I'm Ken McNeill, and I guess you could call me an artisan kitemaker. As of this writing, I've been involved in the business end of kiting for 35 years, beginning with founding Aerie Kiteworks in Rockford, IL, in 1991. With the help of a talented staff, Aerie had the honor of building a couple of thousand kites for my friends worldwide.

In '97, I accepted a position with Avia Sport Composites in North Carolina and handed production of the Aerie line to Shanti Kite Co. The kite bug bit again in 1999, and I started making a few kites, part-time, under the Blue Moon Kites banner. BMK became a full-time venture in the summer of 2001.

I've always considered a well-designed kite to be like a finely crafted hand tool. It should have a natural, almost organic feel that inspires confidence and allows the user to tap their finer talents. It should be neutral in balance, but capable of cutting like a scalpel or hitting like a sledge when needed.

While I'm not exactly what you'd call a gifted flyer, I have a pretty good lay understanding of the physics and aerodynamics involved in making a high-performance kite. It's been my honor over the years to watch some of the best flyers in the world do some pretty amazing things with my kites. I've even had the pleasure of seeing a number of my kites being flown to national championships.

A well-crafted kite will likely contain details that you may never notice. Simple things, like chamfered ferrules, glued endcaps, and light, tough, minimalist fittings. Reinforcements should be clean and effective, but not overdone. Thought will have gone into silly little stuff, like turning the hem of the bag out, instead of inward, so your standoffs don't snag. It should assemble intuitively and allow you to simply enjoy flying without worrying about what might wear out or fall off.

My hope, as a kitemaker, is that the best kite I've ever made will be the one I make for you tomorrow.