North Beach Sun Summer 2020 by North Beach Sun

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summer how the outer banks helps

SURFING’S

TROOPER outfitting star wars fans around the world

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VOL

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SUMMER 2020 N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 1

Coastal Communities

Artful and Inspiring Design

WATER OAK O N K I T T Y H AW K B AY

from the $400s

from the $500s

from the $200s

Soundfront Community - Kill Devil Hills

Soundfront - Soundview - Oceanside

Gated, Soundfront Community - Grandy

• 3 & 4 Bedroom Plans •1 & 2 Car Garages • Covered Terraces • One-Level Living • Community Pier

• 4 to 11 Bedroom Plans • Innovative Designs • Positive Cash-flow • Community Pier • Beach Access

• Single Family & Condo Residences • Resort Style Amenities • 2-4 Bedroom Plans • Attached Garages • One-Level Living

2 | SU M M ER 2020

HomesBySAGA.com • 252-441-9003

Photo Credit: Milepost Living

We’re committed to the health and safety of our customers and associates.

20 OFF

$ 252.441.6115 • nagsheadhammocks.com KILL DEVIL HILLS DUCK COROLLA

Purchases of $250+ Use Code NAGS20

*Offer expires 8/31/20. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer N O RT H B E ACHNBS20 SU N | 3

Go on an

! e r u t n e v d a d n la s i The Lost Colony Brewery & Cafe

Largest growing local brewery on the Outer Banks. Award-winning craft beers and creative cuisine served for more than 20 years. Outdoor, pet-friendly dining available. Dinner reservations accepted. 1

208 Queen Elizabeth Street 252-473-6666 • lostcolonybrewery.com

Village Yoga

A social entrepreneurship that specializes in making yoga available to all levels. Waterfront studio offering serene views and a variety of classes for locals and visitors alike.

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Unit 4 2 252-564-2219 • villageyogamanteo.com Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Ghost Tours of the Outer Banks

The original OBX Ghost Tour! Join us for an otherworldly journey with through historic Manteo - one of America’s most haunted towns! 3

4 | SU M M ER 2020

101 Budleigh Street 252-489-5959 • outerbankstastesandtales.com

Mermaid's Purse

Offering a variety of unique gifts and treasures for all ages. 4

101 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-473-6880 • mermaidspurseobx.com @mermaidspurseobx mermaidspurseobx@gmail.com

Charlotte’s

Full-service ladies’ boutique specializing in fashions that are traditional with a contemporary flair. Seasonal makeup events with Trish McEvoy and designer trunk shows. Check website for details. 5

103A Fernando Street 252-473-3078 • shopcharlottes.com

The Wheel House Lounge

The newest craft cocktail bar located inside of Outer Banks Distilling, specializing in Kill Devil Rum cocktails. The distillery gift shop is open from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. and the Wheel House Lounge is open from 12:00-7:00 p.m. Closed Sundays. 6

510 Budleigh Street 252-423-3011 • outerbanksdistilling.com

Laughing Lollipop

Take a walk down memory lane in this little mom and pop sweet shop! Ice cream, throwback candies, chocolates, homemade cotton candy, fun gummies, bulk candy and more! 7

101 Budleigh Street 252-473-2579 • laughinglollipop.com Follow us on Facebook

Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream

Avenue Waterfront Grille

Spacious indoor and outdoor waterfront dining. Local seafood, all-natural proteins, specialty burgers and pizzas. Craft beers, wine and Outer Banks cocktails. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan selections. Come and play Carolina Keno and N.C. Education Lottery with us!

Dozens of homemade ice cream varieties, smoothies, soft serve, shakes, sundaes, handmade Belgian chocolates, fresh fudge, candies and an Italian espresso bar. Open all year. 8

207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue 252-423-3118 • bigbucksicecream.com

12 207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue

252-473-4800 • avenuegrilleobx.com

Sam & Winston

Bloom Boutique

A family-owned shop with fine art, books, gourmet kitchen goods and high-design gifts for ladies, gentlemen, children and dogs. Come see our spacious new location! 9

A fashion forward boutique offering unique, high-quality women’s clothing and accessories. Pop in for a personalized enjoyable shopping experience.

108 Sir Walter Raleigh Street 252-475-9764 • samandwinston.com

13 107 Fernando Street

252-305-8638

nest

Downtown Books

Distinctive clothing by CP Shades and Wilt and many other niche brands. Sophisticated accessories, jewelry and fragrances for you and your home.

Books for every age and interest, puzzles, greeting cards and more. For summer/fall author signings, visit manteoreads.com or give us a call!

10 Magnolia Lane

14 103 Sir Walter Raleigh Street

252-473-5141 • nestobx.com

252-473-1056 • manteoreads.com

Sisters Boutique & Gifts

Sleeping In, Ltd.

For your wardrobe + home.

Celebrating 20 years in 2020! Fashion, sleepwear, jewelry, home textiles and more! It’s a “gotta have it” kind of place.

11 207 Queen Elizabeth Avenue

252-305-8582 • @sistersofmanteo

15 101B Fernando Street PA

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252-475-1971 • Like us on Facebook

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The Manteo Waterfront

’ RS ME ET R FA A R K M

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 5

There’s no place like home.

That’s why I swim 8,000 miles.

I’m pulled back to the nesting grounds where I was born. Seriously. We sea turtles follow Earth’s magnetic fields across the globe to lay our eggs. From poaching to pollution, think of all the obstacles I face.

6 | SU M M ER 2020

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OREGON INLET

PEA ISLAND N AT I O N A L WILDLIFE REFUGE

A sliver of land so thin that in some places you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, Hatteras is a barrier island unlike any other. The drive south is worth it for the view alone, but mosey on down and you’ll ﬁnd quaint towns with restaurants serving up the local catch, a thriving art scene, world class ﬁshing and the East Coast’s premier kiteboarding destination. Come see why Hatteras Island is truly an unforgettable destination!

r Rodanthe Pie

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ing and nced kiteboard The most experie Hatteras. on ed at loc aches foilboarding co newest e th d ride only Our guests fly an CPR / d an d fie rti ce Fully and best gear. bing tu s, ise cru Sunset first aid trained. ! ing oil eF t or and the new sp .com outerbankskiting 9 83 5-6 30 252ford Capt. Jay Craw

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8 | SU M M ER 2020 H AT T E R A S I N L E T

C A P E H AT T E R A S N AT I O N A L SEASHORE

Drive Until the Road Ends and the Great Wide Open Begins

Head North to Corolla Open. That is what many of us long to be. In our minds, in our hearts and in our business. It is comforting to know that miles of windswept remote beaches, legendary wild horses and iconic historical sites await you where Highway 12 ends, only a short drive away, in Corolla on the Currituck Outer Banks.

Call 877.287.7488 for more information, driving directions or a free visitor’s guide

Corolla • Carova • �e Mainland

Visit us online at VisitCurrituck.com N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 9

20 48 26 OUTDOORS

46 WHERE’S THE REEF? Creating a new artifical reef off the coast

12 FROM THE DESK 15 BUT FIRST... FOOD & BEVERAGE

18 WHERE TO EAT? Dining options at a glance 20 THIS MILKSHAKE BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD The deliciously dangerous Bushwacker ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

22 A LIFE OF FANTASY The magical art of Alyse Stewart 26 THANK THE MAKER Outfitting Star Wars fans worldwide

FEATURE

30 COMING UP NEXT Surfing sensation Will Deane COMMUNITY

34 HOW THE OUTER BANKS HELPS Community virus relief efforts REAL ESTATE

42 SUN SALUTATIONS 44 FIVE FACTS Things you didn't know about Frisco’s Futuro House

ABOUT THE COVER: Up-and-coming surfer Will Deane gets his feet wet in Nags Head (photo by Ryan Moser). THIS PAGE: Photos courtesy of Shawn Deane, Elizabeth Neal, John McCord and Ryan Moser (clockwise from top left).

48 A WORLD ABOVE The future of dark sky tourism LIFESTYLE

52 FOUR IF BY SEA Little House on the PRA(irie)Y FOR US 54 SKY HIGH Flying with Powells Point’s HQ Kites THE LOCAL LIFE

56 ELISABETH SILVERTHORNE Executive director, Beach Food Pantry

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DOLPHIN TOURS

Unique gifts worth making that “side trip” for

KITES • TOYS • GIFTS • APPAREL • JEWELRY • FOOTWEAR

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F R O M T H E DE S K

staff A socially distant North Beach Sun staff meeting of the minds (left to right: Dave Rollins, Cathy Baldwin, Amelia Boldaji and Helen Furr).

