Mathnasium in action...

Ready for my opening May 1st...

Mathnasium of Brooklyn Heights

This is what's next for me. On May 1st, I will be opening a Mathnasium Math Learning Center in Brooklyn, NY.

U.S. kids are falling further behind the rest of the world everyday.

In 2000, American students finished 20th out of the top industrialized nations in math. In 2003, they dropped to 24th....in 2006 they slipped to 26th and in 2009 they dropped to 31st (PISA Reports).

The Wall Street Journal called this an "economic timebomb."

It is my belief that parents must take their children's education into their own hands. Public education has failed us. This is now a national epidemic that will take years to remedy with the help of learning centers like Mathnasium that recognize the need and have a proven record of getting American kids back on track.

I'm thrilled to be a part of this effort.

BVI Kite Jam...here I come!

Letter to the REAL Team

Team,

Eight years ago today, I was evacuated from the World Financial Center, which sat as close to the World Trade Center as Watermen’s Retreat is to the REAL Flagship Store. I watched from a window on the 28th floor as the second plane made impact. After a very orderly descent down the stairwell, I watched as firemen, lined up like soldiers, marched into the lobby of the north tower. No one had any idea that those towers would fall. There was no sense of urgency at all. I walked casually north along the Hudson River until I heard a rumble and turned around to see only one tower standing and a giant cloud of dust overtaking lower Manhattan like something out of a science fiction movie.

In the days and weeks that followed, I worked close enough to ground zero to see, hear and smell horrible things. Twisted metal everywhere. Ambulance sirens screeching all day. The horrible stench of burnt everything. Funeral after funeral.

I guess the reason I’m telling you this is to remind you that life is short. If you’re not happy, do something about it. If you don’t feel fulfilled, do something about it. And don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. Figure out what it’s going to take to put a smile on your face everyday and make it happen.

I still wake up every morning in awe of this place, Cape Hatteras, and the fact that this is now my home. I hope you do too. We are extremely fortunate to live where we live and to do what we love everyday. We make up a tiny percentage of the world’s population. Savor it! Strive to be happy. Don’t ever take it for granted!

Carl

Naish SUP Summer Race Series - Labor Day Weekend

This past Saturday, standup paddleboarders from around the country kicked off the 2009 Naish SUP Summer Race Series at REAL. The race took place in the Pamlico Sound with a 3.5 mile course that started and ended at the REAL Flagship Store in the Village of Waves. Fifteen paddlers fought upwind for a mile before rounding the first buoy. They then paddled southwest to the second buoy placed 1/2 mile offshore and continued downwind around Slick Island to the finish. REAL employee Eric "Numbers" Nelson was the first to cross the finish with a time of 47:47.01. Local chef, Victoria Lowe, won the woman's competition.

Standup paddle boarding is quickly becoming the fastest growing water sport in Cape Hatteras. It is now quite common to see two or three standup paddleboarders mixed in with the surfers at any local surf break. Additionally, on a light wind day, you now see as many SUPs as kayaks in the Pamlico Sound. What's the reason for this growth? Standup paddling is an extraordinary, full body workout. It's also great for your balance. For men, women and children of all ages, standup allows easy access to the miles and miles of flat, waist deep water that the Pamlico Sound has to offer. Likewise, many kiteboarders seeking "no wind" activities are being drawn to the sport. Whether it be in the flat water or the surf zone, the balance, endurance and paddle skills required to master the sport keep people coming back for more.

REAL will be hosting two more SUP races this Fall. The next race will be on Saturday, October 10th, followed by Saturday, November 28th. All are welcome to participate and there is no cost to register. Whether you're a seasoned distance paddler or a beginner, we encourage you to come out and join the fun! Stay tuned for more information on those events.

Demo Daze & Party Nights Recap

Cape Hatteras Sea Turtles

Volunteers will be hitting the beach tonight in hopes of protecting baby sea turtles as they make there way past the ghost crabs to the open ocean and out to the Gulf Stream!

