Jolly Roger is a long-time San Diego Kite Club member with a history in kiting that goes far beyond the club’s origin. I had the pleasure of visiting his home, his personal “kite museum”. This gave me the opportunity to learn more about his childhood and current interests. To help paint the picture, I took some notes from him and recorded parts of our conversation in early August of 2025. Some photos were captured as well. Check out these Gayla kites and this nostalgic cork board with some vintage kite stuff!
Today, I’m writing about Jolly Roger because he recently made a large donation of mostly rainbow colored kites. Classic deltas from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. He provided new and used kites, along with other fun single and dual-line fliers. His generous donation will help raise funds for the club, be given away to members, raffled to the community, and used for other special events. I was lucky to receive a small bag of kites from him that he wanted me to have, kites from his childhood, young adult years, and decades of kiting history. It was an honor and a privilege to spend the day with him and bring those kites back to the club.
Jolly Roger has loved kites nearly his entire life. In the 1970s, his first kite was a paper diamond kite he flew with his dad. He also remembers flying a vinyl bat kite with his family at the nearby rec park. Even at school, he was often seen with a kite in his hands, using the field just up the street as his testing ground. By sixth grade, he was flying a red Sky Raider (picture provided). Back then, you could pick up a Gayla kite for about $1.29, and they flew beautifully. Jolly Roger showed me his collection of Gayla kites, both new and used and explained the differences between the early models and the ones made later. He also pulled out some very old homemade kites he built as a kid from anything he could find, including plastic tablecloth covers from parties.
In the 1980s, he would ride his beach cruiser bike to meet Robin McCracken at Tecolote Shores, where they would go “kite hunting.” People often lost kites, and Jolly Roger would recover them, upcycling, salvaging parts, or keeping them if they were in good condition. He earned the nickname “Tree Climber” during this time. He also flew regularly at Ski Beach, where he and Robin tested mini kites they made. Ski Beach had a strong community of fliers back then, and he recalls seeing Tony Syfer flying giant deltas.
In the 1990s, Jolly Roger met many well-known fliers and kite makers. One was Don Tabor from Top of the Line Kites, who taught him how to fly as part of a team. He also met Fred Frederick from Wind Toys and flew his Cheetah kites, and spent over a year and a half working with John Perusse from Action Kites. He worked for a year with Randy Tom, the legendary maker of Hyperkites, and during that time created tiny Hyperkites out of plastic and ripstop. He met Victor Heredia, owner of Kite Country and the creator of Vic’s Fighter Kites (Picture Provided). Even during this exciting period, he continued making kites from trash bags, keeping the nicknames “Trash Bag Man” and “Tree Climber” alive. Early in the ’90s, he met Dan Willan and eventually joined the San Diego Kite Club, where he connected with founding members like Ron Despojado. At one point, he served as the club’s equipment manager. Many amazing dual-line sport kites passed into his hands during the ’90s, each with a story about the competitors and creators behind them.
Jolly Roger describes the 1990s as the golden years of kite flying and kite making. He learned to sew ripstop and build kites from his best friend and kite buddy, Mark Lynn. Ralph Smith showed him how to get free scraps from a company called North Sails. His sewing skills were mostly self-taught, and he tested his creations at Tecolote Shores alongside other makers. One of the standouts in his collection is a homemade Pink Floyd dual-line sport kite(picture Provided). The ’90s were a whirlwind of activity, his father’s shop was next door to Revolution Kites. Eventually he met Charles Gillespie, who told him all about famous kite makers worldwide. They remained in the club together for many years. Another flier, John Rogers, who flew large kites, eventually sold some of them to Jolly Roger. You can catch him flying most often at Coronado Cays Park.
Today, He still loves flying big show kites. His specific interests have evolved over the decades, but one thing has never changed. He loves all types of kites and has accumulated a lifetime of knowledge worth hearing about.
P.S. Jolly Roger was the first kite club member to help me when I purchased my very first kite. I attended my first San Diego Kite Club meetup and he was there to help me setup, fly and breakdown.
Thank you Jolly Roger, The Tree Climber and our Trash Bag Man.
Ziggy