Taking a leap of faith. THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE FELT LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER – and even that’s an understatement. From ever-shifting headline news to more personal sacrifices, we’ve all experienced the effects of negotiating a tremendous amount of change in what has often seemed like radically unfamiliar territory. And we’re still figuring things out, of course. Even here at the Sun, where we don’t really have “typical” days to begin with, our routines and deadlines have been upended in ways we truly couldn’t have prepared for. Like so many other businesses around the globe, we shut our doors for a time, and tried to work through a frustratingly complex number of hypothetical scenarios remotely, while also doing our best to stay safe and take care of our families. All of which are things we’re still doing now, to one degree or another. Our first steps toward trying to find our “new normal” in the face of a great deal of uncertainty involved a lot of phone calls and socially distant staff meetings held weekly on our front lawns. And it also involved reevaluating an idea board of summer themes and storylines that had mostly been selected well before our lives were largely put on pause. In practical terms, that meant taking into account the fact that we could no longer foresee what this coming season would look like, both as a business and as longtime members of this community. Things as seemingly straightforward as printing a calendar of events – something we’ve routinely done for almost a decade now in each issue – simply wasn’t feasible anymore. And as strange as it might sound, even the act of writing this letter the evening before going to press felt somewhat like taking a leap of faith. But perhaps that’s exactly what we’re all being asked to do, repeatedly, during these uncertain times. Take leaps. Have faith. And be prepared to land as gracefully as we can, even if we don’t wind up in precisely the spot we anticipated. So, as always, we hope you enjoy this issue. It was a labor of love in more ways than usual, because ultimately, we realized that this whole volume is our letter to you – our reminder that no matter what the future may bring, we’re all doing our best to navigate this moment in time. And that we have been, and will continue to, do exactly that together.

PUBLISHERS PUBLISHERS Adam & Cathy Baldwin Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR EDITOR Amelia Boldaji Amelia Boldaji ART DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR Dave Rollins Dave Rollins GRAPHIC DESIGNERS GRAPHIC Adam DESIGNERS Baldwin Adam DylanBaldwin Bush Dylan Bush WRITERS WRITERS Cathy Baldwin Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Amelia•Boldaji Steve Hanf • Lexi Steve HanfHolian Amanda McDanel Lexi Holian Katrina Mae Katrina Mae Leuzinger Leuzinger Arabella Arabella Saunders Saunders PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOGRAPHERS Benny Benny Baldwin Baldwin •• Cory Cory Godwin Godwin Stephanie Hall • John Stephanie Hall • John McCord McCord Ryan Moser Elizabeth Neal Ryan• Moser Outer Banks History Outer Banks History Center Center Carrie Carrie Roen Roen •• Wes Wes Snyder Snyder Kati Kati Wilkins Wilkins SALES SALES MANAGER MANAGER Helen Helen Furr Furr ACCOUNT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE Faith Faith Turek Turek DISTRIBUTOR DISTRIBUTOR Aaron Aaron Caswell Caswell The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun and/or its contributors. Opinions, responses, and inquiries are always welcome.

NORTH BEACH SUN

Publisher

Editor

115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444 editor@northbeachsun.com

12 | SU M M ER 2020

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 13

Casual Outer Banks Dining LO C AT ED I N HISTOR IC LIF E SAV I NG STAT ION # 6

SERV I NG LU NC H , DI N N ER , & COC K TA IL S DA ILY STA RT I NG AT 11 : 30A M OF F E R I NG E XC E P T IONA L C AT E R I NG SE RV IC E S

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14 | SU M M ER 2020

but ﬁrst... A Welcome Sight THE FIRST BRIDGE CONNECTING THE OUTER BANKS

to the Currituck mainland was a three-mile-long wooden toll bridge that opened to the public in 1930 – and paved the way for new era in the barrier islands’ then-fledgling hospitality industry. While this was the initial sight that greeted people as they entered the Outer Banks on the south side of the bridge, the wording on the opposite side of the decorative arch also reminded departing visitors that they were “Always Welcome.” Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, circa 1931.

WHEN IT FELT AS THOUGH THE WHOLE WORLD

had suddenly stopped this past spring, two professional photographers in Needham, Massachusetts, launched The Front Steps Project with one simple idea: In order to foster a sense of community while maintaining quarantine precautions, they’d snap quick pics of area residents on their front porches in return for a suggested donation to a local nonprofit.

Home, Sweet Home

After they posted their first family portrait on March 18, the idea quickly went viral and hundreds of photographers from around the globe joined in to replicate the project in their own towns – and the Outer Banks was no exception. Over the course of a couple weeks, a number of local photographers volunteered their time to offer mini, socially distanced photo sessions to individuals and families from Corolla to Hatteras Island, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. “People really wanted to be a part of the project,” says Kill Devil Hills photographer Kati Wilkins, who personally received more than 100 photo session requests. “And it kept growing, so we just ran with it.” continued> N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 15

To date, the project has collectively raised almost two million dollars for various organizations and nonprofits worldwide. And here on the Outer Banks nearly $3,000 was donated directly to the Beach Food Pantry by participating residents. “Sometimes it was emotionally hard being behind the lens, but it was beautiful, too,” Kati adds. “Even in those uncertain times I was filled with reminders of how much we’re all in this together.” More photos of the local project can be found under #obxfrontstepsproject. Photo collage courtesy of Kati Wilkins and Carrie Roen.

Did you know? If you jumped into the ocean at Jockey’s Ridge and swam due east, where do you think you would hit land? Well iIf you headed due east from Kill Devil Hills, you would eventually make landfall in Europe at the southern end of Spain. But drive a short way down the bypass and make your easterly swim from Whalebone Junction and you would hit an entirely different continent. Your landfall would be in Africa and the northern tip of Morocco. That’s because Jockey’s Ridge sits at the same parallel (35.96°) as the Strait of Gibraltar. So if you swam due east from our great sand dune, you’d end up a very tired swimmer sitting on the shore of Algeria by the Mediterranean Sea! 16 | SU M M ER 2020

Think of It as One More Way to Save Lives at the Beach.

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If you love the Outer Banks, do your part to protect the people that are here. Coronavirus doesn’t take a vacation. The good news? All we have to do to stop the spread is wear a mask when you’re out and about, wash your hands more frequently, and wait further back in line. Pretty simple stuff really. Hey, and you get the added benefit of helping to keep the OBX open, because nothing will close it down faster than a big outbreak. Be Safe. Be Smart. Have Fun (and think about re-upping on the sunscreen, you’re getting a little pink).

More info at outerbanks.org and DareNC.com/covid19

sip • savor • sunset 1190 duck road . duck nc www.eventideduck.com

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 17

FOOD & B E V E R AG E

Where to Eat? DINING OPTIONS AT A GLANCE

AQUA RESTAURANT & SPA 1174 Duck Rd Downstairs, Duck AVENUE WATERFRONT GRILLE 207 Queen Elizabeth Ave, Manteo BAREFOOT BERNIE’S 3730 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk BIG BUCK’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM Waterfront Shops in Manteo / Buccaneer’s Walk in Kitty Hawk / TimBuck II in Corolla BLACK PELICAN RESTAURANT 3848 N Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk THE BLUE POINT 1240 Duck Rd, Duck BONZER SHACK 1200 S Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills CAPTAIN GEORGE’S 705 S Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills COASTAL CANTINA 1236 Duck Rd, Duck EVENTIDE 1190 Duck Rd, Duck JACK BROWN’S 800 S Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills LOST COLONY BREWERY AND CAFÉ 208 Queen Elizabeth Ave, Manteo, NC MAMA KWAN’S 1701 S Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills MIKE DIANNA’S GRILL ROOM 777 Sunset Blvd, Corolla PEACE OF THE PIE 1703 S Croatan Hwy, Kill Devil Hills QUARTERDECK RESTAURANT 54214 NC-12, Frisco THE SPOT 2805 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head / 3700 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk STEAMERS 1 Ocean Blvd Suite 115, Southern Shores TRIO RESTAURANT & MARKET 3708 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk UNCLE FRANK’S HOT DOGS & BBQ 25972 NC-12, Waves THE VILLAGE TABLE & TAVERN 1314 Duck Rd, Duck WOO CASA 4900 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head 18 | SU M M ER 2020

Local restaurants have adapted to the “new normal” of life during Covid-19 in a variety of ways, some by adding outdoor dining and others by expanding to-go capabilities. This list reflects what our 2020 North Beach Sun advertisers were offering, as of press time. We encourage you to call ahead, however, as some of the listed restaurants only offer take out when their kitchens can accommodate, and outdoor dining may be weather-dependent. TAKE OUT

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 19

FOOD & B E V E R AG E

this milkshake brings all the boys to the yard PHO TO B Y E LI ZA B ET H N E A L C O MP I LED B Y A MEL I A B O L DA JI

THOUGH BONZER SHACK OWNER AND

RESTAURANT LEGEND John Kirchmier wouldn’t go as far as to claim that he introduced Bushwackers to the Outer Banks, he certainly played a role in making them locally famous when they premiered here on the drink menu at Quagmire’s oceanfront bar in the late ‘90s. These boozy milkshakes were an almost instant success, and during Quag’s famed decade-long run in Kill Devil Hills, bartenders often served up to 35 gallons of the delectable drink each night during the summer season.

