I think I can comfortably report that the absolute worst part of the first annual “Thanksgiving on the Dunes 2008” was that you missed it. (If you are among the lucky flyers that attended feel free to skip to the next paragraph.) We would all have had an even better time if you had been there. Many of you spent obligatory time with family [which you probably regretted and will again if you don’t come to your senses], while the rest of us were busy starting a new tradition of doing what we truly enjoy and thus giving ourselves something to be really thankful for. PLEASE, for your own health and sanity tell your family as soon as you can that you will be at the Outer Banks this Thanksgiving. Do not delay. Make the call now before somebody else makes plans you can’t figure a way out of.
Every event organizer hopes and prays for cooperative weather. Well this organizer had a lot of things to be thankful for last Thanksgiving………but the wind wasn’t one of them. After last year’s extremely atypical weather, my current theory is that we are pre-disastered for this year, and many more to come. Don’t get me wrong. Lot’s of kite flying fun was had by all, and will again this Thanksgiving; we got some kites up, just not as many or for as long as we’d hoped. Day one – Thanksgiving Day; take to the field at 10am-fly ‘till 5pm: Last year: Early morning calm slowly grew to about 7mph by 11am. At this point we are all encouraged, show kites are going up and our anticipation is starting to pay off. From that point on the winds began do die a looooonnngg painful death. By 3:30 Scott Koenig, your humble organizer was doing 360s with his indoor Rev…on top of the dunes. This actual drop to zero wind in Nag’s Head is nearly unprecedented. On the upside, that gave us a little extra time to get ready for Thanksgiving Dinner, which was delicious. Day two: Outdoor flying from 10am-3pm; Indoor fly from 4pm to 6pm Last year: An encouraging start with a steady 8-9mph wind. What more could you ask for? Within minutes Brad Weiner had an Octopus flying and was unpacking more toys when, wouldn’t you know it, the wind died. After an hour or so of pathetic puffing the wind picked up again. We had a few hours of good flying while, just like the first day, the wind slooooowwwwly died. To date we are unable to find a living soul who knows of any two days in a row when the wind actually came to a stop atop Jockey’s Ridge. Even the park ranger was amazed, and it turns out she has a masters degree in Meteorology. Fortunately day two is the day we have the indoor fly scheduled, so no harm no foul. Day three: Fly from 10am to 5pm Last year: High wind and low temperature made Saturday suitable only for the hardiest flyers. This year (Nov.28, ’09): Based on the same highly scientific wind predicting formula used above, I am looking forward to 14-16mph from the East.
Last year we had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner. The vegetarians among us substituted pizza for turkey, and we all agreed on dessert. Your choice of lemon or coconut chess pie. Later that night Chris Shultz and HQ sponsored a private party at the Blue Crab for casual after dinner drinks and entertainment. The next day the Outer Banks YMCA hosted us for an indoor fly. (The wind was perfect there.) In between flying, eating and parties there were kites to give away. Attending flyers went home with some new toys courtesy of Prism, Jackite, and Premier. Of course, above all else (pun intended) we flew. We flew giant sea creatures, power sleds, dual line sport kites, quad line sport kites, traction kites, trainer foils and active SLKs. We made some new friends, laughed with (and sometimes at) old friends, and generally had a big time. IMPORTANT NEWS For Thanksgiving ’09 look for: With [a lot of] help from our friends at Flying Smiles Kites we are moving this event to Corolla Island, NC. (Flyers: This is a store you need to know about. Cath and Elliot Shook are experienced pilots who can help you get the gear you need. They also maintain a “kite hospital” in case you are in need of an emergency room repair.) Once again attending flyers will enjoy lots of fun in the sun as well as Thanksgiving dinner together. There will again be a scheduled indoor fly (this will be in a new location as well). The good folks at Jackite, HQ and Prism have once more agreed to support this event. New sponsors include Gomberg Kites and New Tech Kites, among others. There are a few additional sponsors teetering on the brink of commitment, but as of the writing of this article we are not at liberty to announce those. New this year: Flying at The Whalehead Club allows us to fly on grass near the water. It is indeed a rare treat to enjoy a smooth East Coast onshore breeze without filling your socks with sand. This will be a huge relief to those who may have had trouble walking on the dunes. Access to the flying fields will be much more convenient this year. What’s more, the Whalehead Club is one of the only places on the Outer Banks where you can also enjoy a smooth West wind, or any other direction for that matter.
If beach flying is your thing, or if we need more room to fly, this is also the place for you because the walk from there to the beach will take just a short five minutes, so it’s very feasible to move back and forth as space needs and winds dictate. In all we are very excited about this event, and anticipate nothing but growth…more fun, more flyers, and a whale of a good time. Any and all comments are welcome. Contact: Scott Koenig at Melnsct@aol.com or call him at home at 423-725-3787. |
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