More on the subject here...

Off The Beaten Path

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a 72-mile stretch of the Outer Banks from Nags Head to Ocracoke Island. The waters off these barrier islands, once marauded by Black Beard the Pirate now serve as an outdoor adventure paradise where the fun is powered by the sun, sea, and wind. Surfers, surf casters, body surfers, wind surfers, kite boarders, hang glider pilots, all migrate to the Outer Banks like waterfowl along the eastern flyway. The seashore boasts miles of white beaches for the beachcomber, sunbather, and wader. Further inland, hikers can explore nature trails that meander through sand dunes, marshes, and woodlands. - GORP.com

We Belong

Turn your volume up. This song is beautiful! This is a collection of my favorite photos I've taken since I've been in Cape Hatteras with music by Jamie Litt, who recently visited REAL, and her sister. Gave me chills the first time I heard her play it.

Hurricane Bill

Hurricane Bill is pushing triple overhead swells towards Cape Hatteras. The fire department is closing the bridge in a few hours. I just went to the beach to check out the action and well...the beach is gone! The waves are washing up to the dunes. The ocean looks PRETTY angry!

Check out the Hurricane Bill Report on REAL's website...

Naish SUP Summer Race Series Comes to REAL!

Click here for more information on this great event and to register!

Party Boat

This shot was taken before REAL's 8th Anniversary Party Saturday night. Party shots will follow if I get my hands on them. I was having too much fun on the boat and forgot to take photos. :o)

SUP photos

I surfed tonight on a Naish 10'6 Standup Paddle Board. Right in my backyard. Beautiful waist to chest high glassy sets rolling in from 7pm until dark. We watched the sunset over the dunes while we were out there. And it's a Monday. I feel like the luckiest man alive.

My 36th Birthday

Today is my 36th birthday. I celebrated all weekend with some great surf and kite sessions and in the company of some good friends from New York. We had a campfire on the beach Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. We ate a lot of fish tacos and drank a lot of beers. Good birthday weekend for sure!

Today, after work, I checked two surf breaks before deciding that the ocean was too flat to long board. My SUP is out of commission. I tried to make it over a wave a few weeks ago and as the wave crested and I realized I wasn't going to make it, my body slammed so hard against the board that it literally snapped the board in half. Only my deck pad and a little foam held it together. Too bad. It was only a month old.

I've taken my beatings getting my surf skills up to par... bruised ribs, a gash on my back from eating the sand in the shore break, and a sprained ankle. Hopefully these things come in 3s because I'm 36 now! My body can't take this kind of beating! :o)

But I never expected to so soon into my SUP career snap a beautiful 11 foot Takayama in half!

So now I'm long boarding because all I have left is a long board. And I'm getting good! Surfing is no joke! You have to pay your dues, but it's worth it. I can honestly say that I am as addicted to surfing now as I am to kiting. Lucky for me I live in Cape Hatteras and can do one or the other every day! Every single day!

Happy birthday Carl. It's going to be a good year!

Kiteboarding for Cancer

REAL Watersports is a proud sponsor of this year's Kiteboarding4Cancer event in the Gorge. We're donating a 7 night stay at the lovely Watermen's Retreat in Cape Hatteras, NC...built from the ground up by kiteboarders for kiteboarders.

http://kb4c.org/sponsors_detail.cfm?RecordID=22

My Bio on the REAL Website

After spending 12 years in New York working in the investment management business, Carl accepted the position of marketing director for REAL and moved to Cape Hatteras in February of 2009. A long time snowboarder and kayaker, Carl learned how to kiteboard in the winter of 2007. Immediately recognizing the growth potential for the sport, Carl started a kiteboard club in Manhattan and spent his weekends teaching fellow city slickers how to kite. His passion for kiteboarding and teaching kiteboarding led him to realize that this sport was what he wanted to devote his career to. Although Carl still misses the pizza, the jazz and the nightlife of NYC, he is very grateful to wake up to the wind and the waves of Cape Hatteras every morning.