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Westward Ho! Festival of Kites

23/05/2019

Trampa Kiteboard Team Rider Kris Beech headed to Devon for the Westward Ho! Festival of Kites. Here's what he had to say on the event;

"The Westward Ho! Festival of kites event took place on the Sunday 19th May 2019. This event was set up by the Westward Ho! Business Association and Kitemare-Surf & Kite shop. The aim was to introduce kites into families lives and get more people out kiting. The sun was shinning and the light breeze did exactly that. 

This new event was brilliant for the kiting community and the public equally. The involvement of children and families heading out on the beach to fly all sorts of kites, ranging from a single line to a power kite. Power kite taster sessions were put on by Sukie & Robin at 514 Elemental kite school.

An arena was set up for demonstrations to show all different aspects of kiting. This was a great way to show the public how much fun you can have with a kite and how many different ways there are to enjoy it.

Personally, for me this was a brilliant way to show the public the enjoyment I get from land boarding. The wind was light but I did manage to show our audience some tricks. The crowd on the beach showed their support and interest through cheering. Pete from Kitemare was on the microphone and kept the event running smoothly through his fun and enthusiastic attitude, which made this event that much more awesome. 

A number of bands and singers also supported this event, they played on the promenade, this also gave the festival a great vibe and kept the crowds entertained. 

This event has got me thinking about how much bigger kiting can become if we can promote it in this way more often. These sort of events bring kiting into the public eye in an easy, fun and relaxed way. The is a great way to encourage the younger generation to step outside and become part of the kite community."