Kites follow castles on Siesta Beach

A day after sand-sculpting enthusiasts gathered for the annual Siesta Sand Sculpture Competition, Kelly Mayhew and Kiting Tampa Bay made their first trip to Siesta beach and put on a kite show that included geckos, American flags and scenes depicting divers and fish.

The group of roughly 20 usually sticks to beaches and fields in the Tampa Bay area, but after hearing about Siesta beach’s number one ranking last year decided to give it a try. Some of the onlookers got free kite flying lessons.

“It’s just awesome,” says local Nathan Blythe. However, when he took the lines he nearly took out a wayward family. “Look out,” declared chef and de facto kite educator Mark Williams with a smile. “We’ve got a noob on the lines!”

Despite a few tangled limbs, Mayhew, who met her husband through the hobby, declared the day a success. “I think we’ll be coming (to Siesta Key) more often,” she said.

For more information on Kiting Tampa Bay visit the group’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kitingtampabay.

Contact Alex Mahadevan at [email protected].