INDIANAPOLIS — April is National Kite Month and avid kitefier Grant Lovett stopped by WRTV to show us some kites that have stood the test of time.
Lovett is a member of several organizations including the Hoosier Kitefliers Society, an organization established in 1986.
“I’ve been flying kites my whole life,” Lovett said. “You can make kites from almost anything.”
Lovett showed off two kites that were made by renowned kitemaker, Meritt Beck.
The triangular delta kite, which gets its name from the Greek letter of the same name, has a span of 10 feet. While modern kites are often constructed with fiberglass, Lovett said Beck used basswood along with ripstop nylon.
Beck was a student of Indiana’s world renowned Kite Man, Ansel Toney, who made kits until his death at the age of 99 in 1987.
Toney was profiled in a WRTV report from Mindy Mintz in 1983.
The Ansel Toney Memorial Kite Festival takes place May 20. Visit the Hoosier Kitefliers website for more information.
