun.

Many kite fliers in the region belong to Fly Pittsburgh, whose members hail from Canonsburg to Erie.According to club spokesman Con Engels, the club typically gathers for one event per month, depending on the time of year."April is National Kite Month," he said. "In April we usually have six or seven different events."Many occur at Cooper's Lake Campground in Worth Township, where conditions are favorable for flying.Others include road trips to bigger events like a recent one in Cincinnati, where Engels estimated 20,000 visitors enjoyed the kites over a two-day period.This weekend, a kite fly in Austintown, Ohio, is benefitting childhood cancer patients, drawing clubs from three states.Engels said the gatherings feature all types of kites, from the standard, single-line variety to the multiple-line sport kites used by Baumgardner and Moore.Brian Check of East Brady is among a group who fly power kites, which use the wind to propel the kite flier on land, water, snow or ice."My favorite would the be ice (kiting), just for the sheer speed," said Check, 47.Although power kites in the western United States can travel as fast as 75 mph on ice, local speeds are slower.Using modified snow skis to propel him on ice at Moraine State Park, Check has used a GPS to clock his speed at 55 mph.

On some occasions without clocking himself, Check recalls traveling faster than the cars driving on nearby Route 422.In many power-kiting situations, the kites can send their fliers airborne. Check estimates being lifted as high as 30 feet for 30 to 40 yards at a stretch.Although rudimentary power kites can be had for as little as $100, prices go up from there, Check said. Like other kite niches, prices accommodate a range of budgets."Kiting offers a lot of different people and age groups an opportunity to get into the sport," said Check. "It's a year-round thing, and you can take it as far as you want."And storage isn't a factor either: Frank and Barb Seidita own one kite that measures less than an inch.But during a recent trip to Cooper's Lake Campground, the couple flew various animal-themed wind socks along with a 100-foot octopus and 35-foot trilobite the state fossil of Ohio, where the Seiditas live.The couple belongs to several kite clubs, including Fly Pittsburgh.

In some cases, large kites can be rigged to do aerial photography, but the Seiditas are content to stock kites with bags of candy, which can be opened and dropped via remote control to please the crowds at events.Although the Seiditas showcase their kites at many charity fundraisers, the couple cites the pastime as a way to connect with friends."You get to meet a lot of nice people," Frank said. "If you get a nice day, you can fly a kite and you can socialize with friends. You can have a coffee.""It is one of the best stress relievers you can do," Baumgardner agreed."It's fun just interacting with people and it's all part of having fun. That's what kite fliers do: They have fun."According to Engels, the club has ranged between 80 and 100 people since the mid-1990s, a few years after the group was formed. Engels said many members are in their 40s and 50s, but some are in their 70s. Others share the pastime with youngsters as young as 6 or 8."It's not age-restrictive at all," Engels said. "You can be a toddler and you can learn to fly a single-line kite."

WHAT: Fly Pittsburgh Kitefliers Club Big Spring FlyWHEN: Beginning at 3 p.m. Friday through May 3WHERE: Cooper's Lake Campground, 205 Corrie Road off Route 422 in Worth TownshipINFO: For more information, go to www.windstarkites.com/FlyPghKiteClub.htm, send an e-mail to ConEngleskitemail.com or call 724-869-4488.

Tom Baumgardner, left, of Slippery Rock, and Michael Moore of Pittsburgh work to keep dual line kites flying high at Cooper’s Lake Campground.

Barb Seidita of Ohio is ready to pack a 100-foot octopus kite after a day of flying. Although dry weather left the kite in good condition, Seidita and her husband Frank often use multiple fans to remove moisture from the oversized kites before stowing them.