But the Outer Banks isn’t the only sun-drenched locale where you’ll find people clamoring for these concoctions, and there is some debate over where the drink originated (some say the Virgin Islands, while some lay claim in Pensacola, Florida). The good news is that since there’s no “official” version of the recipe, you really can’t go wrong by playing around with various quantities or even substituting other liqueurs to suit your personal taste. And if you want to treat your taste buds to the Quag’s recipe, the signature drink can still be found at places such as Bonzer Shack and Mama Kwan’s – the latter of which is courtesy of co-owner Kevin Cherry, who actually adapted the original local recipe from a Caribbean version during his time as Quag’s bar manager. But whether you mix it up at home, or try Bonzer’s “Nutwacker” version (which includes a healthy dollop of peanut butter), just remember that the deceptively benign-tasting frozen beverage lives up to its name…and packs a decidedly adult punch!

Bushwacker 1 oz each Cruzan light and dark rum 2 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream 1 oz Kahlua 1 oz amaretto liqueur 1 oz crème de coconut ½ oz half and half ½ oz Frangelico Pour all ingredients together in a blender with enough ice to achieve a milkshake-like consistency. Serve in a glass of your choosing, topped with optional whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg – and prepare to be “bushwacked!” 2 0 | SU M M ER 2020

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 21

A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Fantasy A LIFE OF

Alyse Stewart details a work in progress in her Manteo studio.

For one young artist, a passion for mythical worlds is providing some amazing real-world opportunities. P HOTO S BY RYAN M O S ER / S TO RY BY L EX I H OL IA N

18 years old, Manteo local Alyse Stewart already feels as though she’s been an artist all her life – but it wasn’t always clear to her what she would do with her craft. Her impressive, award-winning artwork leans toward realism, and for a while, she thought comics might be her calling. But then she saw the character art depicted in fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. “You see a person and think that’s almost a photograph,” she says. “But it’s actually a person from another world. It’s got a realistic quality mixed with the fantastic elements.” The recent high school grad creates using oil paints, watercolors, digital mediums and charcoal and has been recognized locally and nationally for her compelling artwork. She’s had a talent for drawing from a young age, and her style was partially born of her fascination with board games, books and movies such as Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and films by Guillermo del Toro. Two of her favorite games are Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy tabletop role-playing game, and Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game in which players cast spells and summon creatures depicted on the cards. In both games, character art is at the heart of the experience. Magic is a must-play in the Stewart household, and after spending some time with the cards, Alyse began researching the artists behind the characters. She was immediately captivated by the work of artists such as Ryan Pancoast, Scott Fischer and Matthew Stewart.

“That was it,” she says. “I was like, that’s what I want to do.” Each piece begins with researching the subject and gathering references. Alyse has an abundance of history books, art books from masters like Rembrandt and Salvador Dali, and books on topics such as the artistic process behind the characters for the band Gorillaz. “If it’s supposed to be a dark piece, maybe I’ll watch Pan’s Labyrinth or something that’s got an edge to it,” she says. “Or I’ll read some Clive Barker, or look at paintings from H.R. Giger to get into the right headspace and have that visual library in my brain. It’s all so that when I do the piece, I have the correct lens.” As the daughter of the artist/owners of Silver Bonsai Gallery in Manteo, art has long been a constant in Alyse’s life. “Growing up, it’s just what I saw,” she explains. “My parents making art in their own way and being surrounded by it daily.” She began studying art seriously in the seventh or eighth grade when she started taking anatomy and drawing classes. A quick painting today may seem effortless, but every work of art has years of experience behind it. She encourages anyone who is intimidated by art to take time to hone their skills, even if they think they don’t have talent at first. “I was blessed with a gift, that I could draw from an early age,” she says. “But where I am right now isn’t all about talent. Talent gives you a head start, but it’s really the work you put in behind it.” Beyond artwork, Alyse has a passion for music, having played the piano and cello for many years. Art is her form of creative expression, but it’s also her job, so music continued on page 24

2 2 | SU M M ER 2020

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provides the opportunity to step away from a piece before going back to it with new eyes. “It’s that breath of fresh air,” she adds. In recent years, Alyse’s artwork has been recognized in numerous competitions. She’s even been awarded several scholarships, including one from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary for a piece inspired by patriotism that earned second place in a nationwide competition. Having graduated high school this past June, Alyse has also been accepted to the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA) – a highly prestigious art school that gives out only 10 fulltime Bachelor of Arts degrees each year. Given the current atmosphere surrounding Covid-19, LAAFA won’t be bringing any new students into the program in 2020, so Alyse will attend starting in 2021. That hasn’t stopped her from setting up a mentorship with one of LAAFA’s professors in the meantime, though. Artist Ron Lemen and his wife, Vanessa, are well-known in the illustrative world, with Ron having created artwork for Magic: The Gathering. This year, the Lemens have an online mentorship program that Alyse will be taking part in before she goes to LAAFA. One medium she’s looking forward to learning more about from the Lemens is working in 3D, which includes physical and digital sculpting using programs such as ZBrush and Blender. She’s primarily focused on the 2D until now – the opposite of her parents – but is quick to point out the benefits of 3D. “For 2D artists, it’s very important to know the 3D, because if you’re going to paint something 2D, you still want it to have dimension,” she says. “You want to know the form all the way around, not just what’s being seen, or else an image can look flat.” This summer, Alyse is working locally on artistic projects with The Lost Colony and The Elizabethan Gardens. She’s also painting a mural for the Magic tournament room at Super Galactic Games ‘n Comics in Kitty Hawk and working on her personal artwork for future portfolio reviews. Though it’s an idea that’s still in progress, she’d like to start submitting work as well to Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic, as she continues to take classes and refine her skills. “Right now, the dream is to be working for companies like Wizards of the Coast,” she says. “It’s simple, but I really want to be able to play some Magic and pull one of my cards from the deck someday – or be able to see a new D&D manual come out with my work on the cover.” But potential fame isn’t what drives Alyse in the slightest. “That art is what inspired me,” she explains with a smile. “So I want to be able to do that for somebody else, too.” Both finished pieces and initial outlines in a variety of mediums adorn18-year-old Alyse’s home studio.

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A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Star Wars costumer Jason Hill adds the finishing touches to the trim on one of his helmets in his Colington-based studio garage.

