From: reich@cod.nosc.mil (Ronald S. Reich)
Subject: Re: technical vs artistic -- a crowd reaction
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 17:17:59 GMT

>From: Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com (Darrin Skinner)
>P.S. Ron, Marty, Steve, Bob... you are REQUIRED to answer!

     O.K. as time permits.

     When  I  first saw controllable kites flying it was  a  team 
performance.   I  was intrigued by the synchronization and felt a 
calling  to do the same.   My first objective was to  master  the 
control  of  the kite.   My Second objective was to  link  stunts 
together  in the form of a flowing routine.   My Third  objective 
was  to  win  competitions.   Each of these  objectives  came  in 
sequence   at  about  3  month  intervals.    After  I  flew   my 
Superman/Lowis  Lane routine at the 1986 Grand Nationals,   I was 
approached by several adult couples that had tears in their eyes.  
They  wanted to thank me for giving them an emotional  experience 
they never expected to get while watching a kite fly.   That  was 
when I decided that that would be my true objective.
     During  my career as a competitive flyer,   I would use  the 
precision  events to maintain my status in the ranks.   In 1989 I 
began  to  use  the Ballet event to experiment and  fly  from  my 
heart.  Examples of these Ballet routines included;

     "Battlestar Galactica" routine which I took on as a personal 
challenge because I had seen others try to fly to that music  and 
at  the  time  thought  that the music was  not  appropriate  for 
individuals.  I was wrong.  I generated a very successful routine 
which became part of my award winning year.

     Lee  Greenwoods,  "God  Bless  The USA"  I  performed  as  a 
tribute to the men fighting overseas.

     I  developed  and dedicated a special routine in  memory  of 
Chris Batdorff.

     I  flew  to Disney's "Zip-e-dee Doo Dah"  for  the  children 
spectators  in  hopes  that  they would feel  encouraged  to  fly 
controllable kites.

     Each  of these routines I did without concern for  what  the 
judges  were  looking for.   They all usually placed 2nd or  3rd.  
None  had  what  I  would  consider  high  degree  of  difficulty 
elements.   All of them were very well synchronized to the music.  

     To  be  a  top level competitor year after year  is  a  very 
difficult thing.    I have a room full of trophies and boxes  and 
boxes  of  other trophies but the rewards I hold most dear to  me 
are the ones that I hold in my heart.   They are the memories  of 
the people that I have met.
     Therefore,  I would have to say that the most important part 
of  performing with a controllable kite is how it makes you  feel 
first  and  then how it makes other people feel and then  how  it 
makes  other  kite flyers feel and then how it makes  the  judges 
feel,  all  in that order.   If you make everybody feel good then 
the  judges scores will be sufficient for you to get trophies  to 
put into your kite room.

                    Working hard on the Book,

                            Ron Reich