The snowkite is an elusive
creature. Twelve meters long, it weaves about in the sky flashing
green, red and gold with the word "ozone" in black lettering that looks
small from the ground.
On Thursday a small crowd of kids eagerly
waited by the Horizon Middle School football field for lessons on how
to fly a snowkite. It was part of To Cross the Moon Expedition's first
stop in Bismarck.
2xTM snowkiters are trying to cross the state to promote wind energy.
From
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., education coordinator Jason Schafer and
community outreach coordinator Chelsea Hummon, along with Anna Holden
Martz and snowkiter Sam Salwei, gave slideshow presentations on wind
power as a renewable energy source.
As part of the presentation,
they asked students to participate in their campaign to deliver
thousands of hand-written letters to Gov. John Hoeven about wind
energy. When class adjourned, plans for some snowkiting fun were
dampened by a lack of wind.
While the 6 mph wind was enough to
get the 12-meter kite into the air, it wasn't enough to get the trainer
kites that the 2xTM crew use for lessons flying.
The
demonstration was limited to Salwei getting the kite into the air with
his feet planted firmly on the ground ... most of the time.
Salwei jumped into the air a couple of times, each time floating lightly back to the ground.
"I could jump over the goal post if there was enough wind," Salwei said after one jump.
At another point, Salwei leaned back until he was sitting on the ground and let the kite drag him across the grassy surface.
"It's the only way to travel," he said.
Just
before folding up the kite, 20 minutes after the demonstration began,
Salwei told the kids that they would have to come out to today's
demonstration at Bismarck State College's soccer field to try it.
(James Ziegler is a Bismarck State College student. He can be reached at 302-0822.)
Other snowkiting events in Bismarck
Today
* 12:50–3 p.m.: Two Bismarck High School educational presentations
* 7-8:30 p.m.: Community presentation hosted by the Boy Scouts at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s South Campus
* 7-10 p.m.: Concert at the AMVETS — Luke Graner and others.
Saturday
* 9 a.m.-noon: Kid wind teaching workshop at Gateway to Science. Free workshop open to all teachers.
For information, contact Beth or Amanda at the Gateway to Science Center at 701-258-1975.
*
Noon-5 p.m.: Snowkiting clinic at the Bismarck State College Soccer
Field. From 2 to 4 p.m.: Kid wind workshop open to everyone.
Sunday
* 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Huff Hills Ski Area: Snowkiting lessons every hour on the Green Run. Open house with crew in lodge.
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