THANK THE

ure, you’re a Star Wars fan. You played with all the toys when you were a kid. You’ve seen all the movies. Maybe you’ve even attended a convention or two. Meet Jason Hill, recent commanding officer of the 501st Legion’s Carolina Garrison. He’s played with the toys – and built them. He’s watched the movies – frame by frame when he’s making and analyzing costumes. When he attends conventions, he doesn’t talk about the actors who are there. Instead, Hill gushes about the behind-the-scenes guys who make the magic happen. Still think you’re a huge Star Wars fan? Hold Hill’s lightsaber. “It’s fun, man. It’s cool. Even now I still can’t believe that I’m making “It’s fun, man. what I make,” Hill says. “I get to create, and the best part about it is I get to build and ship all over the world and bring It’s cool. Even other people into the Legion.” now I still can’t According to its mission statement at believe that the 501st.com, the Legion is an all-volunteer I’m making organization that brings together costume enthusiasts who want to promote interest in what I make.” Star Wars through the building and wearing of quality costumes at Star Wars-related - Jason Hill events and community outings for charity and volunteer work. In other words, the “bad guys” – Darth Vader, the Stormtroopers, the Sith lords, the AT-AT drivers and more – get to be good guys for a change…but only after being accepted into the 501st. And to do that, there are two hard and fast requirements: You have to be 18 or older, and you have to have a legit costume. Like many kids, Hill grew up loving all things Star Wars and sci-fi. He still has the old vinyl Star Wars album he toted around everywhere as a kid. He was two when the first Star Wars movie came out and remembers feverishly awaiting The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. The costuming force awakened in Hill more recently. For Halloween 2013, Hill headed out in a Stormtrooper costume he ordered from overseas and was an instant sensation. Then he started doing

MAKER Local Star Wars costumer is a force to be reckoned with

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 2 6 | SU M M ER 2020

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Clockwise from above: Hill creates plastic vacuum-formed parts on his thermoform machine; Boxes of various parts used to build armor line the walls of his garage; A nearly finished Imperial pilot helmet in all its glory; Hill in costume alongside his oldest son Jason and his two-week-old grandson Jaxon at Jockey’s Ridge (last photo courtesy of the Hill family).

some research on his costume, stumbled across the 501st – and realized that what he bought was merely a poor imitation. Rather than trying to return it, Hill set out to make improvements that would make him a legitimate member of the 501st. In the process, he bought a few other costumes such as Boba Fett – the bounty hunter in Empire and Return of the Jedi – and then stumbled across an opportunity to purchase a thermoform machine. One machine eventually led to a second – but there’s still room in the family’s Colington home for Hill’s wife to park her car in the garage. And now Hill can heat plastic sheets and mold them to fit any shape he’d like. “I’m pretty effective at making my own helmets,” Hill says. “It’s saved me a lot of money, and it’s fun.” Hill joined the 501st in 2014 and counts more than a dozen costumes in his personal wardrobe. As the shipping materials, plastic sheets, molds, sculptings and 3D-printed accessories in his garage workshop can attest, he’s also helping people all over the world fulfill their dreams of joining the Legion through his Facebook page. Some people request parts or kits they can put together themselves. Others request things like a full helmet. Either way, they’re getting a screen-accurate costume that can be submitted to the 501st for approval. Before leading the Carolina Garrison this past year, Hill served as the Garrison Membership Liaison from 2015 to 2019, which meant people submitted detailed photos of their costumes to him for approval – and most would-be members closely followed the meticulous guidelines 2 8 | SU M M ER 2020

offered online from the start. In a little more than two years in that role, Hill remembers approving more than 500 folks in North and South Carolina for membership and only denying one or two. Once approved, Garrison members then enjoy “Trooping” – making appearances in their community. Some are obvious opportunities, like being at the local movie theater for the opening of the latest Star Wars movie. Others are more unique, such as appearing at the Surfing for Autism fundraiser held at Barefoot Bernie’s every year, or reading to kids at one of the Dare County public libraries. Hill even sent a costume to Australia to be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for the firefighting efforts there this past winter. “We show up, people take a few pictures, and we get to spread awareness for different charities,” Hill says about the public appearances that often include trips to various children’s hospitals. “It makes everybody smile – and even inside the costume, we’re smiling ear to ear.” Members of the 501st can raise money for charities such as the Make a Wish Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Red Cross, but they also toe a fine line when it comes to finances: Costumes can range from a few hundred dollars to $5,000 for a “really good Darth Vader,” Hill explains, but they also can’t set up for mass

production. Instead, he and other members of the 501st are firmly hobbyists. Their activities aren’t officially sponsored by Lucasfilm, but the famous director does appreciate and support their work: When the new Disney series The Mandalorian needed Stormtrooper extras for filming, a casting call went out to the 501st. And at the end of the day, fun is really what it’s all about. Hill fondly recalls chatting with Brian Muir (sculptor of the original Darth Vader mask and most Stormtrooper armor) at a convention where Hill also met Anthony Forrest (the “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for” Sandtrooper whose mind was clouded by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope). Hill also loves watching the black, boxy mouse droids he builds race up and down his street, powered by remote-control cars. But up until a few years ago, Hill never dreamed that his longtime career in construction and roofing would have transitioned so readily into such a facinating hobby. “I’m not going to do this forever, but it’s something cool to do right now, and I enjoy getting people into the Legion,” Hill adds. “Obviously, to be interested in it as a kid and then still be so immersed in it now is pretty neat. And not everyone can say that.”

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F E AT U R E

COMING UP

NEXT Local surfer Will Deane took things up a notch during a training session at the BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas, last summer. Photo courtesy of Rob Henson. Will being carried up the beach after winning the USA Prime this past March in New Smyrna Beach, Florida (right).

3 0 | SU M M ER 2020

Will Deane is a little surfer with big ambitions By Steve Hanf

he number of sun-kissed boys and girls with tousled hair and mischievous grins as they talk about adventures in the surf is too high to count on the Outer Banks. The crowd thins a bit when you consider those who dream of going pro – but only a little. Kids growing up at the beach long to become the next Kelly Slater the way kids all over the world dream of being astronauts or pop stars. But how many of those groms have actually visited with Slater in Hawaii and had him comment on social media posts? How many have more than 1,800 followers on Instagram waiting for the next great video that (oh, by the way) the surfer edited himself on his own software? How many get gear thrown their way from high-profile sponsors? Meet Will Deane – a 12-year-old from Kill Devil Hills who’s got all this going on at the end of his sixth-grade year, and aspirations for a whole lot more. “It’s just a lot of fun, and it’s different every time you do it,” Will says of surfing. “Making the World Championship Tour is the goal of every pro surfer, and then, of course, winning a world title.” Those might sound like big dreams for a kid who’s about as tall as the boards he uses to master wild stunts in the water. With his family’s blessing, though, he plans to pursue this passion as long as he can. WILL’S STORY STARTS SIMPLY, LIKE MANY OTHERS. His dad, Shawn, spent a few weeks every summer growing up on the Outer Banks and doing some surfing. Later on, Shawn and his wife, Nikki, began bringing their family down from Richmond every summer, and it was only natural that Will started hitting the waves. He started competing around the age of six. “I started getting him out on a board the way that you would typically get a kid started, by pushing him into the surf,” Shawn says. “He was always super competitive, so as soon as he could start paddling himself in, he was ready to compete on his own.” The Deanes eventually moved to Kill Devil Hills fulltime and Will remembers his interest level in surfing really taking off around nine or 10 when he quit playing soccer and basketball. In rapid-fire succession, he’s enjoyed success in the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), the “Sometimes National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) and, most you think you recently, USA Surfing. did something “Every day he goes out, whether it’s to actually train really good, or just to go out and have fun with his buddies, and the but then you progression he’s had with the sport has been pretty crazy,” go back and Shawn says. “Watching him go from the ESA to the NSSA, you’re like, and then seeing him receive an invitation to compete in ‘Oh, no, USA Surfing where he’s tied for first place right now in his that’s not age division has been cool. “We just keep the tools and opportunities right in right,’ and front of him, whether it’s a coach or equipment or the you change opportunity to be traveling,” Shawn adds. “And we do a it, make it little traveling.” better,” Will That’s a bit of an understatement. Between relatively explains. short trips spanning from New Jersey to Carolina Beach to Florida, to annual tournaments in California and Barbados and all the typical surfing hotspots everyone dreams of hitting, Will has logged a lot of miles in the past few years. “My favorite places to go are probably Nicaragua and Hawaii,” Will says. “In Hawaii, I get to see a lot of pro surfers and surf bigger waves of more consequence. Nicaragua is similar to Hawaii, but it’s all sand, no reef. And then there’s Costa Rica – I like it because it’s super mellow and rippable. It’s always fun.” Will’s YouTube channel and his Instagram videos showcase remarkable feats in the surf in faraway spots and local haunts. But it takes far more than practice and natural talent to make those things happen. When he’s not surfing, Will seriously studies surfing. World Surf League heats. His own videos. Shawn said about 90 percent of Will’s sessions get recorded, both for promotional and educational purposes.

