Copyrighted 2000 - All Rights Reserved - JEFF MacINNIS

ON RULES U.S.A.

Warmed my heart to no end reading of "Fighter Girl" and "Kite Bum" duking'-it-out on the beach, with one flyer seceding victory to the other.   A truly pure kite fight.    Let us all applaud Sharon and Charlies' show of class.    No doubt their example is in kind, the same taught to us all when we began flying.

In the West, the art and sport of competitive fighter kiting is evolving, and with that - the rules.   Fighter kite etiquette naturally evolves friendly in character - protocol follows suit.

NFKA rules, guidelines and definitions attempt to embody the playful spirit of two comrades standing at a line drawn in the sand.   Few and loose, the NFKA rules try to design an extremely flexible and level playing field accommodating local preferences and situations.   The current unfinished rules document 'is' at this time a rough draft, and 'is not' etched in granite; as a last word or holy grail of kite fighting.

Preliminary drafts of the rules document were arduous in that what appeared to be a simple game became detailed in explanation.   In part, the reason for this is: In a casual kite fight it is assumed contestants know what is expected.    When the need arises, custom and convention are 'hashed-out' on-the-spot; occasionally tangles are re-flown.   In a sanctioned event, there is an air of finality that spawns a very competitive atmosphere.   To make expectation well defined and available to all, the NFKA is taking on the responsibility of writing these customs and conventions out of respect for the game and as a courtesy to its enthusiasts.

As stewards of the game, the NFKA is aware it may have a profound and lasting influence on the sport of western fighter kiting.   It is our duty to nurture the purity of the game devoid of ego or stifling politics.   The interests of the game are better served if rules descriptions develop naturally by means of the self evident and remain un-imposed.

the fat kid