Family Day Kite Festival Public Website

2006 Judges

Troy Gunn Chief Judge. Member of the TKO Sport Kite Flying Team, multi-term AKA Region 8 Director, and member of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) Board of Directors. Director-at-Large for the internet kite magazine Kitelife.com, and Chief Judge of the 2006 Weifang World Kite Championships. A US National Champion and World Record Holder, Troy is a multi-talented sport kite flier, whose performances and judging appearances have taken him all over the United States and the world.

Chris Shultz General Manager of New Tech Kites, Smithsonian Institution Kite Festival Committee Member, and TKO Sport Kite Team Member. Chris began his kiting career twenty years ago as a professional kite flier and showman for Kitty Hawk Kites. Known as The King of Diamonds, Chris set a Kiting World Record in July 1993 for flying 51 (4-foot) diamond stunt kites simultaneously at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Chris has performed all over the world and has organized and assisted with many national and international kite festivals and competitions.

Fritz Maytag Sponsor of the inaugural San Francisco Family Day Kite Festival in 1973. Micro-brewery entrepreneur who pioneered the micro-brewery movement and hand-crafted distilled spirits, and a connoisseur’s connoisseur who boasts the World’s best Blue Cheese.

Adam Steltzner EDL (Entry, Descent, and Landing) lead mechanical engineer for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover missions at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories in Pasadena. An award-winning teaching fellow at University of Wisconsin and member of the rock band featured in the PBS NOVA television special MARS Dead or Alive.

Morton Beebe Living-legend photographer, third generation San Franciscan, and author of the best selling book San Francisco: City by the Bay. His diverse career has included being a Public Information Officer in Antarctica during “Operation Deep Freeze” and the 39th person to reach the South Pole, film producer on The Graduate and Petulia, and an underwater video photographer with the Deep Flight Aviator submersible.

Russ Silvestri Two-time Olympic sailor (1988 and 2000) and silver medalist at the 1999 Pan Am Games. Named the Outstanding Male Athlete for Sailing in 2000 by the United States Olympic Committee. Veteran of two America’s Cup campaigns, USC graduate, and San Francisco hedge fund manager.

Judges, Winners and Friends:

(back row) Troy Gunn, Mort Beebe, Chris Shultz, Adam Steltzner, Russ Silvestri, Fritz Maytag and Festival founder, Ron Young

(middle row) David Sabilino, Jr., Dan Whitney, Mike Baker, Rhonda Davidson (Mrs. Mike Hagen), David Sabilino, Sr., Sheila Merrill, Daniel Merrill, Rakesh Bahadur

(Kneeing before stage) Casey Merrill, Josh Merrill and Caitlyn Merrill


	Contests 2007 Winners 2007 Judges 2006 Winners 2006 Judges Prizes Contest Criteria	Home / Contests / 2006 Winners / 2006 Judges 2006 Judges Troy Gunn Chief Judge. Member of the TKO Sport Kite Flying Team, multi-term AKA Region 8 Director, and member of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) Board of Directors. Director-at-Large for the internet kite magazine Kitelife.com, and Chief Judge of the 2006 Weifang World Kite Championships. A US National Champion and World Record Holder, Troy is a multi-talented sport kite flier, whose performances and judging appearances have taken him all over the United States and the world. Chris Shultz General Manager of New Tech Kites, Smithsonian Institution Kite Festival Committee Member, and TKO Sport Kite Team Member. Chris began his kiting career twenty years ago as a professional kite flier and showman for Kitty Hawk Kites. Known as The King of Diamonds, Chris set a Kiting World Record in July 1993 for flying 51 (4-foot) diamond stunt kites simultaneously at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Chris has performed all over the world and has organized and assisted with many national and international kite festivals and competitions. Fritz Maytag Sponsor of the inaugural San Francisco Family Day Kite Festival in 1973. Micro-brewery entrepreneur who pioneered the micro-brewery movement and hand-crafted distilled spirits, and a connoisseur’s connoisseur who boasts the World’s best Blue Cheese. Adam Steltzner EDL (Entry, Descent, and Landing) lead mechanical engineer for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover missions at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories in Pasadena. An award-winning teaching fellow at University of Wisconsin and member of the rock band featured in the PBS NOVA television special MARS Dead or Alive. Morton Beebe Living-legend photographer, third generation San Franciscan, and author of the best selling book San Francisco: City by the Bay. His diverse career has included being a Public Information Officer in Antarctica during “Operation Deep Freeze” and the 39th person to reach the South Pole, film producer on The Graduate and Petulia, and an underwater video photographer with the Deep Flight Aviator submersible. Russ Silvestri Two-time Olympic sailor (1988 and 2000) and silver medalist at the 1999 Pan Am Games. Named the Outstanding Male Athlete for Sailing in 2000 by the United States Olympic Committee. Veteran of two America’s Cup campaigns, USC graduate, and San Francisco hedge fund manager. Judges, Winners and Friends: (back row) Troy Gunn, Mort Beebe, Chris Shultz, Adam Steltzner, Russ Silvestri, Fritz Maytag and Festival founder, Ron Young (middle row) David Sabilino, Jr., Dan Whitney, Mike Baker, Rhonda Davidson (Mrs. Mike Hagen), David Sabilino, Sr., Sheila Merrill, Daniel Merrill, Rakesh Bahadur (Kneeing before stage) Casey Merrill, Josh Merrill and Caitlyn Merrill