First Kite Convention: From the Eyes of a Newbie

The January 2012 KTAI Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, brought a whole new meaning to me regarding Kite Manufacturers, their products, and what all is involved in selling quality products. It was amazing to see the collegiality of everyone, and to see how long time friends in the industry were happy to share information with those of us who were new.

The first afternoon of the convention started with a "Demonstration Day". Unfortunately, as unpredictable as life, the winds of Las Vegas were not very predictable either. Even though there was very little wind, many of the dealers were able to fly their low to zero wind products, which were still amazing to see. From stunt kites to zero wind kites, and from small single line kites to quad line kites, the afternoon was still very colorful and fun!

The official opening day of meetings brought many retailers together to share ideas. After introductions of officers, past officers and attendees, the time was spent in discussing products.

We had the opportunity to see several manufacturers "strut their stuff" and show us what was new for the upcoming year. Besides showing many kite products, we were also able to see demonstrations of new non-kite products, flying toys, and other unique items that were available.

Friday and Saturday were mostly spent in browsing and taking in all the exhibits. What a wonderful display of color, excitement and energy, as we were able to see, hear and enjoy all the fun products. I have to say, this was one of my many favorite parts of the convention. One could not help but enjoy all the show of color, and be in a great mood after strolling down each aisle.

The manufacturers were very gracious in helping a "new kid on the block" better understand what was available, and share the workings of their own products. It was fun to test the products and have a hand's on experience besides gathering information and having them explain what their company was offering and what products were best sellers.

During this convention, I really learned more about two great family focused organizations: The AKA - American Kite Association, and the KTAI - Kite Trade Association International. Both of these organizations encourage the joy of kite flying, and their enthusiasm in getting families and more people involved in flying kites was very contagious. On the other hand, it was rather disturbing to hear of all the dishonest companies who are copying some of our certified manufacturers, and who are trying to sell knock-off imitations of original quality products from KTAI members.

Needless to say, my first experience at the KTAI Convention was amazing and a lot of fun! I really look forward to being a part of this activity next year, and encourage other kite lovers to get involved, too. As they say, "The Sky's the Limit", and there is plenty of room for many more kites to fly!

Sheri Manning is experiencing the 'new' recreation of kite flying and enjoys the outdoors with family and friends in keeping the kites in the air. For a lot of fun kite products and flying toys, go to: http://www.kiteflyingpro.com/

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Making your first touch count

Making an instant impact is what every player hopes to do when they set foot on the field, but now and again players can take that to the extreme. Scoring with your first touch of a game is a skill that not only takes instant composure and a sure finish, but it also often requires the bit of luck to turn up in the right place at the right time.

To do it in any match is an achievement, but should it be a particularly pivotal goal, it has an even greater shine to it. Possibly the most memorable of all is Lars Ricken’s stunning lob in the 1997 UEFA Champions League final. The goal handed Borussia Dortmund the title, killing off Juventus’ revival in a 3-1 victory and starting his career in blockbuster style.

Having just entered the field, Andreas Moller played in the 20-year-old who sprinted through in search of the killer goal. With just 16 seconds on the clock since gracing the stage, a delightful waft of his right foot saw him chip the ball over the advancing Angelo Peruzzi and into Champions League folklore. Looking back on the moment Ricken said: "It was without any doubts my most important goal in my career and I will always be connected with it."

German teams seem to have a habit of grabbing goals of this fashion in the tournament, with a couple more important strikes having been converted with players’ maiden touches in the last few years. First, Bayern Munich’s Roy Makaay netted in a record-breakingly quick time of 10.12 seconds against Real Madrid in their 2007 quarter-final, capitalising after Hasan Salihamidzic dispossessed Roberto Carlos and crossed for the Dutch international. Then, back in November of this season, Erin Derdiyok struck the first goal of Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 turnaround against Chelsea. Needing a win to guarantee qualification, Derdiyok came off the bench and, having let the ball run under his foot for what would have been his first touch, he peeled away to meet the subsequent cross and send them on the way to victory.

Possibly the only thing that tops bringing joy to a club’s fans is bringing it to an entire country. Amr Zaki managed to do so with his premier connection with the ball on a huge continental stage. With all eyes on a row between Egypt coach Hassan Shehata and the substituted Mido, he rose to break the deadlock against Senegal with his first touch and send them into the 2006 CAF Africa Cup of Nations final. Thanks to him they got their shot at the title against Côte d'Ivoire, winning the showpiece on penalties.

