When Richard Dermer first heard about Enid’s attempt to break a Guinness World Record for kite flying, he didn’t really know if it would work.
“I thought it was kind of a far-fetched idea when I first heard of it two months ago,” the Stillwater resident and former president of American Kitefliers Association said.
Now, two weeks before the Sept. 10 record effort, he is getting ready to supervise an anticipated 2,000 or more people in flying a kite at the exact same time for 30 seconds.
Dermer said just trying to direct an estimated 1,500 school children to all fly a kite at the same time is “daunting.”
But, like event organizer Stanley Hicks, Dermer is confident Enid can set the Guinness World Record, if only for a month or two.
Last month, an estimated 3,000 children simultaneously flew kites along the Gaza Strip. Although there was no official Guinness representative at that affair, that record still eventually could be ratified.
For now, Enid will take a shot at the current record of 967 kites flown simultaneously, set in Germany last year. If all 2,000 participants can get their kites in the air and keep them there for 30 seconds, the city will immediately set a new world record before the Gaza attempt is recognized.
“(The Guinness representative) has the authority, on the spot, to declare a new world record,” Dermer said.
The field behind Autry Technology Center, the site to be used for the event, will be divided into a grid of 30 squares with 100 people in each large square, Dermer said. From there, those large squares will be divided into four smaller squares of 25 people each. That’ll leave a 12-foot by 12-foot space for each participant and his or her kite.
Dermer will stand in a bucket truck at the south end of the field with a powerful PA system to give instructions to all kite flyers. He’ll announce when everyone must put their kite in the air and will give a countdown to the 30-second time period required to set the record.
To ensure the event goes smoothly, Dermer said there will be a few adult supervisors within each large square to make sure all the kites get up in the air. The supervisors also will help certify the record for the Guinness official.
The record attempt is a fundraiser for Enid Habitat for Humanity. Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid/Garfield County Development Alliance, said last Thursday $50,000 in sponsorships have so far been brought in. The effort, he said, has garnered attention from many wind and energy companies in the region.
The event is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Official event kites and T-shirts can be purchased at the T-Shirt Store, 222 W. Randolph.