If anyone told Barry Parmerlee, Steve
VanVleet or Mike Hughett to “Go Fly A Kite,” it would be right up their alley.
All three gentlemen find kite flying very relaxing and therapeutic.
Mike said, “I am studying mechanical
engineering, which is very stressful, but when I fly kites, the stress vanishes.
I feel free, as free as the wind that lifts the kites into the air.”
Barry explained kite flying a bit
differently.
“We are lucky to be Americans in a country
where freedom is as simple as flying a kite. Not so long ago in Iraq, you could
have been killed for flying a kite. I thank God for those fighting for freedom.
Some people have never been free enough to know what freedom means.”
Steve smiled, and agreed with his friends.
Parmerlee’s grandfather used to make paper
kites when he was a child and this is where he got his first taste of kite
flying. He became addicted from day one. Later, he and his brother Mark took a
jaunt to Grand Haven, Mich.,
to see the national dual-line kite flying competition.
Mark bought Barry a dual-line sports kite.
This is a kite that you can maneuver like a car. Needless to say, Barry became
addicted for life.
Both Steve and Mike became interested in
kite flying about four years ago.
“I learned through Barry’s mistakes so I
wouldn’t wreck my kites,” Steve said. “I love every aspect of kite flying.”
Steve also builds kites and repairs damaged
ones.
Mike’s father, Donald, and Barry used to
work together. Donald would bring Mike to Barry’s home on weekends to watch him
fly kites. Soon Mike learned to fly and discovered flying kites were enjoyable
and fun. He too became a flier.
The correct wind flow is very important to
kite fliers. The winds in the humid Hoosier summers are usually light, but this
summer, fliers have been blessed with unusually good flying conditions.
Barry, Mike and Steve take advantage of
these days and can often be seen flying kites in the side yard of Barry’s
residence near Monrovia. This rural area was once called the Four Winds.
Kiting is very serious to most frequent
fliers and is never taken lightly. Safety is an important factor and is stressed
at most kiting events.
Kites come in all sizes and shapes. The
smallest kite in the world, which actually flies, is only 5 mm tall. Kites can
also be very expensive and are never considered as toys to the kite enthusiast.
Kiting to most fliers means joy, and all
kiters attempt to keep the competition monster at bay by always remembering
kiting is a tool capable of spreading joy. Kiters do not want competition to rob
them of that joy.
“Watch their faces, and when you see that
fixed smile on the kiter’s face, you know he has found joy,” Barry explained.
Kiting holds a childlike fascination for
most and the thrill of watching a streak of color climb, dive and swirl through
the air.
Barry, Mike and Steve are members of Hoosier
Kite Fliers Society and have flown kites at the Monrovia Festival and other
local functions. They also frequent national conventions and competitions.
Competition kiting is always something
special, as they specialize in ballet, precision and figures. It keeps the
fliers on their toes, giving them a reason to practice and try to be the best at
the game they love so much.
Their motto is “Try Kiting- and feel the
Joy.”
Dick Claycomb is president of the club and
can be reached at (765) 348-3711.
