11 Jan 2026

The octogenarian YouTuber flying high with kite videos

From Summer Weekends, 11:48 am on 11 January 2026

Eighty-five year-old Jim Nicholls is one of New Zealand's hottest influencers. He's a big name in the world of kites and he's got thousands of fans from around the world tuning into his YouTube channel. He's a fountain of knowledge: his videos are all about how to fly kites, how to have fun with kites, where to buy kites and what elevates one model over another. Jim joins Emile from Christchurch to share the joy.

Jim Nicholls stands on the beach holding a giant red kite with a rokkaku design on it.

Jim Nicholls with a giant rokkaku kite Photo: Jim Nicholls

A colourful assortment of flow tail kites fly in formation against a bright blue sky.

Jim Nicholls flowtail kites fill the sky Photo: Jim Nicholls