'I was hooked': Pro kite flyers take over Swift Current, Sask., for festival

Professional kite flyer Jean Lamoureux is ready to show off his dance in the sky this weekend.

Lamoreaux is in the provincefor the Windscape Kite Festival in Swift Current. Every year, kites of all shapes and sizes take to the sky for an amazing show.

"We have to perform no matter what the conditions are," Lamoureux said.

He said he can fly the stack kites from three km/h up to 72 km/h, which he did in Swift Current two years ago.

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"It's not fun, but it's interesting," Lamoureux said with a laugh on flying in extreme winds. "The stack broke."

Lamoureux provided a mesmerizing demonstration for CBC Radio'sSaskatchewan Weekend host Shauna Powers.

While flying a kite may seem like a leisurely activity to do once in a while, Lamoureux has been doing it for more than 20 years now.

We're actually playing with a living, breathing area the wind is the engine. This is the amazing part.- JeanLamoureux

"I spent my entire life dragging a kite along in the car," he said. "Then when I knew that those type of [acrobatic]kites existed, in 1993, I tried one and I never stopped. I was hooked."

It's a duet between him and the wind.

"I could spend hours flying and doing the same thing and not feeling bored because everything is new. Everything is always new. We're actually playing with a living, breathing area the wind is the engine. This is the amazing part."

The Windscape Kite Festival runs June 25 to 26 in Swift Current. Find more information here.