2009 REAL Alumni Retreat - Random Photos

2009 REAL Alumni Retreat Video

REAL Alumni Retreat Recap

Special THANKS to all that attended the 1st Annual REAL Alumni Retreat in Montauk, NY June 26-28 !

This past weekend turned out to be the “Beginning of Summer” for the Long Island area, as they have been drowned in rain and colder than average temperatures for the entire Spring season. During the REAL Alumni Retreat, we experienced air temps in the upper 70’s all weekend long, with clear blue skies. Summer was in stock and the beaches were packed !

Conditions were perfect for surfing and standup paddleboarding at Ditch Plains in Montauk on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a solid 3-4ft SE groundswell and light offshore winds. This is a rock bottom pointbreak, making for long left hand rides, much longer than what we experience herein Cape Hatteras with our sand bottom and shorter, more hollow waves.

The REAL Alumni showed up in full force and were surfing and standup paddling their brains out, many taking 4 sessions or more each day ! REAL Co-Founder Trip Forman started off Saturday by taking a 6:30am dawn patrol surf on his new Takayama “In The Pink” 9’6, followed by a 12 mile standup paddle around Montauk Point to Gossman’s Dock on a 12’ Naish Glide SUP, then finished the day with some incredible evening glassy waist to chest high lefts on his new 9’6 Stretch Standup Paddleboard. Nuzzi rocked Ditch all day long switching between the Tak 9’6 In the Pink and the Takayama 11’ SUP. Sam Bell, Jason Slezak, Bryan Elkus and Dave Betz also put in more than their fair share of water time on all the surf and sups they brought north in the REAL Heli-Van. All these guys were on the water or helping people on the beach from sun up to sun down ! Sessions, Sessions, Sessions…. Everyone was having fun and enjoying the first few days of the northeast Summer !

The evening party schedule was just as intense as the daytime’s water schedule ! Friday night saw everyone heading out to The Shagwong Restaurant for dinner and then to The Surf Lodge for after dinner drinks. The REAL Alumni Retreat Party on Saturday night was hosted at The Sunset Saloon, right on the water with a catered BBQ, Beer and Wine, and a live band from Long Island, “My Friend Ben”. The band was impressive with great musical talent and a solid following in the crowd. Everyone was asking, “When are these guys going to play in Cape Hatteras ?”. We hope soon, because they put on a killer show ! 100 RSVP guests were treated to dinner and drinks while another 150-200 people showed up to join in on the fun throughout the party. It was a great night with a beautiful sunset !

The wind held light on Sunday providing another epic day of surfing and standup paddling,then turned SW and increased on Monday to 15-20mph !Riders headed to the local kite beach at Napegue Harbor for a warm air and water, flatwater session. Slezy-J wowed the crowd when he whipped out the REAL Kicker from the back of the heli-van and set it up on Lazy Point right off the rocks. Slezy rode his signature model, the new LF Influence Kiteboard and a Liquid Force Havoc 12m and 14m kite. As the wind lightened at the end of the day, he kept powered by switching to a LF Havoc 16m and surfboard. All the riders were on 10m to 16m kites most of the day and it was the perfect ending to an unbelievably fun weekend !!!! REAL : Kite, Surf, Standup, Style…..Check, Check, Check, Check ! Mission Accomplished !

Everyone involved with the REAL Alumni Retreat would like to THANK everyone that turned out this past weekend to make it such a special event. It was great to see everyone at the beach, take sessions, enjoy new locations, listen to live music, throw a few back, dance, stay out too late, make new friends, learn new sports and all together, have a great time with good friends.

Special thanks to Lilly and Grant at The Ditch Witch for feeding us all weekend and to Alice at The East Deck Hotel for making this trip the best one yet !
We’re coming back next year so don’t miss The REAL Alumni Retreat in Montauk, NY !!!!!

http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.cfm?page=newsitem&id=1601

Home

Today was my first day back in Waves after almost a full week in the New York area. First stopping in to see my parents in NJ, then making a very efficient visit to Manhattan to visit my tenant (wanted to spend the absolute minimum amount of time in Manhattan) and then heading to Montauk. It was great to see my family and so many friends. It was great to meet so many like minded people...so passionate about the water...and from all different walks of life.

