Date:	Fri, 24 Mar 1995 11:56:49 -1000
From:	hfoao033@huey.csun.edu (gina hsiung)
Message-Id: <3kvf71$a5k@dewey.csun.edu>
Organization: California State University, Northridge
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

> Vaino Raun (vraun@freenet.niagara.com) wrote:
> > I won't be able to attend, ;-) but what are Afghani fighter kites? I have 
> > a number of fighters and books on fighters but never come across them before.

I tried to respond once, but I think it went off into cyberspace, so I'll
it try again.

Afghani fighter kites are similar to Indian fighters in that they are
made from tissue paper and bamboo. Their main difference is in the size.
Most indian fighters range from (small) 1.5 feet to (large) 2.5 feet in
wing span, while an average Afghani fighter is 3.5 feet or bigger. 

The Afghani kites are flown on glass coated "cuttling" line. Most of the
Afghani flyers make their own, each flyer with his own secret recipe.
Because of the kite's size, the line used is usually 9lbs or more. 

These large kites have quite a pull to them, but most of the fighting is
done with *Release* cutting. Release cutting takes alot of patience.

I hope to get some good photos from the competition on sunday and
together with Carl, add them to his web home page for you all to enjoy. 

For those of you who live in the San Francisco area, there is a large
contingent of Afghani's who fly every weekend (all cutting, and large sums of
money involved for the winner). If you are interested, I'll find out exactly
where. 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gina Hsiung                            North Library Annex
email: hfoao033@huey.csun.edu          Technical Services Dept.
Phone: 818-885-2265                    Calif. State Univ, Northridge
FAX: 818-885-4928                      Northridge, CA  91330-8328


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Date:	Sat, 25 Mar 1995 06:34:56 -1000
From:	andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie)
Message-Id: <D608q9.HJo@tug.com>
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

hfoao033@huey.csun.edu (gina hsiung) writes:
>The Afghani kites are flown on glass coated "cuttling" line. Most of the
>Afghani flyers make their own, each flyer with his own secret recipe.
>Because of the kite's size, the line used is usually 9lbs or more. 

I was under the impression that it was flour and water mixed with ground
glass.  Can you tell us a little more of the story without giving away too
many secrets?

(Andrew recalls once being told of manja being laced with currie powder to
stop things eating it in storage...)

Andrew
-- 
New to rec.kites?  START HERE!   | To: www@kfs.org
send an email message like this->| Subject: service
                                 | http://www.kfs.org/kites/welcome/index.html
echo '/Frank Kenisky/f:j' >> $HOME/News/rec/kites/KILL # *PLONK*


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Date:	Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:52:40 -1000
From:	cjsigal@netcom.com (Chuck Sigal)
Message-Id: <cjsigalD6477s.H2I@netcom.com>
Organization: Berkeley Buggy Bums
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

In article <3kvf71$a5k@dewey.csun.edu>, gina hsiung wrote:

<stuff deleted>

>Afghani fighter kites are similar to Indian fighters in that they are

<stuff deleted>

>For those of you who live in the San Francisco area, there is a large
>contingent of Afghani's who fly every weekend (all cutting, and large sums of
>money involved for the winner). If you are interested, I'll find out exactly
>where. 

Gina,
	Yes, Yes, Please, I'd be verry interested in meeting, watching, 
learning from these fliers. And I doubt that I'm the only one in the SFBA 
who is.

Thanks,
Chuck
-- 
 +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 |For every problem there is one solution which is simple, neat, and wrong.|
 |                                                      -- H. L. Mencken   |
 |                                                                         |
 | Chuck Sigal-------------Albany, CA  USA----------voice/fax 510.527.3547 |
 +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+


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Date:	Mon, 27 Mar 1995 23:12:17 -1000
From:	Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite)
Message-Id: <3l8jth$2r0@southern.co.nz>
Organization: Southern InterNet Services
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

gina hsiung (hfoao033@huey.csun.edu) wrote:

> For those of you who live in the San Francisco area, there is a 
> large contingent of Afghani's who fly every weekend (all cutting, 
> and large sums of money involved for the winner).  

