While qualifiers will be held between January 7-13 in the four cities, this time around the finals will coincide with the widely celebrated and hugely popular kite flying festival, Makar Sankranti, on the 14th of January.
Come January 7, Red Bull Kite Fight – an annual kite flying competition that aims to find the best kite flyer from across the country – returns for its third edition. In January 2016, for the second edition of the tournament, the competition extended to Vadodara and Surat, with qualifiers being held in the two cities as well as Ahmedabad, followed by finals in Ahmedabad.
In 2017, the competition expands further, to include a round of qualifiers in Jaipur – alongside rounds in Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad, with finals in Ahmedabad once again. While qualifiers will be held between January 7-13 in the four cities, this time around the finals will coincide with the widely celebrated and hugely popular kite flying festival, Makar Sankranti, on the 14th of January.
All participants in Red Bull Kite Fight are given five kites each, with which they must attempt to cut the kites of their fellow competitors and be the last man standing. To make things more interesting, for the upcoming edition each of the five kites participants will be given are different and have distinct characteristics, designed to work to their best potential in different circumstances.
Guddi, for instance, is a type of kite that has its height and weight ratio in reverse, and is therefore the best kite to fly in heavy winds. Dedh Kanni, on the other hand, is more uncommon and used in lower winds. Significantly broader than the regular kite, the Dedh Kanni requires the flyer to use a great deal of upper body strength.
Then there’s the Tukkal, which is a popular design from Pakistan and a very heavy kite, meaning few possess the skill to fly it. Finally, the Fighter Kite and Dhep. The former, a two-point bridle kite, is most commonly used across the country in competitions, while the latter is made from slippery paper and therefore flies through the skies most easily, making it among the most competitive kites available.
The first edition of Red Bull Kite Fight was held in January 2015 in Ahmedabad and saw over 350 participants battle it out for the title, while the second across the three cities of Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad saw over 2000.
Rules of Red Bull Kite Fight
Each participant is given a set of 5 kites.
Participants must not wait for more than 3 minutes between kites.
Participants have to carry their own threads. (No Chinese or any other no competitive thread allowed)
The top five winners from each city qualifiers will then face each other in the finals in Ahmedabad. The last-man-standing is crowned as the Red Bull Kite Fight Champion.
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