The oldest kite-flying tournament in the country is scheduled for this weekend in northern Iowa. The 79th annual Kiwanis Kite Tournament will be held at Sac City’s airport on Sunday. Organizer Milo Lines says the event started as a school test.Lines says the tournament was started in 1925 by Sac City principal Fred Ehrhardt, who was a “manual arts” teacher. Erhhardt’s students had to be able to fly a kite to pass his course. Lines says the kite tournament has always been a family event.Lines says years ago, when he was a kid, his dad used to make kites out of old yardsticks and newspaper. As many as 200 kites have flown on a single day at the tournament, which draws people from surrounding states.Lines says there are also kite flying clubs in the area who will watch, and take part in the “pro” flight section of the tournament. Some of the “pros” come with two-handled kites. The tournament gets underway at two o’clock Sunday afternoon in Sac City.
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