When Matthew Tumbridge launches a 10.5 ft tall Bermuda kite on Good Friday, he will be carrying on a long held Tumbridge family tradition.He first learned the art of making big kites from his grandfather, the late Leonard Tumbridge Sr.“People around the Frith Estate, Warwick neighbourhood would wait for the big kite to go up on Good Friday,” said Mr Tumbridge. “We would fly the kite all day. After my grandfather passed away my father, Leonard Tumbridge Jr, made a big kite once, and then I took over and said I wanted to make the big kites.“Usually, I will hold the line myself because that was my grandfather’s thing. He always liked to hold the kite himself. Two or three guys would pitch it but my grandfather would hold the line. I have had instances where it has been really windy and the kite has dragged me on the grass a bit, but never any instance where I couldn’t hold it.”In 2011, Mr Tumbridge won a prize for his seven ft tall traditional Bermuda kite at the annual kite festival organised by Chewstick at Horseshoe Bay. He did not enter in 2012 but hopes to enter this year.“I am not worried about winning or losing,” he said. “I am just interested in making a big kite.”He admitted that making a large kite is not without its complications and frustrations.“The size is the difficulty,” said Mr Tumbridge. “When you are making the kite it is difficult to reach across to paper it without breaking it.”Ideally, it has to be launched from a rooftop or high place. He holds it with super strong parachute cord that you can buy from a bait and tackle store to catch rockfish.This year he was running a bit behind before the big day as he caught a cold and work on the kite was delayed.“Other past disasters have included my dog walking over it,” said Mr Tumbridge. “Once I had it stood up and the wind blew it over and busted a few patches. Putting a big kite up is difficult as you only get one shot. As soon as you stand the kite up, you have to be ready to hold the line, and make sure it goes up. If there is not enough tail or the loop (the part that connects the line to the kite) comes loose and it comes down, nine times out of ten, it is going to break when it hits the ground.“There is no second chance. You definitely feel disappointed when it comes down and all the patches break. All you can really do is get the tape out and hope it will fly again.”The good news is that big kites usually go up very easily, as long as there is enough tail and they have a good loop.“I have the design down now,” said Mr Tumbridge. “The loop is very straight forward. I always put extra tail on the kite. If it goes up and won’t stay up I know I can always take a piece of tail off. It’s harder to go the other way.“If there is enough wind there is definitely the chance of getting swept off your feet. I usually have a second person there to help me. I have never flown a 10.5 ft one so I may have another two people behind me.“I designed the loop on the kite so the kite will sit further up in the air. It pulls when it goes up and then it is a matter of letting the line out slowly, and getting it to where you want to be for the whole day.”Good Friday’s kite will have three hummers on it. When it’s up, you won’t be able to miss it.Mr Tumbridge said there were some safety considerations when you build a large kite. The frame is big enough and heavy enough to punch a hole in a roof, if it comes down suddenly.“You want to make sure everyone is paying attention when you are flying it,” he said. “I know some friends who put a hole in someone’s roof. On Easter Sunday they were up there trying to fix the roof for that person. It was a long weekend for them. It happens. Cross your fingers that nothing crazy happens with this kite.”He has taught several people how to make kites. He particularly enjoys showing off the craft to non-Bermudians who may be unfamiliar with Bermuda kites.“We had a few Canadian tenants, and they were intrigued by Bermuda kites,” he said. “I sat with them for a weekend and taught them how to make a Bermuda kite. We had a great time. The first year they came they were amazed by the big kite.”