TAKING TO THE SKY With flying colors Four of the Seiditas' kites appear in the background during the opening scenes of the movie 'Snow Dogs.'

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Frank and Barb Seidita must have been disappointed when they canceled their ski trip eight years ago. It was February, and the slopes in southwestern New York State should have been coated with a thick powder of snow.
Little did the Seiditas know, however, that their decision to cancel that trip would pave the way for a new hobby -- kite flying -- as well as a new business and a part in one of the country's most popular movies.
Today, the Seiditas, of New Middletown, are the owners of B & amp; F Aerial Entertainment, an Austintown company that sells kites and provides kite presentations for events. They also own at least 100 different kites.
Four of the Seiditas' kites -- three resembling 100-foot-long octopi and another in the shape of a huge squid - can be seen behind the actors in the first few scenes of the movie "Snow Dogs."
Interest: "We fly inside, outside, big kites, little kites. We have little, little kites we fly with a spool of thread," Barb said. When asked why she enjoys kite flying, Barb answered, "Anybody can do it, it gets you outside and it's fun to do."
The Seiditas first became interested in kite flying when they decided to cancel the ski trip because of warm weather. Instead, they visited Presque Isle, where they saw people having fun as they were pulled across ice by kites.
"It just looked like a fun thing to do," Frank said.
He said that since then, he has wanted to go back to Presque Isle to try hanging on to a kite as it pulls him across the ice. However, he said he and his wife haven't had the time or opportunity to make the trip.
Both Frank, 55, and Barb, 54, have full-time jobs in addition to owning B & amp; F. Frank works in maintenance at WCI Steel in Warren, while Barb is an optician at Optiview Vision Center in Austintown.
B & amp; F is a division of Send it Packin' Plus, an Austintown shipping business owned by the Seiditas'' daughter, Meshelle.
In their free time, the Seiditas sell and fly kites, give demonstrations and take their larger kites to national kite-flying events. Barb said they attend about six national events each year.
Reaching the stars: The Seiditas were attending a kite-flying event in April in Miami when David Gomberg, president of the American Kitefliers Association, asked if they were interested in flying their kites in a movie.
When asked why he chose the Seiditas, Gomberg said, "they've got really great kites, and they're really good people."
The Seiditas agreed to Gomberg's offer, and rescheduled their flight back to Ohio so their kites could appear in the movie.
"We said, 'Hey, who knows when we're going to get this opportunity again?'" Frank said. They were compensated for participating in the filming.
Filming of the opening scenes of "Snow Dogs" lasted two days. Frank said he and his wife had to be at the beach for filming each day at 5:30 a.m.
"It's a lot of work just for a couple days," he said. Once at the beach, the Seiditas would set up the huge kites and post them in the sand. Some of the kites cost $4,200, are specially made in New Zealand and are controlled by ropes that can hold up to 1,100 pounds.
Frank noted that he tries to fly the kites about 250 feet above the ground to ensure that people will not get tangled in the tentacles of the octopi. He also said people can get hurt if they get near the ropes connected to the kites.
The Seiditas said they ate lunch with the cast of the movie, including well-known actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Lunch was served in an 800-square foot tent.
"It was unbelievable, the stuff they brought in," Barb said. "They treat you like royalty."
Filming lasted until 7:30 p.m., when the Seiditas pulled their kites down. Barb said the "ferocity" of the kites and ropes whipping through the air can make the process dangerous.
"If you don't know what you're doing, you could get hurt," she said.
Name change: The Seiditas said they weren't told when the movie would be released. They said they weren't even aware that the title of the movie was "Snow Dogs" -- they were told it would be "Winter Dance."
Barb said she and her husband realized the title had been changed when they saw a commercial for the movie. Frank added that they haven't been bragging to their friends and family about how their kites appeared in a movie.
"We know, and we enjoy it and we have fun with it," he said.
Frank also didn't include movies when asked about his future plans. He said that when he and his wife retire, they hope to travel while continuing to enjoy flying kites.
"Our dream is to retire and just travel around to all the festivals and just have fun," he said.
hill@vindy.com