Aha...AHA...!  the secrets are now coming out - so there's big MONEY 
in this fighter kite line-cutting business. I could never understand 
why fliers would want to cut each others favourite kites out of the 
sky instead of having harmless enjoyment just flying them. Even for 
combat, cutting line is not essential.  

This Afghani fighting is obviously a legacy of the situation in 
India and Pakistan where people think nothing about buying 50 
fighter kites on a Sunday morning and losing the whole lot by 
sundown. Now the mind boggles at what quantity of valuable pieces of 
paper change hands and end up in peoples' pockets so that they can 
go out again _next_ weekend and buy another 50 kites.  

Aha...AHA...Aha..Ha..Ha......NOW I begin to understand it all  :-)

Bye,


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Date:	Tue, 28 Mar 1995 20:36:00 -1000
From:	bdryhntr@nwrain.com
Message-Id: <m0rtrN1-000DaxC@tacoma.nwrain.net>
Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

Gambling?  In California?   Nah, everyone knows that is illegal.  So which 
members/diviisons of the state government are involved?

<---- Begin Included Message ---->

> large contingent of Afghani's who fly every weekend (all cutting, 
> and large sums of money involved for the winner).  

Aha...AHA...!  the secrets are now coming out - so there's big MONEY 
in this fighter kite line-cutting business. I could never 
<---- End Included Message ---->


I am NOT short, I'm vertically challenged!
             
bdryhntr@nwrain.com 



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Date:	Wed, 29 Mar 1995 08:19:32 -1000
From:	dkyte@aol.com (Dkyte)
Message-Id: <3lc8bk$qes@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

Colin writes:

>>Aha...AHA...!  the secrets are now coming out - so there's big MONEY 
in this fighter kite line-cutting business. I could never understand 
why fliers would want to cut each others favourite kites out of the 
sky instead of having harmless enjoyment just flying them. Even for 
combat, cutting line is not essential.  <<

I could never understand why people would risk killing and injuring
bystanders by flying with glass line.  The answer is MONEY.  People have
been killing and maiming for that since it was invented.  Before that,
they found other reasons.

The above opinions are my own and not necessarily those of any service
carrying this message.


=====================================
Joe Schiros aka Dr Kyte  

Put a little fun in your life, try dancing.

                                         - Arthur Murray

=====================================


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Date:	Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:25:14 -1000
From:	hfoao033@huey.csun.edu (gina hsiung)
Message-Id: <3lcc6q$sk0@dewey.csun.edu>
Organization: California State University, Northridge
Subject: Re: Afghani Fighter Kites

Colin Douthwaite (Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz) wrote:
> Aha...AHA...!  the secrets are now coming out - so there's big MONEY 
> in this fighter kite line-cutting business. I could never understand 
> why fliers would want to cut each others favourite kites out of the 
> sky ...  India and Pakistan where people think nothing about buying 50 
> fighter kites on a Sunday morning and losing the whole lot by 
> sundown. Now the mind boggles at what quantity of valuable pieces of 
> paper change hands and end up in peoples' pockets so that they can 
> go out again _next_ weekend and buy another 50 kites.  

Colin, you hit it right on the nose!!
At this recent Afghani fighter competition in L.A., Basir (our friend, who
sponsored the event) sold all 200 of his kites and 40 spools of 1000 ft
manja by 3 pm. If he had more, that would have sold out too. It seems the
Afghani fighters are *addicted* to cutting. Although at this
competition time there were Trophies for 1st thru 3rd place, no money
awards. There were at least 25 kites in the air at any given time,
fighting. The kids on the ground had lots of fun capturing the downed kites.
Larry Navaro went around the park to the other side of the lake and found
a few for himself. 

I will post a review of the day's event after I meet with Basir later this
week, I want to get the exact details from him. 

I will also see how much of his secret recipe for manja he will share. I
do know that he sometimes uses the colored water made from soaking
the skin of a red onion to get a coloring that will give
the manja a pinkish to purplish tint.
===================
gina
hfoao033@huey.csun.edu



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