10th Festival - 1998

Dates : 5th to 13th september

Guest of Honour : Japan with the giant O-Dako

Creative Kite Contest : Theme “Daemon and Wonders”

Officials Delegations :

Afghanistan - Germany - Australia - Autria - Belgium - Cambodia
Canada - Chile - China - Colombia - Korea- Cuba - Spain - U.S.A -
France - France-Antilles - Great Britain - Guatemala - India - Indonesia
Israel - Italy - Japan - Malaya- Nepal - New Zeland - Holland
Philipines - Singapore - Sri Lanka - Sweden - Switzerland - Thailand - Vietnam

The Giant from Japan

Originating in the town of Yôkaichi, the O-dako kite, who has the statute of "intangible national treasure" in Japan, left for the first time its history the Japanese territory to come to fly in Dieppe in September 98.

The tradition of the kites appeared in Yôkaichi there is more than three centuries; one started to make some fly to celebrate the birth of the boys, at the beginning of May. Gradually, with the experiment, the inhabitants of Yôkaichi increased dimensions of their kites, until manufacturing true giants. Such that which was built in 1896 to celebrate the end of the war of Nissin : it covered a surface of more than 300 m2 and weighed nearly a ton.

Each year in May, by tradition, a festival is held of kite whose nail is the take-off of O-dako, (in Japanese "O" wants to say "large" and "tako" become "dako", "kite"). Without reaching the proportions of that which was launched in 1896, the size (13m x12m) and the weight (800kg) remain impressive. One needed more than one hundred of team-members, framed by a team of ten kitefliers of Yôkaichi, to make take off and steal this giant to the top of the lawns of the beach of Dieppe.

With the back of the aerofoil of O-Dako, 2 000 negaifuda, or "labels of wishes" were stuck by the children of the town of Dieppe, coming to join those of the children of the town of Yôkaichi. The Japanese giant kite carried thus these + of 2 000 wishes in the sky to the attention of the gods.

9th World Cup of Acrobatic Kite

Sans conteste la manifestation sportive la plus courrue du monde du cerf-volant, la Coupe du Monde est aujourd'hui une classique auquelle se doivent de participer les meilleurs pilotes pour y rencontrer, peut être, le titre et la consécration. En 1998, les équipes étaient sélectionnées au travers des championnats nationaux des pays suivants : Etats-Unis, Australie, Japon, Grande-Bretagne, Allemagne, Suisse, Italie, Autriche et France. Nouveauté pour cette 9ème édition de la Coupe du Monde, la présence des quatre-lignes pour la première fois dans une compétition internationale.

The World Cup of Fighting Kite

In 1998, the fighting kite will take in Dieppe an important place in the demonstrations offered to the public. From Afghanistan, from Chile, from Hong-Kong (China), from Korea, from India, from Indonesia, from Nepal, from the Philippines, from Sri Lanka but also of Great Britain, from Germany, from Italy, from Spain, from the Netherlands, from Belgium and finally from France, we were pleased to accomodate the best specialists in this discipline. This World cup joined together both practical kite of combat: one where it is a question of cutting the wire of its adversary (cut), the other the combat of Rokkaku.

1st Symposium of the Drachen Foundation

Established in Seattle, the Drachen Foundation joined together of the kitefliers, historians and scientists anxious to emphasize the contribution of the kite in the beginnings of aeronautical research. With them, one could say, as a history is begun : before is not the plane, was the kite.

1st Corridors of the Wind

They were given for name : aleolists. They come from France, from Germany, from the Netherlands, from Italy. They train a group of kitefliers and graphic designers who decided to benefit from kite festivals in order to give a more spectacular dimension, ordinate, setting in scene of their plastic and musical creation. Their first intervention will take place with Dieppe in 1998, with Robert Valkenburg (Netherlands) as team leader, to coordinate the efforts of each one in the installation of this permanent wind concert.

Does what they make ? Structures of wind music. Because, if the wind produces sounds and music, the hand of the man can guide it. The demonstration will be made by it during all the festival. Exposed on the beach, the whole of the wind structures will form a unit where the wind will be, at the same time, a Master of orchestra of a random partition, and a musician equipped with several instruments. Offering an unusual and maritime walk to the spectators, the meeting of the wind structures will form the first corridor of the wind.

Swim tractor drawn and Fly surfing

These two practical, enough recent at the time, make their entry with the Dieppe Festival in 98. After all, why deprive itself some whereas the sea is near the Festival ? We'll find on the water, the pilots of reputation such Jean-Philippe Thoumire, Pierre Cardineaud (holder of the world record of kite jumping, understand jump using a kite), and Andy Preston.