OUTER BANKS MILEPOST: ISSUE 5.2

Issue 5.2

A bold take on 20 years down the road...

MILEPOST Presents

rated

Grays

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Sorry. gosurf

We totally wanted to kick off our 20th mag with some gripping prose.

Something to fully commemorate five years of sweating bullets and beating deadlines.

(Barely.) Then we got distracted by sourcing images and filing words for the other 71 pages — plus more than a few bitchin’ Prince clips on YouTube. Before we knew it: time was up. The opportunity was wasted.

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It wasn’t intentional. Nothing ever is in this semi-creative cluster-project. Truth is, we never really planned to make it this far. We figured we’d crank out one or two 40-page rags. Elicit a few faint giggles from immature mouthbreathers — and a few thousand gigs of e-hate-mail from the local Illuminati — then slither on home to our dishpit beginnings. Even our first issue number begins with a zero — a sly, self-effacing wink that there might not have been any more.

But we were foiled! Betrayed! By the very people we meant to annoy. Instead of mobs of angry readers storming our home office with torched copies — they stockpiled mags for future reference. Instead of advertisers

screaming down our phone lines with withering threats of canceled checks — they called in for rate sheets. Soon, stopping was no longer an option. We were forced to keep rolling out parrot Charmin on a quarterly basis. And we’ve been floundering along ever since — much like the silverscaled fish we always assumed would wear the fruits of our labor like small, paper shrouds.

But what stands before you represents more than just dumb luck on the part of your protagonists. It reflects five years of hard work by a talented cast of dedicated photographers, writers, designers, artists and proofers — plus the hard-earned dollars of many committed local businesses.

And it’s because of them, we’ll continue to plow forth with no sense of steering, crushing oncoming obstacles like a downhill crash course on half-laced roller-skates.

Too bad communities don’t work that way.

Oh sure, a town can pop up anywhere. And even muddle along blindly for centuries. But from Dodge City to Detroit — eventually, those who fail to plan, really do plan to fail.

(Or at least falter.) That’s why we devoted this issue’s entire feature space to examining

what’s going on now — then projecting 20 years out — to plant some seeds in everyone’s collective brains. To let people prepare. Or attack. Or at least discuss. For too long, we’ve been a place that worships its history — and begrudges the future.

But maybe by looking ahead, we could forge our destiny instead of reacting to it.

“

For too long, we’ve been a place that worships its history — and begrudges the future.

Then we wanted to cement the point home with a solid introduction that illustrated nothing good ever happens by accident. (And nothing bad either, for that matter.)

But, clearly, we failed. Otherwise, you’d have enjoyed a brief, introspective essay instead of this blank page. — Matt Walker

Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you enjoy it. If not — before chucking this issue in the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways of expressing your disgust: cut out tiny rectangles to make locally themed Tarot cards; stuff home-made fortune cookies with sub-par prophecies; maybe create a commemorative 20th issue hate-mail collage. Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. Or light us up on Facebook with your opinions and ideas. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them. milepost 3

“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” — Winston Churchill “Roads? Where we’re going, we won’t need roads.” — Dr. Emmett Brown

Issue 5.2 Summer 2016 Cover: Future Shock Photo: Chris Bickford Model: Quentin Turko Car: Something Old Something New Reader You Brushes & Ink Carnell Boyle, John Butler, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Michael J. Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Laine Edwards, Travis Fowler, Dawn Gray, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Dave Lekens, Ben Miller, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Rick Nilson, Stuart Parks II, Charlotte Quinn, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Stephen Templeton, Two Tipis Under One Sun, Mike Zafra Lensfolk Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Rich Coleman, Chris Creighton, Amy Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Cory Godwin Chris Hannant, Bryan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Roger Meekins, Dick Meseroll/ESM, Ryan Moser, Rob Nelson, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Tom Sloate, DJ Struntz, Aimee Thibodeau, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens

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Big Mouth In Chief Matt Walker

editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com Outer Banks Milepost is published quarterly (sorterly) by Suite P Inc. All contents are the property of Suite P Inc. and do not reflect the opinion of advertisers or distributors. Nor do their contents reflect that of the creative types (who would never, ever sell out). Comments, letters and submissions are usually welcome. Please include SASE for return delivery of all snail mail, however, Milepost and Suite P Inc. still aren’t responsible for any unsolicited materials. And don’t expect much else to move much faster than IST (Island Standard Time). Oh yeah: if you reprint a lick of this content you’re ripping us off. (Shame on you.) To discuss editorial ideas, find out about advertising or tell us we blew it – or just find out what the waves are doing – call 252-441-6203 or email: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com; sales@outerbanksmilepost.com. www.outerbanksmilepost.com

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“Motherboard”

By Michael J. Davis www.hollyhillstudio.com

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03 StartingPoint Oops, we did it again.

06 UpFront Sticky fingers, prescient strangers and flying saucers.

20 GetActive Give us five.

22 QuestionAuthority Guess who leads the class in sustainable tourism?

24 20/2036 Twenty predictions that push the limits of local vision.

36 GraphicContent We’re off like a bunch of dirty shirts.

53 GoVolleyball Hey! Who spiked our drinking hole?

54 GoWaterski Boats ’n bros.

“There’s a reason I call these pieces ‘3D Constructions.’

Because normally I build everything and put it together. I rarely ever use found elements.

But last year I was in Outer Banks Computer Repair and saw a pile of broken parts. I’d been doing a series of different female faces over different patterns, so I decided to use a piece of technology as the background and call it “Motherboard.” I still made most of it myself.

The wiring is all drawn.

And the clouds. And the face, of course. But the board really gives it that great 3D feel.

What’s funny is I don’t even like computers [laughs]. But people really gravitate toward this one. So maybe I’ll do another for fun. ” — Michael J. Davis

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BEsoundcheck CAREFUL WHAT getactive YOU WISH FOR

Before critics question how the Tourism Board money gets spent, they may want to consider where it gets spent.

startingpoint Six years later, the legislation was amended

Last year, the beach rumbled with news that Dare County’s visitation numbers had officially broke the $1 billion mark in 2014. To some, surging summer figures were a welcome sign of a strong tourism industry. To others, a signal we’d officially gone too far. And for many, it sparked questions: with so many visitors coming, why do we need a Visitors Bureau? What’s their cut? And what do they do with all that money?

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In 1985, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that allowed Dare County to impose a threecent occupancy tax on lodging and accommodations that were subjected to sales tax. The resulting revenues were mandated as such: two-thirds would be split among the municipalities and the remaining portion would go into the county coffers.

Expenditures of the newfound revenue stream into the towns and county were mandated to be spent “only for touristrelated purposes, including construction and maintenance of public facilities and buildings, garbage, refuse, and solid waste collection and disposal, police protection, and emergency services.”

to allow the creation of an additional one-cent occupancy and one-cent sales tax to fund a new government entity — the Tourism Board — which governs the goings-on in the Visitors Bureau. The new law dictated not just who serves on the new board (a combination of local government officials and industry representatives), but how the revenues are to be spent.

The bulk — 75 percent — goes toward administration, marketing research, a mail and telephone inquiry response program, welcoming and hospitality functions, and, of course, to promote tourism by advertising less-than-peak-season events and programs.

(Read: “Don’t push summertime.”)

The remaining 25 percent — aka “the graphiccontent restricted fund” — is designated for services

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or programs needed to mitigate the impact of tourism, and they require prior approval of the county commissioners.

Of course, no one could have anticipated that by 2015 the Visitors Bureau would receive a total of $6.8 million from the two taxes. With a brisk tourism biz, and a growing list of expenses, some public officials began looking for ways to access that money for other purposes.

In the opening days of March 2015, N.C. Senator Bill Cook co-sponsored Senate Bill 160, shorttitled Enhance Safety & Commerce for Ports/Inlets. The original draft bill proposed setting up a fund to match local government revenues to keep inlets clear — which was the language in the original submitted bills.

But before being officially supported, other items were inserted into the proposed legislation, including the transfer of all occupancy taxes that are shared between the towns and county — plus all the dollars

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that fund the Tourism Authority — to the Dare County Board of Commissioners.

Not that the county was asking for them.

“We didn’t start the conversation about taking over the occupancy taxes and didn’t support it,” insists Chairman Bob Woodard.

“We had no knowledge about the change until I received a copy of the bill and forwarded it to the rest of the board.”

In the end, the county funded its portion of the dredging cost by getting the Tourism Board to pitch in $300,000 and pledge another million dollars if the need should arise. Still, the issue generated more scrutiny toward how the bureau spends its dollars.

And more than a few residents remain suspicious that it’s being misused.

So how is that one quarter of each year’s tax revenues being spent?

Most of it is within plain sight. Everything from bleachers for First Flight High School to restoration of Pea Island Cookhouse to building new beach accesses. And every request must pass strict bureaucratic hurdles.

“Each grant goes through a guided process,” says Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles. “The grant application is reviewed by our steering committee and then, if approved, is submitted to the full board for a vote. If the board approves it, the grant request then is reviewed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners, which has the final say in whether it is approved.”

In some cases, the projects are even required to have matching funds. Nags

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Most revenues sit within plain sight… from bleachers to new beach accesses.

Head’s Dowdy Park is a good example. The land was purchased with a $250,000 grant from the Visitors Bureau — but it was fasttracked thanks to a $750,000 grant from Trillium Health Resources.

Other examples include seasonal favorites — like Fourth of July fireworks in the towns and on Hatteras Island.

“The Visitors Bureau is giving us a grant for $10,000 for our fireworks this year,” says Shannon Twiddy, Manteo’s assistant town manager. “The town’s budget for the fireworks is now about $39,000. That will really help because Festival Park no longer allows us to shoot the fireworks off from that site. To shoot them off from a barge is costing us about $10,000 more.”

In other towns, projects include new features that are more than temporary tourist draws.

They are permanent additions that benefit the community year-round, such as bike paths and pedestrian sidewalks along the bypass in Kill Devil Hills and Duck’s outdoor amphitheater.

“The amphitheater was part of our master plan,” says Town Manager Chris Layton.

“Without the grant we wouldn’t have been able to construct it. We use it for programs

for both residents and visitors. We also received a grant for building the boardwalk.”

related to tourism impacts such as EMS and police.

Not only are the towns not complaining about how this money’s being spent — they’re looking for new ways to do it.

While a separate three-cent occupancy tax shared between the towns and county already offsets those types of costs caused by summer population increases — as mandated by law — the statement still raises some valid concerns: was the legislative intent for the restricted funds to be used to counter negative impacts from tourism — or enhance and encourage additional tourism?

Do grants for events and programs — like the marathon or Taste of the Beach — include expenses? Or just advertising?

“Other local governments have asked to see our master plan,” Layton continues, “because they are interested in using the idea.”

The take-away, Layton says, is that “developing good infrastructure, including other things such as bike paths, benefits the stakeholders.”

In other words: Outer Bankers and the people who visit here.

Nevertheless, last year, Cook’s office requested a state audit. According to Cook’s legislative aide, Jordan Hennessy, “Senator Cook suggested the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor look further into the concerns that we received from many constituents pertinent to the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.”

So what happened with the audit? In April 2016, the state said they found no wrong doing with accounting; however, it stated that the language that created the criteria for expenditures from the restricted funds should be clarified by the legislature.

Cook also requested a legal opinion from the General Assembly’s Legislative Research section. The responding attorney replied that, in his opinion, the grants being made available for events and infrastructure are not being spent as legislatively intended. He suggested they should be used for services

These are all worthwhile questions. But the real quandary is: do we even want to start asking them. Because, while the county has authority to repeal the taxes, it doesn’t have the power to change the legislative language. That lies with the state. And if the legislature “opens” the law to amend it, they can make any number of unwanted alterations — from giving more money and power to the county to designating another purpose for the funds to doing away with the whole pile.

“The current version has seemingly served the community very well for more than 20 years,” says Nettles. “None of the governmental agencies affected have asked for it to be changed. Once the legislation is opened, there is a degree of uncertainty of what will happen.”

In other words, by trying to access a juicy pile of potential revenue — and pick and choose the best ways to spend it — we could upset the whole apple cart. And end up losing it all. — Sandy Semans

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HIGH PRAISE

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From elevators to liquor drinks, Alice Sykes pushed the limits of Outer Banks innovation. getactive

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If The Coastland Times’ front page for June 29 was any indication, the summer of 1951 was shaping up swell. The Lost Colony was set to run its 11th season. The famed Nags Head Casino would host the Dixie Rhythm Boys. And the new Sea Ranch Hotel was ready to open just north of Kitty Hawk. Over the next fifty years, this “strikingly different” and “exclusive retreat” would grow into a major resort — and change the face of Outer Banks hospitality.

The Sea Ranch was the brainchild of Mr. and Mrs. Travis Sykes, otherwise known as Buck and Alice. The couple was originally from Virginia Beach, where Alice got her start in the hospitality business. After spending winters in California, New Mexico and Florida, the Gates County, North Carolina native decided she wanted to bring a new style of hotel to the Outer Banks. One that would capture people’s imaginations and draw tourists from places besides nearby Elizabeth City and Virginia’s Tidewater region.

“This is when they were first developing Southern Shores and later Colington Island,” says Clifford Blakely of Kill Devil Hills, who not only worked for Alice for 30 years, but also married her eldest grandchild, Margo Powell. “Alice and her contemporaries changed us from more of a local resort [and started] bringing regional tourism to the Outer Banks. From there, it just grew.”

gokite milepost Rooms with a vision: Sykes’ Sea Ranch 2.0.

Photo: Aycock Brown/Outer Banks History Center

The “California-styled Sea Ranch with every room facing the ocean” was part of the building boom following World War II. Nags Head’s Carolinian Hotel set the standard of modern hostelry on the Outer Banks when it began receiving guests in 1947, still the Sea Ranch garnered its fair share of visitors and special events. (The hotel’s early guests included a group of seven first ladies of North Carolina and the Irish Ambassador to America.) But it was her knack for selling fresh ideas to new markets that set Alice apart.

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In 1954, Alice’s Pirate’s Week featured a “buccaneer’s banquet, treasure hunts, a pirate’s costume ball, plank walking and other merriment.” (Perhaps inspiring the county-wide Dare Beaches Pirate’s Jamboree that drew crowds between 1955 and 1964?) But even more savvy was a week-long event in 1959 that encouraged seniors to bring their grandchildren to the Sea Ranch.

The S.O.G.W.P.I.P. Week (that’s “Silly Old Grandparents With Picture In Pocket” in case you didn’t recognize the acronym) used the slogan “Bring the Real Thing and Leave the Pictures Behind.”

Kiddies could swim, hike or even get a ride on the resident burro, Tequila. Meanwhile, attendants stood by to supervise the young folk so the adults might have a minute for their own entertainment. A half-century later, toddler-toting seniors gather in the offseason to give working parents a break.

Kiddies could swim, hike or get a ride on the resident burro, Tequila.

Things stayed sunny for the first full decade — until the winter of ’62, when the Ash Wednesday Storm caused irreparable damage to the hotel. Rather than shut down, Alice took the setback as an opportunity. The following year, she opened another 26-room Sea Ranch at its new oceanfront location in Kill Devil Hills. And on December 29, 1967, Alice raised the bar again — along with building height — when the Sea Ranch broke ground on what would become the first “high-rise” along the Outer Banks: “five stories of steel, charcoal brick and pink mortar.”

Not to worry. They added an elevator — purported to be the first on the beach. Later, they would open the Outer Banks’ first indoor pool (1973) and first indoor tennis facility (1979).

Over the years, more hotels came along, but Alice never ceased looking for ways to stand apart. She once traveled to Paris with dining room and lounge manager Patti Livengood in hopes of importing some traditional French cuisine to Kill Devil Hills. And she was just as active making moves in the community at large, including playing a role in bringing liquorby-the-drink to certain townships in Dare County in 1980. One ABC official claims that Alice was first in line in Raleigh to procure a liquor license for the Sea Ranch, and then to load up on liquor at the Nags Head ABC store — a rumor that Blakely recollects is only half-true.

“Holiday Inn got the first license,” muses the long-time manager. “But the Sea Ranch sold the first mixed drink.”

And that’s high praise for the hard-partying Outer Banks.

But at its heart, the Sea Ranch was always a family business. (Blakely bought the Sea Ranch from Alice in 1990.) In 2012, they sold to partners — seven years after Alice Sykes passed away at the age of 97. Still, the Sea Ranch remains a lasting monument to one of our beach’s boldest pioneers.

“She wasn’t always right, but she did things her way,” Blakely candidly recalls. “And when she got her mind set on something, it was done.” — Sarah Downing Sources include: “Strikingly Different Hotel Opening Saturday at Kitty Hawk Beach,” Coastland Times, June 29, 1951; “Irish Ambassador to Visit Birthplace of Irish Potato,” The Robesonian, Lumberton, NC, May 21, 1953; “Seven 1st Ladies Are Honored at Colony Program,” Coastland Times, July 27, 1962; “High Rise Comes to Dare Coast in 1968 Building,” Coastland Times, Dec. 29,1967; “They Enjoyed Indoor Swimming Pool,” Coastland Times, April 19,1973; “To France for Culinary Treats,” Coastland Times, Jan. 15, 1981.

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STOP THE PRESSES! No, seriously — stop! At least if you’re a high-school journalist. This spring, 25 local students earned Southern Interscholastic Press Association kudos for their work, from staff writing to graphic design to advertising — with First Flight’s Night Hawk News winning “Best in State” and Manteo High’s yearbook, The Sandfiddler, picking up a “superior” award. This keeps up, they’re gonna put us so-called professionals out of a job. (Or at least send us back to school.)

RETRACTING BEATS EXTRACTING Boy, are we red-faced. Last issue, in hopes of rallying citizens to stop offshore drilling — and stand up for their livelihoods — we prematurely sounded the alarm on a round

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of federal public comment meetings that were still TBD. Instead, the Dept. of Interior pulled the entire Atlantic from drilling leases ’til at least 2022. Suddenly, instead of screaming, we were cheering. Save your breath: cuz in five years we might be screaming again.

