Outer Banks: Avon, NC

I’ve been traveling to the Outer Banks since 2017 and was lucky to spend two weeks in Avon during the month of May. My work with Dakine Wind includes supporting retail shops and watersports schools, and I had four retail locations and several kite schools to check in with during my stay. I’ve enjoyed staying in almost every village in OBX, and selected Avon for this trip due to its centralized location to all the riding spots. Generally, I prefer to rent ocean-side homes to allow for easy access to surfing and a nice beach to hang out on during wind-less periods. There are so many options for sound-side riding, all within just a few minutes’ drive from the house.

The first day brought my favorite conditions in the afternoon, and I was able to run two ocean downwinders with friends in Frisco. The SW wind angle felt nearly side-shore, and the waves were much better than they initially looked from the beach. I was leaning toward wing foiling, but by the time I had rigged and hit the water, there were plenty of waist- to chest-high waves and we had two incredible runs. It was so rewarding to kite the ocean with friends who I had taught to kite two years prior. The setup was perfect, with conditions that were fun for me, without being too challenging for my friends who were newer to strapless riding.

I usually temper my expectations when SW flow is forecasted to continue into the next morning, but this time was an exception and the next morning featured 15-20 kts of wind. The wind swell had built overnight, and I had the perfect power in my 11m kite, resulting in some of the best ocean riding I had experienced in months. I was also using my Ugo Kite 360 Line Mount for the first time and captured some great footage.

The wind pattern shifted to NE for the rest of the week, which presented new options for ocean riding and great flat-water conditions in the sound. The swell forecast was mediocre, but over time the wind would drive wind swell and I found at least one good kitesurf downwinder each day. I am a regular-foot surfboard rider and have been working on riding goofy stance when there is side-shore wind from the left. It is way less challenging and more natural than I expected, although my legs quickly became sore from the new riding position (specifically my right hamstring). I’ve been dealing with back tension and pain the last couple years and riding goofy stance occasionally should help to balance out the load on my lower back. I could feel the difference in my body after just one run and am looking forward to continuing to work on my goofy-foot technique in the surf.

Unfortunately, I had to take a few days off due to a surfing accident at the end of week one. Doing a lazy duck dive resulted in me getting pulled backwards into a wave, and both my neck and lower back snapped back as far as they can go. I could instantly tell something was wrong and was dealing with tension and discomfort for the next few days. I think this was exacerbated by all the kitesurfing I did the week prior, taking many faceplants and hard wipeouts throughout many runs. It was frustrating to miss time on the water, but at least I didn’t miss any good wave kiting days and was ready to ride for the last few days of my stay.

The last couple days brought an ENE wind that went straight East on our last day, Friday the 20th. I’ve heard stories of people kiting the Frisco washout in NE/ENE wind, getting an incredible side-offshore wave setup and I wanted to try myself. I attempted it, but there was too much current and not enough wind to kite in place, so I started to think about downwinder options. During a lull in the wind, I decided to do a little exploring and found a relatively new parking lot near the Cape Hatteras Campground called “South Beach Parking Lot”. It’s only accessible via the campground and features the closest parking to Cape Point on the South side of Hatteras Island. Starting a downwinder here allowed me to explore almost the entire South shore, giving me tons of frontside goofy-foot practice in the smaller swell. Wind was relatively light, but just enough for an 11m kite and efficient flat-rocker surfboard.

We returned to the same parking lot the next day, Friday, and I prepared to kite the same route with bigger waves, rain, and slightly more offshore wind. I was totally comfortable going solo after doing the run with mellow conditions the day before. Having stronger wind and bigger swell, I pumped an 8m Drifter and took my 5’7” KT Driver kite surfboard. After the first few waves, I saw a shark cruising along a sandbar with its fin poking out of the water as I rode back toward the beach for a bottom turn. I continued past it toward the beach, watching its tail breach the surface as I passed about 15 feet upwind. This was the closest shark encounter I’ve ever had while kiting, and I was very relaxed about it until my first fall afterwards. The side-offshore wind and ESE swell combined to form some of the cleanest ocean conditions I have ever kited. The first couple miles featured clean shore break and inner sandbars, and I was glad to stay close to shore after spotting the shark. This area is closed to vehicles and the solitude was incredible, making me feel like I was in a dream with the crazy weather and atypical conditions. By halfway through the run, I was finding double overhead glassy bowls on the outer sandbars and could occasionally make multiple turns down the line. I was riding my stronger regular stance, backside, and felt confident going for aggressive top turns in stormy weather and side-offshore wind. As I approached the end point it started to downpour, and I was glad to get off the water just in time. This marked the end of a great two-week trip, and I felt accomplished in discovering a new area and riding it in challenging conditions. The Outer Banks always brings a fun mix of conditions throughout a trip, and this one didn’t disappoint at all.