Ben D’Antonio wasn’t just a kite flier—he was the guy.
Our dear longtime San Diego Kite Club member Ben D’Antonio passed away in early 2025. Writing about this incredible figure and paying tribute to him is a privilege of mine.
Where’s Ben? My guess is, he’s on Ben’s Island right now. I encourage you all to read more about Ben online. He is someone worth knowing more about if you love kite history. Links down below will help you discover more about the world Ben lived in.
Ben D’Antonio walked through life like a man with stories you’d never hear the full truth of and in the next story, whole truths with eyewitnesses. From the sounds of it, that was how he liked it. A good bullshitter, to say the least. Those closest to him knew he experienced his fair share of turbulence with health, family, and a past life some got to peek at. I have this idea that he was a badass before kites brought him to us. Dude probably worked for the Mob or Hells Angels. Thank goodness for his heart of gold staying with him on this journey of life. You could see it every time he shared the field with children. Or watching team IQuad like a proud papa bear. Many fliers could see this warm spirit throughout his travels around the world. I spoke with his past girlfriend, wife, and many fliers. Whatever past he came from, Ben brought it all to the field. His grit, his wit, his sharp eye for evolving quad line kites. He reshaped the Revolution kite world forever. He quickly landed himself as the general manager of Revolution Kites in the early days of its creation. Ben’s LinkedIn account says “Sales Management” under experience. This showed in his work and how he changed the face of Revolution domestically and internationally. Sharing his accomplishments would be easy. Seeing his influence on kiting is already out there for you to find. I felt it was important to share a little bit about him and a story of my own.
I’m Ziggy, and this is my story about Benedetto D’Antonio.
January 1st, 2025, was the annual New Year’s Day fly for the San Diego Kite Club. A celebration and tradition of the club that Ben attended for decades. I pulled into the parking lot to find Ben sitting in his van. He was clearly first on the scene. The early morning marine layer was thick, and it was beautifully quiet. I walked up to his window, we said good morning, and enjoyed the silence for a short while. I had Ben all to myself. The feeling of his company that morning left me forever grateful. He was warm and thoughtful toward me. It felt like he knew how important this time was for me and sure enough, for him too.
Not long into our private conversation, Max Pliskin of LA Kite Club and Jolly Roger shared the morning air with us. Ben said, “Let’s fly,” and we headed toward the field. I was captivated by his storytelling while he set up an ultralight Revolution kite. He threw it at me, knowing it was the only kite that would hang in the light winds. I didn’t have anything to fly in the current conditions. The kite thrown my way had been flown all over the globe, as he put it. You could tell by the wear and added stories to confirm he wasn’t kidding around. This was just the beginning of a beautiful day. I recall seeing many kites from his bag as he put on a ground display. One kite in particular was a quad line in all blue with abstract black eyes. I yelled at him, saying, “That is the most beautiful quad line kite I have ever seen!” I stopped, stared for a while, and kept saying how beautiful his kite was throughout the day.
So many fliers enjoyed the day together. But for me, my favorite part was before the flying began when Ben showed he cared about me. He made me feel important and cheered for me. I had recently become the president of his club. Having him on my side was about the best feeling in this fellowship of kite flying. I am tearing up writing this presently.
None of us knew this was the very last kite club gathering Ben would attend. In my mind, we had some miles to travel ahead of us. In fact, shortly after this New Year’s Day fly, I reached out to Ben on Facebook. My exact words:
“I’ve been meaning to tell you. I really enjoyed hanging out with you in the quiet of the early morning on Jan 1st. It was nice to hang out like that.”
He replied:
Thanks, my friend…
Ben
I was his friend! I was lucky to have him, even for a moment. And what I can tell you above all things. The fliers were his family in a way no one else could be. It’s true, this sentiment has been echoed by many. In all my research on Ben D’Antonio, through conversations with those who knew him best and the reflections shared after his passing, one thing has always stood out.
Ben was deeply loved.
He led many special things in the world of kiting and the people around him felt every bit of it. I owe you Ben Dantonio, love Ziggy!
Ben’s FB page – https://www.facebook.com/ben.dantonio.16/
Ben’s IQuad Bio – https://teamiquad.com/members/ben-dantonio/
Ben’s Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@02231959
Past article of Ben – https://sandiegokiteclub.org/featured-members/ben/