NOW THE BAD NEWS Even with drilling off the table, seismic testing can still continue. In NC, there are four separate companies applying to pound the ocean floor with sonic blasts, which punish marine life — not to mention our fishing communities — with no guarantee they’ll use the data. Sounds like a lot of wasted dollars. (And wasted fish.) The good news? You can still blast the idea at www. boem.gov before June 16.

GENDER IDENTITY CRISIS Man or woman — closet conservative or flaming liberal — NC’s “bathroom bill,”

HB2, surely has your panties in a wad. In Mar., HB2 mandated transgender people must use the bathroom of their birth sex, causing a shitstorm of negative national press that canceled concerts, killed tech jobs and postponed vacations. By early May, feds were suing over civil rights violations, putting $2.2 billion in education funding at risk.

Meanwhile, the state counter-sued, officially pissing off half the country — and potentially pissing away a fortune.

THE SWEETEST PLUMB When you’re an animal, the whole world’s your bathroom. When you’re human, the lightest tinkle requires four walls and a hole.

All the more reason to celebrate Nags Head Woods’ plans to modernize its visitor center this Nov. as upgrades include not just more space — but outdoor accessible toilets and drinking fountains. Now the only question is: who’s gonna water all those trees?

MONSTER BASH-AND-DASH What kind of psychopath steals Halloween costumes? That’s what police want to know as five masks worth more than $3000 vanished from the Lost Colony’s Waterside Theater on Mar. 17. Anonymous tipsters can call the crime line at 252-473-3111. Or the culprits can return them. Because if that rabid Wanchese rabbit sniffs ’em out, they’ll look plenty disfigured without a disguise.

RED TAPE GOES DIGITAL Stoked over beach fires in town — or beach driving down south — but too slack to stop for a permit? Well, get ready to do a little GIF dance. Nags Head’s town website will now let you apply for a fire online. If the winds and location check out, they’ll charge your card $11. And the National Park Service is offering a printable ORV pass you can tape to the windshield while they mail a permanent sticker, putting nothing between you and summer fun — but a laptop.

OUT-OF-THE-SHADOW ECONOMY It never fails: you finally find that first-edition Satanic bible signed by Charles Manson on Craigslist — it even comes with some Ginsu knives, two shovels and a bag of lime — but the seller lives way out by the Dismal Swamp.

Thanks to the Dare Co. Sheriff’s Dept., y’all can meet at the new Manteo Courthouse’s Internet Purchase Exchange Location — a designated parking space where every deal of a lifetime is well lit and videotaped. (Not recommended for “Casual Encounters.”)

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY? Sounds like somebody’s lines sure got crossed. In April, Outer Banks Catch announced they would not participate in this fall’s OBX Seafood Festival because organizers weren’t pushing enough local seafood. Festival reps responded that they were blindsided, and they were working hard to increase indigenous eats while promoting watermen culture to the public at large.

Luckily, both sides left room to hook back up later. But with claims of false advertising on one side — and hidden agendas on the other — there’s clearly lots of untangling to do.

SELFIE STICKS Enjoy being the center of attention this summer thanks to a bunch of new posts — 160 to be exact — as the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway put up brand new signs to direct travelers from Whalebone Junction down to Harker’s Island, crossing through 21 villages over 138 driving miles and 25 ferry miles. Furthermore, www. outerbanksbyway.com went live to break the route into several interpretative trails, spanning themes like maritime history and outdoor recreation, to generate traffic and lots of “likes.”

For detailed reports on many of these stories and breaking local news on a daily basis — plus page after page of local discussion — visit www.outerbanksvoice. com, www.obsentinel.com and www.islandfreepress.org.

SMART-ASS COMMENT OF THE MONTH “I would like to formally announce that I now selfidentify as ‘tax-exempt.’ Fact is I was born tax-exempt and even spent my formative years as a deduction. I hope Dare County will respect my ‘diversity’ and stop oppressing me with tax bills.” — Dinsdale, “Read mayor’s letter to Gov. Pat McCrory on disputed HB2,” OuterBanksVoice.com, April 11, 2016

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upfront

WHADDYA RECKON?

soundcheck

We got questions — you got answers.

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Larry Ross, 56 Retired Southern Shores “The Mid-Currituck Bridge will impact the upper beaches, but I don’t think the rest of this place will lose its look and feel. I’m coming up on 20 years here. In that time it hasn’t changed much, in my view. Still the same place it’s always been.”

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Holly Bracy, 22 Photographer Kill Devil Hills “Dream scenario? A bunch of small businesses and little artisan shops that still have the capacity to handle the influx of tourists. What am I scared of? High-rise hotels, boardwalks and corporate chains taking the soul out of the island.”

What do you think the Outer Banks will look like in 20 years?

Joanna Harrington, 24 Florist Kill Devil Hills “Well, if the town doesn’t do anything about the beach in Kitty Hawk, then it’ll probably be gone! [laughs] Really though, I think this place is a family tradition for so many people that I can’t see it changing all that much.

People come here for a certain way of life.”

Mike Hammock, 31 Restaurateur Kitty Hawk “I think we’re moving closer to something similar to the Wrightsville area, especially with the new event space down in Nags Head. I just hope they always keep parking free!”

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Dallas Tolson, 34 Pro Server/Surfer Buxton “I think up in town has a real chance of turning into something similar to Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach. Down here we’re a little too far away to ever get overdeveloped — we’re probably more likely to become the next Portsmouth Island.” [laughs]

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Todd Kleban, 41 Surf Shop Owner Manns Harbor “We’re going to see a changing of the guard with younger locals stepping up and starting businesses. I can’t imagine we’re ever going to get too over developed; there’s just not enough land available to make it happen.”

Wes Zabloudil, 55 Coffee Shop Owner Corolla “The Mid-Currituck Bridge will have a huge impact between infrastucture and the influx of people. But people come here for that connection to nature — that’s the key to our tourism and the reason most of us live here.

So we can’t afford to lose that.”

Jake Fremo, 26 Beach Rentals Kitty Hawk “Twenty years from now? We’ll probably just be a sick outer sandbar! [laughs] I do think we’re at least going to see a new inlet pop up somewhere. But, honestly, I hope it doesn’t change much. I like how it is now.”

Interviews and images by Tony Leone

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cruise with us We rent:

Golf Carts Rental Cars Vintage VW Buggies Special Occasion Cars 4x4 Jeeps & Suburbans Reservations Required Recommended 48 hrs in Advance

upfront soundcheck WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

It feels like a blip, but a lot can happen in five years. Here’s a quick update on a few brave souls from our first few issues.

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Like a Cinderella story in ripped stockings.

Photo: Matt Artz

WONDER WOMEN

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Kill Devil Derby Brigade, Issue 0.1 We admit it: even we thought the idea of a bunch of local girls called “Storma’ Brewin” and “Rollin’ Bayou” doing laps and kicking asphalt sounded a bit — well — loopy. But five years later, this well-oiled machine of 15 athletes is making a real impact on the Outer Banks — from hosting two “Derby Spills” to hitting the road to take on teams from Fredericksburg, VA to Charleston, SC, to creating meets and fundraisers to help local charities like Hotline, ForKids and Veterans Homefront. In fact, last year the team secured 5013C status, so when not trading blows behind Aviation Park three times a week, they can continue to crush the community with good deeds.

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“Last year we donated a computer to the hospital so people could register for health care,” says six-year veteran, Brandy “Bash” Foard. “This year we redid the bathrooms at the park.

We installed mirrors, replaced all the hardware, and painted everything — using our team colors, of course [laughs]. But everyone’s been so supportive, we just wanted to say thanks — and show the town a little love.”

In Home Appointments Available

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Tshombe Selby, Issue 1.1 How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice.

For proof look no further than Tshombe Selby.

In the spring of 2012, Selby was spending all his free time — and a good chunk of change — driving to Virginia for vocal lessons in hopes of one day singing tenor on the planet’s greatest opera stages. By Nov. 2013, with the help of local arts patrons like Elizabeth R. and Company, the Manteo native was off to NYC to continue training with world-class coaches. Today, he’s graced performing arts centers from Philadelphia to Manhattan, including a solo performance at Carnegie Hall in Feb. 2015. And you’ll also find him at the Metropolitan Opera House for almost every production.

“I got a job as an usher when I moved here,” laughs Selby. “So, I’m in the building. Now I’m working very hard to get on stage. But I’ve grown immensely in my knowledge and performance of opera. I’m loving every second of it, and I’m so thankful people keep inviting me to sing. This whole experience has been a blessing.”

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Scot Barco, Issue 1.3

When we last saw Scot Barco in the fall of 2012, he was a man on a mission: to achieve Marathon Maniacs’ “Titanium” status by running 52 marathons within 365 days. Not only did he achieve his dream, he did it twice, by simultaneously running 30 races in 30 states. From there, the personal bests kept piling up, as every time he completed one goal, he tacked on another.

In 2013, he completed his Finished? He’s just 100th race at the Outer Banks getting started.

Marathon. Barring medical injury, by the end of 2016, his streak will cross 150 finish lines — including marathons through Canada, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and all 50 states. So what’s next?

“They say if you do something once, it’s a fluke; two times it’s on purpose,” says Barco.

“So, I’m trying for a second set of marathons in all 50 states. But the real goal is always to inspire people to challenge themselves. And it doesn’t have to be marathons. Just choose something that’s going to mean something, then come up with a plan. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish if you just try.”

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FLYING gokite DRIVERS? OR DRIVING FLYERS? milepost Kill Devil Hills’ Baum Tract to give disc golf a spin.

Alas, the poor maligned Frisbee. Summer plaything of drooling dogs and hyper humans, flinging sand in faces with every botched catch. However, this plastic toy becomes a thing of beauty in the hands of an expert. With a flick of the wrist, the disc wafts from one column of air to the next, then sinks to its target with deadly accuracy — providing a personal challenge that’s similar to golf. In some cases it’s exactly like golf. In fact, this summer, Kill Devil Hills plans to break ground on an 18-hole course where professionals and families can practice their skills.

funding an epicenter for his favorite passion, the Casey R. Logan Disc Golf Course seemed like a hole-in-one.

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“Ultimately, the town chose a disc golf course because it is inexpensive, lowimpact, and the funding would be privately acquired,” says Daryl Davies, who’s leading the charge to lock in local sponsorships. “It’s an amenity that is free, outdoors, great for families and all ages — a perfect addition to the OBX lifestyle.”

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It all started six years ago when KDH asked the public for ways to better utilize “the Baum Tract” — 44 acres of land between Bermuda Bay and Run Hill. Early suggestions included the usual assortment of dog parks and kayak trails, but when a local family offered to preserve their son’s memory by

from?

Earliest reports date to 1926, when some Vancouver fellas threw tin plates at trees, aptly calling it “Tin Lid Golf.” In 1948, when UFOs were all the rage, one Walter Frederick Morrison unveiled a plastic saucer called the “Pluto Platter.” Morrison later sold the patent to Wham-O, who changed its name to Frisbee.

Still, it took Edward “Steady Ed” Headrick to make the concept really fly. In 1964, the Wham-O marketer tweaked the design, adding weight, grooves and accuracy. A year later, the company sponsored the first disc golf tournament, supplying Frisbees to toss and hula hoops to use as holes. In 1976, Headrick left Wham-O to make his own specialized discs, promoting the sport through more events — he even designed the specialized baskets that “trap” the discs — earning the title of “Father of Disc Golf.”

Today, the Professional Disc Golf Association numbers a staggering 60,000

“

course requires driving 90 minutes to VB’s Munden Point Park. Just practicing means hopping over the bridge and tackling OBX Paintball’s three baskets. If you’re lucky, a buddy has a basket set up in the driveway. But disc golf’s allure isn’t about mastering a couple of holes, it’s about conquering new courses and bettering scores — or it’s a casual outing with friends, where bogies and birdies are an excuse to bask in the sun.

All you need is a piece of plastic and a pair of sneakers.

Or both. Local diehard Lewis Hoffman began playing disc golf in the early 80s at ECU. Over the years, he’s organized tournaments and played competitively, with more than 80 courses under his belt. members. With tournaments happening around the country on any given weekend, the PDGA proudly boasts, “The sport of disc golf is becoming every bit as professional as [the] traditional ball and club golf game.”

It pretty much plays the same, too: players walk a course with a set number of holes, throwing discs toward elevated metal baskets set at various distances. Just like golf, the object is to complete each hole in the least number of throws. And just like golf, players carry a bag of discs designed to behave differently, from long-distance “drivers” to “mid-range” to “putters.” Some even cut left or right to better navigate doglegs. As a result, companies who once slung saucers from the back of a van now occupy entire warehouses.

“Every year we see new players and events, in every country and demographic,” says Dixon Jowers, Operations Specialist for Dynamic Discs. “As of 2015, North Carolina has 1100 registered members and almost 200 courses, placing the state in the top 10 for courses in the nation.”

But on the Outer Banks, playing a quality

“It’s a different kind of fun that allows you to meet people while improving on your game,” says the 55-year-old KDH resident.

“But before, there were only about 12 courses in the state; now you can take your discs anywhere.”

Outer Banks Dining Located In Historic Lifesaving Station #6

photo: John Livingston

Sorta gives “hitting the links” a whole new meaning. Photo: Anthony Leone

Casual

Finally, Hoffman will be able to push his limits right here at home. At the same time, a full-on rookie can learn the basics.

“This is a championship course,” says Davies.

“But it’s also designed to offer something for all levels and abilities.”

With no greens fees, cart rentals or tee times, it’s probably the most user-friendly way to hit the links. All you need is a piece of plastic and a pair of sneakers. But that doesn’t make it easy: a couple bad putts across the same basket and you’ll feel like Happy Gilmore when he chucks his bag into the trees. But there’s no real pressure — unless you want it. And the fundamentals are as simple as any day at the beach.

“Pros or novices, it doesn’t matter,” says Hoffman. “Just get out and play. Let your disc be your guide.” — Fran Marler

To learn more about how to support the Casey R. Logan Disc Golf Course, go to www.obxdg.com

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Ten quick ways to make your community better — while still being lazy.

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We know: you’re totally committed to saving the world.

Any minute now, you’re going to plant a tree, build houses for the homeless, and get a second job so you can buy that electric car. But summer just hit, the sun is calling, and between catching waves and building sandcastles, you’re basically booked. Still, there are ways to improve the planet — and help your neighbors — without totally killing your free time. Here’s ten Earth-conscious, community-friendly ideas any human can tackle in under five minutes.

1. Pick up trash while treasure hunting. Studies show that six million pounds of plastic straws, fishing lures, and candy wrappers hit the world’s beaches every day. You’re already walking around with a bag for shells and sea glass, right? Make it two bags, and gather litter as you go. Care less about choking seagulls? Think of it as a selfish act for your next visit. As Surfrider’s Adopt-A-Beach coordinator Scott Lawrence says: “You always want to leave the beach looking nicer than when you came.”

2. Don’t be a shower slacker. We know: you’re late for your work shift — or your brats are screaming — but every hour that beach shower drips wastes a gallon of water or more. (Sixty drips a minute will waste five whole gallons.) So think of all those poor droughtstricken, millionaire lawns in California, then take an extra second to spin the faucet tight.

3. Quit smoking. (Or at least quit flinging cig butts.) Despite popular opinion, cigarette filters are not biodegradable. Yet they are the most common type of litter on earth, with an estimated 4.5 trillion discarded annually — accounting for one third of all beach trash. Also, they’re loaded with chemicals that can leech into the water table.

Furthermore, according to a study out of Caltech, cigarette smoke makes up about one percent of visible smog — and unofficial studies show that 100 percent of folks who fling cigs are inconsiderate buttheads.

4. Tie that balloon to your kid’s wrist. Balloons are also among the beach’s biggest polluters. Sure, it’s fun to watch them float up into the atmosphere — until they fall to earth and turn to colorful bits of deadly rubber that can block the digestive tracks of sea turtles and other wildlife. Tie them securely. Even better, don’t buy them at all.

5. Put the lid back on the hot tub. Those of you that paid a modicum of attention in science class may recall that heat rises. Heat is also energy. Trap energy — and money — by putting the cover back on your hot tub after each use. Here endeth the lesson.

6. Turn off your east-facing lights at night. When sea turtles hatch, they instinctively head towards the brightest light source. Make sure it’s moonbeams reflecting on the open ocean, not your beach box’s porch lights. And if you see any disoriented hatchlings wandering the beach, be sure to call N.E.S.T. at 252-441-8622.

7. Yell at random kids to stay off the dunes. Sand dunes aren’t slippy slides.

They’re the barriers that protect our homes, roads, and businesses from the full wrath of the ocean. Dead beach grass means no more dunes, and no more dunes means that the shoreline is about to get a LOT closer. Tell your tykes to limit their foot stomps to level sand.

If they don’t listen, scream. (Before someone else beats you to it.)

8. Put your baby in a reusable swim diaper. Disposable diapers create 3.5 million tons of waste annually. Cloth diapers can help, but you don’t have to go full tilt granola. Make a dent by switching to reusable swim diapers. For just $10 — the same as a 24 pack of disposable ones — you can help save your piece of the planet and a fair chunk of change.

9. Dumpster dive for beach chairs. You’d be amazed how much gear tourists kick to the curb on check-out day. Instead of hitting Ben Franklin, cruise the beach road and score your next beach chair or boogie board. Each one you snag is one less new item that had to be manufactured and transported, decreasing your carbon footprint. So fun, it’s almost like stealing.

10. Leave your leftovers with the locals. Food: it’s what’s for dinner. Unless you don’t have any. Don’t let our big shiny houses and cop cars fool you: 14 percent of Dare County residents are food insecure. Don’t bail town with a trunk full of Rice-A-Roni — leave non-perishables with the Beach Food Pantry. Visit www.beachfoodpantry.org for drop-offs.

