Kites Ahoy!

THE TREASURE ISLAND SPORT KITE CHAMPIONSHIP returns in 2012 as part of the annual Treasure Island Kite Festival. Following the successful revival of the competition in 2010, TISKC has reclaimed its prominence as one of the premier sport kite events of the year.  Competitors from up and down the East Coast will gather at Treasure Island, FL during the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend for two days of excellent competition with plenty of time to socialize on one of the best kite flying beaches in the country.

A full slate of dual-line and multi-line sport kite competitions will be offered on Saturday and Sunday. Events will be more completely integrated into the festival this time around, which promises to bring a larger audience to watch the dazzling acrobatic displays.

As with previous years, TISKC will be offering Team Multiline Precision and Ballet as disciplines! Given the growing popularity of group multiline flying and the growing experience out there, this event will be spectacular.

TISKC will also be offering a novice class competition for multi-line precision and ballet.  If you haven’t participated in a multi-line competition, this is your chance!

Individual precision events for Experienced and Masters classes will be run according to program precision (formerly called league-style) rules. This format has proven to be more audience friendly and allows for a speedier running of the competition. 

Plans are afoot to bring back the auction and dinner this year! On Saturday night, plan to attend these events in the Thunderbird Conference Room. Updates on times and the meal will be provided as the details get nailed down.

Of course, Monday is a holiday, so we hope you will plan on staying an extra day for recreational flying.  January weather in Florida is usually ideal for kites, with mild temperatures and steady winds, so take full advantage of the opportunity to fly on the white sandy beach while many parts of the country will be covered in white stuff of a different kind!

This event is sanctioned by the Eastern League Sport Kite Association. Competing here will qualify you for Eastern League points, provided you are a member of the League before you compete. You may join at the event, or contact Jared Haworth, Eastern League Commissioner, at elcommissioner@gmail.com. For more information, visit the League's web site, www.easternleague.net.

Once again, it's Saber II rattling time!

Will Sturdy has again donated one of his legendary, hand-crafted sport kites to support the Treasure Island Sport Kite Championships, and this time the winner has more choices.

Here are the details:

Winner gets to choose a Saber II or Light Saber and gets to choose accent colors!

Donations: $10

Maximum offered: 50

Event closes: Sunday, January 8, or when all slots are reserved.

Drawing held when all donations are received.

All donations go directly to support the Treasure Island Sport Kite Championships. 

To reserve slots and for information about payment options for donations, e-mail Robbie Boerth:  rboerth (at) earthlink (dot) net

Will Sturdy’s rise as a Masters class dual-line flier and kitebuilder has been nothing less than meteoric. Years of development led to the Saber. That kite won the AKAGN 2008 sport kite kitebuilding competition, and in 2010 he was crowned Grand National Champion at the AKA convention. This gives you some indication of the meticulous worksmanship that Will puts into his kites.  Will also flew the Saber to victory in the AKAGN Experienced Individual Dual-line Ballet competition. He is now regularly finishing near the top of the heap in Masters class dual-line competitions along the Eastern seaboard, and his entries in Virtual Freestyle events are garnering him international acclaim both as a flier and a builder.  

If you really want to see the Saber II through its tricking paces, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK9p9xFdpg0

And you can check out Sturdy Designs on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sturdy-Designs/195482008140

The Saber II is framed in skyshark P2X and 5PT black diamond spars. The sail is icarex. It has a second layer of icarex along the trailing edge in addition to the mylar reinforcement.

Asked to comment on his new kite design, here’s what Will said:

“The Saber II keeps the same rock steady precision of the original Saber, while making some of the tricks that required a lot of finesse to do with the original much more easily attainable. This kite pitches forward very well, making yo-fades and crazy-copters very simple. Flat spins including taz machines are also much easier. Overall the kite is more nimble. It is easier to combine various tricks together as well as not being overly picky about the inputs.”

As you can see from the video, the Saber is capable of every trick in the book!  It's also got great precision - very clean corners, tracks a straight line very well.  The kite works well in individual, pairs, or team situations. With clean graphics, the kite’s colored accents really pop when the kite is in the air!

Event Organizer

Robbie Boerth
407-375-7191
Contact the Organizer via Email

Depending upon registration numbers, some disciplines may be combined for scheduling efficiency. All scores will be reported to the AKA and Eastern League by discipline, regardless of how they are run.  The hope is that the competition field will be approximately 275’x 2575’, though these dimensions might change if safety concerns or the city of Treasure Island demands it. Competitors are strongly advised to bring shorter lines to the event in case situations require a smaller competition field.

TISKC will be run under the rules and guidelines in the International Sport Kite (ISK) Competition Rules version 2.4, ISK Judges' Book version 2.2, ISK Compulsories Book version 2.2, and the AKA Appendix version 2.6.3.

Precision events for Novice Individual Precision (NIP), Novice Multiline Precision (NMP), Combined Paris Precision (CPP), Open Team Precision (OTP), and Combined Multiline Pairs Precision (CMPP), and Open Multiline Team Precision (OMTP) will be conducted according to the format spelled out in the AKA rulebooks (see above.

Program Precision Format for EIP, MIP, EMP, and MMP

The program precision (formerly called league-style) format will be used for the Individual Precision disciplines with the Experienced and Masters classes. The following rules will apply.

Individual competitors will have 3 minutes for setup time. The program precision format will be used for the Individual Precision disciplines with the Experienced and Masters classes. The following rules will apply.

1. Competitors will fly a routine that contains the three compulsory figures listed for their discipline below. This routine will not be flown to music, and will be between 1 - 4 minutes for individuals.
2. The competitor will begin the routine by calling "IN", at which point the clock will start.  The competitor will call "OUT" at the end of the routine.
3. The 3 figures must be flown in the order listed below.  When starting each figure, the competitor will call "IN", and call "OUT" when the figure is completed.  There is no minimum or maximum transition time between figures, but all 3 figures must be completed as part of a comprehensive, choreographed routine within the minimum and maximum time.

4. If a competitor wants to start his/her routine with the first figure, they can, as long as the judges are notified beforehand.  The competitor may also fly a figure reversed, so long as the judges are notified beforehand.

From the competitor's and the field director's perspective, the competition will be conducted much in the same way as ballet.  The field director will have the precision figures on hand for reference.  Since we're still scoring 3 figures and a technical routine, we will be using the standard precision scoresheets to score the routine.

 Please note:  This schedule is subject change.

• From I-275 S, take exit 23B (FL-595 W). Take a right onto 5th Ave. N/FL 595.
• Go approximately 4 miles and take a left at 66th St. N.
• Veer right at Pasadena Ave. N.
• Turn right at Central Ave.
• Drive two miles, continuing straight over the bridge and onto the Treasure Island Causeway.

The Thunderbird Beach Resort is located directly in front of you where Central Ave./Treasure Island Causeway runs into Gulf Blvd. The competition fields will be located directly behind the Thunderbird and Bilmar resorts. Current plans are to run precision events behind the Thunderbird in the morning and then to move to the main festival sound field at the Bilmar (½  block south) for ballet events.

The headquarters hotel for TISKC and the Treasure Island Kite Festival is the Thunderbird Beach Resort, 10700 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL, 33706. Call 1-800-367-2473 or 727-367-1961  to make reservations and mention that you are with the Treasure Island Kite Festival for a discount. The Bilmar Beach Resort ((877) 424-4159) is also offerring special rates for those associated with the festival.The competition fields are located on the expansive beach behind the Thunderbird and the Bilmar hotel immediately to the south. Numerous other hotels are located in the near vicinity.