International football’s biggest stage has seen its fair share of first-touch finishes too, of all shapes and sizes. The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ was graced with not one, but two goals of this ilk in a single game, with both at either end of stopwatch spectrum. Lukas Podolski struck a fizzing strike against Australia to open Germany’s account for the tournament, after a whopping eight minutes without touching the ball. His compatriot Cacau rounded off the 4-0 victory in slightly more timely fashion, side-footing in after just 110 seconds on the field.

At the 1978 edition, France striker Bernard Lacombe opened his account, and the tournament as a whole, by getting Les Bleus off to a cracking start against eventual semi-finalists Italy just 30 seconds into proceedings. The Lyon legend arrived to head into the far bottom corner after Jean Marc Guillou’s lung-busting run and inch-perfect cross, however it couldn’t prevent them falling to a 2-1 defeat.

Four years later they saw the other side of an almost identical goal, conceding in eerily comparable circumstances. In their opening game of Spain 82 they faced England in a similarly high-profile encounter, but this time out Three Lions captain Bryan Robson managed to upstage Lacombe – who was watching from the bench - by striking three seconds faster than the Frenchman did. Having gotten an early throw-in on the right wing, Steve Coppell hurled the ball into the box and, following a flick-on, Robson ghosted in at the back post to convert an impressive, acrobatic volley.

Those with a little less experience have managed similar feats, and some in huge games as well. It’s hard to beat AC Milan striker Alberto Paloschi’s effort however. When the fresh-faced 17-year-old made his debut against Siena at the San Siro, he was expected to just provide some youthful exuberance. However, 18 seconds into his debut, the Italian latches on to a hooked through-ball by Clarence Seedorf and rifles in a sublime half-volley from the edge of the box with his first touch in professional football to win the game.

Nicklas Bendtner struck his first league goal for Arsenal in memorable style, just 1.8 seconds into his North London derby debut, a Premier League record for a substitute. Getting clear of his marker, he headed home Cesc Fabregas’s freekick to instantly warm himself to the home faithful by giving The Gunners a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur. "It was fantastic," he said. "First touch, first Premier League goal.” Everton striker Apostolos Vellios managed a similar effort this season against Chelsea. The Greek striker saw just eight seconds of play before he stretched to prod past Petr Cech.

Bendtner’s not the only striker to get a first Premier League goal with his first touch in the heat of a local derby. Newcastle’s Michael Chopra, who would also play for Sunderland, struck his first goal in the Tyne-Wear derby of 2006 having been on the field for just ten seconds, a record at the time. A long ball from Titus Bramble was allowed to bounce in the area and, bundling into Black Cats keeper Kelvin Davis, Chopra managed to get enough on the ball to equalise and spark a 4-1 turnaround.

The Greek Super League showed stars in the twilight of their career can carry a similar instant impact when Icelandic veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen managed the same achievement. Just 15 seconds after entering the field in his second league appearance for AEK Athens, the former Barcelona striker tapped in to register his first goal for the side from a capital in a 4-3 win over Xanthi. However, another former Premier League striker managed to do the same, and go one better, two years previous. With less than an hour of league football for Olympiakos to his name, Matt Derbyshire entered the field against Iraklis to grab his first goal for the club having been on for less than a minute. He followed that up with this second, and Olympiakos’ fifth, five minutes later.

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Pardew: Cisse was my first choice

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew believes forward Papiss Demba Cisse is the perfect replacement for Andy Carroll after landing the player on a five-and-a-half year deal from Bundesliga side Freiburg.

The 26-year-old Senegalese international will join compatriot Demba Ba at Newcastle once the pair return from duty at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations and Pardew admitted he was delighted to have signed the striker.

"Ever since Andy Carroll left, Papiss was my first choice," Pardew told Newcastle's website. "He is a finisher with an already-established CV in the Bundesliga, where we have monitored him for the best part of two years.

"Unfortunately he was out of reach, financially, for us in the summer, but it recently became apparent that Derek Llambias (managing director) and Lee Charnley (club secretary) could do the deal in this window. I spoke to Demba [Ba] about Papiss, and he cannot wait to join up with his team-mate in Newcastle."

Cisse scored 22 goals last season in the Bundesliga and has already scored nine goals this term. He will be handed the No9 shirt by the Magpies, but insisted he is not daunted by the prospect of following so many famous names. Cisse said: "I am aware of the huge importance of the No9 shirt, and when I spoke with the manager he made it very clear how important this shirt is. I will treat it with respect."

Pardew added: "Our fans know that this shirt brings its own pressures. One of the iconic numbers in world football - the number nine of Newcastle. It will be only fair that Papiss is given time to understand the responsibility it brings. As the manager, I wish him all the luck in the world to bring success to himself and this club."

