Goal remains to harness the wind and waves ? The Outer Banks Voice

Kitty Hawk Sports
One era ends. Another begins.
Fourth of four parts

So now, Kitty Hawk Sports is Kitty Hawk Surf Co. We sat down with John Harris to discuss the rationale for the change and what the future will hold. Also with us was Marc Maready, Kitty Hawk Kites marketing director.

Maready set the tone.

?All of this is an extension of John?s dream of teaching the world to fly,? he said. ?It?s introducing people to flight, whether it?s on a hang glider, flying a kite, or kite boarding. Any opportunity to harness the power of the wind.?

Harris chimes in: ?That?s always been the spiritual mission of the company. Teach the world to fly and giving people an incredible experience.?

The introspective side is evident. The company?s mission statement, posted throughout the office, incorporates the same spirit. Kites harness the wind, Harris wants his customers to harness the spirit of adventure.

Going back to 1975, the epiphany the young owners Harris and Ralph Buxton experienced ? teaching, not renting ? was more than just a way to prolong the lifespan of their inventory. When it comes to the Outer Banks tourist experience, Harris ?gets it.?

John Harris

?The Outer Banks is an incredible recreational Mecca,? he said. ?We don?t talk about it enough in that context. We never quite pull it together. The fishermen talk over here, the surfers over there.

?Think about it. The wind, the waves, the dunes and the sound are all right here in this really compact area. It?s the best surfing, kiteboarding, fishing, and windsurfing on the East Coast.?

Which brings us to the new name ? Kitty Hawk Surf. I relate to Harris that some folks are going to be sad at losing the longtime brand name. He is confident in his rationale.

?It?s all about communication,? he said. ?Locals know what Kitty Hawk Sports is. But when I ask visitors what the name means, some think it is a place to buy basketballs, soccer balls. Maybe I can find some running shoes there. That is the impetus for the change, so we can better communicate to our customers who we are and hopefully in return get more traffic to the store.?

Both businesses were built with an emphasis on instruction. Harris has no plans to abandon that concept.

?We?re interested in getting people started, engaged and going in the sport,? he said.

But there will be changes.

?The most impressive thing they are going to see when they walk in the store is a huge wall of brightly colored board shorts. We?ve broken the store down into four main sections: stand up paddle boarding (SUP), kayak, surf and skim. In all those areas we have lessons and can get people introduced. Boogie boards are also a big part and we can get people fitted with the right sized board for the type of wave they want to ride?.

As the two companies had different locations, there will also be some combining where it makes sense. The Nags Head store will offer some high-end kite boarding gear, something Kitty Hawk Kites sells mostly from its Rodanthe location. And some Kitty Hawk Surf offerings will find their way into Kitty Hawk Kites locations such as Corolla.

Harris is excited about the beachwear side. Another big push will be a major expansion to the Stand Up Paddleboard line. As Harris relates, SUPs began as a way for surfing instructors in Hawaii to stand above their students and monitor their progress. Next, SUPs found their way to the West Coast when celebrities adopted them for core workouts. Now, there?s even competitive SUP racing, and Kitty Hawk Surf will be running a race series from May until July.

Going back to my Beatle?s analogy, Harris also reveals that commercial side associated with McCartney. Kitty Hawk Kites already has two locations in Florida ? Ft. Walton Beach and Destin. ?We?re always looking for more coastal locations,? Harris said.

He also envisions ?flight parks? in other parts of the country as a way to expand the Kitty Hawk Kites brand.

And it isn?t just about the money. For years, Maready points out, the Kitty Hawk Kites and Kitty Hawk Sports brands have made the Outer Banks known nationally and internationally.

?When John goes out to talk about hang gliding and kite boarding, he?s an ambassador to the Outer Banks. You can?t talk about Kitty Hawk Kites or Kitty Hawk Surf without talking about the Outer Banks.?

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Source: http://outerbanksvoice.com/2011/05/30/goal-remains-to-harness-the-wind-and-waves/

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