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 31

“Sometimes you think you did something really good, but then you go back and you’re like, ‘Oh, no, that’s not right,’ and you change it, make it better,” Will explains. His coach in Florida, Geoff Armstrong, also reviews videos and helps Will at contests. And Will enjoys following the exploits of his favorite pro surfers: Ricardo Christie, Julian Wilson and Ethan Ewing. “They have great style,” Will says. “Julian Wilson has lots of flair, Ricardo Christie is super powerful and Ethan Ewing is stylish and fun to watch.” For his part, Shawn is thrilled to see Will immerse himself in the sport. “That’s been a key thing. Kids that excel in sports or excel academically realize that practice makes them better,” Shawn says. “The ones that plateau may not have as much faith in the practice part of it, whether it’s studying a book or watching a video and being able to make a physical correction.” WITH ALL THE SURFING “SCHOOL WORK” ON HIS PLATE, Will has even transferred from traditional school to an online homeschool program through Bridgeway Academy, which caters to athletes who need to focus on training and travel. The transition from elementary school to middle school last year seemed like an ideal time to try the new shift. Will finished his sixth-grade year this past June and says he missed friends, but otherwise enjoyed the homeschool experience – except for some tournament weeks when he got behind and found himself working eight or nine hours a day to catch up. But somewhat ironically, all his time both in and out of the water has exposed Will to some graduate-level lessons in business and finance along with the high-performance video editing skills he continues to hone.

32 | SU M M ER 2020

Will grabbing some air near Rodanthe (top); and getting tubed during a dawn patrol session in Nags Head (below).

And since his parents have been longtime partners in Secret Spot Surf Shop, Will has the added benefit of connections with countless surf brands, too. His first sponsor was Hurley, but that deal collapsed when Hurley was sold. Quiksilver had a team spot available that Will was able to land, however, and he also has deals with Sanuk, Oakley, Pro-Lite, Orion Surfboards, Futures Fins and SurfEars. Considering all the time he spends in the water, the new plugs from SurfEars have been a lifesaver for Will after a few years of ear problems. In addition to other incentives, each company sends him products several times a year. “Sometimes they tell me they’re sending stuff, sometimes it’s a surprise, so it’s pretty cool,” Will says with a boyish smile. Building these relationships is important because the expenses increase exponentially as Will climbs an elite ladder in his chosen industry. His focus right now is on winning USA Surfing’s championship in his age division, and being selected for the national team. From there, it’s going on to compete in the pro-level Junior Qualifying Series and the adult Qualifying Series (QS) with the goal of ranking high enough to earn him a spot on the World Championship Tour (WCT). Shawn puts the travel costs for QS competitors in the $50,000 to $70,000 a year range. Will focuses on other numbers. “In order to make it to the WCT, you have to be one of the top 10 ranked surfers in the world,” Will explains. “On the QT you’ll probably compete in about 15 to 20 contests, and you have to do well in every single one of them to get those really big results.” But all that and more is just what it takes to transform the big dreams of a sun-kissed 12-year-old into a big-time pro surfer.

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Going above and beyond. Business disruptions had far-reaching implications for nearly every industry on the Outer Banks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and making the best of things often involved coming up with inventive solutions to unforeseen shortages and other obstacles. The folks behind Outer Banks Distilling in Manteo were one such group who temporarily suspended their normal rum-making operations in favor of brewing up hand sanitizer for residents in need, and local wedding photographers did their best to give couples their big day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even when it meant donning marital masks before sealing things with a kiss. Photos courtesy of Matt Newsome (above) and Ryan Moser (bottom).

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Coloring inside the lines. As spending more and more time at home became part of our daily routines, finding creative ways to beat the boredom and reduce stress became increasingly important â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with added bonus points if said activities were able to foster a sense of community even in the midst of isolation. And the Outer Banks delivered, with things such as live-streamed musical events, drive-by birthday parties and some wholly original projects like the variety of free coloring pages Hatteras Island artist Stephanie Kiker began offering to her social media followers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; inspiring both residents and nonresidents alike to share their own colorful versions of her creations. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Kiker. 38 | SU M M ER 2020

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All together now! Confronted with long lines, lists of essential items, food needs and the changing face of the Outer Banksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; retail and hospitality industries, coming together (while staying safely apart) has meant making some sacrifices while also supporting each other on a frequently bumpy road of ups and downs. But at the end of the day, the Outer Banks stepped up to the task, and our frontline workers have been everywhere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from medical professionals to grocery store clerks, community volunteers and service industry experts. To the endless list of workers who still continue to meet these new challenges on a daily basis, thank you from all of us here at the North Beach Sun. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Hall. 4 0 | SU M M ER 2020

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R E A L E STAT E

sun salutations Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales would like to welcome the four newest members of the sales team: Nathan Beasley, Victoria Brown, Landry Brown and Gabe Stabley. We are very excited to have them on board! An Outer Banks native, Nathan grew up in Southern Shores where his father was the chief of police for 20 years. He earned his brokers’ license in 1996 and has proven himself to be a dedicated sales professional over the past 24 years. Nathan enjoys fishing and surfing, and he is a proud single dad to two teenagers. Nathan can be found in the Duck office or by email at natebeasley@ymail.com. Victoria Boston moved to North Carolina from Ohio in 2002 as a military wife stationed with her family at Fort Bragg. After many years of supporting Special Operations soldiers through eight deployments, she moved to Southern Shores. Victoria has spent the last six years raising her three children and adapting to a much slower and relaxed way of life. Victoria can be found in the Duck office or by email at victoria@brindleybeach.com. Landry Brown is a native North Carolinian with a passion for everything Outer Banks. His focus for 23 years has been to provide clients with positive, life-changing experiences, whether working in the hospitality industry or operating his own businesses. Landry enjoys spending time with his wife and three children at the beach, on the boat fishing and going hunting. Landry can be found in the Kitty Hawk office or by email at landrybrownobx@gmail.com.

Heather Sakers, along with team members Charles Gill and Ann Taylor Lusk, earned the prestigious International Sterling Society Team award in 2019. This award is based on adjusted gross commission income and is awarded to the top 15 percent of all teams of three worldwide. Team leader Heather can be reached at heather@cbseaside.com or (252) 599-6814. Sunny Berle Awarded Coldwell Banker International Diamond Society Award Sunny Berle, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty has earned membership in the company’s International Diamond Society, a level achieved by only the top 15 percent of all Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide. The award was presented earlier this year at the company’s annual awards ceremony held at the Duck Woods Country Club. Sunny can be reached at (813) 480-0445 or sunny.berle@gmail.com. Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Tricia Driscoll to the Kill Devil Hills Location

Gabe Stabley graduated from Temple University and started out his career in molecular pharmacology. He later successfully ran his restaurant, Outer Banks Taco Bar, for 12 years in Kitty Hawk before he took his passion for interacting with customers to the world of real estate. Gabe can be found in the Kitty Hawk office or by email at gabe@brindleybeach.com.

Tricia Driscoll has joined the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty sales team at the Kill Devil Hills location. “With a background in construction and investment property, my education and experience combine to share with you all the tools needed to make informed decisions,” she says. Tricia is also licensed in Virginia and can be reached at tricia@cbseaside.com or (252) 404-2195.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty

SAGA Realty & Construction

Beth Garcia Earns Coldwell Banker International President’s Circle Award

SAGA Realty & Construction is pleased to announce Martha Hathcock has joined the growing sales team. Martha has worked in private and public sector industries as a recruiter for technology companies, assisted in the start-up of a new technology consulting company, and supervised customer relations for an agency with the Commonwealth of Virginia. She and her husband Charlie realized their dream of living on the Outer Banks in 2018. Martha is committed to helping her clients accomplish their goals, whether buying, selling, building or investing in the beautiful Outer Banks.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Beth Garcia on earning the prestigious International President’s Circle award in 2019. This award is based on adjusted gross commission income and is awarded to the top five percent of all agents worldwide. Beth, along with her husband, Zak, and mother-in-law, Debby, has earned an International Award every year for the past 15 years. Beth can be reached at (252) 207-4484 or beth@ cbseaside.com. 42 | SU M M ER 2020

The Heather Sakers Team Earns Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society Award

SAGA Realty & Construction is pleased to have Sarah Pritchard who knows the Outer Banks well! She is a native of Manteo, and her family has lived on the Outer Banks for nine generations. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism. Her experiences have led her to work with many people of different backgrounds and to listen to her clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different wants and needs. Holly Britt joins SAGA Realty & Construction and offers more than 25 years of experience in the Outer Banks real estate market.Â Her professionalism and superior level of service is second to none, along with her approach to a win-win negotiating style that continues to earn her high marks and respect.Â From the northern beaches of Corolla to Hatteras Village, clients count on her for all their real estate needs. SAGA Realty & Construction welcomes Dave Hoare. From Canada to the Outer Banks, Dave has been a top producing realtor for more than 40 years and a resident of the Outer Banks for 28 years. His wide range of experience have also included being on the ethics and arbitration committee for the Toronto Real Estate Board, the largest real estate board in the world. Real estate is truly Daveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion.Â Â

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Sun Realty Jackie Ricks Sample was named Sun Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Agent of the Month for April. Jackie has been with Sun Realty since the first day in business, and now has more than 40 years of real estate experience on the Outer Banks.Â She strives to provide the highest level of service and is well known for working diligently and honestly for all parties. Jackie works out of the Kill Devil Hills location, but happily covers all of the Outer Banks. Sun Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top May agent was Joe Staten. Joe works out of the Duck office and is experienced in residential, commercial and business properties. Joe grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., but has made the Outer Banks his home for more than 10 years. His experience in real estate investment and development, along with a strong work ethic and drive to succeed, gives his clients a real advantage whether buying, selling or leasing property.

