A long, long time ago there were the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and British Empires.
Then a lot of things happened, and now there are Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, India, and the United Kingdom — among many other pieces of this long-lost, irrevocably shattered imperial puzzle.
Andrea and Ľubica are imperialists at heart*, so they tried to assemble at least a part of that puzzle.
Since it’s hard to re-assemble Empires, they settled for something even better: a kite assembly! In the heart of Slovakia, around Prievidza, Chrenovec-Brusno, and Kanianka the intrepid girls created a kite festival and gathered a supreme team of kiters from England, Hungary, India, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, and Slovakia.
So … welcome to the second season of the Slovakia International Kite Assembly!
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* of course they are not …
Great kite festivals, with hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators are … well, great. But it’s the smaller, cuter, more intimate (and often more fun) festivals, relaxed group kite flying, kite get-togethers and the like that really form the backbone of the kite culture.
We kinda blew it last year when Ľubica and Andrea (with great help from the indomitable Shahir!) organized the first Slovakia kite assembly – there was an unfortunate overlap with the Creative Days of Faust Vrančić on Prvić island – so for the second season we promised we’d arrive in force.
And we did. Above and beyond: we’ve sent our president and Sergeja!
Such festivals need all our support, especially during the first steps, so they can establish themselves, put themselves firmly on the grand tour of kite events, and become traditional.
The other teams invited were also a big draw … Christopher and László! Yunus and Sencan! Senhür! Marczin and Arek! Claudia and Iulian with Oriana and Iancu! Shahir! And Sabrina!
These girls and guys are more than friends … We have so many common stories, we were at so many festivals together, we had so much fun – and we were hungry for more!
As Marczin said (in Castelló? Ahmedabad? Murska Sobota? Who knows…): “Every time we meet, I am having fun!”
Who woudn’t, with these crazies …
So, the 2nd Slovakia Kite Assembly … A two day parade of joy, friendship, and fun – with great food, sharp parties, and also kites.
Impressing the kids at the Gašpar Drozd elementary school and kindergarten in Chrenovec-Brusno (by the way, the school lunch was excellent!).
Flying the great manta on the hill above Kanianka … It rose magnificently into the blue sky full of kites –
– until it kinda didn’t …
“AAAAAAaaaaaaaa!!!!”
As they fly, mantas crash magnificently too 🙂
Some were enjoying the view …
… and others came running to help.
There was a kite invasion on the football field of OFK Slavia Chrenovec-Brusno too.
And it was nice to see others having a tangle 🙂
And the kids running after the giant flying monsters, screaming with joy.
It was a perfect, sweet, fun little kite festival.
Having a goulash cooking competition (!) right next to the kite field was a great bonus …
… and having such a fantastic crew was a guarantee the parties ended … well, eventually.
There are no “small” kite festivals. It takes guts to decide to organize one, and then it’s all blood, sweat and tears until a day after everyone goes home. A kite festival is a never-ending fight – securing the venue, setting the date, inviting the kiters, praying for the weather and the wind … what will they eat? Where will they sleep? What about security? The PA system, the DJ, the T-shirts and accreditations, the posters, the speakers … Do we need rescue divers, how to keep the kids away from the lines, who will pick up the kiters … and where the hell will we get the money?
So … thank you sponsors!!! – Municipality of Chrenovec-Brusno, Municipality of Kanianka, Základná škola Gašpara Drozda s materskou školou Chrenovec-Brusno, ViToMa gastro a Cukráreň Chrenovec – Brusno, Združenie obcí Handlovskej doliny Chrenovec-Brusno, Občanske združenie ŽIAR, and of course One India Kite Team! The 2nd Slovakia International Kite Assembly wouldn’t be such a success without you.
Thank you to all who participated … it was unforgettable, and hope we see you next year, if not sooner.
Thank you to all who came to see the kites flying and who flew their own kites. Hope we hooked a couple of kids so the future of kite flying in Slovakia is bright!
Ľubica and Andrea … what a huge job you did and what a fantastic kite festival you have created. Chapeau!
Some of the photos are brazenly stolen from Arek, Ľubica, Marczin, Christopher, and others. We have no regrets.
And no regrets for sharing this song, written by Gašpar Drozd!
See you next year! 😉
Kleine, neue Festivals wie zuletzt auf Java, auf Krautsand oder jetzt in der Slowakei haben immer etwas Intimes, Familiäres und man kommt schnell ins Gespräch mit anderen. Wie immer ist der Bericht gut zu lesen und man fühlt sich so, als ob man selber dabei gewesen ist.
Ich habe Luba schon mitgeteilt, dass ich 26 dabei sein möchte.
Genau! 🙂