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2025 AKA Convention – Niagara Falls, NY

by

46th Annual American Kitefliers Association Annual Convention – Niagara Falls, NY

2025 Kitemaking Competition

2025 Kite Art Gallery

2025 Sewing Studio

2025 Kite Arch

Lifetime Achievement Awards

 

Award Recipient
Lee Toy Award Dave Young
Bob Ingraham Award Gary Maynard
Steve Edeiken Award Phil Broder

Presidential Awards

 

Award Recipient
Regional Director of the Year Ben Huggett
Kite Club of the Year Pierce County Kitefliers Association
Volunteer of the Year Rick and Betsy Agar
Shining Star Award Steve Anderson

 

Kitemakers’ Awards & Competition Results

 

Bowed Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
WENDT 8.03 7.87 7.47 7.00 30.37
DAVID 7.47 7.63 7.77 7.37 30.23
LENZEN 7.50 7.83 7.77 6.97 30.07
SHAW 7.43 7.70 6.90 6.90 28.93
HUGGETT 6.50 6.57 7.57 7.53 28.17

 

Cellular Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
HANSEN 8.50 8.23 8.70 9.00 34.43
TRENNEPOHL 8.00 8.03 8.70 8.73 33.47
LAMHUT 7.63 7.23 8.30 7.13 30.30
HUGGETT 7.13 7.00 8.00 7.70 29.83
BRODER 6.73 7.00 7.07 7.10 27.90

 

Cooperative Kites

 

Last Name(s) Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
HANSEN & KING 7.30 7.13 8.53 8.07 31.03

 

Delta Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
TRENNEPOHL 7.63 7.97 8.77 8.83 33.20
BRODER 7.90 7.97 7.47 7.57 30.90
HANSEN 8.00 6.67 7.93 8.00 30.60
HUGGETT 7.33 6.67 7.43 7.37 28.80

 

Fighter Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
GIBSON 7.27 6.97 7.07 7.10 28.40
CORDOVER 6.07 6.30 7.07 7.57 27.00
JONES 6.67 6.33 6.60 6.57 26.17
CAIRNCROSS 6.43 6.97 7.70 7.90 29.00
SHAW 6.93 7.47 7.17 7.33 28.90

 

Flat Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
LENZEN 7.77 7.53 8.07 7.43 30.80
SHAW 7.30 7.77 7.63 7.07 29.77
CAIRNCROSS 7.20 8.00 7.10 7.00 29.30
DAVID 7.53 6.67 7.90 7.07 29.17
HANSEN 7.33 6.53 7.50 7.07 28.43
DERTIEN 6.00 7.00 7.70 7.37 28.07
BRODER 6.40 6.77 7.67 6.97 27.80

 

Indoor Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
TRENNEPOHL 7.43 7.67 8.17 8.50 31.77
CAIRNCROSS 7.70 7.27 7.53 7.50 30.00

 

Rokkaku Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
LAMHUT 7.93 7.83 7.60 7.43 30.80
BRODER 7.50 7.40 7.20 7.17 29.27
WILSON 6.90 7.17 6.70 6.57 27.33
SHOOK 6.37 6.50 6.87 6.47 26.20

 

Sky Display

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
HANSEN 7.67 7.83 8.00 7.93 31.43
BRODER 7.67 7.57 7.37 7.27 29.87
LENZEN 7.17 7.33 7.43 7.13 29.07

 

Soft Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
DAVENPORT 7.10 7.47 7.70 7.53 29.80
DERTIEN 7.10 7.30 7.33 7.07 28.80
BRODER 6.67 7.40 7.20 7.00 28.27
CHICHAK 7.27 7.10 6.73 7.10 28.20

 

Sport Kites

 

Last Name Avg Flight Avg Visual Appeal Avg Craftsmanship Avg Structural Design Total Score
TRENNEPOHL 8.50 7.50 8.90 8.73 33.63
ANDERSON 7.90 6.93 8.90 8.93 32.67
SHOOK 7.70 7.80 8.03 7.43 30.97

 

Judges’ Special Awards

 

Award Recipient Notes
Special Recognition Phil Broder Materials for Kitemakers Challenge — Jon and Marianne Trennepohl
Best Workshop Kite Bob Wendt Bowed
Novice Kitemaker David Anderson Sport Kite
Innovation Mitch Cordover Fighter
Mixed Media Rich Cairncross Zero Wind

 

Highest Kitemakers’ Scores

 

Category Recipient / Kite Score
Craftsmanship Tie: Jon Trennepohl & David Anderson — Sport Kites 8.9
Flight Tie: Jon Trennepohl — Sport Kite & Chris Hansen — Cellular 8.5
Visual Appeal Chris Hansen — Cellular 8.23
Structural Design Chris Hansen — Cellular 9.0

 

2025 Grand National Champion: Chris Hansen — Cellular 34.43

 

People’s Choice Awards

 

Category Winner
Best Kite Cassie Shook — Sport Kite
Best Kite Accessory Paul Homen — Fighter Kite Box

Indoor, Fighter, and Rokkaku Competition Awards

 

Indoor Competition

Open Results

 

Place Competitor Score
1 Rich Cairncross 82.5
2 Donna Wendt 79.7
3 Jesse Kapsten 73.9
4 Chuck Jones 68.1

 

Single-Line Results

 

Place Competitor Score
1 Rich Cairncross 86.1
2 Jesse Kapsten 81.7
3 Donna Wendt 80.5

 

Fighter Kite Competitions

Single Line Maneuverable — Line Touch (Experienced)

Place Competitor
1 Chuck Jones
2 Paul Homan
3 Jim Gibson & Randy Fox (tie)

 

Single Line Maneuverable — Line Touch (Novice)

 

Place Competitor
1 Russell Schwarz
2 Jamie Hawkins

 

Precision Flying (Experienced)

 

Place Competitor
1 Chuck Jones
2 Paul Homan
3 Mitch Cordover

 

Precision Flying (Novice)

 

Place Competitor
1 Randy Fox
2 Russell Schwarz

 

Rokkaku Battles

Individual Battles

Place Kite Flown By
1 Royal Fox Randy Fox
2 Unknown Jamie Fox
3 Chainsaw Donna Wendt

 

Team Battles

 

Place Team/Kite Flown By
1 Royal Fox Randy Fox & Paul Homan
2 Into the Unknown Jamie Fox & Brian Wilson