Pardew had been expected to dip into the transfer market during the winter window, but a central defender was thought to be at the top of his wishlist.

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Aberdeen clinch first away win

Ryan Jack scored from the halfway line as Aberdeen won 2-1 at St Johnstone to move three points off the bottom of the Scottish Premier League at McDiarmid Park.

Very few fans braved strong winds, torrential rain and freezing temperatures, but the Aberdeen supporters were rewarded with a memorable strike from Jack and their first away win of the season.

Jack's 14th-minute effort led to Scott Vernon's opportunist opener and the Scotland Under-21 international capitalised on a short clearance from Saints goalkeeper Peter Enckelman to double the lead before Marcus Haber pulled one back in injury-time.

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Ohlendorf picks up first win as Pirates get past Dodgers

LOS ANGELES - Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle was blunt in his sitdown with Ross Ohlendorf: throw the ball lower, throw strikes and do it now.

Knowing his tendency to overthink things, Ohlendorf appreciated the simplicity.

He got his first win of the season in seven starts and hit a three-run homer to help the Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 Thursday night, a loss that mathematically eliminated the bankrupt franchise from the NL West race.

"His fastball and slider were very efficient and the ball was down in the zone," Hurdle said. "Ross hasn't had a lot to feel good about."

In his previous start, Ohlendorf lasted just two innings and allowed six hits against Florida.

Ohlendorf (1-2) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked none. It was the right-hander's fifth start since rejoining the team on Aug. 23 after a stint on the disabled list with right shoulder discomfort.

"It's been a while since I've pitched like that," Ohlendorf said. "It's by far the best I've felt since I got hurt the first time. I feel like I'm finally getting back to what I'm capable of doing."

Ohlendorf won for the first time on the road since Aug. 11, 2009, at Colorado. He tweaked his delivery, using a bigger motion that kept his mind focused.

"Hurdle and I had a talk earlier in the week about wiping the slate clean and starting over. Hearing that come from him really helped," he said. "A big thing too was forcing myself not to overthink about the hitters in terms of which pitches to throw."

All-Star Joel Hanrahan got pinch-hitter Aaron Miles to fly out to left field with the bases loaded in the ninth to earn his 38th save in 41 chances.

Dana Eveland (2-1) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings, struck out four and walked one. The left-hander made 35 pitches in the second when the Pirates batted around while scoring four runs.

"Unfortunately, I got outduelled," Eveland said. "Ohlendorf threw the ball really well. He hadn't won in a long time, but he broke that streak, so congratulations to him."

Brandon Wood's RBI single tied the game at 1-1 and Ohlendorf followed with his first career homer and first career RBIs on the first pitch from Eveland to make it 4-1. Ohlendorf hit to the opposite field with two outs on a cool, damp evening at Dodger Stadium and got mobbed by his teammates back in the dugout.

"The guy does have lumberjack power. He is lumberjack strong," Andrew McCutchen said. "It was just a matter of him running into one. I'm not surprised by his power, I've seen his batting practice. He hits balls as far as anyone."

In the bottom of the second, Ohlendorf needed just nine pitches to get out of the inning.

The Pirates added two runs in the eighth on a RBI double by Ryan Doumit and a RBI single by Ryan Ludwick.

The Dodgers' runs came on Justin Sellers' ground-rule double in the first and Russell Mitchell's homer in the fifth.

The Dodgers lost for the fourth time in five games since briefly reaching the .500 mark last Saturday. They were eliminated with 12 games remaining in a troubled season that has included the beating of a San Francisco Giants fan on opening day, the franchise filing for bankruptcy and the ongoing battle between Frank McCourt and his ex-wife over ownership of the team.

The Dodgers' lineup included just two regulars -- Matt Kemp and James Loney. Kemp went 0 for 3 and got hit by a pitch, dropping him to 3 for 14 on the homestand. Loney was 0 for 4.

NOTES: Dodgers RF Andre Ethier was at the ballpark a day after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. ... Ohlendorf became the first Pirates pitcher to homer since Paul Maholm on May 9, 2009, against the Mets. ... The Pirates' 34th road win equaled their most away from home since 2002. Last season, they won just 17 on the road. ... Dodgers C Tim Federowicz made his first major league start and singled in the fifth for his first major league hit. ... The Pirates ended a three-game skid against the Dodgers. ... Eveland made his first start at Chavez Ravine.

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Pill homers in first big league at bat as Giants beat D-Backs

SAN DIEGO -- Rookies Brett Pill and Eric Surkamp had a night to remember, even as their San Francisco Giants are trying desperately to catch the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pill hit a two-run homer in his first big league at-bat, Surkamp earned his first major league win and the Giants had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 on Tuesday night.