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F I V E FACT S

THE FUTURO HOUSE

Photo courtesy of Wes Snyder / Story by Katrina Mae Leuzinger

ALIENS LIVE AMONG US. At least, that’s what you might believe

if you catch a quick glimpse of the building known informally as the “Frisco UFO” on the drive south to the Hatteras ferry. Ever since it “landed” on Hatteras Island 48 years ago, the shiny silver flying saucer with plush aliens peeking out of its windows has been the subject of much curiosity, photographs and double-takes. But it didn’t come from a galaxy far, far away – instead, this strange little structure is actually a Futuro House, one of about a hundred built (firmly on land) in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Back to the Futuro

The Futuro House was designed in 1968 by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. Suuronen envisioned a lightweight, kit-style home that could be easily transported and assembled anywhere – even at the top of a snowy mountain. In fact, Suuronen designed the single-bedroom homes as private ski chalets, with a flying saucer shape that prevented snow from accumulating on their roofs, held up in high winds, and gave them a whimsical, futuristic look. Playboy magazine advertised them as “portable playhouses” and “the ultimate bachelor pads,” and they came complete with furnishings customized to fit their round shapes. Though they never quite took off (wink, wink), Futuro Houses were built all over the world, from Sweden to South Africa to right here on the Outer Banks.

Flying saucer furor

Though the records are difficult to trace, researchers estimate that a total of 96 Futuro Houses were manufactured and shipped in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Over at TheFuturoHouse.com, architectural enthusiasts have devoted a surprising amount of effort to tracking down and documenting each of those 96 houses. Of that total number, 67 have been found intact and 13 have been confirmed demolished. The remaining 16 – a.k.a., “the lost Futuros” – have all been listed and tracked to their last known locations. In other circumstances that might mean the case was closed, but in the world of Futuro House devotees, debates still rage over whether or not the similar, UFO-shaped “Googie Huts” found mainly in Australia and Antarctica count as modified Futuros…or are merely unlicensed lookalikes.

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To inﬁnity and beyond

The Frisco UFO was first built about 50 years ago by Dr. Lee and Mrs. Mary Jane Russo, who wanted a special vacation home away from the bustle of Baltimore. During their search, Mary Jane spotted an ad for the fantastical kit in The Last Whole Earth Catalog and decided she had to have it. When their family expanded and outgrew the compact pad, the Russos donated it to the local fire department on Hatteras Island, who planned to set it aflame for practice. Deciding later they’d rather have the money instead, the fire department raﬄed off the home. From there the spaceship moved around the island several times, and has since served as The Hatteras Monitor magazine office, a Girl Scout meeting place, the office for the Scotch Bonnet Marina and Campground, and as an Out of This World hotdog stand.

Take me to your island

Today the Frisco UFO is owned by Leroy Reynolds, and is the subject of some minor local controversy. The county has declared the near half-century-old structure unlivable, and will not allow it to be connected to water or electric. That’s disappointing to Reynolds, who would like to expand on this unofficial tourist attraction by adding an air-conditioned building to use as a souvenir shop. But Reynolds does still pull in a little bit of money from the people who stop to look at the house. During the peak summer season, you can often find him standing outside in a neon green racing suit and a matching rubber alien mask, selling t-shirts that say “Take me to your island.”

The truth is out there

James Bagwell, the owner of the land the Frisco UFO sits on, likes to claim that the spaceship is the second-most photographed thing on Hatteras Island, bested only by the lighthouse. Besides taking pictures, visitors have also been known to say and do all sorts of things when they come in contact with the house. Previous owners have mentioned people stopping to moon the UFO, strangers knocking on the door at midnight with requests to look around inside, and little boys inquiring after ray guns. But the Frisco UFO’s most colorful visitors are the people who like to compare it to the real UFOs they claim to have seen or even been abducted by. According to them, the Frisco UFO isn’t quite true to life… but it comes pretty darn close.

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OU T D O O R S

WHERE’S THE REEF? Sometimes that sinking feeling is a good thing, like when it results in the long-awaited construction of a new artifical reef. BY LEXI H OLIAN

IN A PLACE WHERE FISHING IS A WAY OF LIFE, the opportunities for near-shore fishing have always been perhaps surprisingly limited. Anglers can cast lines in-shore or head more than 20 miles offshore to reel in the day’s catch, but the sandy ocean floor surrounding the Outer Banks doesn’t have the right structure to support complex marine habitats within a few miles of land. But that’s beginning to change this year with a new project backed by the Outer Banks Anglers Club. In an effort to create more near-shore fishing, the group has worked with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to design an artificial reef about seven miles from Oregon Inlet. “The purpose of artificial reefs is to create a habitat and to create opportunities for anglers and divers,” says the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Coordinator, Jordan Byrum. “That’s why we build artificial reefs here in North Carolina.” Part of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, the Division of Marine Fisheries has created 43 offshore reefs and 25 estuarine reefs over the years, some of which are oyster sanctuaries. The offshore reefs are located anywhere from a half mile to 38 miles from shore and many can be reached from major inlets. Along with providing new habitats for marine life, they can attract fishermen, divers and other types of ecotourism. Formally known as site AR-165, the new reef near Oregon Inlet was born when the Outer Banks Anglers Club – and within that, the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee – decided to pursue a new fishing spot. “The Outer Banks has long been known as having world-class offshore fishing,” explains Dick Parker, chairman of the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee. “People come here from all over the country to fish in our nearby Gulfstream waters. With the addition of AR-165, our near-shore fishing could very well be as spectacular as our offshore fishing.” Members raised funds through revenue generated from fishing license sales and local donations, including a generous $20,000 donated by T.W.’s Bait & Tackle. They then began coordinating with the Division of Marine Fisheries in 2016 to choose a location for an artificial reef and work through the lengthy federal permitting process.

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“These are great places for folks to fish and dive,” Jordan says of the new reef and four other artificial reefs in the area. “And they’re close enough to Oregon Inlet that even small boats can get out on a pretty day. You don’t have to go far.” AR-165 is 162 acres in size, so there will be plenty of room to add to the reef over time. (If you’re trying to visualize it, think of a circle with a 1,500-foot radius.) The water depth is about 65 to 68 feet, and there’s a good hard sand bottom. In the future, spring at the reef could entice species such as bluefish, cobia and Spanish mackerel, while winter might bring in black sea bass, sheepshead and red drum.

The project really kicked off with a bang this past January when the first of three retired, ocean-going tugboats was sunk with much fanfare at the site of the future reef. Many members of the Outer Banks Anglers Club watched the sinking avidly, having spent years – and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money – working toward that moment. About 4,000 tons of concrete pipe came next, followed by a second massive tugboat in April. The initial construction of the reef will be complete later this summer or early fall after a third tugboat and another 3,250 tons of concrete pipe go into the reef. “It’s very deliberate,” Jordan says of the tugboat sinking process in particular. To start, marine contractors anchor the boat and use gasolinepowered pumps to begin filling it with water. They also cut holes in the sides of the hull called soft patches – as the boat sinks, the surrounding water eventually reaches those holes and comes rushing in. The sinking is almost immediate after that. Concrete pipe, on the other hand, is dropped so that the pipes are stacked on top of one another. Those pipes will eventually become completely covered in growth which will attract a multitude of fish – and Jordan’s personally visited some artificial reefs in North Carolina with comparable pipes that have held up well for more than 30 years. “We want something that’s biologically suitable,” Jordan explains. “In addition to being durable and lasting a long time, we also want something that’s tall enough – that when sand moves around it, it’s not going to get covered up. Large concrete pipes and heavy steel boats are good materials for that.” And it doesn’t take long, either. When asked whether there are fish at AR-165 after the deployment of the first two tugboats, Jordan admits that he isn’t sure. But he does note that when a similar tugboat sunk at site AR-320 off Pine Knoll Shores in North Carolina, there were already fish around the boat 30 or 40 minutes after it hit bottom. “I’m sure at this point, with the warm water there and the cobia around this time of year, there are some fish at AR-165,” he says cheerfully. It may remain to be seen. But even now, fishermen, divers and other watermen can set their coordinates for 35° 41.672’N, 75° 26.313’W and find out for themselves exactly what lies beneath.