Or just stop by their office. Conveniently located at MP 3, anyone from Hatteras to MP 4 can hang a right off the bypass and help cure world hunger. — Katrina Mae Leuzinger

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Sustainable Tourism Rule #1: Make sure that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Illustration: Alex Lex

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THE GOLD STANDARD We asked ECU’s Dr. Paige Viren to give us the model for graphiccontent sustainable tourism. Turns out we already knew the answer.

Every industry has its leaders. If you’re making cola, you want to be Coke. Cars?

Toyota — maybe Mercedes. (Definitely not Yugo.) Tourism’s tricky. If you’re talking pure money, Myrtle Beach is about $17 billion mo’ better than the Outer Banks. Las Vegas beats us by $44 billion. But that doesn’t make either one the perfect business model.

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“I use Myrtle Beach as an example of what not to do with a beach destination,” says East Carolina University’s Dr. Paige Viren. “And a casino on the Outer Banks might be a big money maker, but does that acknowledge the culture? And how does that impact the environment? Sustainability is a mix of culture, the environment and the economy. It can’t be just be a quick payday.”

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As a professor at ECU’s Center for Sustainable Tourism — and part of the college’s NC LOW program — Viren is helping small towns in Eastern NC incorporate more visitors into their economic future without changing their whole way of life. We spoke with Dr. Viren about her work— and why the Outer Banks is more than just a coastal anchor point — it’s the gold standard.

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“Sustainable tourism is protecting and enhancing natural resources so that everyone gets to enjoy them,” she explains. “Not just tourists, but for residents. Because if it’s good for the residents, it’ll be good for the tourists.” milepost

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MILEPOST: What exactly is sustainable tourism?

DR. PAIGE VIREN: Really, sustainability is about people finding meaning in places.

There’s an emotional attachment. So you find that connection and then talk about how to sustain that connection. Because every place has a unique culture. Culture isn’t just going to museums. Culture is North Carolina barbecue. It’s not chain restaurants — it’s a hole in the wall. It’s these unique places that you cannot export.

So how does that tie into the NC Low program?

NC Low focuses on developing a strategy for natural, cultural and economic assets of what we call the Land of Water region — so it’s the Inner Banks and Outer Banks working as a system. As tobacco and textile industries leave, the question becomes, “How do we sustain our lifestyle? Do we all have to move someplace different? Or are we able to stay in the communities where we are situated?” For me the obvious conduit is nature-based tourism. You say, “Look, you’re right near Mattamuskeet, why not promote bird-watching?” Because small towns can’t build something huge, but they can do a bed-and-breakfast or camping platforms. And your ecotourist or outdoor adventure types are the kinds of folks who want a local, authentic experience.

They want to eat at local restaurants, sleep at local motels, and that money stays in the community.

Do you find people are embracing that message? Or is it a hard sell?

It’s been interesting. You almost have to get people to think about their homes in a different way. What assets do you have?

What are the good, unique things about here? Maybe it’s moonshine tours. Or you learn about how tobacco is processed.

People like learning and doing things on a trip. But it’s hard to make locals see that value because they want to get so far away from tobacco or farming or whatever it is that they grew up doing. The project in Windsor I’m working on, they have the Cashie River there. And everyone says, “Who would want to paddle on this?” But I’m a Yankee from up north, so I’m thinking, “People would totally do this!”

It’s funny you say that. It seems like the people who have lived here the longest talk most about the need for something besides tourism.

But even when our state pushes new business, they focus on quality of life. Our economic development department here, Northeast Alliance, they’re trying to get big businesses, like aerospace. But they don’t show airplane hangers. They show people out on boats. [laughs] And they’ll use that message to get people to move here.

Because if you want to move to a new place, you want it to be a nice place to live. But a nice place to live is a nice place to visit.

You talk about culture: is there a constant pressure to change as you get more popular? Is that culture always in danger of being diluted?

For sure. And it’s a challenge because you’ve got all those people coming and that can change how you do business. You want something larger. Or you build the bigger hotel instead of the local hotel. Or you sell off a house that’s been in your family for a very long time because you make a lot of money. Communities have to manage how they want to develop: What’s our vision of ourselves to maintain that emotional attachment? If you acknowledge that, you can help make people aware not to let that type of development happen. But when people talk about the Outer Banks, it isn’t about the chains and big money — it’s about the sense of family and traditions.

It feels stuck in time compared to other beaches. Or is that just me?

I think there’s something there. But it’s changing. And if you were to ask some people, they’d say it’s ruined. So it’s a matter of perspective.

For sure. It is perspective. So again, it’s having people look again: It’s not Miami Beach. It’s not Myrtle Beach. But it could get to that, so we need to be mindful.

Do you ever use the Outer Banks as an example for other communities to follow.

I definitely do. And I’ll make a comparison.

I’ll say, here’s the Outer Banks, now look at Myrtle Beach. And we’ll go ahead and talk about poor planning. Gatlinburg, Tennessee

“

is another place we use. Because they did the overdevelopment thing, and now they’re trying to fix it.

“A nice place to live is a nice place to visit.”

So if you’re using — Dr. Paige these places as examples of what Viren not to do, what are the mistakes they made?

Developing ideas that are not unique to those places. So it’s the t-shirt chains or restaurant chain. The Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum. That money doesn’t stay in the community. It goes up to corporate.

Locally owned tends to employ local people. That makes a big difference. But the geography of the Outer Banks — while on one hand it can be a detriment because it’s a barrier island — it also can’t handle crazy development. So that’s good.

But there are places like Orlando and Vegas that survive on all that manmade glitz and lights and attraction.

Right. And they make a lot of money — but there’s a lot of issues and problems. Look at the water shortages in Las Vegas. They built this huge destination where there’s no natural resources to support that. And is that the type of visitor we’re looking for here? And what was the culture before that happened?

I don’t know. I guess Disney made Orlando. Gambling made Vegas. But in both cases it’s…

It’s contrived. It’s not authentic.

And that’s their DNA now. Whereas I think here, outdoor recreation and adventure is our DNA. Because the beach or nature is still the draw.

Exactly. And years ago, I guess the Outer Banks could’ve changed it’s brand to the whole Las Vegas thing but I think they have something that’s pretty special. And by hook or by crook — however they’ve figured it out — they’ve pretty much maintained that.

And certainly, the Outer Banks is sort of

feast or famine. But if you could focus more on that eco, outdoor angle — not just laying on the beach in a bikini, but the people who want to go kayak on Alligator River — you could reach different markets and link different users together. And it doesn’t mean that the Outer Banks is helping all the poor little surrounding counties. It can be that the Inner Banks and Outer Banks interact collectively to benefit both places.

Well, clearly, we’ll always be the 600-pound gorilla for tourism in Northeastern NC. But you’re saying 20 years from now, smaller communities inland could be doing bird-watching. Or kayak tours. Or stuff that draws tourists and improves everyone’s bottom line?

Yes. I don’t think it’s trying to convert an existing market; it’s getting people to come visit who might otherwise not come because they have more options besides the beach. So maybe people come bird watching, then go to the beach. And the beach doesn’t need to be a week in a condo. It’s a long weekend gig with a focus on special programming. What is the unique experience? Is it seeing a certain type of wildlife? Sailing on a certain kind of boat?

That’s up to the destination to decide. And not everyone’s going to make a million dollars. But it’s not all about money. I look at it as a lifestyle career. It’s the guy who’s happy at his job this afternoon because he surfed this morning. I mean, how could you not be happy at the beach?

It’s funny, I was planning on asking you for examples for us to follow, but it sounds like we’re the example.

Exactly. You guys could be the gold standard, right?

How would you rate us then?

Uh… I don’t know. Do I say an A? We like A’s. A’s are good. [laughs] Well, it’s an A now. But you better stay on that path. Because like any grade, if you screw up the final, you’ll mess up everything. — Matt Walker

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The preceding interview was edited for space, flow and clarity. For the full conversation — including the importance of community pride and cons of conventions — go to www.outerbanksmilepost.com. milepost 23

Two decades. Twenty predictions.

And a bolder vision of the Outer Banks’ future.

#1 Your deck will be a dock.

When you live mere inches above the ocean — and the beach is a short walk away — the future of sea level rise is easy to see. No need for computer models. Just look at your yards and roads

after a big nor’easter — giant puddles, overflowing ditches, flattened dunes, surging sounds — then add a few inches. But just how many? Depends who you ask.

Based on local tide gauges, North Carolina’s 2015 sea level rise report projected that over the next 30 years the Atlantic will rise 5.5-inches to 10.6-inches off Duck — the highest rate in the state — and 4.7-inches to 9.9-inches at Oregon Inlet, depending on whether humans do everything, do something, or do nothing to limit carbon emissions.

Climate Central — an independent research group that uses data from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration — projects that with a medium range of sea level rise, Dare County would see a 38 percent chance of flooding in excess of five feet above high tide by 2030, a 67 percent chance by 2040, and a 93 percent chance by 2050.

And while that sounds like a lot of wiggle room, the end result is basically the same: more problems. milepost

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“When you’re a little above sea level, a few inches makes a big difference,” says Stan Riggs, a veteran coastal geologist with East Carolina University who worked on the report. “A rise in sea level of a foot is like having an extra-high tide.”

Riggs compares rising seas to a bathtub slowly filling up. Eventually, he says, it will overflow all over your floor, or in the case of the ocean, all over your beach; a storm is like jumping into the middle of the overflowing tub.

Meanwhile, the water table is also rising, leaving the ground soggy after heavy rains and less capable of absorbing ocean or sound tides. And coastal scientists predict that changing weather patterns will mean more heavy rain, more frequent “nuisance flooding,” and more storm damage and beach erosion — which means less shoreline to protect the houses and roads from surging waves and sound tides.

Put it all together?

“In the next decade or two, those [on] the Outer Banks can expect an increasing number of daily flood events that could close coastal roads or overwhelm drainage infrastructure,” says Dan Rizza of Climate Central’s Program on Sea Level Rise.

But the next 20 years won’t be completely catastrophic. Although the state currently has no sea level rise policy (uh-oh), local municipalities are encouraged to prepare.

Predictions?

More like claims, really. None of us really know what’s going to happen in two months, much less two decades. So as long as we’re guessing, we might as well maxout our imaginations. Virtual reality horse tours? Plug us in!

Homegrown surfers winning big-wave contests? Charge! But for all the extra spice, none of these ideas are pure speculation.

In fact, every single one is rooted in real-life current events. We simply surveyed the state of affairs, then stretched the potential impacts as far as they could go. Because if you really want to see the future, you’ve got to push your limits of vision.

Waterfront living is just inches away.

Photo: Chris Bickford

Dare County already has rules on ground floor construction and building heights in flood zones. (Don’t forget the coming beach nourishment projects.) The state Department of Transportation plans to build several bridges over eroding hotspots on NC 12 through Pea Island to Rodanthe. And all towns are starting to realize that drainage systems need modernization — pronto. (Manteo spent the past winter doing the groundwork.)

Meanwhile, innovative private contractors are forgoing bulkheads for more effective and resilient “living shorelines” — akin to mini-wetlands — to protect estuarine property. And long-term, last year’s Paris Agreement saw countries set strict emissions targets to slow climate change and help keep the planet’s coastal communities from becoming swamped with seawater.

But, in the end, while sea level rise feels like a local problem, its causes and solutions are globally complex. And because the issue is so huge, it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint the impacts.

“The bottom line,” Riggs says, “is that one can only make super generalizations.”

On your next visit to the Outer Banks, relive the first one.

F

amily vacations have changed drastically in 425 years. Now, it’s adventure, history and fun for the whole family. Board the Elizabeth II, explore the Settlement Site, American Indian Town, Adventure Museum, films, performances, Museum Store and more.

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#2

Carova life gets a bit harder.

At the northernmost tip of the Outer Banks, the pavement ends and a very different existence begins. Wild horses and people share an isolated world of rutted sand roads, open beaches and tight community.

Come summer, Carova’s 180 or so year-round residents also share the 11 miles of unpaved road with thousands of off-road vehicles filled with thousands of tourists. There are no grocery stores, no souvenir shops, no restaurants, no bars, no gas stations. But with firmer plans for a future bridge from the mainland to Corolla, some fear — and others hope — that Carova’s primitive roads will finally get pavement.

Proponents say access would be easier on asphalt roadways that wind through the dunes from the beach, providing safe passage for hundreds of residents and gazillions of tourists. Opponents say that would utterly destroy what makes the beach community so special.

But Ben Woody, Currituck County’s planning director, says there is no plan to pave Carova.

Woody guesses any speculation is probably spurred by the county’s recent discussion about swapping some land on Knott’s Island for about 600 acres in the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. The county would like to purchase Fly Away Hunt Club on Knott’s Island, Woody says, and then flip it with the federal government for land in the refuge that would include most of Monkey Island and a portion of Swan Island.

That would give the county the ability to build public amenities like a bathhouse. And while it would also allow the county to have some north-south access on the west side of the dune line for emergency vehicles, Woody says, both the county’s long-term plan and its proposed land-use plan “do not support all-weather paved roads up there.”

In fact, the Unified Development Ordinance requires that Carova’s road be unpaved.

Not only would the county restrictions have to change for a road to be built, Woody says, there would also need to be approval from the state, the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, and the federal government.

On top of that, he adds, the entire off-road vehicle area is within a CBRA zone, which restricts federal funds for such things as flood insurance and recovery grants.

But in government, Woody admits even the firmest agreements have potential to be fleeting. In fact, at a February meeting, Currituck County attorney Ike McRee noted this land swap began out of fears of federal changes, stating: “A few years ago, there became some concern…as we watched what was occurring on Hatteras Island.”

He’s referring to Cape Hatteras National Seashore where, 70 years ago, a park official promised residents that they’d enjoy unfettered access to the beach. Fifty years later, environmental and federal pressures altered the deal to their dismay. Proof that — as firm as laws and regulations are intended to be — all public policy is inherently malleable.

“It lasts forever, until some public body changes it,” Woody says.

“Twenty years from now, who knows what will happen?”

— Catherine Kozak

milepost

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#3

Lay off the horn. Stop with the swearing. And pull your middle finger back inside the car. All that road rage won’t help summer gridlock move any quicker — and neither will future plans to widen the bypass and put a new bridge over Currituck Sound. In fact, adding extra pavement only promises more cars will flow in, thanks to “the fundamental law of road congestion.”

Bumper-to-bumper traffic — that flows like a breeze.

According to a 2014 article in Wired, two economists, Matthew Turner and Gilles Duranton, studied construction and traffic statistics between 1980 and 2000 and found that, “New roads will create new drivers, resulting in the intensity of traffic staying the same.” (Think So Cal or New York or any other urban jungle that keeps adding fresh, shiny asphalt without putting a dent in rush hour anxiety.)

Nope. If there’s a stress-free Sunday ride in our future, it won’t come from more surface area — it’ll arrive in the form of fewer humans. Namely, driverless cars. They’ll know all the roads. Recognize and take potential shortcuts. (Sorry Dogwood Trail.) They’ll even talk to each other — and to street lights and satellites — to move greater volumes of metal more safely and quickly. And it’s a future that awaits just over the hood ornament.

By 2020, both Toyota and Ford predict selling some vehicle that’s almost fully automated — doing all the merging, steering and breaking from on-ramp to off-ramp, but requiring a human to grab the wheel just in case. Tesla plans to have a fully automated ride ready, and through regulation, by 2021. And by 2030, Uber says their whole fleet will be driverless — with help from Google, who’ll make all the cars.

In 2015, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Google, who invested $US300 million in Uber three years ago, plans “to produce driverless vehicles from scratch, without either a steering wheel or pedals.”

As vehicles learn to drive all by themselves, some experts predict people will stop owning cars altogether.

When you don’t have a driver, seeing through the windshield becomes more of an option.

Photo: Daniel Pullen

But that’s not necessarily good news. A lot of Outer Banks jobs depend on driving people around, from delivering pizzas to hauling drunks. What will the county budget do without all that DUI dough? And if people stop buying cars, what happens to our mechanics and car parts stores?

Where will we put our political bumperstickers? It’s a pileup of economic and cultural disruption that could lead to disaster.

Then again, fresh technology also makes room for a whole new wave of business ventures built on beach living: “Duder”: the car-sharing app for local surfers who wanna drive south. “Tour-On”: bulk-delivery bus rides to your favorite family vacations. Or “Hot Rodder”: fishermen’s high-speed chauffer from sound to sea. Hell, turn the whole Beach Road into a stoke-filled, shuttle service that does nonstop, circular laps. (You could call it “Yew-Turn.”)

The possibilities are endless — if a bit unpredictable. But it stands to reason, within two decades, once-angry dads will doze in their vehicles from Philly to Frisco and arrive refreshed and relaxed — while local drivers can bolt down the bypass at a uniform speed without fear of running into a disoriented rubbernecker.

Either one will make for a much happier highway.

— Matt Walker milepost 27

#4

Postcards are the new Instagram.

guess How many photos are online.

A billion? Two? In 2014, The Atlantic reported people posted “an average of 1.8 billion digital images every single day,” and that “every two minutes, humans take more photos than ever existed in total 150 years ago.”

Add another two decades — and a few more social media photo outlets — and the number of Internet images will become impossible to calculate, much less flip through.

And as each lame food shot or vain selfie dilutes the value of a digital pixel, a paper photograph’s stock is bound to rise, intensifying people’s desire to “take memorable photos and make them real.”

That’s the motto for Photo & Go, founded by the same family that invented Polaroid — the original instant photographic memory. Right now, you can go online and order anything from poster-sized prints to tin-type tables. But the best idea may be their brick-and-mortar buildings. Part Apple Store, part photo studio, walk into either location in Las Vegas or Boca Raton and for $6 you can print six photos.

