It is kite flying season in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines! April 1st to May 1st is when the winds are consistently high throughout the island, perfect for anyone who wants to fly their kite as high as they please with no issues. The sky would always be filled with kites of all different sizes, shapes, and colours, showing the vast creativity of everyone’s custom-made kite adding beauty to the island’s sky just in time for all of the Easter festivities.

Easter break was finally here, and all Dwayne could focus on was the kite flying Festival hosted by Flow telecommunications.1ST prize was a new laptop for the best kite in the 10-14 age category of the competition. Dwayne always built his kites. He would climb the tallest coconut tree in his backyard because it had the strongest branches. He would break the branch off the tree, stripping the leaves’ stems and using them to build his kite frame. And multi-coloured plastic bags he will cut to cover the frame and make the tail of his kites.

Dwayne’s kites were always known to be well built for his young age and would always be the highest in the sky because he would use nylon thread instead of traditional thread to fly his kites. The winds would burst the traditional thread at high altitudes but didn’t stand a chance against the nylon. Dwayne realized that if he were going to win the competition, he had to make his kites stronger to battle the strong winds at Dorsetshire Hill, where the competition will be.

Dwayne’s neighbour James “Bullet” Grayson also built kites in his spare time and sold them to people who didn’t have the time or the knowledge to build their own. Bullet would have his front door open so that his soca music can be heard through the village as he built his kites to be sold for the day. Dwayne went to Bullet’s house to ask for help to build a better and stronger kite for the competition in a few days. The two built a massive kite! It was five and a half feet tall and four feet wide, taller than the 13 year old himself. Instead of coconut leaf stems the two used strips of bamboo for the frame. Flaps on the sides of the kite for a humming bird effect when it goes in the air, patriotic colours, yellow, blue and green that resembles the flag of St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Competition day has arrived. Dwayne couldn’t sleep the night before because he was too excited. As they registered Dwayne kite he would see the nervousness in other contenders as they look at his kite. He also heard spectators conversing amongst themselves like “that kite is going to win all the categories today for sure!”

Him and Bullet finally got set up and ready to release the kite in the air to join the others. They patiently waited for strong gust of wind to take the kite up in the air, finally the one they were waiting for came and took the kite out of Bullets hands and up in the air with the roll of nylon thread just unravelling quickly as Dwayne’s giant kite took off to the sky.

The judges were beginning to pass around and to tally points awarded for the kite furthest in the sky, the biggest kite, the smallest kite, the most creative kite, and the most patriotic kite.
Dwayne realize the competition wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought it would be,everyone worked hard building their kites. The kite was by itself in the sky as it was the furthest of them all no questions asked. Dwayne’s favorite part of the competition was watching all the kites do a calm dance in the sky, adding beauty to the already beautiful sunny and clear blue sky.

The votes were in! but Dwayne fell short of two points to walk away with the grand prize. He had the furthest and the biggest kite, but the first prize winner took all the other categories and won. Being concerned about his young neighbor’s disappointment of not winning, Bullet encouraged him that he still gave everybody a show with his giant kite and how well he controlled it for his young age. “Next year I’m taking home the win!” exclaimed Dwayne as he reeled in his monster, packed up, and headed home, already thinking of how he is going to build the winner next year.