By Montaha al-Fadli
KUWAIT, Feb 14 (KUNA) -- A Kuwaiti state committee on national festivals will begin its celebration of the National Day of Kuwait on Friday by organizing a kite-flying show under the supervision of world kite-flyer Abdel-Rahman al-Farsi.
Al-Farsi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the kite-flying show would carry a special message to the sons of Kuwait, urging them to discover and develop their hobbies and capabilities.
Al-Farsi, who heads the Kuwaiti kite-flying team, said that some 600 kites would be flown by 23 amateurs and professionals from England, New Zealand, France, Japan and the US during the kite-flying festival.
The kite-flying show will kick off at 9:00 am and will come to close at 5:00 pm, he added.
The Kuwaiti kite-flying team is the sole team in the world that comprises 30 amateurs and professionals, he said, criticizing that the Arab world is almost lacking in the kite-flying hobby.
Kite-flying is a popular hobby that has been an art and a sport for over 2,000 years. For the vast majority of that time, the kites had only a single flying line. All through that time, the hardest part of flying a kite has been actually getting the thing in the air.
The first thing to do is to select a suitable location. It is well-known that successful kite-flying needs a decent breeze, but it is less well-known that the breeze should be as smooth as possible. Kite-flyers should select an area that is not only clear, but has clear approaches: if the wind has to come over a solid wall of buildings, trees, cliffs or hills, then it will be turbulent, with gusts blowing down as well as along.
The Kuwaiti kite-flying team began their activity in 1995. Al-Farsi launched the largest kite in the world in a festival in Britain in 2005. It covered 1050 square meters and weighed around 180 kilograms.