Now the only question is what to do with them all. And the answer’s only a postage stamp away.

“I think postcards are primed for a comeback for one simple reason,” says Max Read, who runs NewYorkMag.com’s technology website. “Try as you might, you can’t put an Instagram photo on your freezer door.”

He may be half-kidding, but for a floundering U.S. Postal Service, printable postcards could be serious business in any tourist town. Why take home an OBX t-shirt to show your friends when you can send hard copies of actual memories?

And if you think analog photos’ best days are over, just look at the music industry.

In 1994, record sales were suffocating under a deluge of CDs. Now records are hipper than J-Lo on an all-rice-andbeans diet. Why? Because in a world built on binary code and instant gratification, a little extra time and attention goes a long way. In fact, TechGeek.com goes as far as calling vinyl “an intimate listening experience” for listeners, stating: “To play a record, you have to physically clean dust off it, put it on the record player and…flip it over to the other side when it finishes playing…. You feel connected to the music, and rewarded for the effort.”

Same goes for images. And in the future, nothing will be more personal or physical — more intimate — than making a memory, turning it tangible, then sending it to that a loved one or family member. (Maybe even add a dab of perfume or suntan lotion.) You touch it, then they do. Like a group text or Facebook only the special few get to share.

— Larry Adams milepost

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#5

Virtually perfect vacations.

Future technology will make summer fantasies — and summer memories —fully tangible. Photo: Chris Bickford

We Got

Whaddya want? A pair of chairs, one full cooler, two bright umbrellas and empty sand for miles around. What do you get? A shantytown of screaming toddlers and drunken frat boys — and a 100-yard Bataan Death March over scorching sand for some semblance of solitude.

Your

But tomorrow is another beach day. Thanks to virtual reality (VR) technology, soon the most essential summer headgear won’t be sunglasses — it’ll be a pair of wraparound goggles that that can magically turn the ugliest hunk of coast into a Caribbean atoll packed with bikini models. Or a rugged shoreline of whispering pines and towering cliffs. Maybe even both.

5

Back

“Actually, Sports Illustrated just made a virtual reality version of their swimsuit edition,” laughs Lee Nettles, Executive Director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. “And British Columbia’s tourism department filmed a VR movie for tradeshows. So I don’t think we’re talking 20 years. It’s probably more like five.”

2000 S. Croatan Hwy. Kill Devil Hills 441-5338

Or less. Once popular among gamers and porn addicts, tech pundits are already pegging 2016 as the year VR moves from creepy basements to family rooms. This spring, Facebook began shipping their long-awaited Oculus Rift system, USA Today launched a news-driven TV series called VRtually There, and the British Museum’s been virtually transporting kids back to the Bronze Age since last August.

Stands to reason, it won’t be long before any would-be traveler can tour the world’s seven wonders — even rocket through space — without ever leaving the couch.

And therein lies the problem. Because if people can visit Mars in a matter of seconds, why spend hours bustling down cramped I-95? Why not just enjoy a permanent staycation and let the world come to you? Easy: because while you may score a personal tour of the Louvre, you’ll never know what it’s like to get lost in Paris. And that goes double for outdoor destinations, where staring at a virtual ocean feels nothing like splashing in it.

“And that’s why I don’t see VR as a threat,” says Nettles. “I see it as an opportunity. One day, someone will download an experience instead of ordering a pamphlet. And if I can take someone to the Graveyard of the Atlantic to see a shipwreck or to the top of Jockey’s Ridge for the sunset in the dead of winter, that’s just going to entice them to visit even more. There’s a lot of ways to make this technology work for you.”

And it will work even harder once people get here. From selling houses to in-home horse tours, the business applications alone are mind-blowing. Meanwhile, for the average visitor, VR stands to make every vacation virtually perfect.

Want July 4th fireworks in January? Just pull down the shades and put on the goggles. Kayak tour got rained out? Grab a paddle and hop in the tub. Don’t dig the fatso floating beside you? Immerse yourself in 1000 Matthew McConaugheys. Hell, with the help of a hot August sun, the contagious sound of laughter, and the sweet smell of Coppertone, you won’t ever need to leave the pool deck again. On second thought, maybe the future really is now.

— Henry Musk

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#6

Sand becomes more precious than water.

Even when you live on the coast, and there’s not a rock to be found for a hundred miles, it’s still possible to not have enough sand. Ask South Florida.

After decades of beach nourishment projects, counties are running out of supplies — and fighting each other for their very survival.

In 2013, Broward County official Kristin Jacobs told the New York Times, “You have counties starting wars with each other... Everybody feels like these other counties are going to steal their sand.” Last November, those fears came to fruition when Miami-Dade County finally came up a few billion grains short. According to TC Palm.com, “The Army Corps tentatively would begin taking Treasure Coast sand as early as [2016].”

Lucky for us, Dare County’s different. Our nourishment projects are forged and funded in a spirit of cooperation. And since the Outer Banks is blessed with “relic-ridges” of high-quality beach sand, there’s plenty of the gritty stuff to go around.

“The fact of the matter is,” says Tim Kana, president of Coastal Science & Engineering, the contractor for Nags Head’s project and Dare County’s planned Buxton project, “we are sand-rich, compared with many areas of North Carolina.”

According to Kana, the offshore “borrow area” that widened Nags Head’s beaches — a 7-mile long, fish-shaped deposit — was identified in 2000 to have 100 million cubic yards of sand. And an additional deposit with 100 million cubic yards of sand located offshore of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devils Hills and Nags Head is a welcomed resource for the nourishment projects planned for the northern beaches next year.

#7

The Outer Banks is the new Saudi Arabia.

But we’re also cursed with the state’s highest rates of beach erosion, which explains why there’s so much interest in sand in the first place — and so many studies — as they continually track supplies to keep up with demand.

“We know that these sand resources do not stay in a fixed place,” says North Carolina state geologist Kenneth Taylor. “They’re basically in constant motion. They’re slowly drifting down the coast.”

Drifting’s one thing. Dump trucks are another. Waters off Shallotte, Bogue and other inlets along the southern coast of North Carolina in general have lesser quality and less quantity of sand. They also have several, longerrunning beach nourishment projects. Fortunately, nobody anticipates any sand wars in our immediate future. And, if it was even possible to move it, the Outer Banks has enough sand to share — at least for the next 20 years.

Provided we can find it.

“We know where the sand is now,” says Taylor. But one big storm, he adds, can render sand surveys worthless.

Maybe, we’ll get lucky, and a series of blows will restock all our beaches.

One thing’s certain: whatever sand disappears from our shores, more will replace it — be it by Mother Nature or a bunch of dredges.

— Catherine Kozak milepost

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The next wave of energy waits just over the horizon.

Photo: Ian Tsonev

7

Not because of all the sand. Or an influx of Mercedes Benzes.

And certainly not because of petroleum. But because of other infinite energy sources waiting offshore.

In 2009, UNC’s Coastal Wind, Energy for North Carolina’s Future revealed vast wind resources off North Carolina — enough to supply 130 percent of the state’s energy needs. In fact, Harvey Seim, Department of Marine Sciences, UNC Chapel Hill, called the area “among the best wind resources on the East Coast.”

Last year, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) took the first steps toward using that power, designating three locations as Wind Energy Areas (WEA) — Kitty Hawk, Wilmington East and Wilmington West — and offering the Kitty Hawk WEA leases for sale. And two other areas — Raleigh Bay and Hatteras Island south of the Point — have even more potential and will likely be part of future leases.

Wind is just one opportunity. As we speak, researchers are conducting experiments to tap another offshore energy source — and it’s not oil trapped beneath the seafloor. It’s the liquid flowing just beneath the sea’s surface, 12 miles off Cape Hatteras. “[The Gulf Stream is] 45 times greater than the entire flow of every river on Earth,” says Coastal Studies Institute researcher Mike Muglia, who’s helping UNC study the world’s largest ocean current. “It’s like a squirting garden hose that nobody’s holding.”

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So how do you convert it to energy? That’s what scientists across the world are working to find out. Florida Atlantic University is studying turbines off the Straits of Florida; and researchers are testing even larger versions along the Kuroshio Current as it flows off Taiwan. As turbine efficiency improves — for currents and wind — companies will capture more energy to produce more electricity.

And that’s only the beginning. The next stage is floating platforms, which will allow turbines to “follow” the fluctuations of ocean currents and wind speeds for maximum productivity. By 2017, Scotland will boast the first floating wind farm. Add 20 years and a flotilla of turbines, and coastal North Carolina’s winds and currents could feasibly produce 40-plus Gigawatts of power — enough to support every home, business and streetlight in North Carolina, with energy left over to power all of Hampton Roads.

But wind and currents fluctuate. Energy demands are constant. The missing link is storage. And that’s where the future really gets interesting.

In 2015, Drs. Andre Mazzoleni and Paul Ro at NC State began working on Ocean Compressed Air Energy Storage (OCAES). The team’s design plans to use existing turbine systems to push air into gigantic storage chambers underground — or sea — where it could later be turned back into usable energy.

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“Electrical energy generated by a wind or ocean current turbine would be used to power an air compressor,” Dr. Mazzoleni explains, “which would force compressed air into the storage container on the seabed.”

When the winds or current can’t provide enough energy, a valve opens and the air rushes out, pushing a turbine and generating electricity. Just sink a few chambers below the ocean, let the weight of 600 meters of sea water compress the air, and you’ve got a ready supply of renewable energy offshore, just waiting to be tapped.

And unlike oil, it won’t leak to the surface.

— Kip Tabb

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Turn your

#8

anD StaRt Your

bartender’s off Roaming a robot. ocRacokE phone

iSLanD

In the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a cyborg sent from the future to end humanity. Well,

we’ve got something even more terrifying: a space-age liquor bottle built to kill your buzz. It’s called Bar Vision. And it’s already here. Armed with wireless sensors, these hightech liquor spouts count every drop, making sure nothing gets wasted. And every drink gets paid for.

“Anyone who knows me, knows I want a drink that curls my eyelids back,” laughs longtime local Mike Nolan, whose brother, Joe, started Bar Vision. “And I’ve had my share of freebies. But every bartender on this beach gets some sort of comp tab they can use at their discretion. This just holds employees accountable.”

Don’t tell us you’re shocked. Bars have been going Big Brother since the first frontier saloon put a peephole over the piano. Today, watering holes use web cams to cut down on free shots. Or they stuff liquor spouts with ball bearings to stifle the flow. But Bar Vision doesn’t limit anything.

The software tracks the volume poured, compares it with sales receipts, then saves it all on the cloud so the owner can follow the money whenever he or she wants — from “watching” the bartender live-stream a round of Jägerbombs to figuring when the Friday Happy Hour first turned sour.

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“I can go back six months and give you a time stamp on every shot that was poured,” says Nolan. “Who was working, and whether it was rung up or not. The thing about this system is it doesn’t stop bartenders from pouring as much as the want to. But they will know that instead of pouring 1.5 ounces, they poured 3.6 ounces. And so will the owner.”

What’s next? A pint glass that orders beer based on your fingerprints? A retinal scanner that cuts you off when your eyes get too red? How ’bout a real-life robot?

Right now, if you go on Royal Caribbean’s “Quantum of the Seas” cruise, you belly up to the Bionic Bar, tap a screen and watch a metal arm shake out margaritas. No witty banter.

No “Howzit hanging?” And definitely no heavier pours. And while that may be light years ahead of our humble Outer Banks, technologically tallying bar tabs is just a matter of time. So if you’re feeling thirsty and hoping for freebies — or just some human contact — you better order now.

“For years, restaurants obsessed over food costs,” says Mike, who notes modern cash registers track every dinner through the kitchen. “This will do the same thing for liquor.

The only question is when.”

In fact, better make it a double.

— Moe Malone

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32

Whistle? Check. Umbrella? Check. Microchip head implant? Huh? In January, the U.S. military announced they were working on ways “to create an implantable neural interface that will connect humans directly to computers.” (Translation: cyborg technology for future soldiers.)

In March, a four-foot, remote-controlled ocean rescue device called “E.M.I.L.Y” — Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard — made headlines rescuing Syrian refugees in the Mediterranean. Put the two together, and it’s easy to imagine future summers where cyborg lifeguards don’t swim — or even use walkie-talkies. Instead, the second a drowning person flaps his or her arms, the lifeguard’s brainwaves launch a robotic buoy, then communicate a digital hologram of the situation into the minds of the whole rescue team, who spring into action.

Like a bee hive or ant hill. Except instead of attacking an enemy, they’re saving a life.

“You mean I would emit pheromones and the whole team would start running?” jokes Dave Elder, Lifeguard Supervisor for Kill Devil Hills. “I don’t think so. But we’re already living in each others’ heads — metaphorically — because we train to keep each other aware of situations and visualize responses.”

And E.M.I.L.Y.?

“She may get to the person quicker,” says Elder, “but the motor’s not powerful enough to carry them in. And what if the person’s too weak to hold on?”

No, according to Elder, technology’s best hope is to keep people from ever needing a rescue — and responding appropriately. That’s why his team’s helping NOAA gather data to predict when and where rip currents will form. This summer, they’ll test a beta version of a computer model that will not just detect hazardous conditions, it will warn other lifeguards. But instead of tapping brainwaves, he’ll just tap a smart phone.

“I have an app that evaluates the rip current threat,” says Elder. “Then I can send a message to the Weather Service.”

Right now, the app only predicts conditions hours in advance and requires other rescue teams to be monitoring the same pages. But longer forecasts and automatic text blasts aren’t far off. Still, that’s only one half of the equation. Where Elder sees the most room to improve is back on the beach.

“People never want to go to the hospital,” he says. “So they’re guarded about how they’re really feeling. But what if our wired world of Fitbits and smart watches offered some sort of device that could tell me your saltwater intake or cardiac history? I’d be much better informed about what to do next.”

#9 Because a lifeguard’s job really comes down to judgment: evaluating risk, knowing when to respond, and how to help the victim. Until a machine can do all three, it will take people to save people.

— Matt Walker

It’s their job to limit your liquid intake.

Photo: Julie Dreelin

But your lifeguard is still human. milepost 33

Quentin Turko – backwards baby steps on an outer bar.

Photo: Matt Lusk

Make the most of your investment.

An Outer Banker Too much? You’re right. With a small list of competitors made up almost entirely of Hawaiians, the idea of a local boy even scoring an invite to Quiksilver’s Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is a bit hyperbolic. How ’bout “charges an Eddie swell”? Or “gets nominated for an XXL Big Wave Award”? Well, stop snickering, dude, ’cause one of Buxton’s did both.

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In Febuary, while the world’s bravest did Eddie proud at Oahu’s Waimea Bay, Will Skudin was surfing Maui’s Peahi (Jaws) virtually alone. And that was just the latest in 12 months of heavy-water stunts Skudin pulled from Portugal to Oregon to California to Mexico (twice) — earning him a nomination for the WSL’s 2016 Big Wave Awards’ Men’s Overall Performance Award — coming just short of earning a full-time spot on this year’s WSL Big Wave Tour. And while Skudin may be a New Yorker by birth, he spent his most formative years right here in Hatteras, surfing the heaviest water he could find — and realigning his future.

“I didn’t even think about becoming a professional big-wave surfer until I moved down to Buxton,” says the 31-year-old Cape Hatteras Secondary School graduate.

“I’d go out on the biggest, choppiest, craziest days; it offered a training ground like nothing I’d ever seen.”

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He’s not the first Outer Banker to convert trying conditions into major kudos. In the 80s, Stuart Taylor charged Mainland Mex. The 90s saw Noah Snyder and Jesse Hines push their limits along Hawaii’s North Shore. Currently, local pro Brett Barley packs huge barrels from Pipeline to Puerto Escondido. With each successive generation

h c t a m a made in s!

Hattera

&

The wins “The Eddie.” Village Conery seeing an increase in size and profile — and the largest crop of under-20 surfers littering local lineups in two decades — it’s only a matter of time before some future phenom becomes one of surfing’s most fearsome chargers.

In fact, this winter, town groms Quentin Turko and Nohea Futrell took their shots — and their lumps — at Hawaii’s most hallowed proving grounds. Both came back semihumbled and fully stoked.

“I spent most of my time at Pipeline, Backdoor and Off-the-Wall,” says Turko, who turned 18 over his two-month stint. “But getting to surf Waimea Bay was like a dream come true. I think I may get a board made and leave it for when I go back.”

Why do it there? Every single big-wave gun Skudin’s ridden over the past 15 years was born here in WRV’s factory — all sporting KDH shaper Jesse Fernandez’s signature along the stringer. Just like they will this year as Skudin tackles the globe’s largest waves. That means every time Skudin paddles for a 50-footer, there’s two Outer Banks names going over the ledge. Skudin’s goal? Making sure they won’t be the last.

“I feel like the whole sport’s going toward big-wave surfing,” says Skudin. “But it takes a whole lifetime to get good at it. I just want any Outer Banks kid to know they can reach out to me if they want to push themselves. I’m totally down to help.”

— Stu Nahan Feature continues on page 38.

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FUTURE SHOCK VALUE

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graphiccontent

When it comes to tacky t-shirts, nobody out-does the Outer Banks.

Why make tasty food when you can sell tasteless logos, doubling profits with each dirty double entendre.

Subtlety? Style? Class? Who cares? The next boner gag might be worth billions. If a fart joke helps your bottom line, then let ‘er rip. In a world where challenging customers to taste-test your testicles or advertising free crotch critters with your app platter sets the bar, standards can only drop in years to come.

Here’s a horrifying peek at our high-dollar, lowbrow dystopian future.

Art by:

#

Feb. 16, 2036. A bloated, botoxed, bleach-toothed Ryan Seacrest squints at his cue card and spouts: “And the winner for Album of the Year goes to…Zack Mexico for Biscuits and Porn!” Spotlights strobe a celebrity-stacked Staples Center, before settling on five mannequins in blue-ruffled tuxes, and a sign saying, “Lo sientos, amigos. We don’t need no stinkin’ trophies.”