That's one of the beautiful things about kiteboarding and surfing. I've seen it in kayaking as well. No doubt it exists in the sport of sailing. Community. That's the only word to describe it. Within each of those sports mentioned exists a global community of people that share one thing in common...an inexplicable draw to the water. To them it's a playground that is different every single time they venture out. No two days are ever exactly the same. You could paddle or surf or kite or sail the same body of water one hundred times and never have the same experience twice.

As I arrive back in Hatteras and get settled again...and after a very successful Alumni Retreat and a very enjoyable visit with new and old friends...I feel very content. I feel the most relaxed and the most settled I've been since I arrived here in February. It felt so good coming over the bridge last night. This is home.

An Alumni Retreat update is coming but I need to sleep. Sessioned today as usual. Kited at sunset in the Sound. Was blowing 20 SSW.

First Annual REAL Alumni Retreat - Montauk, NY

REAL News
REAL Alumni Retreat
LAST CALL FOR RSVPs is Friday, June 19th !!!

REAL will be hosting a catered BBQ with LIVE BAND at:

Sunset Saloon
93 Navy Rd
Montauk, NY 11954
June 27, 2009
7pm – 10pm
In order to ensure that we have enough food and beer, you must RSVP by June 19th !!! Don’t wait another minute. It’s going to be the party of the summer !!!

PLEASE SEE THE UPDATED ITINERARY BELOW.

REAL is proud to announce the launch of our 1st Annual REAL Alumni Retreat scheduled for June 26-28, 2009 in Montauk, NY.

What : REAL Alumni Retreat
Where : Montauk, New York
When : June 26-28, 2009
Why : Kite, Surf, Standup Sessions, Demos, Clinics and Parties
Who : All REAL Alumni and their Friends
RSVP : Alumni@realwatersports.com

The 1st Annual REAL Alumni Retreat will happen June 26th-28th in Montauk, NY and YOU and your friends are invited ! The REAL Alumni Retreat is a weekend set aside each year so that all of our clients and their friends can get together and celebrate our years (or days) on the water with great sessions and great parties !

We decided to host our 1st Annual REAL Alumni Retreat in Montauk, NY since it is the home stomping ground of REAL Co-Founder Trip Forman AND because Montauk/Napeague Harbor offers a wide variety of session opportunities for kite, surf and standup paddleboarding action !

Already confirmed in attendance from the REAL TEAM are Trip Forman, Matt Nuzzo, Jason Slezak, Sam Bell, Jeff Soderberg, Ryan Evans, Bryan Elkus and Carl Giordano.

REAL Alumni Retreat Schedule
Here is how the schedule is looking for the three day weekend. As we get closer, this will be updated.

Friday June 26th
AM : Kite, Surf and Standup Sessions in Napegue Harbor and Montauk Areas
7PM : Burgers and Beers at the Shagwong Restaurant
9PM : Drinks at Surf Lodge

Saturday, June 27th
AM : Kite, Surf and Standup Sessions in Napeague Harbor and Montauk Areas
7PM – 10PM : Catered BBQ with Live Band at Sunset Saloon

Sunday, June 28th
AM : Kite, Surf and Standup Sessions in Napegue Harbor and Montauk Areas
PM : Drive home with huge session hangovers !

Because we are at the mercy of the wind and the waves, we will provide everyone with a cell number to announce exactly where we will be kiting or surfing or SUPing. We will also be announcing locations and activities on Twitter.

We urge you to book your accommodations soon! Please email us at Alumni@realwatersports.com if you’re not familiar with the area and would like some advice on where to stay.

PLEASE RSVP
In order to help us plan this event more efficiently, please RSVP by sending an email to Alumni@realwatersports.com for you and your friends attendance. Also we need your t-shirt size(s), so we can hook you up with some new RED Threads !

Also, please be sure to print out a copy of the Montauk Area Local Kiteboarding Guidelines.

We look forward to seeing you and your friends at the 1st annual REAL Alumni Retreat !