AKA Convention, Day 5 – Friday

What a rollercoaster of wind yesterday!  At first we thought it was going to be nice and calm, but after mid day the weather kicked it up a notch and reports from the stunt kite field were that it was cranking over 20mph. Mixed in with rain, the now wet sand was blowing all over kites and sound tents. The intrepid souls competing in the stunt kite competitions came in off the field soaked and tired from wrangling kites in such strong winds. Competition schedule is moving smoothly along even with the weather upsets. There are no more expected delays, and even predicted beautiful weather coming soon.
In the Convention center, the workshops were packed. Nic O’Neill presented on Social Media and Crowdfunding, Gary Goodenough taught how to build and fly fighter kites, and a special guest Loik Lamale taught us about unexpected flying objects.  The Kitemakers competition kicked off inside the Pacific room, with many beautiful strong entries in multiple categories. Some familiar faces, and some new ones were joining the competition. Later in the evening, Fly Mart opened in the main ballroom, and the truly adventurous souls attempted the Kite-athalon. A series of 10 obstacles or tasks found on the kite field, ending with the best one: Convincing Lindsey Johnson or Rhonda Brewer to join the AKA.
 
Today you can expect to find at 9am in Riverview C the Sport Kite Symposium with Scott Davis. In Seaside C is Applique with Christian  Baden Powell. In Seaside B is a make and take of a 3 Stick Kite with Jose Sainz and Scott Skinner.  Starting at 10:30 join Deb Tumminia for pattern making in Riverview C.
Weather today will be in the high 50’s once again, perhaps low 60’s during mid day. There shouldn’t be any rain till after 7pm. But that’s okay, that is when most of us will be hitting up the annual Auction! For those on the beach, expect the winds to be light and variable, hovering around the 5mph range.
Stay tuned to the AKA Facebook Page for live feeds of the Auction.