Sound loco? Consider the Outer Banks musical arc of the past 25 years. In the early 90s, a big weekend rotated around seeing some other region’s favorite act working its way up to the national stage. (Dave Matthews and 311 both packed the Atlantis.)

Today, we’re exporting our own talent to the world at large.

Just this March, Holly Overton’s band MPHO played South by Southwest — with fellow native-turned-New Yorker Josh Martier banging the skins. Meanwhile, Martier’s own Asheville-based passion project, the Tills, started invading Sirius stations from L.A. to New Zealand.(Locals know him — and Tills frontman, Harry Harrison — from the Hound Dogs, Yacht Dogs and other homegrown hybrids.) And Becky Kessler’s award-winning Connecticut duet, Violent Mae, is conquering more than New England. In December, Mother Jones called their second album, Kid, a sizzling triumph, saying the local girl’s voice is “deserving of your undivided attention.”

How do we know all this? The Internet, of course. Between social media sites, Bandcamp and Soundcloud, new acts don’t need to tour constantly to physically convert national crowds — they just need raw talent, bandwidth and the drive to share their music. And that makes the Outer Banks music petri dish as potent as any college town. milepost

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Every time a local band plays away, our music scene wins at home.

Photo: @unfortunateface

#11

Zack Mexico turns down a Grammy.

“In some ways, this place reminds of me Charlottesville 20 years ago,” says longtime resident, Dave Matthews lead guitarist, and TR3 front man Tim Reynolds, who’s been nominated twice for Grammies — once with DMB in 2009 and for a solo instrumental work in 2010. “There’s pockets of creative shit going down everywhere.

People go on the road, then come back and play together. That’s a rich environment for people who write music. And people can take advantage of it — or they can let it go by.”

Nobody’s taken advantage of it like Zack Mexico. From their first local gig, these sonic provocateurs actively plotted a course inland, charting Raleigh college radio, releasing albums, and cementing their name on the Hopscotch playbill. (The News and Observer called last fall’s show “the main highlight” of the festival.) In fact, reading their reviews page is a case-study in coastal band cultural appropriation. In 2012, they were “Kill Devil Hills-based.” By 2015, they’re “North Carolina hometown boys.”

Clearly, it’s only a matter of time before some critic calls them America’s darlings.

Or not.

After all, it’s a long, winding road from regional acclaim to national recognition.

But between the number of active bands, area studios and burgeoning students bouncing ideas around, it’s only a matter of time before the right combination comes together to conquer the world.

“It’s like chaos theory,” says Reynolds. “At first there’s nothing. Then there’s something. Then there’s ‘the hot thing’. You never know when someone could pop.”

— Leo Gibson

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#12 Edible inflatables.

All those flex hours just mean more beach-time donut breaks. Photo Daniel Pullen

More desk jockeys than dishwashers.

Once upon a time, an entry-level job on the Outer Banks meant staring blankly at a machine while your boss barked orders from the back of the kitchen. In the future, it’ll be the same: except instead of standing at a sink scrubbing pots, you’ll sit at a desk and crunch numbers. Your machine will be a computer. And your boss? He won’t even be in the state — actually, he might not even be in the same time zone.

“I work London hours,” says 28-year-old operations analyst, Renee Budnack, “but the home office is in Raleigh. I still go back once a month, but I don’t really need to. I actually get more done here.” milepost

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Did you hear the one about the fat guy on the sound? When he floats around the houseboat, he really floats around the houseboat.

We know: fat jokes aren’t funny. And they’ll be even less funny in the future. In April, The Lancet reported a 40-year medical study, estimating“ one-fifth of adults around the world will be obese by 2025.” And if Northern Europe’s packing on pounds, you can bet North Carolina is, too.

According to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, NC is the 24th fattest state, whose “adult obesity rate is currently 29.7 percent, up from 20.9 percent in 2000 and from 12.3 percent in 1990.” Yowza.

And while Dare County sits at a semi healthier 28 percent, we’re right at America’s waistline, ready to balloon on a beefy summer diet of super-sized visitors from Tennessee (ranked 13 nationwide), South Carolina (10) and Ohio (8). Hell, one more weekend visit from #2 ranked West Virginia, and the local All You Can Eat is gonna have All They Can Handle.

What’s next? Wider bypass lanes? Eight-wheel-drive vehicles? Wild hippo tours? All kidding aside, this can’t help but shake our future, whether it’s a cardiac wing for the hospital, or an influx of plus-sized kayaks. As one local tour operator confided, “We already field lots of calls from people who are too big to paddle. I can only guess the trend’s going to get worse — but that’s just my gut.” Hey, he said it, not us.

— Wendy King

Who’s her boss? Credit Suisse. Yes, that Credit Suisse. Budnack spent three years proving her worth to the global banking behemoth before they offered to let her move here to live with her fiancée. Now, out of a 46,000-person payroll, she’s their sole Outer Banks employee.

Banks. At $58k a pop, just 330 people could inject $19.1 million directly into the local economy. That’s a bigger boom than any of the more common “brick-and-mortar” suggestions, like luxury catamarans and four-year colleges, without spending a penny on extra infrastructure. And if a company goes belly up?

But she’s not alone. In fact, there’s a whole shadow community of graphic designers, marketing gurus, sales people, and tech supporters undoing our beach’s slacker stereotype. Instead of arriving after graduation with degrees and no clue, they show up with careers in full swing. And it’s a part of a new world economy that’s shrinking the globe.

“Telecommuting is more stable than traditional industries where everybody in town works for the same place,” says Dr. Paige Viren of ECU’s Center for Sustainable Tourism. “Because if the company leaves, you don’t lose all the jobs.”

According to the New York Times, “telecommuting has risen 79 percent between 2005 and 2012.” And the latest statistics from Telework reveal “3.3 million people in the U.S., not including the self-employed or unpaid volunteers, considered home to be their primary place of work in 2013.”

Why? Not only does worker satisfaction spike when people live where they choose, companies save on overhead as remote employees don’t need office space — some even take pay cuts. Even so, the average telecommuter salary is $58,000. That’s $2500 more than Dare County’s average household income as of 2014.

Just imagine if 1/10,000 of those 3.3 million cyber-drones moved to the Outer

The catch? Those 330 people can still move wherever they want — whenever they want. If our coastal village gets too citified, cyber-suits might opt for someplace sleepier. If schools slip, young parents might even skip town. That’s the price of becoming a global competitor.

But it’s also the opportunity of a lifetime. Because all we need to do is invest in our community the same way we would any booming business venture, make it the best place on the planet to live, then watch the little worker ants trickle in with sacks full of Fortune 500 cash — minus the suits and ties. Hell, they don’t even need to shower!

“Um. No. I definitely shower,” laughs Budnack. “But I don’t get dolled up at 7am just to stare at the computer. And if someone shows up at noon and I’m still in my bathrobe, I’ve got a good excuse: I’ve been working.” — Donald Buffett milepost 41

#14 “Eewwwww!” “Gross!” “Yuck!” Stop whining. Chances are you’ve already taken a swig of liquid waste — and we don’t just mean in the baby pool.

At an Environmental Forum held last fall, Todd Krafft, head of the Town of Nags Head’s Septic Health Initiative, reported that 15 years of water quality monitoring shows increased bacteria levels due to rising ground water tables. The leeching water from septic drain fields is getting into the storm water that flows out of pipes along the shoreline. And while years ago bacteria counts rose with the summer population peaks, then dropped back down in the shoulder season, modern differences aren’t nearly so drastic. That means it’ll only get worse in the years to come.

“We’ve had lots of challenges,” says Krafft, “and differing opinions — should we stay with onsite wastewater or should we go to pipe systems?”

Well, as long as we’re sipping wastewater — why not bury some pipes and chug the concept wholeheartedly? Not only would it help reduce runoff, it could create a whole new supply of usable water. In 2012, National Geographic reported that reclaimed water — a fancy name for filtered wastewater — is commonly used for irrigation and industry. And some cities are finding quenching the public’s thirst for drinking water can be as close as the porcelain throne.

RENTALS » KAYAK • SUP • SURF • BIKE • MORE TOURS » KAYAK & SUP LESSONS » SUP & SURF RETAIL » SURF • SKATE • SWIM • BEACH • MORE milepost

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Just check this New York Times report from drought-stricken California: “Water [spills] out of a spigot, sparklingly clear, into a plastic cup. Just 45 minutes earlier, it was effluent, piped over from Orange County’s wastewater treatment plant next door.”

The “toilet to tap” movement is no direct pipeline. First, filters must remove bacteria, pharmaceuticals, pathogens and other nasty stuff before pumping it into wetlands

Don’t worry: it’s just light beer.

Photo: Daniel Pullen

Live surf cameras on the Outer Banks 15 live surf cameras on Plus a team of expert forecasters in Nags and surfBanks reports theHead Outer

by Mickey McCarthy

4

You’ll drink your own pee.

where Mother Nature does a bit more scrubbing before it drains down into the ground water basin, where municipalities draw their drinking water. Here’s the kicker: the reclaimed water is cleaner than the water in the underground reservoir.

But the Outer Banks will likely get self-wiping toilet paper before we see similar technology. Right? Wrong. Both Jennette’s Pier and the Coastal Sciences Institute already treat their wastewater. Jennette’s even puts its toilet water through an intensive process that includes removing the bacteria and applying ultraviolet disinfection before returning it to the pier’s bathrooms to be flushed again and again.

In fact, in 2015, 84 percent of the water used at the pier was reclaimed. So just how clean is it?

“In most cases it’d be clean enough to wash your car or to use for irrigation,” says Irvin Edwards, wastewater operator for both Jennette’s Pier and CSI. “There may be some places filtering it for drinking water, but we’re not ready for that here yet.”

And he doesn’t just mean psychologically. Without a countywide sewer system to collect and filter our fluids, it’s currently impossible to convert poo and pee into potable liquid. But that doesn’t mean we can’t limit our waste intake. Already, Jennette’s has a retention tank under the parking lot to keep runoff from hitting the lineup. Many local homes are installing rain barrels, which collect water from rooftops and gutters. And of course, the towns take action with floodwater plans that promote porous surfaces.

The more people embrace such changes, the less waste will end up in the outflow.

And every drop of pee that stays out of the ocean is one you won’t swallow the next time you swim. — Sandy Semans

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#15 Extreme home makeunders.

Are you hoppin’ mad about huge McMansions stepping on our small town charm? Worried your kids will be priced out of beach living? Feeling forlorn that this once vibrant community of college-aged kids is turning into an old folks home by the sea? Well, fret not. The solution lies in an impending architectural craze on the rise. A living space concept so visionary, even Frank Stick couldn’t see it coming. (Maybe because it’s so dern tiny.)

We’re talking about “micro units” — collections of studio apartments that are roughly 350-square feet. And while they may be the size of a beach box’s bedroom, they’re already shaking the foundation of major cities. As Curbed.com reported in January, “A micro housing and micro dwelling boom has hit big [as] young professionals, attracted to the opportunity to save 20-30 percent on rent while living alone, are snatching up available units.”

But it’s more than just urban Yuppies squeezing together to save pennies.

It’s about cozying up to the finer things — and sharing a fun lifestyle. Living spaces come standard with custom cabinets, top-notch TVs and in-ceiling speakers. (Not to mention fully furnished kitchens and bathrooms.) A packed social calendar offers yoga, potluck dinners, ping-pong — even karaoke nights. It’s a posh, pre-fab fiesta for movers-and-shakers who want to live solo — yet they still cost less than the Manhattan average for a twoperson apartment.

No wonder they’re catching on. In fact, office-sharing powerhouse WeWork just began beta-testing two new WeLive facilites in New York and D.C this year. By 2018, they predict $600 million — or 21 percent of their business — will come from communal living.

But that’s just for city folk, right?

Not necessarily. It’s more about hitting the right age demographic. As an Urban Land Foundation study notes, millennials are more willing to exchange privacy “for a lower monthly rent, a highly desirable location, and the ability to live alone.” These are the same motivating factors that have made Airbnb so attractive to both young visitors and their cashhungry hosts.

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Just picture all those high-end homes sitting empty all winter. Now imagine stuffing four tech-sector telecommuters in every corner. Or remodeling that rundown shack with foosball tables and flat screens.

Can you say, “Cutting-edge cottage court?” Pick a spot near the right bar — fence in the backyard — and the karaoke and yoga will take care of themselves. (Probably a few after-parties to boot.) Do it right, we can revitalize neighborhoods, maintain the community character, and address the affordable housing shortage — a welcome solution for all our problems.

Provided you’re not the one living next door. — Bolt Brickhouse

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Pet friendly? That’s past tense. The future is pet fun, personal training

And while it may be hypothetical now, it won’t be forever.

— and lodging in the lap of luxury.

“We do have a lot of water,” says Jane Krumwiede. “Based on responses we’ve had to the club, a large-scale resort like that would definitely inspire people.”

Actually, it’s more like the present. From boarding kennels with swimming and slides — like St. Petersburg’s Love My Dog Water Park — to doggie condos with designer couches — Luxe Pet Hotels in Las Vegas, of course — more humans are giving their pooches the royal treatment when they go on vacation. In fact, in the case of New York’s Canine Camp Getaway, chilling with Fido is the vacation — charging up to $1350 per person for a week of “barks and crafts,” training and pool time.

Caption 15. should know. As co-owner of Outer Banks Dog Club in Nags Head, Krumwiede she caters to dog enthusiasts. Local and visiting pups of all breeds and ages learn skills that range from beginning obedience to advanced agility. And future plans include classes like dock diving — an increasingly popular sport in which dogs dive into a body of water while being encouraged to jump either farther or higher each time.

But everyone knows dogs love the beach even more. So why board your pooch when you can take your pooch boarding?

And while Krumwiede notes that these activities are appealing for their fun factor alone, there’s ample evidence that dog sports are anything but a passing fad.

Enter Ruff Riders Resort, a full-service, state-of-the-art facility with weekly accommodation options where canines come first. Here you’ll find everything from in- and outdoor equipment for training in areas like agility and ocean rescue techniques, to watersports lessons on the pristine shores of the Outer Banks. A place where humans and dogs can spend the day hanging ten — then go to their room and hang in front of a flat screen.

Consider this year’s 10th annual Petco’s Unleashed Surf Dog Competition, where dogs ride California waves for three full days. Or the Purina Pro Incredible Dog Challenge, a televised national event with a near 20-year history, featuring agility demonstrations, Frisbee routines, and diving. It’s all part of a growing trend where people treat their pets like members of the family, and will invest untold amounts of time and energy to develop their skills and make them happy.

Not to mention money.

Standard leash laws apply.

Photo: Daniel Pullen

According to the American Pet Products Association, consumers spent $60.28 billion on pets in 2015, and that number is expected to rise another $2.47 billion in 2016 . If doggie parents will drop even a fraction of that coin on sweaters and treats, imagine what they’ll put into a posh Outer Banks vacation filled with lessons and activities that include every kid in the family. Even the furry ones.

“These experiences allow people to bring out the brilliance of their canine companions and form unforgettable bonds,” says Krumwiede. “Besides, there’s an active lifestyle here. And active people love to share that with their dogs.”

— Amelia Boldaji

Wet and wild doggie resorts.

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Casual Ambiance Cutting Edge Coastal Cuisine

#17 Fish will grow legs.

(Figuratively speaking.)

Salty. Tough. Stubborn. Three common adjectives for the average coastal angler. But their catch? Not so much.

Turns out even the meanest fish is still surprisingly sensitive — at least when it comes to water temperature.

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“Every species has its own unique window of temperatures where it can perform well,” says Rutgers University’s Dr. Jim Morley, who studies climate change’s impact on fish distribution. “Temperature acts as an important cue for fish spawning or migration. And with the warming of seas, species will move to stay within the same thermal environment. And more than not, that will be to the north or deeper waters.”

Forty years ago, lobster concentrated off New Jersey — now they’re found more off Massachusetts. Black sea bass used to vacation off Virginia — now they prefer Jersey. And while the Southeast Atlantic hasn’t seen the same drastic shifts, summer flounder, sea bass and cobia all seem to be spending less time along NC’s coast. But that just makes room for a new batch of visitors to move up from the south.

“Some southern species might become more abundant off North Carolina,” says Morley. “We expect to see larger numbers of Atlantic spadefish, speckled trout, silver trout — and even red drum might benefit. So it’s not all doom and gloom.”

Especially if you’re a fan of shrimp cocktails — or spearfishing.

Turns out populations of pink and white shrimp — aka “greentails” — are poised to surge with the temps. And warmer water might also allow tropical species like triggerfish, hogfish and scamp to move in.

“Generally, the deeper you go, the more tropical fish you find, because it’s more seasonally stable,” Morley explains. “Those fish may be able to survive and complete their life cycles closer to shore. But so might lionfish — and they might muck things up by competing for food and eating juveniles. So it’s tricky to see the net impact.”

Maybe this is one pattern shift to simply react to, as climate change stands to impact not just fish behavior, but the weather itself. A case where every species will have to adapt — and even the most stubborn animals will have to evolve.

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“On the Outer Banks, I think the seasonal changes will be the most obvious difference,” says Morley. “As sea temperatures warm up, we’ll have years where patterns seem wacky as species’ migration behaviors change. Fishermen will have to change with them.”

— Matt Walker

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Grab what fish you can — while you can. Photo: Matt Lusk

#18 But you can only catch one.

You don’t need a crystal ball to make this prediction. Or a PhD. You just need a set of eyeballs — and maybe a calculator — to count all the boats blitzing the coast the past few years.

“These fisheries have finite productivity,” says Dr. Roy Crabtree, Southeast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “So more demand is likely to mean more need for regulations in order to control the catches.”

According to Saltwater Sportsman, “Wholesale shipments of saltwater fishing boats in 2014 were up an astounding 37.6 percent over the previous year, climbing to 7,985 units. Corresponding retail sales [grew] by a staggering 34.8 percent, to a healthy $2.3 billion.”

