An Experience By Justin Werner

The last time I went to the Lincoln City Kite Festival it was summer and people were bustling about with excitement. Most were staring into the sky to see the myriad of kites blot out the sun. I remember it being warm, a perfect amount of wind, and cloudless. Reminiscing on the heat so long ago I remember looking up and feeling calm as I watched the kites perform their elegant dance on the wind against a blue sky. A perfect day.

Back to now. 2:30 PM. Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival.

The gusts of wind blew my truck around on the drive to the festival. I expected traffic to be a nightmare but it was light and orderly. I was able to park my vehicle with ease. The air was cold and it was slightly raining. The wind was unrelenting and strong. A gray sky threatened to pour at any moment. Against the glum backdrop I saw kites flying. Almost all were smaller stunt kites and I enjoyed watching them cut through the air. These pilots were brave to be out in the elements like this. We all were.

There was a gigantic flying fish by the ‘D’ Sands Motel. It looked like the pilot was having some difficulty controlling it due to the strong gusts but they kept it stable and did a nice job. It was fun to watch.

I approached the small crowd of about forty kite watchers. People were huddling together for warmth and shielding themselves from the wind with each other. The event coordinators in the tents seemed cheerful and were talking to everyone. I saw a boy of about eight jumping up and down as a kite swooped erratically in the wind gusts. His friend imitated the kite, waving his arms, and he fell down on purpose just as the kite hit the ground. Nice timing.

It was a sparsely populated sky today. An air traffic controller’s dream.

There’s always tomorrow.