Kite flying is a popular activity in the United States that has a long and storied history. Kites have been flown in America since the late 18th century, when Benjamin Franklin famously used a kite to demonstrate electricity during a lightning storm. Since then, kite flying has evolved into both a fun hobby and competitive sport across the country.
Whether for recreation, competition, or cultural celebrations, kites can be found soaring in the skies from coast to coast in the USA. Below we’ll explore the history of kites in America, popular places for flying kites, kite festivals, competitions, and more to help answer the question: are there kites in the USA?
Brief History of Kites in America
While the original invention of the kite dates back thousands of years in Asia, kites first arrived in the American colonies in the late 1700s. The Founding Fathers were the earliest known kite flyers. Both Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton were enthusiastic supporters of kite flying as both a scientific tool and recreational activity.
Kites became more popular and widely available in the 19th century. In the 1830s-1850s, new designs and materials allowed kite flying to become an established American hobby. Kite competitions also became popular during this time.
The “Golden Age of Kiting” occurred from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. During this era, kite flying was at its peak of popularity, and new kite innovations allowed remarkable heights, complex designs, and stunt kites to emerge.
The popularity and development of airplanes led to a temporary decline in kiting from 1910-1930. But in the 1930s, kites saw a resurgence, possibly linked to cartoons and comic strips that frequently featured them.
Since then, kites have become an entrenched part of American culture. Kite flying continues today as both a recreational activity and professional sport.
Popular Places to Fly Kites in the USA
Many places across the United States make ideal spots for flying kites recreationally. Here are some of the most popular places and regions for kite flying:
Beaches
Ocean and lake beaches are among the best places for kite flying due to their large open spaces and steady, strong winds. Popular beach spots include:
– The Outer Banks in North Carolina
– Myrtle Beach in South Carolina
– Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket in Massachusetts
– Long Beach Peninsula in Washington
– Point Mugu and Zuma Beach in California
Parks
Large open parks provide great areas for launching and flying kites. Top spots include:
– The National Mall in Washington D.C.
– Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
– Griffith Park in Los Angeles
– Forest Park in St. Louis
– Millennium Park in Chicago
Plains and Deserts
The open plains and deserts of the American Midwest and Southwest also offer vast spaces and winds ideal for recreational kite flying:
– Great Plains areas of Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas
– New Mexico desert
– Mojave and Sonoran Deserts
Major Kite Festivals in the USA
There are dozens of kite festivals held across the United States that attract both casual and professional kite flyers. Some of the biggest festivals include:
The Rogallo Kite Festival
Location: Nags Head, North Carolina
When: April
Highlights: Up to 80 individual kite flying exhibitions.
Wisconsin State Kite Festival
Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
When: Memorial Day Weekend in May
Highlights: Mass kite flys with hundreds of kites in the air.
Washington State International Kite Festival
Location: Long Beach, Washington
When: Mid-August
Highlights: Giant show kites up to 150 feet long, kite battles, and night flies with illuminated kites.
Great Colorado Kite Festival
Location: Boulder, Colorado
When: September
Highlights: All kinds of competitions, including individual stunt kite performances.
Berkeley Kite Festival
Location: Berkeley, California
When: July
Highlights: Kite making workshops, demonstrations, and lessons for new flyers.
Kite Competitions and Sport Kiting
In addition to being a recreational pastime, kite flying is also a professional sport in the USA. The main governing body overseeing competitive kite flying is the American Kitefliers Association (AKA), which sponsors tournaments across the country.
Some major competitive events for professional kite flyers include:
AKA National Convention
This is the biggest kite flying competition in the United States, held at a new location each October. Categories include individual precision flying, ballet kite routines, multi-kite flying, and quad-line/sport kite competitions.
Wildwood International Kite Festival
This influential competition held in September in New Jersey includes dual-line kite precision events, ballets, mega-flys, and performances. There are team and individual categories.
AKA Grand Nationals
The AKA Grand Nationals are considered one of the highest honors in competitive sport kiting. The best individual flyers qualify to compete in four-line precision flying and ballet kite events.
US Sport Kite Open and National Championship
This tournament held annually in different locations focuses on dual and quad line precision flying and ballet competitions. Flyers earn points contributing to an overall national ranking.
Kite Culture Among Native American Tribes
Kites historically played an important role in the cultures of many Native American tribes, particularly those of the Southwest, Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest. Different tribes developed their own unique styles of kite making and flying.
