Video: Vincent Tuzo Bermuda’s Kite King
Considered by many to be Bermuda’s premier kite-maker, Vincent Tuzo has made thousands of kites, flown a kite for 50 straight hours, won awards and even informed President Bush his kite flying skills were not up to par.
He says he learned how to make kites from his mother at age five and began selling kites made out of brown paper, wool and pond sticks for three pence decades ago. Each kite takes him about two- three hours to craft.
In 1990 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US President George H. Bush visited Bermuda for an informal meeting. The two heads of state flew kites with Mr Tuzo at Government House. The American President enthusiastically told a group of reporters: ”I’m one of the better kite flyers. I have a large inventory of kites.”
When Mr Tuzo was asked whether Mr. Bush struck him as an experienced kite flyer, he replied: ”I wouldn’t say he was. The Prime Minister did better than him.’‘
Known as the “Kite King”, in 1996 Mr. Tuzo was one of ten Bermudians on the Queen’s New Year Honours List, and in 2008 he won the Bermuda Arts Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Courtesy of LookBermuda, a video on Mr Tuzo and Bermuda kite making:
So nice to see that Mr. Tuzo is still making kites and teaching others how to do this. My son and I attended a workshop at the library years ago. It was great fun! This gentleman is a national treasure.