On a Beautiful Sunday at Sandy Beach Park, longtime kite enthusiasts Art Ross and Darcy Kuba prepare to launch a 7’ x 5’ kite called the “Red baron”.On any given Sunday, at Sandy Beach Park, look away from the waves towards the mountains and you may see colorful kites riding the winds. For lifetime hobbyists Art Ross and Darcy Kuba, it turns out Sandy’s is not just the ultimate place for that adrenaline rush coming down a wave that is barreling into the sand, but it a wonderful place to fly a kite, too!

Art and Darcy used to fly kites at Kapiolani Park, but the wind is unpredictable and constantly changes and there are too many people, making it a challenge. Sandy’s is ideal, with constant wind and few people on the grassy area between the parking lot and the road. Art explained that there are two types of wind at Sandy’s: Kona and trade winds. Kona winds are best; they are a more steady wind that comes off the ocean, whereas the trade winds that were blowing the day I met them come off the mountains and are gusty and unpredictable.

On this beautiful, sunny and puffy cloud day, the trade winds were blowing. Art was flying a 7’ x 5’ kite he had sewn himself, named the “Red Baron.” It was flying an impressive 200 feet in the air. Art explained to me that when the Kona winds were blowing, he flew an even larger kite that he made in honor of the current Winter Olympics in Canada. (Although Art is from Vancouver, he has been a regular kite flyer at Sandy’s for the past 15 years.)

If you watch Darcy and Art flying their kites, it may look easy, but it takes practice and skill. Normally Darcy flies a two-line stunt kite, as well as a “Ground Zero” kite from Tasmania. A retired military man, Darcy loves to fly kites because, “it gets me outdoors, gives me exercise, I listen to my music when I ‘fly’ and, most important, it gets me out of the rat race.”

Darcy admitted that he “has taught a few people to fly.” When I asked him if kite flying will become popular again, he replied, “Kite flying is like anything, a fad that will come and go.” He is willing to teach anyone, if you’re interested, he suggested buying a cheap two-string kite and looking for the friendly guys flying kites on Sundays at Sandy’s.