Sport Today

I did not renew my American Kite membership in 1999 as I started picking
it up at Chapters bookstore(Barnes & Noble) last year. I have not seen
anything at the book store this year. Is anyone still getting the
magazine or know what is up?

I took a chance and did renew my Kitelines membership in 1999 and
received one issue since. I suspect kitelines is no more(other than old
issues on kitelife.com).
Too bad both are/were great sources of information on kiting.

Does anyone have any interesting info on what is up these days with
either magazine??
Carlos Simoes

I actually did a search for the offices, found the number and gave
them a call.

Someone answered the phone "American Kite, how may I help you."  I
asked her why I hadn't gotten an issue in quite a while as I was sure
I purchased a 2 year subscription.  

The answer is quite simple.  They haven't published an issue since the
summer of '99.

The reason is simple as well.  They don't have enough advertising to
pay for the publishing costs and they don't want to publish at a loss.

I can't say as I blame them at all.  Evidently they have lots of
content ready to go as soon as they get the advertising together.  Our
subscriptions will be extended to include whatever number of issues
you would normally recieve had they been able to publish regularly.

Kind of a sad commentary on our "sport," huh??  There are *** stamp
publications which haven't missed a publishing deadline in 10 years,
but kiting can't seem to maintain a non-organizational glossy magazine
distributed in this country.

When I was just getting into kites seriously I would read every word
in every mag I could find.  I wanted to see reviews of kites, stories
about kiting, event coverage, how to fly sections, etc.  I can
remember at least 80% of the advertisers who ran ads.  They were my
first introduction to the variety of gear available.  Like I would
have known what Shanti was here in Seattle?  Only way I knew, was
because I read their ads.  Same for many small kite makers and
companies not in my area.

LaserPro, Revolution, Dodd Gross, Shanti, Prism, Avia Sport,
BerryBlue, SkyShark, HQ and more.  All of these had ads that I can
still see in my minds eye.  I didn't know what Airkraft was, but I
knew that they were the best, dressed all in black, had crazy hair and
flew the Matrix.

How many upcoming flyers are missing the same experience?  How many
interested possible enthusiasts do we miss due to our non-exsistent
public profile?  I know that this is an old question and much
hashed-over, but the reality isn't changing very much.  At least not
in the 3.5 years I've been flying.  In that time I've gone from total
kite-duffus to NW MIB winner.  I got there with alot of help from
other flyers in my area and the imput from as many sources around me
as I could find.  

It would do possible advertisers good to realize that there have to be
more people like me out there.  People who really looked forward to
those publications as a way of expanding our experience and learning
new things.  

Sorry, it would appear that I've gone off on another rant.  You just
can't take me out in public...

;->
Matt

On Tue, 08 Aug 2000 15:52:56 GMT, Carlos Simoes

Got to admit though, it was a great magazine. I read all of mine cover to
cover.

later, pat

Buying magazines is a nice way to investigate a new sport before taking
the plunge, but without them......

I think we have a similar situation in the UK after the recent change
of "Kite Passion" magazine to "Kite Surf".  To me, kite surf is a
*very* specialised area, and if you don't live near water, non-existent.

When Kite Passion was sold in WHSmith, a high street newsagent chain
store in the UK, there must have been a dramatic increase in kite
interest - that's what started me.

I treasure those first UK issues, and used them for reference now that
the content has a bit more meaning to me.

Many thanks to the French team for publishing in the UK, and good luck
with Kite Surf.

I wonder though, what does the future hold for general kiteing
without a Kite Passion type magazine on the high street?

--

Thanks,
Alun (UK).

fear for kiting in general. If we don't have a quality magazine out there how

will we entice new people to join in on our great sport/hobby. I have read
each and everyone of my magazines several times over the years. I still pick
up on a new idea overtime. It's fun to look back 10 years ago and see the
leading edge kites and materials available. At least so we thought so at the
time.

So this is a call to all you manufacturers, wholesalers and kite shops that
have supported Kite Lines and American Kite in the past, Please, please
please help save our magazines. How will we ever know what is new and
improved  if you guys can't tell us anymore? My hope is the more you spend in

advertising the more us kite consumers will respond by buying that new
product. I still meet people every day that have now idea what modern kite
flying is all about.

Sample quote:
"Okay,... so so let me get this straight then,...this really big kite
actually pulls you,.... on a buggy,....on the beach,.... really????"

Carlos Simoes
Totally ***ed to "ALL" kites

*sigh*

Jamey

I know that for the really small time guy, like I used to be, that
advertising and sponsorship didn't help me at all. I came to realize
that for me that money spent on sponsorship and advertising was a
donation, I never got any inquiries as a result of advertising or
sponsorship. I felt that my time and money was better spent by
contacting retailers and sending out trial kites.

It's also a catch-22 right now. Any advertising submitted to either
Kite Lines or American Kite is going to be stale by the time the
magazine actually comes out. So, the advertisers are hesitant to make
the investment. But the magazines need advertising in order to
publish.

I don't know what the solution is, but hope that someone figures it
out.

        Marty Sasaki

Jamey

ed/

later, pat

Trouble is, people don't want to WRITE a mag, they just want to read one.
You need to nail people to write, and regularly, to make a mag work. It
would have to be priced to be self-sufficient, because of that advertising
problem - its what killed "Kites" some years ago - the advertisers wouldn't
pay up, I believe. I'd love to have a go, I'm better at editing than
writing, but I don't have the contacts or the time. But when I win the
lottery......

Roy

:-) Happiness is ....

----------