It has seemingly been non-stop windy in The Outer Banks for the last 2 weeks. With Springtime in the air, tourists have flooded the national seashores. We have been busy taking as many kiteboarding sessions as possible, while the spring conditions last.
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Climb the Hatteras Lighthouse
After many years living in Outer Banks of NC, I had never climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Mel’s friend Andy came to town, so we headed to Buxton on a slightly overcast day and made the 12 story hike to the top of the lighthouse. I’m glad we did it early in the spring when the weather was a bit cooler because I could see how that could easily turn into a sweat box. It is quite an amazing view from up there. We hung around for a few minutes taking in the view then made the decent back.
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Morning After an OBX Swell
We awoke for dawn patrol monday morning in hopes of catching some residual swell from Sunday’s amazing day of surfing in Cape Hatteras. There was really nothing of notable mention in the water. However, there was a spectacular OBX Sunrise. I was at the Rodanthe Pier for the sunrise before heading out to surf.
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Sunday Skate LGB (4/18)
The weekly installment of Sunday Skate Sessions went off again this Sunday without a hitch. Jessie and team Ontario showed up in full force. I have come to realize that every time I show up to watch/skate at the Laughing Gull Bowl (LGB) the level of riding there increases almost exponentially. Mikey was doing 5 foot airs over the death box (fake pool filter), Shawn was rocketing off the hip and landing near into the pocket of the taco, and Jesse was just doing his thing! Here are a couple shots from sunset…
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Cape Hatteras Surf Session
Cape Hatteras finally saw a swell grace our shores with its presence on Sunday. We were up at dawn to start the day. The waves were head to over head high and barreling like it only does in the Outer Banks. It was non-stop fun until the sun went down.
Update: Featured in:
– ESPN Surfing “That Hollow Feeling”.
– Surfline.com “Spinning Out of Control” -
Ben Wilson Surf in Hatteras
Ben Wilson and CEO of Ben Wilson Surf (BWS), Bruce Exton, made their way to Cape Hatteras, NC during a tour of the East Coast of the United States. REAL Team Riders Matt Keenan and Pro Surfer and Kiteboarder Josh Mulcoy of Santa Cruz also joined them for 4 days of riding on the island. They brought their new kite the BWS Noise. We had a great time with the crew and scored some really fun sessions.
The first day was very windy, so windy I wound up riding a 5m BWS Noise during the REAL Watersports/BWS demo. It wasn’t a very fair test of the kite in the gusty side off conditions. We then headed to the south side of the island for some onshore kiting. The wind was much lighter down there. The guys were riding 8m + 10m kites and comfortable in spring suits. The waves were fun but nothing special.
The next day we again headed to Hatteras. The waves were a bit larger but with a shorter period. Josh, Ben and Matt were charging in the surf. Ben and Josh blew everyone away with their power, style and airs.
The gear was great. I really enjoyed riding the 8m BWS Noise. The bar was my favorite part of the setup. It is a very simple setup and just works. The kite turns very quickly, and overall I had a great time riding it in the waves and wouldn’t hesitate to take one for another session.
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Erin and Mike’s Wedding
Erin and Mike’s wedding in Hilton Head was absolutely amazing. After a long drive from Cape Hatteras, we arrived to spend 4 days with friends and family. We had a blast to say the least, and the photos tell it all…
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Weather and Wildlife
We have had a few large fronts move through the Outer Banks this week. I also headed down to the Southside of the island to kiteboard. I stopped at the Frisco Pier to see what was left of it. There were hundreds if not thousands of birds migrating down the coastline.
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Sunday Night Skate
The Sunday skate at the Laughing Gull Bowl continued this week. It was a full house with most of the coaches back in town and the weather becoming warmer all were excited to skate. Everyone had a great session and some pretty technical tricks were being made. It was a great way to start the week!
Brad even shot a video of one of my runs…