What is NKA? Let's let Steve Santos describe NKA. The following is from his post to the AKA Kite Talk Forum.
The
NKA idea evolved during a
gathering of close kite friends from RI and MA. Robert and Joan Woods,
Art St.Pierre, Beth Bowen, Pauly Berard, Susan Moskowitz
and yours truly. In discussions with many of our long term kite
friends there was a sentiment that the Convention simply no
longer met our needs. Between us, having been active competitors, event
organizers, clinic attendees, donors of gifts to AKA,
and signing up hundreds of members (
High Flyers was one of the most active retailers in new member signups during its years), we
all felt the convention had become too much "about us". The organization was always asking members to sign up as many new
members as possible. However, at the one (and only) event it runs all year, this was not a priority.
I wrote a letter to the board expressing our idea that the convention could experience more registrants if they considered
"enthusiastic" spectators, who sought only to fly kites, watch the competitions occasionally, maybe attend the fly mart - no
clinics, no banquets, no competitions - just an opportunity to be a small part of the convention. We proposed paying a basic
registration fee of $125. This was the starting proposal. Other NKA founders suggested fees for a 1 day attendance to only
compete for 1 day, etc. Bottom line, there were no negotiations, no thanking for our suggestions to help grow the number of
registrants, etc. The basic response was, "it can't be done".
Note
we have many avid kite flying friends who have young families. For
the family to attend, even if 3 of 4 are not involved in
any activity, the only way to bring your kids to the fly mart or indoor
fly ( it eventually became open to the public), was to
pay a full registration fee. Sue and I can easily afford this but
many of our friends could not. There were many reasons to
seek "change". In the end we got together, decided to form NKA, order
Tshirts, etc. In fact our good friend, former AKA Prez,
Gary Engvall, joined up soon thereafter and agreed to make us some
banners. Thanks a bunch to Gary and Maggie for their ongoing
support of NKA and Kiting!
We are all AKA members, will
support the AKA, but in the former capacity of RDs, and serving on the
board, we have heard
suggestions for altering the Convention for many years. It was time
for someone to make a stand. Working from within wasn't
working. We decided to take action even if we were deemed to be
"parasites" taking advantage of AKA. In our hearts, we knew we
were not.
The NKA was born.
Here
are some pictures of NKA flying on the south end of Wildwood Beach.
About half the people flying with NKA were full registrants to the AKA
Convention happening just to the north of NKA. There were 2 AKA Past
Presidents and 4 current or Past AKA Regional Directors among the NKA
fliers.
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| The first 2 days I had AKA Sport Kite Grand National volunteer assignments and competitions |
| so I set up by the Boardwalk near Field 2 |
Later in the week the weather improved and it was safer to bring stuff farther down the beach.
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| The buildings behind the kites are in the next town south, Wildwood Crest. |
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| We set up right next to the tracks that the trucks were using. |
| What trucks? Oh, um, er. Didja notice the water? |
| Two things: (1) Payloaders were trying to keep run-off channels open. |
| (2) Dump trucks were making a track for the Monster Trucks that would be performing when AKA left. |
| . |
|
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| Between the kites in the foreground and the building in the distance is the entire AKA Convention. |
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| That beautiful Peter Lynn Manta Ray belongs to a guy from NH. He took my "Big Kite" workshop on this beach twice. Now he is a Big Kite Flier! Steve, Mike and Dianne are a real pleasure to share sky with. |
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| We were on Field 1.1. For people who get the point... |
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| Our kites, our sky. We welcomed everyone, excluded no one. |
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| Looking north from the same spot, the entire AKA Convention. |