The defending World Series champion Giants pulled within six games of NL West-leading Arizona with 20 to go. The Diamondbacks lost 8-3 at Colorado. By winning the first two of this three-game set, the Giants clinched their first series victory since Aug. 12-14 at Florida.

With Mark DeRosa aboard on a leadoff single in the second, Pill hit an 0-1 pitch from lefty Wade LeBlanc (2-5) that caromed off the balcony of the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner at Petco Park and back onto the field. Padres left fielder Kyle Blanks tossed it into the stands, where a man grabbed it. Padres event operations supervisor Rob Arnold negotiated with the fan to get the ball for Pill.

"Luckily he threw it right to some Giants fans," said Pill, who gave the fan a few signed balls in return for the home run ball.

"It's something you dream about when you're a kid," Pill said. "I've seen him a few times in the minors, that pitcher, and figured he'd try to throw me a changeup and get me to hit into a double play. He left it up a little bit. When I hit it I kind of knew it was gone, but it was probably the fastest I've ran around the bases in a while. It's just a great feeling."

It was the first time a Giants player homered in his first big league plate appearance since Will Clark did so off Houston's Nolan Ryan on April 8, 1986.

Surkamp (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings, struck out two and walked one.

"It's fun," Surkamp said. "I'm up here, I'm new, it's awesome."

Said manager Bruce Bochy: "Nice day for those two young players. It's historic, to hit a home run in your first at-bat. It's nice to see those guys come out and do what they did and help us win a ballgame."

With the Giants leading 6-3, Javier Lopez walked Orlando Hudson on four pitches to open the Padres' ninth. Santiago Casilla came on and got two outs before allowing rookie Anthony Rizzo's RBI double off the right-field wall. Casilla hit Cameron Maybin on the right elbow and hit Jason Bartlett on the left hand to load the bases. Bochy turned to Ramon Ramirez, the sixth Giants' reliever, who struck out Jesus Guzman for his fourth save in five chances.

Carlos Beltran had three hits and three RBIs for the Giants, who won with three prospects in their starting lineup. Pill's contract was purchased last Wednesday from triple-A Fresno. Surkamp, called up from Double-A Richmond on Aug. 27, made his second big league start. Justin Christian started in centre field and batted leadoff after his contract was purchased from Fresno on Tuesday. Christian appeared in 24 games with the New York Yankees in 2008.

Pill, who led the Pacific Coast League with 167 hits, started at first base.

Beltran, back after missing Monday's game with food poisoning, hit an RBI single in the third, an RBI double in the fifth and brought in a run with a grounder in the ninth.

San Diego's Nick Hundley hit a solo homer off Surkamp leading off the second. Rookie Andy Parrino got his first big league RBI on a sacrifice fly later that inning, and Kyle Blanks hit a sacrifice fly in the third.

LeBlanc allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings, struck out one and walked none.

"Wade got some balls up in the strike zone. He just couldn't get the ball down consistently," manager Bud Black said. "They got the bat head on balls just in front of the plate. Had some hard-hit balls to the left side. Wade wiggled out of some jams, so give him credit for that."

NOTES: Injured Giants LHP Barry Zito threw a four-inning simulated game. "We'll see how he comes out of this and see if we need him for relief," Bochy said. ... The Padres recalled RHP Erik Hamren from Triple-A Tucson. RHP Pat Neshek was outrighted to Tucson today. He was designated for assignment on Sept. 1 when the club claimed RHP Jeff Fulchino. ... Padres RF Chris Denorfia, who came off the DL on Monday, was hit in the head as he dove back into second base on a pickoff attempt in the second. He got up and took third before scoring on Parrino's sac fly. Will Venable pinch-hit for Denorfia in the fifth and stayed in the game in RF. ... The series concludes Wednesday afternoon when Giants RHP Matt Cain (11-9, 2.85 ERA) opposes Padres RHP Aaron Harang (12-5, 3.86). Cain is winless in three starts against San Diego this season, going 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA. Harang has gone 1-2 in his last three starts despite allowing only five earned runs.

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Mighty Bryans stunned in first round at US Open

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - The world No. 1 twin Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, were stunning first-round doubles losers Wednesday at the 2011 U.S. Open.

Towering 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic and 6-foot-6 German Frank Moser upended the 11-time Grand Slam champion Bryans 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The 33-year-old Bryans were the reigning U.S. Open champs and have won this event three times overall. The twins captured half of this year's major titles, with victories at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

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