Handmade-Kite Derby

By Lawrence Cummins

Cub Scout District Chairman Meldon England began making kites over sixty years ago in Sugar City, Idaho. Those first kites were made from bamboo strips and stiff wrapping paper that had covered store-bought goods. For the past two years he has been teaching Cub Scout leaders how to build kites from slender dowels and lightweight plastic sheeting. The leaders then show their Cub Scouts how to make their own kites.

Photographs were taken at the Handmade-Kite Derby at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. The annual event is the brainchild of Brother England.

Photos by Richard Romney

Kite flying can be a family affair.

Brother England sends his own kite quickly aloft with the aid of a fishing rod and a swivel attached to the end of a fishing line.

An expertly timed tug on the kite string prevents this high flier from taking a sudden dive.

Every participant receives a ribbon for his effort.

A box kite appears to soar above the Wasatch Mountains.

Adding a little more length to the tail steadies a kite’s flight when it becomes airborne.