Growing up in Central Wisconsin, Dale Bowden began flying kites in the mid-1960s as a small child. His first creations were homemade kites crafted from the comic section of the Sunday newspaper. Occasionally, he was treated to a “store-bought” kite, which cost between 19 and 29 cents. As he grew older, Dale added a few colorful Gayla kites made of plastic to his collection.
His interest in large kites began when he attended the first Kites on Ice festival held in Madison, Wisconsin. The event opened his eyes to the world of large inflatables—the kind of kites he flies today. Before that experience, he had no idea this side of kiting even existed.
From 2005 to 2007, Dale served as President of the Wisconsin Kiters, helping to promote kites and kite-related events. Under his leadership, the group became a very active, family-friendly club. During that time, he also joined the American Kitefliers Association and now serves as the Regional Director for the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
You can learn more about these organizations at wisconsinkiters.org and kite.org. If you ever have a question about kites, Dale’s the one to ask—and if he doesn’t know the answer, he’ll come up with something that sounds about right!