jburka Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 I've been a member for 15 or 16 years, the last 4 or 5 of which have been as a family membership. I think my most recent renewal is good until 2012 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrunya Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Yes, I am an AKA member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 As many of you know I am a regional director for the A.K.A. and as such I have a question that I would like answered by all themembers of this forum. 1. Are you a member of the A.K.A.? 2. If you are not please tell me why? Ben, You've asked a great question ... part of which I've asked myself repeatedly since I started flying kites a little over a year ago. I have not joined the A.K.A.. The honest answer is that guilt is the only reason I can currently think of to join. Kiting and kiting folks have brought me a ton of enjoyment since I started flying. The family has shared flying tips, building tips, kites, food, shade, etc. ... I really should step up and contribute by joining. However, nowhere is A.K.A. really pushed or sold. I've never received a sales pitch from my flying friends, local club, merchants or kite manufacturers. With no sales pitch, there's no rush to change the status quo! Regards, Tom PS ... Ben, if I find myself staked out in the sun with no food or water at the next club fly, it's your fault!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsking Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Barbara and I are both AKA members. We use the sanctioning for our local kite club's events, enjoy the magazine and take full advantage of the membership's discount whenever possible. We would be willing to do more as volunteers within the organization if we didn't have such demanding full time jobs! Yes, yes....echo what REVflyer said....Joyce and I are both members. You go, Region 12, boyeeee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awindofchange Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Yes, I am a current AKA Member and A Wind Of Change is an authorized Member Merchant - offering discounts to all current AKA members. IMO, the magazine alone is well worth the membership price - think of it as a yearly magazine subscription about a hobby you love - with benefits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevJB Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) I am a member of AKA. I joined recently after getting back into kiting this year after a long hiatus. I think it is a good organization. The reason I got restarted is my son was interested (got me into Revs) and now my daughter is interested. I'd like to see AKA cater more to younger fliers. Nationals take place during the middle of the school year, during the week. It makes it difficult for anyone in school to compete. Also, could there be a student membership rate with an online magazine only? I've attended a number of Midwest festivals this year and other than one with a competition, the AKA visual presence seemed understated. Other than announcements, I'm not sure the general public attendees know why they should be interested in AKA. Should AKA print business cards with info on website, activities, etc and send to festival organizers or local clubs to hand out at festivals and club flies? John Edited October 8, 2009 by RevJB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousieo Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Hi Ben, Great Idea... ty for making it happen. I am a member for a number of reasons.. the first one being that I have learned so much from so many people involved.. John B and Carl Braigel being some of the first fliers I met ... the story goes on, and I have had many great experiences with new fliers, kite makers and great people in general. Hope to see some of you soon. I will have information and membership forms at Lincoln City this weekend for those of you interested. And those of you that know me know I am not a hard sell. It is of course at your discretion. I do have copies of the AKA Magazine as well . Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartman Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Not a member. Don't really feel there is anything I would get out of it that I can't already get here or on the Internet in general. I do not subscribe to any paper magazines anymore for the same reason. No time to read them, saving a tree. Bart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiteking Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) I've been a member on and off since 1979 or so, member #110883 had to post first to get member# Edited October 8, 2009 by kiteking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiteking Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Ben,However, nowhere is A.K.A. really pushed or sold. I've never received a sales pitch from my flying friends, local club, merchants or kite manufacturers. With no sales pitch, there's no rush to change the status quo! Just read this and thought I would respond to it also, I have been purchasing kites since the late 70's. I recently was going through my bag of Documentation, and came across numerous post cards for joining the AKA. They used to be inside each kite, it would typically be included along with a safety/field card. I also remember that if you were buying a kite at "Windborne Kites", Corey would definitely push the AKA. In some cases the amount spent on membership would be less that the discount you received as a member. Ben, maybe this could be addressed at the convention coming up. I believe there is more to membership than the magazine, though it is always a welcome addition to my (bathroom stack) library Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andelscott Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 (1) Like Baloo, not a member. (2) I could join as an International member of course and the magazine is a fine read, but I believe priority has to be to given to my local (national) group in the first instance - the Kite Society of Great Britain in my case - as they deliver a few festivals (such as Portsmouth) which need ongoing support and encouragement. Despite that, I think it would