ZOE SIMPKINS

INSTRUCTOR, REAL WATERSPORTS

Story by Amelia Boldaji / Photo by Ryan Moser

BETWEEN PERSONAL SESSIONS AND HER DAY JOB TEACHING WATERSPORTS in Rodanthe, 25-year-old Zoe Simpkins is in the water almost every day – and that’s exactly how she likes it. Taking virtually the polar opposite postgrad route than the rest of her college peers, Zoe chose riding waves over writing reports and hit the road for Hatteras Island, where she feels most inspired and challenged by a life lived off the beaten path.

How did you wind up here on the Outer Banks? I’m from Raleigh, but I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and I met a group of friends in college who made regular weekend trips down to the tri-villages [on Hatteras Island] to surf. I wanted to learn, so I got a restaurant job and moved down for the summer during my sophomore year [in 2015] – once I graduated, I moved down fulltime. My parents got married here, too, so I also have a little bit of family history with this area.

Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to learn to kiteboard?

Not really! [Laughs] When I came down here in the summer of 2017, I worked at a restaurant in Avon that was right next to OceanAir Sports, and I got to be friends with some of the guys there. They ended up giving me one lesson, and it was all over from there! I already had some board sports experience, so it wasn’t very hard for me to pick it up – but I didn’t really have many formal opportunities to learn, so I pretty much taught myself.

What about teaching? I don’t know that I ever thought of myself as a “teacher,” but I wanted to have the ability to work seasonally and travel in the winter, so I went to REAL and applied as an instructor [in 2018] – even though I’d only been kiteboarding maybe 10 times. [Laughs] I didn’t end up coaching at first because I didn’t have enough experience, so I worked as a repair manager in the rental shop for two seasons to begin with, and kept kiting in a lot of different conditions. I finally started coaching last summer, and it turns out that I really enjoy working with people – particularly because it allows me to help them conceptualize goals and fulfill them in a tangible way.

As a woman in what can be perceived as a predominantly male sport, do you feel as though you have a different perspective about kiteboarding? We’re definitely a minority, but I think we’re at the cusp of a big turning point in watersports, and the visibility for women is increasing. The World Surf League is offering equal pay in competitions now, and REAL is also doing pay equity for men and women during the Patagonia-sponsored Cape Hatteras Wave Classic in the fall. But when it comes down to it, I don’t really feel a gender divide – at the end of the day I see more similarities than differences, and the community of friends I’ve made all share a passion for being in the water. It’s why I’ve made my life here.