Team Skymasters: Achieving Records in Stunt Kite Flying

My first experience with stunt kites began in the summer of 1978 while attending a kite festival in Golden Gate Park. After watching for a moment, my life was forever changed. I knew this was something that I wanted to master and take far beyond what many thought was impossible. As a beginner, I started out flying a set of three kites and over a period of time, my kite train grew to twenty-five. From the beginning there was but one thought that always stayed with me: failure was not an option.

I like flying stunt kites because it allows me to challenge myself. When all others said that it was impossible, the spirit within said, “be positive, stay focused and make it happen”. Throughout the years, I have spent a great deal of time perfecting the art of flying stunt kite trains, with grace, form, balance and timing, along with the skillful knowledge of reading the wind. Whenever possible, I try to pass this on to others.

In my talk, I will present a brief history of kiting and discuss my experience in flying and building large sets of stunt kites.

Presenter(s)

Mix McGraw has been flying kites since 1979 and has logged 8000-plus flying hours. His specialty is flying dual line modified Hyper Star Fighter Stunt kites. He holds four world records in stunt kite flying for flying the most kites simultaneously by one person. Most recently, he set the Guinness World Record for flying 219 kites at one time in 2002 and is awaiting verification for his feat of 230 kites.

Mr. McGraw is a satellite engineer at Lockheed Martin Co. and lives in San Jose. In his spare time, he leads community kite workshops for children and teaches others how to fly stunt kites.