be entirely appropriate for AKA to operate an area on this forum to actively engage with the 'dark side', should they wish to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HedgeWarden Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yup - I and wife count as two more members. I'm hoping that AKA can grow the hobby and the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauranyyfan Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Hi Ben- Yup... joined in the end of 2007 when someone saw me flying SLK's and we started talking. He mentioned AKA (I had never heard of it). Joined and figured I'd try to learn how to fly the big stuff. Brad had posted about the East Coast Rev Clinic (which I was guessing had to do with big kites ) That's how I found out about Revs!!!! So, without AKA, I don't know when or if I would have come across these beauties and so many great people !!!! Thanks, AKA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirrom Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes, we are both members. Love the discounts and Kiting magazine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big bri Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Nope,Not a member Have a club and other memberships that offer a similar ,more local intrest. I have read on Occasion the AKA Mag.Via a freind sending them.Looks great. A Rev club with Insurance,Rev members Only,discounts,News,a mag,would be the way togo for my 2peneth. BRIAN... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS Kite Stakes Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yep, I am in the members column. There is a US based Rev club with AKA affiliation, but with the number of Rev fliers in the UK and Europe I would not think it would be hard to get one started over there...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyinken Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I joined about 4 years ago. It started with the great folks over at Elmers here in Portland giving me an extra AKA magazine, when I was in buying a kite. I always look forward to the magazine. For me, I will continue my membership to support the association. The AKA when at events, are not big at pushing membership. Pushy sales people come to my mind if they did. For all of us who attended WSIKF, it could not be such a well run, enjoyable event without them. For the drama part of this. ( Sorry T if this does not come over right) For the region 10 rep, there were 2 people nominated. Our very own "Winderful" Theresa from the Kite Shoppe was 1. Well, there was a tie with 70 something votes each, and then 1 person who could have been a tiebreaker, doing a write in ballot with another name. Talk about ongoning supense. Good Luck on the re-vote T !! And Thanks to Ben and Amy as ongoing reps here on the west coast in their regions. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradb Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I sent my renewal in last week. Without AKA, there wouldn't have been a local kite festival and I wouldn't have found Revs. It's a pretty inexpensive way to say Thank You. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I joined about 12 years ago, 6 months or so after I discovered kites again. For a lone kiter in the backwoods, it provides a lot of good instruction through the magazine and friends I have made through AKA. I also feel that even if I don't always agree with AKA policies or decisions it is good to have a national organization to support the individuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potterthree Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yep, I'm a member. Mag is great, local AKA affiliated group is great, though I wish I could get together with a group closer to home, and I really have made most of my kiting connections through AKA events and groups. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerochic Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Sheepishly I have to admit, no. My reasoning is basically financial tho. When I lost my longtime job a year or two ago due to downsizing, I had to cut down on non essential expenses to stay afloat. Until I started sport kiting, I really didn't see a need to carry a card in order to fly a kite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antman Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 agreed there.. ill do whatever to support our sport.. i was a member of aka for a while i did not renew simply because i didnt feel the need to .. i have flown kites for 23 years ive always done it on my own terms.. i will say without the aka we wouldnt have what we have now as they have a great group of people that get kite festivals all across the globe..im mostly a local flier and i dont really think that the aka colud really do much for me.. i do have a stack of kiting mags witch i did enjoy getting so i could see what my fellow fliers are doing out there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh oh Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Am member Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oparadis Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Ok so I am member and have been as soon as I discovered it. I think if you can apply logic that everything is connected many times in paths and networks, you can see that if you own and even made a kite, then the AKA is some how has genetically touched it more then likely. Which means even if we did not have insurance, magazine, and sanctioning, it would still be very valuable if only a bunch of fliers get together once a year and compare notes and show off. Any kitefler would eventually benefit from it. by the way, the mag is pretty damn good compared to the earlier years. And of course you could compare it to all the other kite mags (excluding power kites). just trying to put another perspective on the subject that is positive. As I tell my daughter all the time " its easy to find the negatives". kj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerfvoliste Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yes I am an AKA Certified Kite Flyer since 2004. Rx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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