Epic Days in OBX

 
Will Brooks rockin some of the biggest rallies and unhooked kite loops I have seen this year. We decided to go out and shoot late, Will and I thought the pictures might not turn out. But now, I kind of like the silhouette shot with the sunset in the background. Will was throwing down some pretty sweet moves on the 9m edge. Rumour has it he might start rockin Ozone's soon.

All the shots were taken after having a killer downwinder from Kitty Hawk Kites to Pea Island on the Outer Banks. Everybody had a great time. Will showed us around some of the slicks. He even showed me this sick land gap, which was a pretty big commitment to pull off if you were going to jump it. I cleared it twice! One jump being bigger than the other. As Will, Craig, Bryan and I cruised down wind I totally got hosed. Right before the entrance of the slick! I had crashed my kite and some how when I crashed the kite, one of the pump hoses from the leading edge came off and my kite deflated.

As all the other guys saw what happened, they just said to start walking for the road. In the mean time the instructions from Will were, "Dude walk in the water and watch for water moccasins, snaping turtles, huge cat sized rats" and even mad deer that have chased him before. So I am stressed as it is because of the snakes.

I look around me and take a deep breath and start to fold up my deflated kite. And I start to think to myself, "If i was younger I would break down and cry!!" Worried as I start my adventure towards the road. As I am walking through these water canals I am holding my kite in one hand and my board in the other to protect me from the crazy critters that were described to me earlier.

Walking through tall wet grassy nasty marsh land, getting eaten by killer mosquito's and chewed on by huge green horse flys. I was going NUTS. I didn't know what to do first, should I swat at the 15 mosquito's on my arm, hit the green horse fly eatting my neck or defend myself from the swooping birds that were probably just defending there nesting area. All while trying to walk through waist high grass and bushes while on the looking out for snakes, rats, deer, and every other swamp critter out to get me.

As I was getting eaten alive I made it to the road. Which was not any better, I started to fold up my kite and I got swarmed by every bug that likes eating human flesh. I was swatting and running in the wind trying to put my kite together smaller so someone would pick me up. As I was rolling my kite I was hitch hiking and some curious people stopped to give me a lift back to Kitty Hawk. The poor people that gave me a ride got eaten too! Not only that, they got like 80 or so mosquito's in the car. Oops. Thank you though random people that gave me a lift.

The whole down winder was worth it. I will do it again soon, I hope this time I will make it farther and get to ride Pea Islands slicks of buttery water.

Moral of the story = Booties on your feet aren't as gay as they look, especial when you have to walk out of the marshes of the OBX!!

Peace
Patrick