One of the retired tugboats just before it was sunk at site AR-165 in order to create a new artificial reef near Oregon Inlet. Photo courtesy of Jason Peters with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.

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OU T D O O R S

A WORLD

Above The night sky sparkles above Bodie Island Lighthouse. Photo courtesy of John McCord.

The dark sky could bring tourists from all over to enjoy stargazing and animal watching along the Outer Albemarle Peninsula. BY ARABELLA SAUNDERS

astern North Carolina is home to vinegar-based barbeque sauce, boiled peanuts and – somewhat lesser known – some of the darkest skies on the entire East Coast. In 2018, North Carolina Land of Water (NC LOW) and the nonprofit A Time for Science Learning Center joined forces on a new initiative called the Night-Scape Resource Project in order to better understand the night skies and the nocturnal environment of the four counties – Dare, Tyrell, Hyde and Washington – that make up the Outer Albemarle Peninsula (OAP).

Led by East Carolina University professor and NC LOW chair Dr. Stanley Riggs, the study concluded that the OAP is the largest area of public lands – approximately 758 square miles – with the darkest night skies between Boston and Miami, making it ripe for ecotourism opportunities. FROM JULY 2018 THROUGH MAY 2019, Stanley and a team of Coastal Studies Institute-affiliated scientists, staff and student volunteers surveyed sites in the region on 11 new and 11 full moon nights. Altogether, the researchers made 250 visits to 83 sites. Kira Foster is an Outer Banks local and an environmental studies student at Appalachian State University. In the summer of 2018, Kira volunteered with the study and often drove from her home in Southern Shores to the woods in East Lake, where she helped record observations such as wind speed, barometric pressure, brightness, noises from wildlife and the positions of the stars. “It was rewarding because I had been to all those places before, but I had never thought to go there at night,” Kira says thoughtfully. “I felt like I was doing something good in my field because I was helping the area where I grew up in an environmental way.”

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 49

As lead investigator for the project, Stanley feels similarly. Already an internationally recognized geologist, Stanley has been researching the coastal environment of eastern North Carolina for more than 55 years – and when he’s not busy studying the natural world, he’s out enjoying it on his boat. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that he pulled his focus from the water and the lands he’d been writing about for his entire career and decided to spend some time looking up. “It dawned on me that this is a natural resource for this region that we take for granted,” Stanley says. “Everybody knows it, but we don’t think about it. There’s actually a large business in astronomy – and the public is interested in the night sky.” On April 3, Stanley and four co-authors published their 156-page report entitled “Night-Scape Resources: Northeastern North Carolina Coastal System.” The team concluded that this region is an exceptional nightscape resource for four main reasons: 1) the expansive area of public wetlands are remote and subject to minimal human activity; 2) the darkness of the night sky is tourism-worthy due to the increasing presence of light pollution throughout other areas in the country; 3) the 360-degree view of the horizon is ideal for viewing sunsets and sunrises; and 4) there’s a vast array of nocturnal wildlife. “There’s the astronomical and the ecological,” Stanley explains. “The sunsets, the sunrises and the moonrises are phenomenal, but the sounds of all the animals that are out carousing in the swamps at night are really spectacular, too.”

“It dawned on me that this is a natural resource for this region that we take for granted... There’s actually a large business in astronomy – and the public is interested in the night sky.” -DR. STANLEY RIGGS

ECOTOURISM IS TOURISM DIRECTED TOWARD

A vast landscape of stars shine brightly at Coquina Beach, which is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore – and a location that might one day be designated an International Dark Sky Park. Photo courtesy of John McCord.

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natural and oftentimes threatened environments that’s intended to support conservation efforts. And since the OAP is one of the only starry vistas left on the Eastern Seaboard due to increasing light pollution, Stanley thinks it’s the perfect attraction for visitors from bustling cities. While the nightscape report lays the groundwork for potentially earning this region the designation as an International Dark Sky Park, Stanley acknowledges that the official process for that could take years and would require a community-wide effort from county officials, business owners and residents. Still, it’s something worth bearing in mind, and Stanley ultimately hopes that the study will serve as a resource for those looking to responsibly incorporate the OAP’s dark skies and nocturnal environment into a variety of ecotourism programs. Because not only can the region provide visitors with clear views of the constellations, but the area’s diverse nocturnal wildlife – including bears, packs of coyotes and the rare red wolf – is tourism-worthy as well. “In the winter, there’s hundreds and thousands of tundra swan and geese in the air, and it’s an incredible sound,” Stanley says. “In the daytime you can see them, but at night you can sit back and hear them.”

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F OU R I F BY S E A

nO mOrE sNaCkS! wAsH yOuR hAnDs aGaIn! i sAiD tUrN tHaT tHiNg oFf!

Little House on the

PRA(irie)Y FOR US B Y AM A N D A MC D AN E L

also not entirely against printed prairie skirts that hide dirt after a hard day of play.

WE’VE SPENT A LOT MORE FAMILY TIME

An unprecedented amount. In fact, we went from having a husband who usually travels 70 percent of the year and two children who attend two different educational facilities to hosting a multigenerational living situation with five people in an 1,800-sqare-foot space for weeks on end. I imagine it’s what Ma and Pa Ingalls faced while being holed up on the prairie for the winter with Mary, Laura and Carrie. Except we have YouTube, so I’m a coin toss away from stating which situation is more ideal. While these past few months have had their share of difficulties, this time has also highlighted a few key truths – which remind me that even across the ages, family time hasn’t necessarily changed all that much from the days in Walnut Grove. Maybe this year’s reset will remind us that then or now, the challenges we face as families aren’t really different…they may just be packaged differently. TOGETHER THIS PAST SPRING.

For starters: Closets might be redundant. We have a LOT more clothing then we really need as a family. As the laundry piles grew and then multiplied like Gremlins dosed with water, I realized that I simply couldn’t keep up with the massive amount of washing there was to be done. Because of this, we began wearing the same clothes over and over as they made their way to the dryer or the top of the clean pile. I’m now beginning to think it’s not a bad idea to invest in uniforms the children can just rotate on a daily basis. I’m

52 | SU M M ER 2020

Two: My thumb may actually be green. For years I could never keep an indoor plant alive. Too much water, too little, and what exactly is indirect sunlight? I had a ponytail palm that made it about seven years before I left it outside during the winter while cleaning. My peace lily from my grandfather’s funeral has the running record of 18 years, but while spending an extended amount of time at home, all my potted plants and my garden have flourished. Not only do I have tomatoes growing, I have multiple breeds that are thriving and heavy with fruit. Maybe it wasn’t actually my thumb, but my lack of time to pay attention and nourish the plants. Ma would be proud. Three: Every trip to the post office involves swear words. My kids are blessed to have lots of books, games and toys to occupy themselves while mom and dad are working from home. However, nine times out of 10, I would creep upstairs to find them creating a spaceship, a dog house or some nerf gun battle armor out of cardboard beer boxes and packing tape. There were so many creations, in fact, that when I went to package up an item for work, I was met with an empty roll of tape. So, while I didn’t have to saddle up a horse to head into town, a trip to the office supply store and THEN the post office made the journey equally as long. Apparently the McDanels need to invest in a Costco-sized supply of packing tape. Wonder if they had that at Oleson’s Mercantile in Walnut Grove? Four: My kitchen is a vending machine. Our routine used to consist of a homemade breakfast, a packed lunch and a snack for school, an after-school snack and then a full dinner. While they still don’t have

to go pick their own apples off a tree, I do stock a weekly snack box and allow my kids to select their preferred choice of items at afternoon snack time. But with all of us at home for longer stretches, the routine began to look more like this: I walk into the kitchen in the morning to make coffee and find a Pop-Tart wrapper on the floor and milk spilled all over the counter. After my second cup of coffee the kids are requesting their “real breakfast” followed by a snack at 11 a.m., after which they pick at lunch only to ask for another snack 30 minutes later. And so on. I have to imagine Ma would’ve felt my pain. Five: Miss Beadle was extremely underpaid. While the teacher on the prairie may have been paid in coins and bags of flour, even adjusting for inflation, our teachers are grossly underpaid. For every year in my children’s future education, I’m going to install a metal tip jar outside of every teacher’s classroom and casually toss in a few bucks each time I walk by. In perpetuity. I may even join the P.T.A., the school board and become a county commissioner just to have this policy implemented. If you think I’m being excessive, my 4th grader’s math lesson starts at 10 a.m. – and you’re welcome to come over and assist in decoding boxes, lines and octopi drawings to see exactly how you get the answer to 13 times five. And finally: Gathering around a board game or good book still brings the whole family the same joy. For all the ups and downs the past few months have brought us as a homebound family, one key lesson prevails – which is that slowing down to enjoy quality time with our loved ones can be an often-overlooked gift. So let’s keep that larger lesson from the prairie in mind…even if we do have to save it as a meme on the lock screen of our iPhones.

