Think of flying a kite as fishing the sky: You have to consider what type of kite you hope to fly, how active you hope it will be, and what your ideal conditions are. Some days you’re not going to get a bite from the wind—and other days your wind bird will be out of control. In the right conditions, kite flying is the quintessential summer activity when armed with a fews tips to keep your kite in the sky.

The Kite Store: While other places sell kites, Into the Wind on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall is a full-service kite shop with accessories, repairs, and tools to build your own kite. Browse their online selection of kites to find the kite for you. I’m partial to the Butterfly Kite for Beginners and the Air Guitar Kite, but these are just a couple of their models.

Kite Considerations: The ideal wind for basic kite flying is somewhere between 10 and 25 miles per hour. Kite flying should be done away from trees and large buildings because any structural interference can affect wind qualities. Watch out for crowded areas when elevating your kite because a change in wind could cause your kite to crash into, say, a birthday party. And it should go without saying (but we will anyway for good measure) that you want to avoid powerlines and inclement weather (read: lightning).

Kite Locations: Flying a kite around Denver can be tricky. In the city itself, there are very few consistently windy days. East of the city, Dove Valley Regional Park, Cherry Creek Reservoir, and Lowry’s Great Lawn Park often have ideal conditions. The best place to fly if you’re looking for a place closer to home is Stapleton’s Central Park because of its open fields and consistent wind.

Next Steps with the Kite: Once you’re a kite-flying expert, there’s no need to get bored. Upgrade to a stunt kite, or bring your kite along for other extreme sports. They can be used while surfing, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and pretty much any other outdoor activity you can think of, as long as there’s enough open land and air.

Once you’ve honed your kite flying skills, you’ll be all set for One Sky One World in October—an international kite flying day of peace, which was started in Denver.

—Image courtesy of Shutterstock