Phil Broder has been a vital part of kiting and the American KItefliers Association for the past three decades. Phil teaches at U-MAKE, Fort Worden, and OKR. His company, Fly Market, is the first choice for many of us kitemakers for all the supplies that we may need. He shares his knowledge and expertise to help individual purchases turn into successful projects. He donates to numerous workshops, classes, festivals, and gives fabric for the kids kitemaking at WSIKF. When friends in Ukraine were in need, he sold $5,000.00 of shirts so they could buy food and transportation to safety. He is currently the VP of Keystone Kiters and he organizes their annual winter workshop and summer party. Phil has chosen to spread the magic of American kiting to smaller events in Italy, Portugal, Malta, Colombia and Germany.
Phil’s past AKA leadership roles include Director-at-Large, NKM coordinator, author of the Kite Event Organizers Manual, and along with Craig Wilson, established the Kite Aerial Photography Member’s Choice competition. Phil organized “Kites Fighting Cancer” and raised almost $45,000 for the Cleveland Clinic and other charities. His volunteer work was recognized in 2000 with the Volunteer of the Year award. Phil was awarded a special recognition trophy in 2007 for volunteering with the kitemaker’s competition. He is an accomplished sport kite competitor and is an award-winning kitemaker. Phil served at editor of Kiting for many years. Phil was recipient of the AKA Ingraham award in 2015.
I believe kiting is better because Phil Broder has taken his passion and shared and taught everywhere he has gone. When I taught a class at the Maryland Kite Society Retreat, he had the supplies available to make my class a success. Whether flying with him casually in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, or competing against him in national competition, he remains, for me, one of the really good guys in the world of kiting. Please award the 2025 Edeiken Inspirational Kiteflier of the year award to Phil Broder.
Thank you,
Deb Lenzen
Seconded by Sam King and Mike Shaw
