The American Kitefliers Association (AKA) was created in 1964 by Robert M. Ingraham of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. Its purpose is to educate the public in the art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying

kite A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the fac ...

s and advance the joys and values of kiting in all nations. AKA is the largest association of kiters with over 3,000 members in 25 countries. The AKA serves as the umbrella organization to smaller clubs and kite groups around the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, and as a sibling organization to other national organizations including th
All-Japanese Sport Kite Association
(AJSKA)
FFVL France
FLD ev Germany, STACK Holland
STACK-Italia
an
STACK-UK
The national organizations are members of a loosely-organized international collective, termed

Sport Team and Competitive Kiting Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

(STACK). The association holds an annual convention for all club members at venues around the country, typically rotating between east coast, west coast, and central states locations. The 43rd convention planned for

Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 U.S. census, although during summer weekends the city hosts b ...

in October 2022. The 2021 and 2020 conventions were cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Past locations include

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(2019),

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

(2018),

(2017),

(2016),

Enid, Oklahoma Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, a ...

(2015), and

Nags Head, North Carolina Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. It is a busy vacation spot because of its beaches and sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge. The population was 3,146 at the 2020 census. History Early maps of the area show Nags Head as ...

(2014). The convention typically includes an assortment of kite-related events like presentations, kitemaking classes, workshops, an "angel fly" memorial for those who have died, a lighted kite night fly, exhibits, a "fly market" of sales booth, a fundraising auction, business meetings for the organization, and an awards banquet. The convention also hosts the Grand Nationals competitions, the apex competitions for outdoor

sport kite A sport kite, also commonly known as a stunt kite, is a type of kite that can be maneuvered in the air. A related kite, also controllable and used for recreation, but capable of generating a significant amount of pull and used for providing move ...

flying with events for individual, pairs, and team flying events on dual-line and quad-line kites,

indoor kite Indoor kites are kites designed to fly in a windless environment. While principally designed for indoor use, they can also be flown outdoors when insufficient wind would render conventional kite-flying impossible. They are flown by using the rel ...

flying, and for kite making in a variety of categories. The American Kitefliers Association also regulates competitions and other kite events all over the country. Fliers of precision sport kites, which can make sharp turns and do tricks, are judged both on ballet style choreographed flight and also on how well they conform to prescribed precision flight patterns. International competition rulebooks have been standardized through efforts by the AKA, AJSKA, and STACK, and they serve as the guideline for local and regional competitions. Rulebooks cover general rules and event safety requirements, judge guidelines, standardized flying figures for precision events, and dispute procedures. For non-competitive events and kite festivals the association provides planning guides and templates, can help coordinate insurance, and can help publicize the event. The AKA publishes ''Kiting,'' a full color quarterly magazine which is distributed to its members.

References

External links

Official SiteLehigh Valley Kite Society (AKA) Affiliated Chapter
{{Kites Kites Kite fliers Kite festivals Sports festivals in the United States