It’s a fact not unknown to many BYU-Idaho students that, especially during spring, Rexburg is notoriously windy.
In fact, the average wind speed for the month of April is almost 13 mph, the same as Chicago, Ill., the Windy City itself. For some, locals and visitors alike, complaining about the gusty winds has become a favorite pastime. Others have chosen to see the wind in more favorable terms.
The West Soccer Fields and Lower Playing Fields on the south end of campus are hot spots to see people taking advantage of one of Rexburg’s “natural resources”. Colorful and fish shaped kites decorated with cartoon characters cut and swerve through the air.
“The places that I usually go to fly include the baseball diamond below the upper intramural field and the elementary school. This way you can avoid the light posts,” said Jonathan Heaton, a senior from Idaho Falls, and enthusiastic kite flier.
For someone looking for an easy Home Evening activity or date idea, starting off is pretty easy. Both Wal-Mart and Family Dollar carry a variety of kites ranging from $1-3, which are usually about 23 inches across.
“Kiting’s just a ton of fun,” said Dean Turnbloom, owner of Sunrise Kites in Idaho Falls. He said the kites most popular with the college-age group are the two-line parafoils.
The two-line kites are more challenging to keep in the air and can perform more stunts than a regular one-line kite, Turnbloom said. They’re generally also larger and use 300 lb. test string and can even lift the flier off the ground in gusts of wind. A “base-model” two-line kite costs about $20 and can cost up to $400.
For anyone wanting to learn more about kiting, Sunrise Kites will be hosting a free trial of their kites Wednesday, April 26 at the Community Park in Idaho Falls from 5:30 to dark.
Saturday, April 29 at Sandy Downs (just outside of I.F.) a Kite Festival will be held. Part of the event will include Kite Buggies that can race at speeds of up to 50 mph. For more information, call Sunrise Kites at 524-5552.
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