Some examples of Native American kites include:
Hopi Kachina Kites
– Made by the Hopi tribe of the Southwest
– Depict traditional Hopi Kachina spirit dolls and symbols
– Flown ceremonially to bring the Kachina spirits to the tribe
Ojibwe/Chippewa Kites
– Made by tribes like the Ojibwe and Chippewa in the Great Lakes region
– Styles included diamond, triangular, and rectangular flat kites
– Decorated with geometric designs and natural elements like feathers
Northwest Coast Native Kites
– Created by tribes like the Tlingit and Haida in the Pacific Northwest
– Made of wood, painted bark, and feathers
– Featured painted tribal designs like thunderbirds and totem animals
Many tribes still fly kites at traditional ceremonies and events today to keep their cultural traditions thriving.
Kite Building Workshops
For those interested in not only flying but also building kites themselves, there are educational kite making workshops found across the country. These workshops provide the chance for both kids and adults to build handmade kites from scratch and learn from kite experts.
Popular kite building events include:
Drachen Foundation Kite Making Workshop (Seattle, WA)
This two-day intensive session teaches advanced aerodynamic kite building principles for single line kites. Participants work with expert coaches and get hands-on experience constructing different types of kites.
Wind Watcher Kite Making Workshop (San Francisco, CA)
Fun kite building workshops for families, schools, and groups allow participants to build and decorate simple kites to fly themselves. Kids can make basic diamond kites or kites themed like butterflies, birds, or dragons.
Wright Kite Workshops (Kill Devil Hills, NC)
This kite shop on the Outer Banks holds regular programs teaching beginners how to build single line delta and diamond kites that they can personalize and fly on the beach.
Two Hands Paperie Kite Making Class (Chicago, IL)
A retail paper shop in Chicago hosts kite building sessions for kids and adults where participants make paper kites by hand and decorate them with markers, stickers, or stamping.
Notable Kite Innovations and World Records
American kite flyers have achieved notable innovations and world records in building and flying kites:
Largest Kite
– Flown in Paradise, CA in March 2015
– Measured over 3,500 square feet in size
– Weighed over 430 pounds
Longest Kite Tail
– Set in July 2012 in Fort Worden, WA
– Tail measured 7,056 feet long, over 1.3 miles
– Involved a 100 foot wide Rokkaku kite
Most Kites Flown on One Line
– Achieved by Robbie Sugarman in May 2015 in Jamaica Bay, NY
– 768 small kites flown on a single 6,000 ft line
Lightest Kite
– Weighed only 2.56 grams
– Constructed of lightweight paper and carbon fiber
– Designed by California kite maker David Gomberg
First Radio Controlled Kite
– Invented by inventor William Abner Eddy in the mid 1920s
– Allowed kites to be steered remotely using early radio signals
Notable American Kite Flyers
A few noteworthy kite flyers from American history include:
Benjamin Franklin:
Helped popularize kites in the early US by using one for his famous electricity experiment. He built early innovative kite designs.
Alexander Graham Bell:
Best known for inventing the telephone, Bell also performed extensive kite experiments with giant man-lifting kites as well as tetrahedral kites.
William Abner Eddy:
An early 20th century kite designer who created the Eddy kite tail-less diamond kite and pioneered radio controlled kites.
Corey Jensen:
A professional kite flyer who has won 10 US National championships and 3 world titles for quad line sport kiting.
Mel Govig:
Renowned for crafting artistic show kites often over 100 feet long and for founding the Drachen Foundation to preserve kiting history.
Iqbal Husain:
A Pakistani-American kite maker known for creating enormous kites up to 3,500 square feet in size, setting multiple world records.
Kite Shops and Cottage Industries
To support the widespread popularity of kite flying, many American kite companies and cottage industries have emerged over the years to produce commercial and hobbyist kites and gear.
Some top kite manufacturers and retailers located in the USA include:
Prism Designs:
Based in San Francisco, Prism makes high-performance sport kites, power kites for kiteboarding, and single line kites.
New Tech Kites:
Founded by champion kite flyer John Barresi, they are a leading maker of precision aerobatic sport kites and competition gear.
Into the Wind:
A top kite company located in Colorado offering all kinds of single line, dual line, and quad line kites for fun and sport.
Skydog Kites:
Located in Oregon, they manufacture power kites for kiteboarding and buggying as well as custom artistic kites.
Kitty Hawk Kites:
A chain of 12 retail kite stores along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, selling kites, gear, and offering lessons.
