At the beginning of my life in kiting, I found myself drawn to designing and making kites. I was also torn between focusing on sport or single-line kites. Practical considerations, such as market size and nature, and the need to jump in the deep end to create a viable business quickly, led me to focus on sport kites. Don’t get me wrong, I was (and still am) a stunt kite nut! I love flying them, but even more, I love flying with other people who are passionate about kites. Kiting has taken me from coast to coast and brought me many of the dearest friends of my life.
When we lived in northern Illinois, I’d drive an hour and a half every weekend to a field in Schaumburg, IL, called Ned Brown Meadow. Ned Brown was the hot spot for all things kiting in the Chicago region. I was blessed to share that space with a large group of exceptional people, many of whom were also exceptional kiters. We had national sport kite champions, as well as a few single-line legends. In the early days, I was still working a real job, so I’d have to leave early for the drive back to Rockford for my shift.