You’re seeing it already. In the last week of 2015, rockfish’s legal recreational take dropped to one per day to keep within the annual limit. (It went back to two per day on Jan. 1.) This year, cobia’s been cut off entirely from June 20 to Jan. 1, 2017.

But that increase in anglers has more to do with dollars than dorado. In the wake of 2008’s recession, big luxuries fell out of fashion. But as the economy rebounded, so did boat sales. And they’ve been powering full speed ahead ever since. Add some $2 gas, and it’s no wonder our seas look like the Miami boat show. And while that may be “healthy” for marine manufacturers now, it’s a potential Titanic for fishing fanatics.

Ironically, while commercial fishermen often bear the most blame, it’s the Average Joe who does the most collective damage for many of our favorite species.

And while lobbies keep flexing political muscle to max out their share, at some point, recreational anglers will have to assume more of the regulatory burden if they continue to grow.

“Each fishery can only produce so many pounds,” says Crabtree. “More people fishing means each person’s

going to get a smaller slice of the pie.”

But there’s always hope. Maybe some future market crash will dry-dock more boats. Maybe catch limits today will lead to larger hauls down the road. (Black sea bass were once severely regulated — now the fishery has roughly doubled.) Or maybe these pressures will inspire the business players to think more long term — and the average angler to spend as many hours collecting in meeting rooms as they do on the water.

“I always encourage fishermen to stay involved in the management process,” says Crabtree. “To pay attention to what state management agencies and federal councils are doing and provide biologists honest input.

All that leads to better management. But, unfortunately, many times fishermen don’t get involved — until something very unpopular happens.”

— Matt Walker milepost 47

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Quite possibly parachuted. And most certainly motorized. As with each new summer, watersports get more high-tech, less adventurous — and potentially lazier.

Just look at kayaks. An Inuit would hardly recognize today’s top models. Armed with cushioned, upright seats and — most importantly — pedals, they allow people to ditch the twin-bladed paddle and just pump their feet, propelling along like a human motorboat. Or a charter boat.

“Kayak fishing’s gotten huge,” says Kitty Hawk Surf Co.’s Craig Purkiss. “Our most popular options come with coolers, rod-holders — everything you need but the fishing pole.”

Now, to be fair, kayak fishing is a real waterman’s pursuit that requires free hands to hold a rod and someplace cool to store your catch. But how do you explain Hobie’s Mirage SUP? Just released this spring, this stand-up paddleboard offers more than just pedals — it features handlebars, eliminating any need for natural balance. Replace the pedals with a battery-powered propeller insert, and you don’t have to move a single muscle.

What’s next? Box-fan fueled sailboats? Kiteboards with rocket boots? Well, how about a SUP that runs on sunrays? In April, an Aussie innovator created a solarpanel deck pad to run his propeller. Not only does he never have to paddle again — he doesn’t even need to recharge. It all points to a future in which water sports are less about riding the wild surf — and more about cruising the seas on a floating La-Z-Boy. Or maybe pumping your legs on a StairMaster.

“We do get a lot of interest in all our pedal gear,” says Purkiss. “Some people see it as exercise — like an elliptical machine at the gym. Some ladies just want to cruise on a kayak and sip wine. To me it’s more like water recreation than an actual watersport. But I say anything that gets people out of their living rooms and outdoors is a good thing.”

Just watch out you don’t go over the handlebars. — Bob Girard

Revitalize your senses Introducing Dr. Anthony Jackson Feel the burn. Photo: Daniel Pullen

Outer Banks Medical Group is pleased to welcome Dr. Anthony Jackson as the founding specialist at Outer Banks Ear Nose & Throat.

Dr. Jackson brings more than 25 years of ENT experience to the coastal region and specializes in inserting ear tubes, performing tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies, evaluating sinus disorders, and evaluating and treating head and neck masses.

To schedule an appointment, call 252-449-5760.

SUPs will be solar-powered.

5118 N. Croatan Highway | Kitty Hawk Affiliated with The Outer Banks Hospital

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One day we’ll worship a million suns.

Photo: Mark Buckler

Hatteras Island goes dark. milepost

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Mid-April in Avon. The sun’s nowhere in sight — but the beach brims with bodies. Huddled together in beanies and hoods, they kick back and stare at a cloudless sky with keen anticipation. At 10pm sharp, every business and home on Hatteras Island powers down — and the night lights up with a billion stars. So clear — so close — you can almost touch them, leaving burning memories that last a lifetime.

“I was fortunate enough to grow up on the Outer Banks 50 years ago,” says Mann’s Harbor native and 30-year National Park Service veteran, Cyndy Holda. “I’ve also lived in parks all over the country. And a truly dark sky is something you never forget.”

Connect with nature by strolling along the Boardwalk, walk the village area with stores, galleries, and eateries, and throughout the summer, enjoy free live events at the Town Park.

P L AY E X P LO R E SHOP RELAX S TAY

That’s why, as part of 2016’s National Parks Centennial Celebration, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is taking steps to seek official recognition from the International Dark Sky Association. It’s a long process. Just retrofitting the park’s existing lights would cost $70,000. And to truly black out the night would require convincing the surrounding villages to join the cause. But Holda says they’ve found support down south, where killing porch lights is already good etiquette.

“It’s an education process,” says Holda. “We’re not trying to turn off every light; in many cases, just modifying existing lights with shields would do the trick. But it’s the kind of idea that has to start small and catch on.”

Why bother? Reducing light pollution doesn’t just protect wildlife (think nesting turtles) and promote healthy sleep patterns, it’s also good business. Already, 18 national parks promote dark skies as a tourism draw. And while the Big Dipper may never outshine a sunny beach day, for some people it’s the only reason to visit.

“My nighttime workshops are so popular, I can’t keep up with the demand,” says award-winning local lensman, Mark Buckler, who holds nature photography classes nationwide. “I have people come from DC, New York and Pennsylvania — even Virginia — and they all say they’ve never seen so many stars.”

Not just stars, but the actual Milky Way. Visit any time between late spring and early fall, you can see our galaxy’s center spill its guts — provided you’re willing to post up someplace between South Nags Head and Buxton, or drive on to Ocracoke. But what if instead of battling to be the loudest marquis on the beach, businesses killed their lights after hours? And what if, instead of brainstorming brighter ideas to draw tourists at the end of each summer, we just all turned out the lights at the end of each day?

“One look at a dark sky map, you can see this place is primed for some kind of Outer Banks Astrofest,” says Buckler. “But it doesn’t have to be a whole week. It could just be a long weekend.”

How ’bout just a few hours? Head to Ocracoke’s Day Use area after dark on Aug. 25, you can celebrate Founders Day with the second annual Starry, Starry Night. Maybe one day, instead of sleeping through spring, Hatteras will host hundreds of active astronomers and their families who can’t wait to see the sky light up like Broadway. All it takes is a willingness to look up — and think ahead.

“Because the Outer Banks was among the last places to develop, we already have some beautiful night skies,” says Holda. “We just need the vision to protect them before they’re all gone.”

Summer Events

For start/end dates and more info visit townofduck.com

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Thursdays

Yoga on the Green 7:30 am

Dynamic Flow Fitness on the Green 7:30 am

Story Time 10:00am

Children’s Interactive Theater Amphitheater 10:00 am

Family Magic Show Amphitheater 9:30 & 11 am

Movies on the Green Dusk

Concert on the Green 6:30pm

For a shopping guide and information on special events held by Duck Village Merchants, visit doducknc.com.

Save the date! This October, it’s the 10th Annual Duck Jazz Festival. Visit duckjazz.com for info and updates. townofduck.com 252.255.1286

Town of Duck

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— Matt Walker milepost 51

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govolleyball Sunset networking.

Photo: Cory Godwin

on the side, they’ve groomed a dozen or so diehards over the years, making the popular eatery the sport’s epicenter.

But this is no amateur league. In fact, backyard regular Nick Borsay is a former college standout who still plays for an Open Level indoor team out of Maryland.

“

“When you register for a tournament you have to choose a level of play, from Open Level down to AA, A, BB, to B,” says Borsay. “The regular pick-up games behind Tortuga’s are a solid A. And some of the tournaments bring in players from elsewhere to take it closer to Open Level.”

SERVE. BUMP. SPIKE. RETURN.

For 25 years, Tortuga’s Lie’s been the main stomping grounds for beach volleyball.

When the sun starts to dip and the clock strikes 5:00, the sand behind Tortuga’s Lie heats up with eager players — and primal noises. “RAARRGHHH! YESHUH!” “YREGSRHRISH!” Half-man, half-beast, they spike balls and hurl bodies — along with the occasional obscenity and sporadic howls of positive reinforcement.

“Great hit!” “Killer!” High five, a brush of the kneecaps — one big, deep breath — then another serve. Again and again. Day after day.

“If the weather is nice, we play,” says Mike Howard. “In the summer, that’s at least three or four nights a week.”

That’s a whole lot of volleyball. More than what’s played anywhere else on this beach — and most other places — except maybe colleges and a couple summer circuits where former Olympians trade blows for summer bucks. (The past five years, Extreme Volleyball Players made Jennette’s Pier a weekend stopover.) But for most Americans, beach volleyball is an excuse for old men to watch bikini-clad vixens bounce around on ESPN. (Fact: seven of the eight richest pros are all gorgeous women like Gabrielle Reece.) Once an iconic beach pastime of the late 70s and 80s, v-ball went the way of corduroy Op walkshorts and Kadima. Not for any lack of athleticism — but simply because it fell out of fashion.

“At first I thought I was too cool to play volleyball,” says Keith Errickson, who first started playing two decades ago. “But my brother and I would try a couple games a summer. After a while, it became fun and we got pretty good — but Richard and Mark Welch were always the best. We’d be like, ‘Watch this, old man!’ And then they’d destroy us. [laughs]” Richard Welch smiles nostalgically when he revisits those early days. Back in 1989, the current co-owner of Tortuga’s was still running the kitchen. National leagues like American Volleyball Professionals were on the upswing. And, local nets littered the beach from Holiday Inn to Restaurant by George to the Atlantis — the infamous beachfront bar and music venue that raged day and night.

“That was the original court, I think,” says Richard. “There were a lot of different restaurant teams that played jungle ball there. It got serious.”

At first, they played 12-man games — six on each side. But soon they pared down to two-on-two. Fewer people means more space to cover, increasing the pressure — and need to communicate — and forging strong ties between players.

Fast-forward a couple decades, lose a few courts, and all that male energy concentrates almost solely behind Tortuga’s.

Between the employees in the restaurant and apartments

Cursing is just part of the pastime….

So is heckling.

Besides two men’s beach doubles each year, there are two King of the Beach tournaments, where guys rotate teammates in a battle for ultimate bragging rights.

Competition for space is so fierce that they’ve started adding new formats, like this year’s Century Tournament, where the ages of the two teammates have to add to 100. And in an effort to reach more players — and secure volleyball’s future locally — Richard and Mark are starting a Queen of the Beach bracket and sponsoring local youth clubs and high school teams.

But the bulk of the action remains the evening pick-up matches. To keep games fair, they play first come, first served. And to keep the sport fun, they offer two nets, giving rookies and wannabes a chance to polish their skills before diving into the pit with more polished hands.

In case there’s any question, the Court Rules state: “Advanced players use southern court.” And it’s also strictly enforced. The one banning profanity? That’s a bit more relaxed. Like most male bonding experiences surrounding a bar, cursing is just part of the pastime. So is heckling. And sarcasm. And epic tales of manliness. And the occasional friendly dispute.

“People argue over points,” says local fixture and filmmaker, Cory Godwin, a former employee who once lived courtside. “‘That was in!’ ‘No it wasn’t!’ That kind of thing. But it’s always friendly because we’ve all known each other for 20 years.”

It all makes the scene feel less like a competition, and more like a multi-generational sibling rivalry — or maybe a fraternity — where relationships hinge on being part adversary and part ally. And the camaraderie continues with every set, spike or dig — and especially every return.

“The really neat thing about this whole ritual is that you get to meet really good people all summer,” says Richard. “And then you get to see them come back.”

— Laura Gomez-Nichols milepost 53

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Everyone knows the Outer Banks is a water sports mecca. All summer long, fishermen fill the sound. Surfers and spongers litter the sea. Kiteboarders capture the sky. Tourists zip around on jet skis — even fly Jetpaks. But you could try every single pursuit — every single day — and not see one person just plain waterskiing.

“I still find it shocking,” says 28-year-old slalom-course fanatic, Matty Hitchcock.

“Mostly because you don’t really need anything more than a 25-horsepower boat, and so many people here have something like that.”

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He’s right. It might just be Outer Banks culture: boats are for fishing, boards are for riding, and never the twain should meet. But Matty’s different. An avid surfer, shaper and daytime nailbanger, he may look the part — sporting dreadlocks and boardshorts with the best of them — but he’s no native.

He actually moved here from Delaware in 2009. And he brought his passion for slalom skiing with him.

Actually, it’s more like a family tradition.

Matty’s grandfather is an outdoorsy, exmarine who instilled a love for water-skiing into his four daughters, including Matty’s mom, Sue, who passed it along to her five sons on their frequent visits to upstate New York’s Seneca Lake.

“It wasn’t long before my brothers and I learned to ski,” Matty says with a smile.

“Mom could kick our asses, but we never stopped trying to outdo her.”

Sue finally warned her boys that they needed to stop wearing out her gear and get their own. Matty was the only one who accepted the challenge. At 17 he saved up to purchase his own slalom ski and concentrated on one thing: getting better.

“In the beginning it was always about seeing how fast we could go, how many turns we could make without stopping,” Matty recalls.

“Who could throw up the biggest wall of water. I didn’t really think about taking it any further until I moved here and met Drew.”

Drew Wright’s a lot like Matty — except for all the ways he’s not. At age 55, this long-

twins, bonding over each thrilling run and bone-chilling spill. Always pushing each other to get better — especially Matty.

While his previous freestyle experience gave him plenty of raw talent, converting those skills onto a course requires discipline.

BUOY’S CLUB

On the backside of Martin’s Point, you can still get a crash course in slalom skiing. time mortgage broker’s lived on the Outer Banks since 1987, but he was also once a wide-eyed water-skier with professional dreams. A 2001 move to Martin’s Point inspired him to rekindle that passion — especially once he rehabilitated an old slalom ski course in the Jean Guite Creek.

In 2007, Drew opened OBX Wakeboard and Waterski to start teaching new fans the necessary fundamentals. Six years later, his small side business had amassed a fleet of four MasterCrafts and was tearing up the water all summer long — just in time to cross paths with Matty.

“The Creek’s sheltered from the wind, so I was already going out there whenever I had the chance,” Matty says. “And I won’t lie, MasterCrafts are the Lamborghinis of boats.

So I called Drew up and we hit it off.”

Thus one of the beach’s oddest couples was born: the banker and the surf dog. See ’em driving together, and you might wonder whose car broke down. Take a boat ride with them one early morning when the water’s smooth, and they’re like identical

“

“On a slalom course you have two lines of buoys with an entrance and an exit point, and the boat drives down the middle,” Drew explains.

“The point is to get around the obstacles as fast as you can, while also decreasing the length of your towrope. It’s kind of like getting shot out of a cannon if you do it right.”

“It was always about who could throw up the biggest wall of water.”

And maybe that’s another reason waterskiing’s not so huge. You can fish solo.

Surf solo. Catamaran solo. You don’t even necessarily need great equipment. At a minimum, skiing requires a boat, someone to drive and someone else on the other end of the towline. And if you want to really improve, it takes real commitment.

“At first it felt impossible,” Matty says. “I knew right away I still had a lot to learn.

There can be a competitive aspect there, but for me it’s more about taking on other challenges. I don’t necessarily want to outdo myself as much as I want to surprise myself.”

Ultimately, Matty would like to compete professionally himself, and possibly put together an annual wake surfing event for charity. But as he and Drew head into their third season skiing together, the immediate goals are as easy to grasp as the closest handle: to shave a couple seconds off their fastest time, lose another foot or two of towrope. And to get a bunch more enthusiasts back behind the boat.

“People say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve done that before a long time ago,’” Matty laughs. “I say, ‘Well let’s go out and do it now!’”

— Amelia Boldaji milepost 55

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fooddrink Carolinians participated, the program would put $3.5 billion toward the NC economy.)

Nutritional strength in numbers.

Photo: Cory Godwin

endnotes

But eating local’s not just better for state budgets and food producers — it’s better for the people who eat it. If you can find it. And for low-income people, it’s not just sourcing local food, it’s figuring out how to afford it. That’s why the food council’s also working to bring the Sustainable Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — aka “food stamps” — to produce stands and seafood markets.

“

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Eating local’s better for budgets, food producers and people.

upfront

“The Farmer’s Market Association offers millions of dollars in grant money that will assist farmers in getting equipment for SNAP,” states council vice-president, Katie Preisser. “Not only will such systems help our community eat healthy but SNAP transactions actually cost less than credit card transactions for food stands. It’s a win-win.”

soundcheck getactive startingpoint

FOODIE UNION roadmap

How area farmers, fishermen and nutritionistas are banding together to promote better eating.

With the first breath of spring, carrots, leafy greens, strawberries, and bok choy fight for a rightful spot on your plate. Come summer, blackberries, blueberries, cucumbers and peppers battle to be plucked. Finally, the dizzying array of warm days give way to cooler nights and the savory flavor of pumpkins, sweet potatoes and collards. It’s called seasonal eating: enjoying food at its peak harvest, according to nature’s rhythm. The benefits are many. Naturally mature foods are super-charged with more vitamins and minerals. Buying local supports nearby farmers — and cuts pollution from shipping overseas.

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But where to start? What to nosh on each season? And where to buy?

