Gary Maynard – 2025 Ingraham Kiting Community Award Winner

Gary Maynard has been a major figure in kiting from the early1980s. He is the current captain of The Windjammers Kite Team. Since 1983 he has been a part of the kiting team that is known for Trains and Tails. From the formative days of sport kiting Gary Maynard has refined the art of keeping dozens of kites and flowing tails flying over kitefliers and spectators. His work with fabrics and frames has made it possible for 6 or more fliers to give beautiful performances in the sky. Gary’s eye for spectacle has kept kite performances evolving as sport kite competitions waned.

His involvement in kiting goes beyond Dual Line Team flying. Gary’s collection of kites and artifacts spans all styles of kiting from around the globe.Gary can be relied upon for media interviews and photo documentation of kites for the last five decades.

Gary is an excellent kite teacher and lecturer. His work with Scouts and civic groups brings kiting to the world outside of professional kiting. He shares his set of graphic art skills with the AKA and dozens of individual kite events. His work is seen in the illustration of kite building instructions and the AKA Convention logos for years. If you have a drawer full of kite T-shirts, you have some of Gary’s designs.

Gary has a keen eye for what pleases crowds on the flying field and generously shares it. His family of kite people stretches around the world. People from countless countries have contributed to Gary’s growing collection of kite pins. Gary’s pin collection (many of which he
designed) makes him a valued historian. He is often one of the folks giving out pins at the AKA Convention Mass Ascensions.

Gary Maynard lives in the Detroit area. His travels to international kite festivals and private events help to showcase his passion for kites and his generous nature with people in general. When kites get tangled and there is chaos on the kite field he is often heard saying “You meet the nicest people at the end of the line.”

Gary is the guy that answers all the questions the crowd stop him to ask. And they walk away having had their curiosity quenched by this nice guy that stole The Ghoul’s whisker regimen(Midwest TV movie host/character). People get a positive feeling about the AKA and the kiting family. Gary is not just a another pretty faced-show pony for kites, but he knows what he talks about because he has done it or tried it or seen someone do it.

There are so many reasons why Gary Maynard has earned the Robert M. Ingraham Award for 2025. Anyone that has spent 5 minutes with Gary has their own reason why the AKA should extend this honor to him.

Submitted by Craig Rodgerson, Mike Dertien, Jon Trennapohl