KITE-MAKING is more than a hobby for Alphanso Edwards who spends thousands of dollars to outdo each masterpiece created by him the year before for entry in the annual St Ann Kite Festival.

And although he has not yet been able to take home the coveted first place trophy, Edwards is determined not to let up on this rather expensive hobby.

Edwards, who hails from Exchange in the parish, is known around his community, and even beyond, for the unique kites he makes, especially his latest creation, done in the shape of Jamaica to commemorate the island’s 50th year of Independence.

“The ideas for the kites I make just come to me naturally, and from they come to me, ah just get me book and pencil and start to draw out what I want it to be like when it is done,” he said.

The greatest joy for this father of three is to observe the look of amazement on the faces of people when they see his handiwork.

“I am very happy when someone comes to ask if they can get a picture of it and when they ask me is who make this kite and I say me, and they say ‘wow’, they can’t believe it, and when I walk with the kite a lot of children leave their house to trail me,” Edwards explained.

He said his kite-making skills began as a child when he was forced to make a lot of the toys he wanted to play with.

“My parents didn’t have the money, so I had to make things for myself to make me happy,” he recalled.

It would, however, take the annual kite festival for him to resurrect his kite-making talents, and since entering a few years ago, Edwards has been even more creative in his designs.

“I realised that no one was making anything for the kids at kite festival and so the first year I decided to build the entire Sponge Bob cartoon set as kites,” he told the Observer North East.

Although his kites did not take home the trophy that year, Edwards said he was encouraged by the many persons who were amazed by the creative pieces.

Enthused by the response, Edward again opted to enter the next year, but that time it was with a six-foot-long kite built in the likeness of National Hero Marcus Garvey.

But that kite also did not take the trophy as it was unable to stay in the air long enough.

Edwards, however, was not discouraged, and last year he went back to the festival with two kites made in the likeness of cartoon characters Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer.

“I still didn’t win, and it was really hard because my kites stop the longest traffic,” he boasted.

But not even that defeat would dampen his spirits as he spent three days making his latest and most spectacular kite — a 17-foot-wide, nine-foot-long frame in the form of a map of Jamaica.

The effort cost him $10,000.

Using well-manicured bamboo strips to frame the kite, he laid plastic to the frame and painted the Jamaican flag in the middle. The kite is also decorated with the 14 parishes clearly outlined and their names brightly written. Unfortunately, it also failed to take home the coveted trophy.

Edwards explained that although he did several flying tests with the kite prior to the festival, he did not know the cord would have broken under the weight of the kite as happened during the competition.

But a determined Edwards said he will be taking back this kite to next year’s competition, only then he will use a rope to fly it.

“My energy and spirit, no one can break them, and so I am going back with it next year,” Edwards said.

“There is a lady who always encourage me, a Ms Brown at Exchange Hardware, who always said ‘Al, you make a lot of people smile because people love the fun of it and to see you bring out something new every year is amazing,” he said.

Edwards explained that he builds the kites himself, but has to solicit help from his friends to test them to ensure that they can fly.

“I make them in the front of the yard and ask passers-by to come look at them and try to figure them out, and when they tell me, then I know it’s really taking shape,” he said.

Edwards said his long-term plan will be to mass-produce kites for sale and as such he intends to seek copyright for a design he has in mind.

“I plan to sell kites for kids, but the thing is, I need to have the money because if I had money I would reach where I want to reach already with these kites,” he said.

His kite-making, he added, has become a very expensive hobby as in addition to the thousands of dollars spent on buying materials he has to pay up to $5,000 each year to transport his kite to the festival.