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To help folks find the answers, the NC Extension Co-Op and League of Women Voters put together Outer Banks Local Foods Council. Starting in 2013, they began gauging interest from area foodies. Today, the program has 16 active members ready to educate and guide the public toward healthy, tasty choices.

outthere gohunt

“Our goal is to meet every month so that we may discuss local food issues and assess the current food situation in NC,” shares Board Advisor and NC State Extension Rep Jennifer Thompson. “We want to bring education to the community regarding gardening, environment, food, family and agriculture.”

Attending a meeting is a crash course in foodie pride — and community diversity. On one side, a man from Somerset Farms in Edenton describes his mission to teach Manteo residents how to grow veggies, herbs and fruits. On the other, a former Chapel Hill professor promotes the Mano al Hermano community garden. Nearby, a leading restaurateur expresses a desire to offer a more seasonal menu. The list goes on to include reps from the Health Department, Social Services — even wait staff — all of them sharing a desire to drive more interest and dollars back into locally grown goods. But first you have to figure out what’s being eaten.

“We want to know: where is our food coming from?” says Thompson. “What is it? And how much is being produced, marketed and consumed in the state?”

Programs include The Center for Environmental Farming System’s 10% Campaign, where people pledge to spend ten percent of food dollars on local products, then track their own progress online, promoting active research while boosting state dollars. (Studies show that if all North

But they can’t do it all themselves. This is a crucial time for the council to get community support, as they respond to a growing interest and demand. They are also working hard to get the word out, from building a more robust website to putting printed materials in rental homes.

“We want to be available as a resource,” says Preisser, “so that our visitors can make informed decisions about the food they are purchasing.”

Want to get involved? Visit obxlocalfoods.com to find out where to purchase this season’s homegrown offerings — or join the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which sources its products from local farms in the surrounding area. Once signed-up, you can have boxes jampacked with everything from fresh eggs to fruits to veggies delivered straight to your front door.

Better yet, boogie over to the extension office in Manteo and attend a meeting. They can use input from all facets of the community, from nutrition educators to restaurateurs to commercial fishermen to busboys. Come one, come all.

Whatever your particular taste, they’re not picky.

“If you have a passion we’ll find a place for it,” says Preisser.

“This is where the work gets done.” — Fran Marler

Interested in joining the Council? Contact Jennifer Thompson at the Dare County NC State Extension. 252-4734290. Or email: obxlocalfoodscouncil@gmail.com. And to join the 10% Program, go to www.nc10percent.com. milepost 57

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THE LOST ART soundcheck OF TIME

Michael Davis’ most precious medium isn’t paint getactive — it’s minutes.

Think about the last 20 years. What you’ve built and accomplished. Now prepare to be humbled by the amount of quality work Michael Davis produced. From the front yard’s poured concrete footpaths and metal sculptures to the interior’s canvasses and collectibles, the artist’s sprawling, wooded home is a monument to his constant drive to create. Or maybe it’s more of a museum — part art gallery, part natural history exhibit, part botanical garden, part Christmas wonderland. The man could charge admission just to walk through. (And charge double to show how he does it.) But for all his imaginative spirit and many talents, Davis credits all of his accomplishments to one thing: time.

Inspired, uninterrupted, and unwasted.

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Davis sucks the marrow from every second.

walls are covered with watercolors, oil startingpoint His paintings and graphite drawings — plus

plenty of “3D constructions.” Made from paper, paint and foam board, he slices and assembles every piece, then colors the images so they pop off the frame.

Subjects include classic Outer Banks architecture, landscapes and animals, plus a whimsical series of multicolored, stern-faced women. All ring-out in a trademark style that’s always well-received. The wave-struck, stilted house over his mantel took Best In Show at the Mollie Fearing show nearly a decade ago. Most recently, Davis combined computer parts with a female portrait to win an an Excellence Award at last year’s Frank Stick. (He called it “Motherboard.”) But his real love isn’t the results; it’s the labor itself.

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“People don’t really understand the luxury of time,” says the 68-year-old Southern Shores resident. “Unfortunately, money is necessary, but time is what is really so sweet — provided you use it well.”

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“I’ve been in a three-dimensional period for years, because it’s more of a construction process,” he says. “I like building stuff.”

Always has. As a young graphic designer in DC, Davis made everything by hand. Where today, publishers lay out whole books on laptops, and any school kid can change fonts with a flick of the finger, Davis would draw, color and cut to create logos and ads, depicting everything from NASA satellites to McGraw Hill textbook illustrations. And that was easy compared to his first job working in the Typography and Design Department at the Government Printing Office.

“When we set type, there was a great big keyboard, and you literally pushed a button and it would pour hot lead into a letter,” says Davis, who started in 1970. “The machines were as big as a good-sized walk-in cooler. It was the dark ages.”

When the mid-90s started ushering in the digital age, Davis decided it was time to get out of design and just do art. He and his wife, Mary, sold their house in Potomac,

Maryland, and moved to the Outer Banks to build their dream home — doing much of the labor all by themselves.

“We worked here dawn to dusk for two full years,” he says. “It was a lot of fun. And we built the house knowing that I’m a collector and would need space for all these different things.”

Smart decision. His studio alone is a veritable curiosity shop filled to the ceiling with animals. Taxidermy buffalo, deer and elk stare down from the walls. ( Just heads, of course.) A couple of raptors perch in doorways. Stick-pinned beetles and butterflies fill glass cases. Shelves feature any number of skulls: camel, antelope and one Civil War horse. Plus lots of stuff that’s just plain unidentifiable — until he tells you.

“Dinosaur turd,” he quips. “Fortunately, it doesn’t smell.”

And that doesn’t include the dead stuff he’s put back together. While still in DC, he volunteered at the Smithsonian, reassembling whole skeletons of dolphins and other mammals. Since then, he’s stuck to smaller jobs. He’s glued matchstick-sized bones of tiny birds, re-articulated rabbits, foxes, cats, and many species in-between — including ours.

Eyes twinkling, he opens the creaking door of a crude, wooden box to reveal a real human skeleton. He found “Willy” in the back of an antique store in a moldy heap, obviously sourced from medical school cadavers. Davis pieced the pile back together and stood it upright. It’s amused guests — and himself — ever since.

“I love working with my hands, and the whole process of just taking nothing and making something out of it,” he explains.

“Something useless or whatever, it doesn’t matter. You still get that feeling of having accomplished something.”

Scanning his space, he’s as much a reverse engineer as an artist. He sees the projects in his mind, then works out a solution to make them real — or in the case of his clocks or “automata” — to make them move.

These beautiful machines look like wooden toys, but are actually complex mechanical

“

structures, with every moving part designed and made by Davis’ hands. It might be Santa flying a blimp or an elf bobbing his head.

He molds the clay to make the faces; cuts the gears out of wood. Connects legs and wings with filament line. Then tinkers around, trial-anderror, until it finally runs seamlessly.

But they all start the same way.

He slices and assembles every piece — then colors the images so they pop off the frame.

“I sketch each one out on a little notepad,” he explains, “then I start figuring out how to bring it to life.”

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Each one takes as much as nine months to complete, yet he makes one every year for his wife for Christmas, which is a big deal in the Davis household. They throw an annual party and completely decorate their home to rival Santa’s workshop. Between his jovial nature, white beard, and hundreds of fanciful creations, you might suspect Davis to be the real Papa Noel, wielding the power to stop time and speed through tasks. But his explanation is a little more rational.

“I don’t play golf, I don’t play cards,” he admits. “We’ve lived here over 20 years and never watched a football game! If I’m not making anything, I’m thinking about what I’m going to make next.”

To Davis, it is time well spent. Though his projects can be tedious, challenging, and take weeks or even years to complete, he follows his passion to create for one simple reason: “There’s nothing more satisfying than looking at a blank sheet of paper, or a big pile of wood, or a bunch of tools and thinking, What can I create? If you have the time and you can manage to do that, you’re a lucky dude,” he smiles. “And I’m a pretty lucky dude.” — Hannah Bunn West

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Millennials. You know the stereotypes:

Overton’s no stranger to shifting landscapes.

Photo: Gerry Navarrete

notoriously short attention spans; hopelessly addicted to technology; non-conformist by nature. That’s pretty much Holly Overton. Except, those aren’t her flaws — they’re her strengths.

startingpoint

“I think it’s important to keep all options open,” says the 28-year-old Nags Head native turned NYC musician.

“That’s how you keep things fresh.”

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For Holly, fresh might mean exploring new electronic sounds for her next solo release. Thumping live bass for a pal’s side project. Or — in the case of her current full-time outfit, MPHO — writing songs and rocking SXSW stages with guitarist Mark Perro, bass player Russell Hymowitz, and drummer/fellow Outer Banker Josh Martier. Armed with seductive vocals, synthesizers, driving rhythms and high-energy pop hooks, they feel like Blondie or Siouxsie and the Banshees or some other ’80s pop — if ’80s pop had the benefit of hindsight and could pick the best elements and shed the bad habits.

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Come summer, you can make your own calls, as MPHO’s new EP, Midnight People, will be ready for download on Bandcamp.com along with last year’s solo EP. You may even catch Overton jamming through town this July. Just don’t try too hard to define her style — it’s likely to change before you know it.

gosurfAGENT FREE

For Holly Overton, the only musical constant is collaboration.

outthere

MILEPOST: Word is you started out as an art student — how’d you end up playing music?

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your fingertips. But my solo stuff, I have one synthesizer, one drum machine; I find the sounds I like and I go from there.

It’s more of an experiment in sounds and tones. So I just gravitate to that 80s pop production sound — those sonic frequencies— because they were experimenting, too.

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So why play in a band if you can be your own little dictator?

HOLLY OVERTON: Well, I’ve played piano since I was eight.

And my dad bought me a guitar when I was 13. But I’d just look up tabs online and play covers in my bedroom. I always thought that being in a band was this untouchable activity.

Then I went to art school in New York and became good friends with girl who had a band in Seattle. I realized, “I can do this.” So music is my creative outlet now. It’s more of a social, interactive experience. And physical — at least with MPHO. There’s so much energy, so much dancing — it feels like a work out. If I’m not covered in sweat by the end of the show, then something’s wrong. [laughs] Your solo songs have an even ethereal tone at times.

And it seems like a lot of bands are gravitating toward synthesizer now. Why is that?

I think it’s a response to the saturation of garage and punk rock. Even at South by Southwest, there were so many garage bands that when someone switched up the instrumentation, it was physically refreshing to my ears.

And I guess people are also gravitating to synth because everything’s based in technology now. It’s the way people’s brains work. You have every instrument, every sound, at

“

I gravitate to that ’80s sound — because they were experimenting, too.”

Because it’s a collaboration of ideas instead of my own. And I could never play like those guys. They bring their soul and their experiences to the songs.

But we had no intention of starting a band at all.

I just liked how Mark worked in the studio, so I brought in a couple of songs and said, “Wanna produce these?” And we found we had a rapport. Our first handful of shows, it was just me on bass and singing; he was on guitar and synth and singing. Then Russell brought in these

really funky bass lines, so I switched to synth. And once Josh moved up, we loved his style so much, we were like, “This has to be!”

Is that the way it is now? Are lineups more fluid than they used to be?

Yeah. I do think there’s more overlap. We share a rehearsal space with four other bands and almost everyone crosses over in some way. I don’t know if it’s always the case, but if music’s your world, that’s how you hang out. It’s like, “Hey, let’s jam and drink some beers.” And if someone wants to jam with me, it makes me so happy. It’s like feeling validated.

Because if someone is spending time and energy to play with you, you have to be doing something right.

Exactly. That’s why I love this band so much. We all have such a role and a presence, but there are no egos — we all appreciate each other. I don’t care if we become famous — as long as they enjoy playing music with me, and the audience responds, I’m happy. But being with a band is like living within a moment; it’s bound to change.

— Leo Gibson milepost 61

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gosurf outthere gohunt YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE My mother used to pray for traffic. She would look west toward the Great Wall and mumble, “Cars once stretched from here to the horizon.” The Wall killed bridges — and brought shadow. Shadow brought darkness. And darkness guided our evolution.

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The Nocturnals now walk upright. They creep among us, using free hands to steal our food...and sometimes our loved ones. Critterology spreads with cult-like quickness replete with rituals and superstitions. There are no food trucks or markets. No boats or fish. The Walls stopped all. We live like vegetarian vultures, diving headlong into thorny cacti for a prized prickly pear. Peeling ancient roadkill off the pavement. We’ve pillaged every store of supplies. All are empty, except one.

Whoever this Wings Chieftain was, he amassed a mighty hoard — YOLO be praised!

We fashion cornhole boards into garden beds and post them atop columns of beach umbrellas — high enough in the sky to steal sun and grow food for our families. Hanging wetsuits soak up rainwater, which pours down through funnel bongs and flip-flop waterwheels to generate power. We use the energy to charge our iPhones so we can take selfies. (The only still thriving vestige of our former culture). The remaining drops collect in a neon-blue blow-up pool we fill with saltwater taffy. The water tastes of neoprene and peppermint.

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By night we hide. By day we scavenge. Between breeding hermit crabs and the feral cats out back, we occasionally scare up enough protein to cook over a fire made from preapproved credit card solicitations. The glow keeps most Nocturnals out. The rest, we kill with lawn darts and horseshoes. To think our tools of survival used to be symbols of fun.

Foraging in the woods recently, I found a clearing. Nocturnals and their followers left it littered with broken light bulbs. In the center stood a totem: raccoon on bottom, opossum in the middle, giant ghost crab on top. Claws open to the heavens. I blanketed it with Salt Life stickers for kindling, dressed it with fireworks then lit the fuse.

THE ORIGINAL Since the 60’s

Wings Chieftain was right: You only live once.

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Old Nags Head Cottage Row MP 13.5 Beach Rd. Nags Head 252-441-7349 milepost 63

A “mixing of waters” ceremony breathed life into Cape Hatteras National Seashore on April 24, 1958. Relive the moment — plus dozens of other National Park Service milestones — at the Outer Banks History Center gallery through Dec. 31, 2016. Photo: NPS

Sick of the future? Travel 100 years back in time with the Outer Banks History Center’s new exhibit: “Explore Your Outer Banks Parks: Celebrating a Century of the National Park Service.” This year-long show charts the evolution of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial via art, artifacts and images. Located inside Roanoke Island Festival Park, the OBHC Gallery is open daily, 9-5pm. Call 252-473-2655 for the latest. • Can’t wait for summer 2016 to start? Race down to Avon for May 30’s 5th Annual Shore Break 5k & Tide Pool Fun Run and spend Memorial Day raising funds for the Hatteras Island Youth Foundation — then kick up your heels with an after party at Koru Beach Klub. Learn more at www.hatterasyouth.com. • Or kick off those shoes and shag yourself skinny when the 3rd Annual Shallowbag Bay Music Festival returns to Roanoke Island Festival Park, May 30, where performers include Jim Quick and Coastline, The Tams, Steve Owens & Summertime and The Temptations Revue. Tix, rules and times at www.obxshag.com. • Work on that six-pack — and chug a few pints — with the Inaugural Outer Banks Craft Beer Week. From May 30-June 5, compete in a Brewathlon, take in a Beer Art Show or Craft Brewer Retreat, or sample any number of tap takeovers and craft beer dinners. Then stumble over to Soundside in Nags Head for June 5’s 2nd Annual OBX Brewfest, featuring a food truck rally, artisan market and an endless supply of snooty suds — plus live music by SOJA, Keller & the Keels, The Heard and our own Formula. 21+ only. Find a full list of events and tix at www.obxbeerfests.com. • Tying the knot? Join the Outer Banks Wedding Association’s preferred, professional vendors for one of many Summer Bridal Mixers happening every Wed., 4-6pm, at the following locations: Jennette’s Pier ( June 1, Aug. 10); Sanctuary Vineyard ( June 8); The Pavilion at Pirate’s Cove ( June 15); Rooster’s Southern Kitchen ( June 22); Basnight’s Lone Cedar ( June 29); Nags Head Golf Links ( July 6); Hilton Garden Inn ( July 13); The Shack Coffee Shop & Beer Garden ( July 20 & Aug. 3); Trio Wine, Beer & Cheese ( July 27); The Currituck Club (Aug. 10); Village Beach Club (Aug. 24); and Steamer’s (Aug. 31). Details at www.obxwa.com. • Runaway brides can train for the big day all summer long thanks to the OBX Running Company. Start with June 1’s National Running Day at the Southern Shores Marketplace. Then push through June 15’s Annual Sunrise 5k & Little Kids Crab Crawl, June 22’s Sunset 5k & Carolina Pig Pickin’ and June 30’s Run Swim Run 5k — all at Jennette’s Pier — followed by July 4’s Freedom 5k in Kill Devil Hills and July 20’s milepost

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Cultural Series presents

Christmas In July 5k in Corolla. Plus each week through Aug. sees a Lighthouse 5k in Corolla and a Village 5k in Nags Head. Get all the details and pricing at www. theobxrunningcompany.com. • Next, work out that liver, June 1-Sept. 14, as Whalehead Wednesday Wine Tastings pour endless tastes of local vintages, 3-7pm. $15 includes a souvenir wine glass; free for kids and non-drinkers. More at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Country music fans truck over to Festival Park, June 2, as Collin Raye headlines the First Annual OBX Island Opry series, followed by Emily West on July 7 and John Michael Montgomery on Aug. 4. Each night features four or more artists to feel like a real Nashville showcase. Doors open at 5pm; show at 6pm. Visit www.islandopry.com for tix and deets. • Better strap in. ’Cause the flyingest athletes on two feet are headed to Real Watersports’ 2016 Triple-S Invitational for eight days of daily kiteboarding competition and nightly parties, June 3-10. More of a hands-off wave rider? Come back July 16-17 and hang with legendary surfboard shaper Robert Weiner — or celebrate wahine season with July 22’s Roxy Beach Day. Full deets and a nightly music calendar at www.realwatersports.com. • On June 3, stand-up paddlers gear up for the BIC SUP One Design Series’ first stop at Manteo’s Kitty Hawk Kites. Keep circling through events at sister stores in Duck ( June 30, July 28 & Aug. 25) and Rodanthe ( July 14), before finishing back in Manteo on Sept. 2.

