Growing up on the west coast of Florida, I'd spent a lot of time enjoying water sports, so when local shopping center developer Scott Hallihan suggested a One Tank Trip to Cape Hatteras to discover the best kiteboarding destination in the world, located just 217 miles from downtown Raleigh, I was all over it. Many RD readers are familiar with Nags Head, but I suspect few have spent quality time further down the cape near Rodanthe, where the beaches are pristine and less developed.
We departed Raleigh just after lunch on Friday and arrived at REAL Watersports by mid-afternoon in time for kiteboard classroom training. As the wind picked up later in the day we were able to practice flying a small version of the kite from a beach to learn how to control and harness the wind before getting wet on Saturday.
Kiteboarding uses wind power generated by a large kite to pull a rider through the water on a wakeboard. The sport is still in its infancy, but is rapidly growing in popularity as it has become safer due to innovations in kite design and instruction. Early kites were relatively hard to de-power and re-launch in the water. New kite designs are so much easier to master that kiteboarding is now accessible to people from all walks of life. We saw a 9-year old taking lessons, and were told a 75-year old retired surgeon is a regular at the shop. Because the tension on the kite connects to a waist harness worn by the rider, upper body strength is not a prerequisite to enjoy the sport.
Once good kite flying skills are obtained, the next step is bodydragging, where a larger kite is flown and used to drag the student's body through the water. The effect is similar to bodysurfing, but with an upward lift component. Let me tell you from firsthand experience, this was a blast! The final step is to lie in the water and attach your feet to the board through the foot straps with the board downwind. The kite is then flown left and right until just the right amount of power is captured to lift you up and across the water on the board.
What's really cool at REAL Watersports is that the coach is right there with you on a personal water craft, so when you take off, you have an expert following alongside to teach you how to tack safely back to shore. They operate a first class, waterfront training center that's stocked to the gills with gear. And the location they selected to build their center is perfectly situated on the part of the Cape that gets the most consistent cross-shore wind. It's protected by a small island that serves to buffer offshore waves and create a smooth, slick surface. The water depth of the sound in this area is waist high for miles, and the clean sandy bottom makes this an ideal area to learn. Finally, the winds are excellent in the fall and the water temperature stays warm enough in the sound for kiteboarding through October.
Last year REAL Watersports taught over 6,000 new riders how to kiteboard. Their most successful way of teaching is a Kite Camp program which was recently ranked the #5 Adventure Camp in the World by Outside Magazine. These 3-day camps provide the ultimate full immersion experience and they even set you up with all the equipment. Our coach was Jason Slezak, one of the world's best kiteboarders. Formerly a competitive snowboarder and whitewater kayaker, Jason has been kiting since 1999 and tells some amazing stories of his experiences on oceans around the world, including kiting with the ffounders of Google and the CEO of the company building Richard Branson's space shuttle.
If you'd like to give kiteboarding a try, check out http://www.realwatersports.com/, and then shoot me an email to connect with Jason. He can help you get all lined up with gear and lessons. We're also looking to see if there's enough interest to round up a dozen people for a 3-day weekend camp in October.
Travel tip:
There's a variety of accommodations available in the area, from campgrounds to motels to condos and houses, as well as dozens of places to eat. Our favorite restaurant was Oceanas Bistro, where we had a superb piece of tuna and washed the salt water from the day down with a few pints of Guinness. Nightlife options are few and far between, so plan to get to get some rest after dinner and rise early to get back out on the water.
Movie tip:
Look for "A Night in Rodanthe" starring Richard Gere & Diane Lane due out September 26.
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