John Barresi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 1, 1975 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Kite Performer, Kite Designer, Editor/Owner of Kitelife Magazine, Owner of Kite Forge. |
| Years active | 1990-present |
| Website | johnbarresi |
John Barresi (born June 1, 1975) is an American sport kite flier, kite designer, editor and owner of KiteLife magazine and KiteLife.com since 2002, leader of Team KiteLife performance team, and owner of Kite Forge design company.
One of the most prolific currently active sport kite fliers in the world, Barresi started in the kiting community as an enthusiast in August 1990.[1] He started at a competitive level in 1991 and has since secured top rankings in a variety of sport kite disciplines (individual, pairs, team, dual line, quad line, indoor) in international competitions and in demonstrations as an invited performer.[2] He has served several roles at kiting organizations including President of the American Kitefliers Association, board member of Kite Trade Association International, and as a judge at competitions held around the globe.[3][4]
In 2003, Barresi became the sole owner of KiteLife Magazine. The magazine continued in circulation through 2014, the website remains active with discussion boards, prize drawings, and live chat.[5]
Attending the 2006 World Sport Kite Championships in Berck sur Mer France as a judge, he participated in organized quad line team flying for the first time and impassioned by his experiences there, formed Team iQuad with friend David Hathaway immediately upon returning to the United States.[6] The team quickly gained popularity and by 2008 was invited to events around the world. Team iQuad would go on to win industry awards for promoting the sport globally.[7] Over the seven years the team performed, they included at least 16 regular members with additional guest stars and fill-in performers. The group disbanded in September 2013 with their final performance at the Antelope Island Stampede Festival.[8]
In 2008, Barresi was the youngest recipient of the American Kitefliers Association Lifetime Achievement Award.[9]
In 2016, Barresi formed a new team called Team KiteLife or TKL, with additional founding members Scott Benz, Brett Marchel, and Eli Russell. Pilots added to the team include Jeremy Wharton (2019), Sara Russell (2020), Sari Becker (2020), Jim Doman (2022), Meshelle Sharples (2022) and Geoff Hutton (2022). The team has flown at events across the United States and Europe.[10]
In 2017, Barresi launched a company called Kite Forge, initially featuring a single dual line kite with promises to expand to new kites in the future. The company has expanded to sell multiple kite designs, kite parts, and kite apparel.[11]
On August 23, 2019 at the Washington State International Kite Festival, he led a world record group of 101 quad line kites in team formation as the team captain, beating his own previous records of 81 quad line kites in team formation set in 2013 and another of 64 set in 2010.[12][13]
In 2022, Barresi and Meshelle Sharples started the pairs team Windfall, announced at the same time Sharples joined Team KiteLife. The pair's debut performance was at the South Padre Island Kite Fest.[14]
Barresi's award-winning kite designs include the Djinn, the Revolution B-Series, the Kymera, and the Kaiju.
