July 13th, 2025 will go on record as the 35 year anniversary fly for the San Diego Kite Club. For over 35 years the San Diego Kite Club and all of it’s members have made the choice to gather and fly. What a legacy we are making and leaving behind to future generations.
In preparing for this day we updated our website, emailed our list of subscribers and put out a post on Facebook / Instagram. We also created this flyer to help promote our anniversary.
Before the anniversary took place, Ziggy Santa Maria (current president) was able to reach the Coronado Eagle and Journal publication. They loved our event and decided to put out a free article including an ad for the club.
Trivia Challenge
Rick Spurgeon worked on a trivia challenge – click here, about the San Diego Kite Club for people to participate in. A 20 question trivia game where the people who play can win a free 1 year club membership. The winners were Robert Freed (club member), Don Fox (club member and region 12 director of the AKA) and Glenn Meader (club member). Thank you Rick for this wonderful idea and supporting the club in a way that helps people learn our history.
The Day
Beautiful weather, mostly sunny, consistent winds coming from the west, a solid wind range, coastal landscape, beautiful grassy field and a San Diego vibe like no other. Coronado Cays Park really offers an amazing location for a day of flying.
The People
As you will see from photos. We all experienced a good day. This is so important that fliers feel welcomed, members feel appreciated, and the community surrounding us feels included and excited. The comradery within the club felt really special. Our club attendance was high and people traveled from afar to participate in the momentous anniversary fly. First three on the scene were Jolly Roger, Charles Gillespie and Ziggy Santa Maria. A close 4th was Dan Willan, our founder. For the record, Ziggy Santa Maria, Sean Bunting and Jose Sainz were the last to leave. The estimated attendance was around 75 people plus others who joined along from our community.
The Kites
From the first breeze until sundown, kites were flown. The variety of kites could easily be noted. Single line kites were on full display. Some were soft kites, lifters, display kites, fighter kites and gliders. We had several dual line and quad line stunt kites jamming around. Feather banners were on display and kite arches too. Jose Sainz put out an incredible banner display in the corner of the park. You could hear stories about some of the pilots, kite makers, how kites came into someone’s possession and fliers no longer with us . Photos do a good job for show and tell but nothing compares to being present and in the moment to see some of the kites and pilots showing off.
The meeting
A rather long speech and short meeting took place. The speech covered Ziggy’s 1st year as president of the club. Details were shared about his family’s involvement, his goals and accomplishments with board members for the past 12 months. A mention of Ben Dantonio’s passing and kites being recovered was highlighted. A request was made to help write kite stories and contribute to the club’s ongoing archive. Another big segment of the meeting was celebrating club members and volunteers who helped the community, did fund-raising and provided in person help for charitable causes. Also, appreciation for the companies and people who sponsored our club. Additionally, all of the events we participated in. This portion of the meeting was important to recognize for all of our involvement in kiting and our community. It helps us also recognize the club members who participated. After the speech the club announced open positions which were filled by Don Fox (Treasurer – Region 12 of the AKA) and David Soutar (Vice President – Niterider Dave). A raffle took place to close out the meeting.
To really understand what the past 12 months looked like. Here is a list of volunteers who helped by volunteering for fund raisers and charitable work within our community.
Acknowledging Board Members:
Rick Spurgeon – Web Master
Iris and David Corning – Treasurer and Secretary
Dan Willan – Founder
Tom Klu – Vice President
Acknowledging Volunteers:
Ray Miller Cars and Kites – Hyperkite
Monica & Don Fox – Region 12 of the AKA covering CA, AZ, HI and Guam
Diane and Rick Spurgeon
Erin Quin
Eric Olaes – Hyperkites
Laura and Russ Dickison
Carol & Robert
Ayla, Nora and Ellie – Youth SDKC
Dr. Vernon White
Mark Quirmbach
Shawn Farrow
Victor’s sons – Ryan & Kevin Heredia
Nathan Yoder
Morten Neilsen with LA kite club
Dan Willan
Events / Venues:
Visit CA Commercial
Day School Unity Event – Chabad Hebrew Academy
Collaboration Meetups with SV, Kite Flite /Kevin Olenick and Revolution / Joe Hadzicki
Fighter Kite Championship
New Years Day Fly
Kite Party 21
Special Needs Egg Hunt – Calvary San Diego & Calvary Christian Academy
5th LA Community and Unity Peoples Kite Festival by Clockshop
2nd Civita Kite Festival by Sudberry Properties
78th Ocean Beach Kite Festival – Ocean Beach Woman’s Club & Kiwanis Club
Coastal Sage Montessori School – teaching kids about kites, wind and how to fly
Club Sponsors/ Supporters:
Revolution Kites- Lolly & Joe Hadzicki
Kite Flite – Kevin Olenick (owner)
Kite Country – (Owner) Victor Heredia, Vic’s Fighter Kites and his sons Kevin and Ryan
Team Kite Life – Scott Weider
LA Kite Club – Max Plisskin
SD Internet Marketing – Web Developers David Serna Owner, Fernando and Ivan
American Kitefliers Association
Don Fox – Region 12 of the American Kitefliers Association
Kendle Photography – Professional Photographer
Joseph Yescas – Recreation Coordinator
35 years is a long time for a club. Memories have been built and made for so many. You can imagine how many lives the San Diego Kite Club has touched. Please continue to support this wonderful form of expression and art. The club will be here every step of the way if you need a home to fly with. As our club remains cemented in the world of kiting. We will continue to open our arms and hearts to fliers of all ages and abilities. Thank you for reading this article and please share our story.
Happy flying,
Zig