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L I F E ST Y L E

SKYHIGH

How an international kite and toy manufacturer came to have its American headquarters based in Powells Point

BY STEVE HANF

hris Shultz still remembers the first time he flew a kite on the Outer Banks. On a visit from Ohio to see his aunt and uncle, he got a cheap plastic Gayla kite called “the bat” from Kite Kingdom at the old Sea Holly Square in Kill Devil Hills. That kite is long gone, but remarkably, Chris still has the nice wooden spool his family splurged on at the time. Chris also still remembers the first time he flew a kite on Jockey’s Ridge as part of a summer job with Kitty Hawk Kites. His friend from Manteo High School handed him a stunt kite, the infamous Outer Banks winds did their thing – and Chris was pulled face-first into the sand. That summer job is long gone, but just as remarkably, Chris still has a career in the kite industry more than 30 years later. “One thing I know about people who fly kites is they can be reserved – I wasn’t a super outgoing guy – but I liked flying kites and the attention it drew,” Chris says. “Kites can do that. They can be very expressive depending on what you’re flying or how you’re flying it.”

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Decades later, Chris now helps put kites of all shapes and sizes, plus a whole lot more, into people’s hands throughout North and South America. He serves as vice president of HQ Kites & Designs USA, which is a significant sales and distribution subsidiary of Invento GmbH, a German-based company that specializes in kites, lawn spinners and outdoor accessories, plus a variety of toys. But for all their international reach, the global company is proud to have a permanent state-side address in Currituck County. Products initially get delivered to a relatively nondescript warehouse space in Powells Point, off the beaten path of Caratoke Highway not far from the water park, then packaged and shipped for distribution to numerous retail stores. The journey from concept to production to sales that stretches from Germany to Asia to Currituck seems about as meandering as a kite dancing in the wind – and Chris’s own unlikely path. In addition to young childhood memories, he mostly recalls getting hooked on kites during his first three summers working at Kitty Hawk Kites, when he regularly traveled from East Carolina University to be part of a daily spectacle on Jockey’s Ridge. To his delight, Chris literally got paid to fly kites those summers. The job offered minimum wage and maximum fulfillment. “People drive by, and it’s like you’ve got this big billboard of kites,” Chris explains. “But we were just showing people how fun this stuff is.” Chris went on to manage the Nags Head store and eventually became a kite buyer, where he learned even more about the industry and made contacts with other companies. It was a uniquely specialized background that allowed him to get a job with a kite supplier, which introduced him to the wholesale side of things. That sent Chris to Washington and then Austin for a time until HQ Kites brought him on board. The owners of HQ – which stands for high quality – started their business in Germany in 1993 when they couldn’t find the types of performance kites they wanted to sell in their retail store. But greater demand soon grew, and HQ was born, with their American subsidiary opening in upstate New York before moving to Chesapeake.

For one Germanbased international company, the Outer Banks is the ideal spot to showcase – and experience – the power behind a variety of their highperformance kites. Photos courtesy of Chris Shultz.

Then, when HQ’s five-year lease was coming due in Chesapeake, Chris had an idea: Would anybody mind if he looked for a new warehouse space near the Outer Banks? In December of 2009, HQ Kites settled into its new home in Powells Point: twice as much space, better facilities for shipping, same price as the old lease – and a whole lot closer to home. For Chris, that is. “We’re closer to Kitty Hawk Kites, which is a big customer of ours, but we’re also in an area where we can truly showcase a lot of the products that we build,” Chris says. “And the quality of life down here is good, so the location is perfect.” Flip through the company’s catalogs and you can see why the Outer Banks is such a great fit for the business. Shot after shot includes happy kite flyers underneath picturesque blue skies at Jockey’s Ridge – imagery that’s comparatively hard to capture in Germany. Big kiteboarding groups will even rent several houses and demo some of HQ’s gear at Kite Point on Hatteras Island. And just about any time there’s a large kiting event, HQ is there alongside a variety of other local vendors. While “kites” is prominently featured in the company name, Invento also offers an everexpanding catalog of intricate toy models made of wood or metal with moving parts, remote-control vehicles, even high-end models of the solar system Chris Shultz tests a kite in that get sold at museum gift shops and in mail-order Jamaica. catalogs. Despite his background in kites, Shultz has found himself heading to toy trade shows from New York City to Nuremberg, always looking for that next interesting item that takes his imagination to new heights. But, above all, Chris continues to have a special place in his heart for all things kites – and he’s currently on a kiteboarding kick. He’s been to the Vegas desert and ridden three-wheeled carts at 50 miles per hour as they’re pulled by kite sails. And he loves flying single-line kites in unique places, like from the stern of a high-speed boat. “I’ve been lucky enough to have done pretty much everything,” Chris says of his career in kites. “And I think it’s the romance of flight and all that people are mesmerized by. It’s just like eye candy.” N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 55

THE LOCAL LIFE

Elisabeth Silverthorne EX ECUT I V E DIR E CTO R , B E ACH FOOD PANTRY

Photo by Cory Godwin Story by Amelia Boldaji

How did you begin working with nonprofits?

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I was at American University in Washington, D.C. when I decided to go to law school, and they had a Community and Economic Development Law Clinic that allowed me to get practical training working exclusively with nonprofits. I saw it as a way to marry my business background with community service and then adding that law piece in – which really appealed to me. It let me bring all of my knowledge with me, but still keep getting better and better…while also doing good in the world.

ORGANIZED according to the official government MyPlate nutritional guidelines – grains to the left, with veggies, fruits, proteins and dairy farther toward the back. At the Beach Food Pantry in Kitty Hawk, helping people navigate a client-choice-based selection of food in times of need is about understanding both their individual health needs and tastes. Or as Executive Director Elisabeth Silverthorne puts it, “We call it shopping, because it is – you just don’t have to pay at the end.”

And being a part of one of several local pantries that’s committed to alleviating temporary food insecurity, feels somewhat like a calling to Elisabeth, whose background is a bit of a winding road that seems to have slowly brought her to the exact place she was meant to be.

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What sort of work did you do when you first moved to the Outer Banks? I graduated in 2003 and moved here in ‘04 to study and take the bar exam – I thought I was only going to be here three months, but now it’s been 16 years! [Laughs] I found a job at a law firm and started doing some work as a contract attorney, but it got to the point where I was traveling all week and only coming home on the weekends. So I kind of put it out to the universe and made a deal: I said, the first job I get, I’m going to take it. Turned out it was with the Dare Education Foundation as their executive director.

How did you wind up at the Beach Food Pantry, and is it a good fit? For me, education changed the entire trajectory of my life, because in the end it’s all about opportunity – but after seven and a half years with Dare Education it was time for a change. Then the Beach Food Pantry board called to see if I was interested in a position here, and I’ve just loved it. We’re an emergency support net, and I encourage people to call the office for any reason at all – even if it’s not food related, or we’re busy, I want to help. Law is a long game, but with this, you know you’re helping, you see it every day.

What’s your favorite part of being here at the Beach Food Pantry? I’m the queen of asking people to help someone else, and I think when you do that and it works out, it reaffirms our connection. I always say that we don’t make or sell anything here – if something’s on these shelves, our community provided it. And that just reminds you how good people are. So I really and truly love the people here all the way around – the donors, the clients, the volunteers…it’s extremely humanity affirming. Because it may sound simplistic, but we all need hope. We’re all pilgrims traveling together on this journey, and if there’s hope for tomorrow or a better day – and I absolutely believe there always is – you keep moving and you find a way to push through. It’s all about how we care for one another.

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