Skydance
Sakakawea
The Early Years
Kites came to my life while vacationing on the Oregon Coast in 1985. After repeated summer vacations to Lincoln City and through the inspiration of David Willis and other members of the Catch the Wind kite crew, it became my dream to bring a kite festival to North Dakota and to someday have a 90 foot spinsock lofted above the shores of Lake Sakakawea. So in 1993, with the encouragement (but no monetary support) of the Garrison Area Improvement Association, Skydance Sakakawea Kite Festival was born. 10 people attended that first festival. The rain was in attendance also even though I don't remember inviting it. Everyone received a participation ribbon that I made my hand and I also gave away a Trlby as a free prize drawing. Humble beginnings, of course, but a beginning nonetheless. Mark Finkbeiner attended that first Skydance and was the star of the show with his Force 10 and Thunderbird kites. After the event I received a letter from the GAIA saying thanks for the effort but with just enough of an inuendo that suggested the festival had not been a success. Through force of will and a good deal of green from my own pocketbook, I became determined to prove just how successful Skydance could be.
Over the years, Skydance has been graced by several first class, top notch kite people.
Their presence helped add credibility and respect to the event along with supporting me in no
small measure to keep on keeping on. Rollie Metz, Mike Gee, and Chris Dodson became the
core of kiting in the state of North Dakota and added color and class to every Skydance
festival. Jeff and Carol Bowers were the first out-of-staters to attend Skydance and they
were followed a year later by Tony and Ann Killip. Mike Shaw from Denver attended Skydance
in 2000 and his gracing my festival was much like having Michael Jordan showing up for a
high school basketball game. Thank you to all of you who helped make Skydance a
success!!!!!!