The Ace
  • Make: Nantucket Kiteman
  • Model: The Ace
  • Obtained: Rhodes Family

This kite has a beautiful printed cloth sail. We were flying it on the beach at the Ocean City, MD festival when someone ran up and asked if it was a real Nantucket Kiteman kite. It used heavy dowels, so we reframed it in SkyShark stunt kite rods.

Wind's Edge Banner
  • Make: Wind's Edge
  • Model: Banner
  • Obtained: Kites Fly'n Hi

Julie and I got this beautiful banner on our mini-moon in Charleston and flew it at the house every day. I finally retired it in 2022 becuase it was falling apart, and soon after bought a replacement.

Unknown Blue delta
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Blue delta
  • Obtained: Rhodes Family

Not sure where this little fellow came from, but it’s well made, with heavy ripstop nylon.

Sturdy Designs Chiroptera
  • Make: Sturdy Designs
  • Model: Chiroptera
  • Obtained: Will Sturdy
  • Chiroptera, July 6, 2019

Got this kite as a wedding present from Mom’s Club. Called up Will and this was the last sail he had. Super fun single-line glider that I fly at Oval Park from time to time.

Unknown Foil
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Foil
  • Obtained: Kevin McMackin

Dad used to keep this kite in the car for flying opportunities.

Gomberg Double Delta
  • Make: Gomberg
  • Model: Double Delta
  • Obtained: Scott Hertenstein
  • Ringsnake, April 8, 2022

This double delta is a great lifter for the Ringsnake. I think it’s a “Mayan” color pattern.

Fred
  • Make: New Tech
  • Model: Stego
  • Obtained: Scrap Exchange

Julie got this kite from the Scrap Exchange and named it after our plastic dinosaur pal who comes with me on some of my beach trips.

Gomberg 9-foot ghost delta
  • Make: Gomberg
  • Model: 9-foot ghost delta
  • Obtained: Mom's Club

Got this white “ghost” kite as a wedding present from Mom’s Club. It’s stable with a lot of lift, so it helped Julie discover her love of line laundry.

Haptic
  • Make: Haptic Labs
  • Model: Unnamed diamond
  • Obtained: Haptic Labs

Julie picked out this unusual kite from a fancy design lab in NYC.

Herman Miller Branded tetrahedral
  • Make: Herman Miller
  • Model: Branded tetrahedral
  • Obtained: Rhodes Family

We flew this Herman Miller-branded tetrahedral kite once, but it’s a lot to put together. I wonder if a fan of the brand would want it.

Patrick Lyangman iFlite STD
  • Make: Patrick Lyangman
  • Model: iFlite
  • Trim: STD
  • Obtained: Windswept Kites
  • iFlite at the indoor part of AKAGNs, 2014

This fantastically light glider is built for indoor flying. I get it out on rainy days when I just have to fly something. :-)

Marimekko Foil
  • Make: Marimekko
  • Model: Foil
  • Obtained: Marimekko

Got this black-and-white foil from a store in NYC and brought it to Puerto Rico.

The Mayor
  • Make: Cuth Rhodes
  • Model: Handmade
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Made for Christine Salmon when she was mayor of Sillwater, OK by her husband Cuth.

Mr. Stinky
  • Make: Jalbert parafoils
  • Model: J7.5
  • Obtained: Rhodes Family

This foil was an old reliable friend of the Rhodes family. It smelled horrible when Julie and I got it out of the bag, so we named it “Mr Stinky.” I washed it thoroughly but it still smells a lot. It’s labeled as a Jalbert Parafoil, from the inventor of the ram-air foil kite/parachute.

Unknown Train
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Train
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Simple train of mylar diamonds from the Rhodes family.

New Tech Heart Kite
  • Make: New Tech
  • Model: Heart Kite
  • Obtained: New Tech

Julie saw this kite in a photo I took at the AKA convention in 2014 and had to have one. I couldn’t track one down but called the company and they sent me what looks like a prototype or factory second. Strange to put together, with handwritten instructions, and unfortunately flies poorly, but she liked having it.

Unknown Rainbow diamond
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Rainbow diamond
  • Obtained: The Kite Loft

Got this kite in Ocean City at a festival because we wanted to support the hosting store and because I wanted a pilot to test the wind. I like the layout of the kite because it’s different from other rainbow-layout kites.

Playhut Unknown
  • Make: Playhut
  • Model: Unknown
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Part of the Rhodes family collection. Not sure if I’ve ever flown it.

Unknown Rainbow diamond
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Rainbow diamond
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Simple rainbow diamond, classic design.

Ringsnake
  • Model: Ringsnake
  • Obtained: Scott Hertenstein
  • Ringsnake, April 8, 2022

The German-made Ringsnake is a huge crowd pleaser! It’s a lot to manage but worth it for the sight.

Scotty
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Space Bird
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Named Scotty the Space Bird for Scotty on Star Trek for no particular reason.

Skysong
  • Make: Robert Brasington
  • Model: Skysong
  • Obtained: Wedding present from Claudia and Kelly

A favorite kite, great design and colors and flies well.

Marblehead kite company Snake
  • Make: Marblehead kite company
  • Model: Snake
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Part of the Rhodes family collection. I don’t get to fly the snake kites often but they look great with the long, broad tails.

Go Fly A Kite Snake
  • Make: Go Fly A Kite
  • Model: Snake
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Part of the Rhodes family collection. Lots of thin tails in contrast to the other snake. The label says “go fly a kite, east Haddam, Conn.”

Prism Stowaway foil
  • Make: Prism
  • Model: Stowaway foil
  • Obtained: Unknown

Not sure where this one came from.

Sully
  • Make: Sun Oak Kites
  • Model: Unknown cellular kite
  • Obtained: Rhodes Family

Dated 1984. Reframed in SkyShark P100s. Still needs a lot of wind because of heavy PVC and metal fittings.

Julie Wedding kite
  • Make: Julie
  • Model: Wedding kite
  • Obtained: Homemade

Julie made her wedding kite by marbling it in the bathtub and was thrilled with how it came out.

Tim Wedding kite
  • Make: Tim
  • Model: Wedding kite
  • Obtained: Homemade

I made my wedding kite with colored pencils. I’ve still got the wedding kites but need to find them and take a better picture.

Unknown Delta
  • Make: Unknown
  • Model: Delta
  • Obtained: Rhodes family

Part of the Rhodes family collection. Comes with a pretty white and rainbow bag.