sun and more sun and then wet, then sun,then more wet, then sun. winds building all day from 5 to 15k northwest.
Experienced Shortline Competition. 19 flyers, random 3 out of 5 double elimination with a final 4 flyer round robin to finish. whata hoot! We were treated to the finest shortline flying experience and the most fiercely-fought battles of our flying lives. This was amazing stuff!
Without a doubt, everyone who came to compete from outside the Northwest Region gave the testosterone-ladened, but unfortunately highly inbred, NFKAguys some very fine lessons in being true gentlemen and gentlewomen. all while they were flying our stinky socks off.
Terry did a ground pass on an under point that literally made our lower jaws drop into the sand it looked so cool. He flew that puppy barely two inches off the ground, all the way across the window, and then deftly slipped his line under his opponents kite without a blink or any observable sense of remorse. a gentle killer this Michigan guy!
Johnny did a ground pass on an under point with more than 300 feet of line out that skimmed beautifully over the far boundary ropes and posts. We all watched entranced as, in slow motion, his kite tracked faultlessly straight across the horizon and ended up poking some unsuspecting beachcomber right smack in the forehead halfway down the beach. Johnny wanted to fly the point over because a spectator interfered. What a laugh we had!
Steve B showed us what on-your-knees ground level spinning is all aboutseems these Californiaguys really like to use this tactic on unders. We expected this kind of flying from Johnny because weve seen it before. at least Johnny stands up when he does it, but Mr. B was on his knees from the beginning on every under point and had his kite working to perfection all day showing great patience and winning many points. A treat to watch, but a bitch to defend. I understand he can also fly this good even while wearing a slinky low-cut dress, nylons, and heels.
Andy gave us important lessons in how to fly under points while hooting and hollering and crawling around on the ground and drinking Busch Beer all at the same time. really cool strategy. distracting enough to forget flying your kite just to watch him as he takes the point from you. Pure New Jersey cold-cock fighting style.
Fightergirl ( Sharon Champie ) handily won the Official Masochism title for never, ever quitting. Bloodied, she moved into the experienced competition immediately after blowing her first ever NFKA novice event. this girl spent her entire week begging to get whomped repeatedly just because she needed more grins crazy Californians, anyway.
And great flyers flew great flyers all day long, beating each other to blithering pulps, laughing, scratching and grinning until the sun got so tired it started to leave and we finally had our winners.
| First: | Steve Bateman | San Diego
| Second: | Bruce Lambert
| Olympia
| Third: | Johnny Hsiung
| Los Angeles
| |
Very huge thanks to Steve C for the valiant struggle and good humor required to judge the Novice and Experienced competitions. Hardest job of all is the one he took on and we appreciate his love of abuse. a true Oklahoma cowboy with class. thanks.
President Tom, Marlin, Heidiboy, Steve, Kirby, Jerry, Gary, Rolfgreat fun flying with you once again! Basir, thank you for your wonderful lessons and gifts. Michelle, have another blue snowcone... Kevin, next year please remember its the third full week in August, not the second ( too much head banging as a kid ). Howard, good to see that the official NFKA accountant of record hasn't fled to Brazil with our double set of books yet. Next time bring your kite. Neil, where'd you go all week? Tony, at your age, chasing young women is great as long as you dont catch one, but be warned, your dad will soon whomp you good on the flying fields cause youre too busy wiggling your hips and not wiggling your flying line. Same advice to you Jordan. Special NFKA thanks to Wayne and Chuck who steadfastly held down field assistance duties on a very hot Saturday afternoon when most everyone else beside Gary was too busy competing and goofing off to help you very much. such is the life of volunteers. and to all those folk whose names I have missed my sincere apologies. I'm just too old to remember much more than this.
And Gina? Geez, girl what can I say except that we all love you very, very much.
Whew! Thats my report.
Sure hope Chuckie Ds video comes out good.
Goodnight miss you guys already.
Grins.
d.