The sky was bright over Sir Bani Yas Island on Friday, February 19 as the idyllic spot hosted its first kite festival.
More than a hundred people – from families on a fun day out to expert enthusiasts – packed the beach as they showcased their kite-making and navigational skills at the event, which was organised by the Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts.
Designs ranged from the standard kite shapes, some with smiley faces emblazoned on them, to more elaborate designs in the shapes of cylinders and even a sailing ship.
For the best kites and flyers there were prizes, including stays at Anantara venues across the emirate.
Despite the pressure of the competition – complete with a running commentary and roaming judges – at least some contestants found the event a soothing exercise.
“It just relaxes me,” said Youfaid Yousaf. Both he as his friend, fellow Pakistani Manor Hussain, who live in Dubai, decided to join the competition on a whim.
“We heard about the event online and decided it was a fun thing to do,” says Hussain.
They arrived early in the day and built their kite from scratch.
“It is a really nice feeling to see something that you created work, you know what I mean?” says Yousaf, on navigation duty.
“Also, when you are flying a kite nearly all your concentration is on it. It’s about balance and it teaches you lots of patience. That is great because it doesn’t make me think about work at all.”
Ruwais high-school teacher Sergio Foglietta brought his two children to the festival. They spent the weekend making their kites for the event.
“We came with about five other families from Ruwais who are all teachers,” he said, while flying a large, colourful kite that was fluorescent yellow and green with orange stripes.
“This is something that we enjoy doing in Ruwais. There is a great sense of community there and we love doing things together. So when this event came, we took the chance and we organised a day for all the families to enjoy.”
All that preparation paid off when Foglietta’s 5-year-old daughter, Claudia, lifted the Young Kiter award with her fairy-inspired kite.
The award for Most Creative Kite went to Artchari On-kam. The Thai national, who lives in Abu Dhabi, was rewarded for his elaborate boat design, with yellow and orange sails and a purple hull.
The father-of-two, who works for polymer company Borouge, says he has been flying kites since he was a child and the event was a chance to share some quality family time.
“I chose the boat design after seeing an image of one on the internet last night,” he said. “I thought it looked really good and I wanted to try make one.
“So today we came and we did it all together, which for me is the best part. It is a lot of fun and a good day with the family.”
The final award was for the biggest kite. The judges could not pick just one in this category and two winners were crowned, with the Musser and Pols family picking up free hotel stays for their giant designs, which were nearly two metres long. The former was a vibrant mix of red and blue, while the latter was a sentimental effort, with the words Sir Baniyas Island emblazoned on white fabric.
Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts general manager Christian Gerart says the event was a great success and will return next year.
More than simply promoting a single resort, he says the festival was designed to raise awareness of Sir Baniyas Island as tourist destination.
“This is the UAE’s best-kept secret,” he said. “If one is looking for a place to relax with the family and get away from the hustle and bustle, this is really the place to go.”
The next family event at the island resort is a sand castle competition in October. More details will be revealed soon.
sasaeed@theantional.ae
