BVI Kite Jam...here I come!

Holiday Sessions Continue in Cape Hatteras

Warm Weather holds tight in OBX
Warm weather, wind and waves continue for Cape Hatteras!

Plenty of wind and waves on tap for the coming weekend no matter what your sport. Unseasonably warm weather, water and epic conditions are expected to continue through the upcoming weekend! We’re still wearing t-shirts and the weather is feeling more like early October than December. Check out what’s on tap for this coming weekend:

Wednesday 12/2 : SE winds 30+ mph, 68 degrees, building SE swell.

Thursday 12/3 : SW winds 25-30+mph, 63 degrees, 9-10ft S swell.

Friday 12/4 : NE winds 15-20mph, 60 degrees, 5ft S swell.

Saturday 12/5 : NE > NNW winds, 25-30+mph, 58 degrees, 10ft NE swell.

Sunday 12/6 : N > NE winds, 20-25mph, 50 degrees, 10ft NE swell.

Happy Thanksgiving from REAL!

Kitesurfing in Cape Hatteras, NC Fall 2009 from Real Watersports on Vimeo.

REAL Fall Lighthouse Kiteboarding

Demo Daze & Party Nights Recap

REAL Flagship Store Build Out

This week REAL Watersports celebrates its 8th

Year Anniversary. A lot has changed since

then...

inlcuding the construction of the REAL

Flagship Store in the Village of Waves, NC.

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.

Summermodo

It took a tremendous amount of planning and preparation but thankfully Summermodo went off without a hitch. Heineken Light was the sponsor. Twnety-two editors and readers from Gizmodo, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics came to Cape Hatteras to test water gadgets. They tested everything from a giant hamster ball made for a human to a 2010 model Sea-Doo jetski that can go 70mph across the water. Everyone took a two day kite camp at REAL, spent their nights at Watermen's Retreat and were fed by Mojo's Sunset Cafe on the back deck of REAL. We had Mojo Collins and Camp F perform for them Friday and Saturday night. It was a great time! The blogging just started on Gizmodo and I look forward to reading more of their reviews.

Check it out yourself at Summermodo!

First Ride

This is what REAL Watersports is all about!

We make new riders everyday. Claire, one of our coaches, captured THE moment when a student,

clearly very young, does a water start and for the first time, something clicks! He's up and riding.

He's cruising across the water being pulled by the kite for the first time! It's a beautiful moment.

This is why I moved to Hatteras! Moments like this!

SURFMODO...Gizmodo comes to REAL!

http://gizmodo.com/5315512/summermodo-contest-win-a-trip-to-surf-camp-with-gizmodo

Harness the Wind

To commit yourself to learning something extraordinary

To then take it to the next level

To try and master it

To make art of it

That's what it's all about

The Instructor in Me

Sometimes, even as marketing director, you have to roll up the sleeves and get your hands dirty. :o)

Nicole was my first student since I left New York. It felt really good to instruct. That's why I'm here. That's how it all started. I got my certification and started teaching lessons on the beaches of Long Island. For me, teaching kiteboarding is almost as fun as actually kiteboarding. Thanks Nicole! What a great sport to be able to introduce people to!

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 !

Post Triple-S Update

It has now been one week since the Triple-S has ended. I'm still recovering from what seemed like one LONG day meshed together. Preparations leading up to the event and then the actual execution of the event...rider check in, coordinating housing, allocating rider jerseys, crowd control, security, banners, bands, food....WOW! And although I'm glad it's over, it was an amazing time. I'm already looking forward to next year. It's not too often that you get to hang out with the some of the best riders in the world.

It was back to reality this week...which meant digging out from the pile of work on my desk. Lots going on this summer! We've got the First Annual REAL Alumni Retreat in Montauk, NY June 26th to June 28th and that's my priority right now.

Last night I went for my first SUP session in the ocean. The water here in Cape Hatteras is warm enough to just wear some boardshorts...and so clean and transparent. I felt like I was in the Caribbean. It's amazing how the Gulf Stream pushes such crystal clear, turquoise colored water right into my backyard.

Wind is back today and I'm looking forward to a lunchtime session. Life is good!

2009 Triple-S kicks off in Cape Hatteras, NC

The 2009 Triple-S Invitational kicked off on Saturday, May 30th with the official Triple-S Welcome Dinner and Opening Ceremonies Party. The Triple-S Invited riders and the public were treated to a classic Carolina BBQ Pig Roast with all the trimmings outside right on the water at The Slick. The Welcome Dinner started at 5pm and put the sun down as “DJ Chela” kicked up the music and the Triple-S Opening Ceremonies Party. As the crowd started to wind up, spectators were stoked with a 6 table Triple-S athlete autograph session on the official event poster. Imagine being able to have one poster with signatures from Aaron Hadlow, Ruben Lenten, Robby Naish, Andre Phillip, Greg Norman Jr, Jason Slezak, Sam Bell, Brandon Scheid, Kevin Langeree, Susi Mai, Clarissa Hempel and all the Triple-S athletes, all on one poster ! The vibe during the autograph session was off the hook as the excitement (and music) kept building and building ! AT 9:10PM it was time to party and the tables were cleared and the dancing began….The Triple-S Opening Ceremonies Party continued thru until 11pm with rider introductions and a speech from Robby Naish officially kicking off the event. Unbelievable music and dancing continued until 11pm at REAL and MOJOs, and then carried on to the after hours party where DJ Chela threw down until 4am ! Needless to say, everyone was loving the 11am riders meeting on Sunday morning !

http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.cfm?page=newsitem&id=1590

John Wayne Cancer Foundation

The John Wayne Cancer Foundation is THE major sponsor of the 4th Annual Triple-S Invitational, hosted by REAL Watersports May 30th to June 5th, 2009. The Triple-S is considered the world championship of freestyle kiteboarding. The three S's of the Triple S are SURF, SLICKS and SLIDERS....three very distinct riding competitions. 24 riders from 12 different countries will compete.

Here's to TEAM DUKE! Click on the photo to be taken to their website.