In addition to commercial brands, many kite enthusiasts craft and sell specialized or artistic kites from home-based businesses and online stores on sites like Etsy.
Kite Safety
While kite flying can be an enjoyable pastime, there are some safety considerations to keep in mind:
Avoid overhead obstacles:
Don’t fly a kite near tall trees, buildings, power lines or other dangerous obstructions.
Keep away from air traffic:
Don’t fly kites at heights near active flight paths or airports.
Use caution in storms:
It’s best not to fly a kite during strong winds, thunderstorms, or lightning which can be unsafe.
Beware of power lines:
If a kite gets stuck in a power line, do not attempt to retrieve it due to electrocution risk. Contact the electric company.
Supervise children:
Watch children carefully when flying kites and teach them kite safety rules. Do not allow them to fly kites unsupervised near roads.
Avoid lines tangling:
When flying multiple kites, leave adequate space between them to avoid tangling control lines.
Use proper hand protection:
Wear gloves or hand guards to avoid line burns when flying larger power kites or sport kites for long periods.
Kite Flying Laws and Regulations
There are some laws governing kite flying to be aware of:
Line Length Limits:
Some areas restrict kite line lengths to 150-500 feet to avoid interfering with planes. Many states limit line length to 500 feet.
Nighttime Flying:
Most places prohibit flying kites past dusk or in low light conditions due to visibility risks to air traffic. Illuminated kites are also generally not allowed.
Public Space Permits:
Some public parks or beaches may require permits for organized kite events or commercial kite activities.
Noise Limitations:
Noise from kites should be kept at reasonable levels to avoid disturbing neighbors and violating noise ordinances.
Privacy:
Kite flyers must avoid knowingly invading someone’s privacy by positioning a kite to look into private dwellings.
Trespassing:
Flying a kite on private property without permission is usually considered trespassing.
Kites as an Educational Tool
Because they allow hands-on application of scientific concepts like aerodynamics, lift, and drag, kites are often used as an educational tool:
Science Classes:
Building and flying kites teaches basics of physics, meteorology, and engineering. Students can experiment modifying kite materials, surface area, and shape.
Mathematics:
Designing and constructing kites requires use of measurement, geometry, ratios and proportions. Calculating kite lines utilizes principles of triangles.
History:
Kites allow lessons on their origins and applications over time, from ancient Asian history to modern aerospace technology.
Art:
Decorating and making creative kites provides an artistic outlet, teaching principles of color, balance, and graphic design.
Geography:
Tracking wind patterns and kite drift teaches about spatial relationships, mapping, and navigation.
With guidance, kites can be a fun way to engage students in active learning across subjects. Teachers utilize them at all grade levels.
Kites in American Culture
As both a hobby and competitive sport, kites have made their mark on American culture:
Art and Design:
Kites are an expressive folk art medium. Prominent kite artists include Tal Streeter, Scott Skinner, and Martin Lester, inspired by tradition yet highly creative. Massive show kites are a blend of design, engineering, and performance art.
Film and Television:
Kites memorably appear the movies “Mary Poppins” during the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “The Kite Runner,” and Pixar’s short animated film “The Kite.”
Music:
The rock band Pearl Jam has an influential song called “Yellow Ledbetter” with lyrics about flying kites. Several other bands have also used kite themes in songs and music videos.
Literature:
One of most well-known American kite stories is Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography describing his electricity kite experiments in 1752. Kite-themed novels include “The Kite Runner” and “The Divine Wind.”
Festivals:
Community kite festivals bring people together in public parks across America to enjoy the sky filled with colorful kites as both participants and spectators.
Sport:
Kite flying as a competitive sport tests skills in precision, coordination, creativity, and performance under pressure at events watched by dedicated fans.
Kiting has clearly left its mark on the American experience.
Conclusion
In summary, kites are indeed widely popular across the United States and woven into the nation’s culture. Americans have embraced kites since the earliest colonial days for recreation, science, art, and sport.
Kites can be found flying in skies from coast to coast, at public parks, beaches, festivals, competitions, and more. The history of kites in America is a long and storied one. Key milestones include Benjamin Franklin’s electricity experiments, the “Golden Age of Kiting”, records set by avid kite innovators, and the rise of kiting as a professional sport.
Kites continue to be a meaningful tradition and common sight in the air above American landscapes. Whether building kites by hand or watching them soar, people of all ages find enjoyment in kiting’s simple pleasures. The skies of the USA are often dotted with dancing, colorful kites, confirming that they definitely have a strong presence across the country.