TRR photo by Chris Conroy A line of Rokkaku (fighting kites) prepare for the first wave of competition at the 9th Annual Kite Festival, held at Sullivan County Community College last weekend. (Click for larger image)

By CHRIS CONROY

LOCH SHELDRAKE - Bright sun. A good breeze. Lots of string.

Those are the ingredients that helped make the 9th Annual Kite Festival, which took place May 6 at Sullivan County Community College, a success. The exhibitions were sponsored by the New York Kite Enthusiasts (NYKE) who brought their own particular flair to the event.

Well over a thousand people showed up during the full day of high-flying fun. Those who stuck around until the end were treated to more than a few odd spectacles. Dancing kites were a near constant presence in the roped off exhibition field. Double- or quadruple-stringed kites, masterfully controlled by their handlers, dipped and spun to tunes ranging from classical to rock and roll. An impressive show of skill was highlighted by four kites that flew in intricate formations, their dual control stings intertwining and unwinding to the music.

What do you do with a small-framed buggy and a large kite? You zip around the field at speeds of up to 30 miles-per-hour, of course. The difficulty of pulling tight turns in an enclosed area and keeping the kite from hitting the ground make this a sport usually played on very wide open spaces, such as large beaches. A variation of this version of kite flying forgoes the buggy and uses in-line skates with oversized wheels to provide contact with the ground.

The affair that raised the most eyebrows from the gathered crowd was the Rokkaku battle. Rokkaku are rectangular kites that average about six feet tall and are equipped with special string. The object of the battle is to ground the opponents' kites or cut their strings with your own, ideas that are in opposition to the normal etiquette of kite-flying. Handlers of these kites usually wear gloves to prevent their hands from being cut as they guide the single-string kites toward their adversaries.

Live jazz music punctuated the day, showcasing the kite festival as part of Sullivan County's "Hot Water, Cool Jazz" summer series. Vendors were on hand to sell kites and those who arrived early received a free one.

By day's end, hundreds of kites had flown through the sky, ranging in size and shape from the familiar diamond to theme kites resembling sea creatures and airplanes. Of course, as with any kite outing, there was the "other" outdoor activity: retrieving stranded kites from the trees they always manage to find.