More at www.kittyhawk.com. • But wait! June 3 is First Friday! That means Downtown Manteo stays open with late shopping and local musicians. Plus Dare County Arts Council unveils a new exhibit each month from 6-8pm, like Amanda Outcalt’s metals ( June 3-28) or Carolyn R. Sleeper’s pottery ( July 1-30). DCAC also offers Weekly Art Parties for kids with Mari Beth La Rose, starting June 7. And on June 22 enjoy a Beginning Photography Workshop with Shirley Whitenack, 8am-3:30pm. Call 252-473-5558 or visit www.darearts.org for all the costs and colorful details. • Score! In honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial — and as part of the Every Kid in a Park Program — all 4th grade students get to visit the Wright Bros. Memorial at no charge through Aug. (Get full deets and a printable pass at www.everykidinapark. gov.) Furthermore, they also enjoy free admission to The Lost Colony with a paying adult, where the role of the play’s narrator will be depicted as a National Park Service Ranger. • Not in fourth grade, live locally and wanna see the Lost Colony for free? On June 3, 10 & 17, bring a valid, local ID and at least two non-perishable items for the food pantry to one of three Dare County Nights. Better yet, stop being cheap and pony up for the best — and longest running — outdoor symphonic drama, every Mon.-Sat, through Aug. 20. For tix and times — plus details on backstage tours, theatre camps for kids and weekly Children’s Shows Presented by Ace, every Tues. & Wed, June 14-Aug. 17 — go to www.thelostcolony.org. • Still searching for stage action? From now to Labor Day, join the OBX Mystery Dinner at KDH’s Comfort Inn North for a delicious four-course meal served by a cast of crazy characters in a hilarious “whodunit?” — A Deadly Reunion — written by local actor Tim Hass. $45.99. Call 252-305-2976 for tix and times. • It’s no mystery where you wanna be June 4, as the 41st Dare Day brings art booths, food trucks, festive tunes, and a full-on Kids Zone to the Manteo Waterfront. And come back every Sat., 8am-12pm, for the Manteo Farmers Market’s collection of fresh food and local goods. Get the latest at www.townofmanteo.com. • On June 4, bounce over to Downtown Books where Hatteras Islander Elvin Hooper will sign his books, Chicamacomico and Gull Island, 11am-2pm. On June 6, word nerd your way to Waverider’s in Nags Head for An Evening with Matthew Quick, where the best-selling author of The Silver Linings Playbook will discuss his latest work, Every Exquisite Thing. 6pm. More at www. duckscottage.com. • Watch college players knock homers when the Outer Banks Daredevils swings into their 2016 season, June 6. Get the full calendar of games and details at www.outerbanksdaredevils.com. • And the music scene keeps swinging all summer long.

In Corolla, Mike Dianna’s Grill Room rages every Wed. night with the 2016 Road to Mustang Series. June 8 kicks it off with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and special guests Fireside Collective (8pm; $10.) After that, all shows start at 10pm and are totally

Coming Summer 2016 The Roosevelt's Chair Series presents Philip Gerard In partnership with Downtown Books and the Dare County Arts Council Reading and Remarks Thursday, June 16, 2016 6pm Dare Council Arts Council Gallery, Manteo FREE!

Tim Oliver

"An Evening of Opera Arias" All Saints Episcopal Church Southern Shores Friday July 22 7:30pm Tickets $15

2016 Surf and Sounds Chamber Music Series

Tuesday, August 23 All Saints Episcopal Church, Southern Shores Wednesday, August 24 Town of Duck Amphitheater. Duck Thursday, August 24 To Be Determined Friday, August 26 Dare County Arts Council, Manteo NC FREE!

NC Watercolor Association Annual Convention

Plannig the Day - Linda Koffenberger

In cooperation with the Dare County Arts Council Dare Council Arts Council Gallery Manteo Sunday October 9, 2–4pm Gallery Show and reception

Tickets and more information at BryanCulturalSeries.org Our endowment managed by the

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endnotes free, including The Fritz ( June 15); Primate Fiasco ( June 22); Sean Olds and the Church proud by performing The Wall ( July 23) and O.G. punkers Agent Orange return Aug. 27. of the Eternal ( June 29); Major and the Monbacks ( July 6); American Babies ( July 13); Full sched at www.obbrewing.com. • Nags Head’s Kelly’s serves up regional acts like: Soul House Revival ( July 20); Roosterfoot (Aug. 3); Formula (Aug. 10); Josh Daniel-Mark Ballyhoo ( June 12); Corey Smith ( June 15); Wes Cook ( June 24-25); Luke Combs ( July Schimick Project (Aug. 17); and Mercy Creek (Aug. 24). Details and full music calendar at 15); Collie Buddz (Aug. 11); and Donavon Frankenreiter (Aug. 22). Prices and times at www.grillroomobx.com. • Wave Pizza’s Summer Nights will dish www. kellysrestaurant.com. • Avon’s Pangea Tavern lines up local live The Colington Yacht Club performs canvas hot slices and sizzling sounds from Mon.-Fri.: DJ Al Key and the Billy music every Fri. Plus Koru Beach Klub hosts Tues.’ Avon Luau and miracles every Wed. at 6pm.

Photo: Rob Nelson Clams trade alternating Mon. evenings, followed by The Wing Tips Wed.’s Teen Night, June 7-Aug. 16. And every Thurs. sees another with Sean Olds and Joe Mapp (Tues.), Birddog (Wed.), Bill Beard 7pm concert, such as: Departure ( June 16); Badfish ( June 23); & the Dome Tops (Thurs.), and the Yacht Dogs (Fri.). 6-9pm. More Southern Culture on the Skids ( June 30); On the Border ( July 7); at www.thewavepizza.com. • Out in Jarvisburg, the Cotton Gin hosts The Embers ( July 14); The Return ( July 21); Tuesday’s Gone ( July Acoustic Sunsets, every Thurs., 5:30-8:30pm, with picnic platters, 28); Band of Oz (Aug. 4); Changes in Latitude (Aug. 11); and The dinners and wine available from Thyme and Tide Cafe and Stranger (Aug. 18.). Plus, a special July 16 show by 40 ​Oz. to Sanctuary Vineyards. More at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Freedom. Times and tix at www.koruvillage.com. • The 4th Annual Kitty Hawk’s Trio unleashes the Yacht Dogs every Wed. and Three Rock the Cape is now a three-day affair that spans Hatteras Island.

Amigos every Fri., with Wilder Brothers and Chez Says rotating From June 8-9, participating galleries let people Experience Art by on Thurs. Plus look for invasions by Asheville’s Fireside Collective creating their own works, while the June 9 concert returns to Koru ( June 11) and Circus Mutt ( July 19, 26 & Aug. 2), and Chesapeake’s Beach Klub with the Cajun-Zydeco sounds of Unknown Tongues Paul Urban ( June 7 & 21, July 5, Aug 9 & 23). Tune into www. and The Midlantic’s progressive folk. $12 in advance; $18 at the obxtrio.com for updates (and weekly pint and wine nights). • KDH’s door. (Details and tix at www.rockthecapeobx.com.) And June 10 caps Bonzer Shack is shaking from now ’til Labor Day with the sounds of the official weekend festivities while kick-starting the summer’s Island BZ (Mon.); Dr. Tom (Tues.); Christian Benedi (Wed.); Chris Art Show Series. Join 20+ local Outer Banks artists at the RodantheBickford (Thurs.); Natalie Wolfe (Fri.); Mike DesRoches (Sat.); and Waves-Salvo Community Center, 10am-5pm, for fine art and The Wilders (Sun.). More at www.bonzershack.com. • Last Fair Deal pays tribute to The photos, surf art and sea glass — even live music and hula hoops — plus raffles that benefit Dead ( June 25) at Outer Banks Brewing Station, followed by two big reggae shows local causes like OBX SPCA and Hatteras Island Meals. And come back for more fun, July — New Kingston ( July 2) and The Movement ( July 16). Then DEJA does Pink Floyd 5, Sept. 2 and Oct. 10. Find updates on Facebook. • Let the Colington Yacht Club put wind

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in your sails with the 2016 Wednesday Night Series, where current members race out of the harbor at 6pm. Watch the action each week through Aug. 31. Or practice those bowline skills and beg a captain to hop aboard. More at www.colingtonyachtclub.com. • Brew & Arts brings twisted creative talent to the Outer Banks Brewing Station’s backyard every single Mon., June 6-Aug. 29. From 4-8pm, enjoy fine art, good tunes — and tasty craft beer — to help support the non-profit Children@Play Museum. And stick around, ’cause Mon. is also Local Appreciation Night, where an in-county driver’s license or pay stub means no cover charge for live music. Find details and a full music calendar at www.obbrewing.com. • Flying colors reign supreme when the Rogallo Kite Festival returns to Jockey’s Ridge, June 10-12. Learn to fly kites, make kites — or just watch ’em fly — all to honor Francis Rogallo, NASA scientist and inventor of the flexible wing design that powers everything from kiteboards to hang gliders. 10am-4pm. Full flapping deets at www.kittyhawk.com. • Get down and dirty with friends and family when Storm the Beach charges Jennette’s Pier, June 12. A series of courses force teams and individuals to crawl, carry and climb to conquer a full range of crazy obstacles. Register at www.stormthebeach.org. • Historic Corolla Park picks up the pace mid-June.

Starting June 14, Art in the Park takes over Whalehead every Tues. with a “Currituck themed” project for ages 8+. Joan’s Way Tours & Kids’ Day enthralls ages 6-12 with a guided iPod tour every Thurs., June 16-Sept. 8. The bags fly each Fri., June 17-Sept. 9, for the Currituck Cornhole Tournament, which crowns the top two winners each week for a shot at a seasonal grand prize. (For times, prices and registration, go to www. visitcurrituck.com or call 252-453-9040.) And don’t forget June 21-22’s 15th Annual Under The Oaks Art Festival, where regional talents return each summer to show off their masterpieces in a fully free setting. • How did 1850s residents enjoy summer? Did they play

putt-putt with pitchforks? Or race goat-powered go-karts? You’ll never know for sure until you visit Island Farm. Get a real peek at 19th century life on Roanoke Island, Tues.-Fri, 10am-4pm. $8. Ages 5 and under are free. More at www.theislandfarm.com. • Show the kids the Outer Banks’ OG entertainment with the Annual Fritz Boyden Memorial Youth Fishing Tournament on June 15. From 7am-12pm, Outer Banks Fishing Pier, Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head Pier, and Avalon Pier let ages 4-16 angle for free — then stokes ’em out with t-shirts and prizes. More at www.NCCBA.org. • What’s the opposite of youth fishing? Old folks bingo. Support both ends of the age spectrum by joining the Cape Hatteras Angler’s Club for bingo every Wed. night, where proceeds fund a minimum of $7,000 in scholarships annually for Cape Hatteras High School seniors. 7pm sharp. Details at www. capehatterasanglersclub.org. • Sit back and let trained pros perform when the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte brings Commedia Princess and the Pea to Festival Park’s Indoor Theatre, June 15-17. Come back June 29-July 1 when the Grey Seal Puppets do The Emperor’s New Clothes.

And Bright Star Touring Company presents Once Upon a Time Children’s Show from July 6- 8. All shows at 10:30am. For prices and deets go to www.roanokeisland.com or call 252-475-1500. • More of a film buff?

Head to Duck Town Green for Movies on the Sound where a new family flick hits the big outdoor screen, every Tues., June 14-Aug. 16. Movies are free, but any donations help support Children@Play. And Duck flexes free morning exercise June 14-Sept. 14, with Tues.’ Yoga on the Green and Wed.’s Dynamic Flow Fitness. Both start at 7:30pm. Visit www.townofduck.com for details on all summer events. • On June 16, head to Duck’s Cottage for a book signing with NC author Philip Gerard from 10am-12pm. Or meet him at the Dare County Art Council in Manteo at 6pm for the latest installment of the

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endnotes Street access at 6pm to nab some trash, grill some dogs, drink some beers — and God Roosevelt’s Chair Series, where he’ll discuss Dark of the Island, a locally set work that tackles offshore drilling. More at www.duckscottage.com and www.bryanculturalseries.com. • willing — ride some waves. Find ’em on Facebook for updates. • Swimmers love flat conditions. On June 26, head to Manteo for guaranteed action as OBX Swimming Club’s Stretch your legs — and then some — with Elizabethan Garden’s Yoga in the Gardens, Open Water Extravaganza turns Old Swimming Hole into a racing torrent. More at www. every Wed. am, June 17-Sep. 21. ($15 for non-members; $10 for members.) Then treat the obxswimclub.com. • Learn about local critters — or local kids to Minty Tuesdays’ tasty explorations ( June 21-Aug. 9; history — when the Roanoke Island Aquarium and The 2-3pm), Wet and Wild Wednesdays’ water slides and squirt Lost Colony split hosting duties for the Children’s toys ( June 22-Aug. 17; 2-3pm) or just a relaxing read with Interactive Theater at the Duck Amphitheater, every Storybook Thursdays ( June 23-Aug. 11; 10-11am). For Tues., June 21-Aug. 9, at 10am. And world-renowned pricing and details call 252-473-3234 or visit www. illusionist Clive Allen presents a Family Magic Show every elizabethangardens.org. • Don’t stop thinking about June 19 Wed., June 29-Aug 3 (9:30am & 11am) and Aug. 10 & 17 — that’s when Live at the Waterside presents World (9:30am). The tricks are free, but all attendees must secure Turning Band: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Come back tickets for each week’s performance from Kellogg’s Supply/ July 3, as the Lost Colony Concert Series brings in the The Cottage Shop. Get the complete deets at www.

Americana-infused, progressive sounds of Dawes to celebrate townofduck.com. • And Concert on the Green brings free 20 years of 99.1 The Sound; and on Aug. 7 it’s Who’s Bad: music to Duck Town Green every Thurs., June 23-Aug. 25.

The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience. Tix are $20From 6:30-8pm enjoy live acts like: Spare Change ( June 23); $25; VIP $40-45. Season pass to all three is $60. Call 252-473Mama’s Black Sheep ( June 30); Emily Minor ( July 7); Mike 2127 to purchase or visit www.thelostcolony.org. • It’s natural MickXer ( July 14); Birddog ( July 21); Locust Honey String thriller time when Full Moon Climbs return to Cape Celebrate your right to assemble — and to rock — a day early with Dawes at The Waterside Theatre on July 3. Photo: Claire Marie Vogel Band ( July 28); Soul House Revival (Aug. 4); Smooth Hatteras Lighthouse, June 20, July 19 & Aug. 18. Hear tales Hound Smith (Aug. 11); Josh Daniel (Aug. 18); and The of keepers of old, view the lantern room close-up and catch the 19-story, lunar view. Tix are $8. ($4 for folks aged 11 and under or 62+.) Buy yours three Wilders (Aug. 25). Coolers, picnics, pets, and children are welcome; chairs and blankets are encouraged. Visit www.townofduck.com for a complete calendar. • Want An Intimate days in advance at www.recreation.gov to ensure a spot. Height restrictions and other rules Evening with Rhonda Vincent? Well, you better be willing to pay $45 — and share the at www.nps.gov. • Pray for waves — or at least a ripple — when Outer Banks Surfrider experience with 224 other people — as the bluegrass star puts out for Roanoke Island celebrates International Surfing Day on June 20. Come out to Nags Head’s Bonnett

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INCLUDES: OIL AND FILTER* 23-POINT INSPECTION TIRE PRESSURE CHECK

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Oil change includes standard oil filter and up to 5 quarts of 5W30 conventional or synthetic-blend oil. Oil type is based on availability and may vary by location. Additional disposal and shop supply fees may apply. Special oils and filters are available at an additional cost. Coupon must be presented at time of estimate. Valid on most cars and light trucks at participating Meineke U.S. locations only. Not valid with any other offers, special order parts or warranty work. See center manager for complete details. No cash value. Void where prohibited. Limited time offer. OFFER ENDS SEPTEMBER 15, 2016.

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Festival Park’s indoor theater on July 1. Get some by calling 252-423-3039. • And the whole beach is gonna get some morning, afternoon and evening delight this Independence Day. Start at 9am when the Annual Town of Duck Fourth of July Parade does a 1-mile strut down local backstreets, then sashays over to Town Park to party down with live music

by Just Playn’ Dixieland, cold refreshments, and the awarding of parade trophies. (Get the full route and details at www.townofduck.com.) • That leaves plenty of time to hit the 4th of July Celebration in Historic Corolla Park, where food, fun and family activities start at 11am. At 5pm, the Pairadocs take the stage, followed by The Tidewater Drive Band and the US Air Force Band, and then a battalion of fireworks rocks the sky. Full sched at www.visitcurrituck. com. • Further south, slip into Kitty Hawk’s Art’s Place for some live music and libations in the backyard. Then post up near either Avalon Pier or Nags Head Pier for the night-time pyrotechnics. (Bonus tip: climb Jockey’s Ridge; you can see both the beach shows and Manteo go mental.) • Even better, rock on over to Roanoke Island Festival Park and get up close and personal with the Town of Manteo 4th of July Celebration, where a hat contest, decorated bike contest, apple pie contest and more set the stage for military precision songs by the 440th Army Band and a gangbuster Technicolor gunpowder performance come nightfall. Need info? Call 252-473-2133 or visit townofmanteo.com. • And the Hatteras Island “oohs and ahhs” go down beside Avon Pier, as Koru Beach Klub hosts an Independence Day Beach Bash with live fireworks — plus live music from Eli Thompson and Dale & The ZDubs, from 7-10pm. Concert tix available at www.koruvillage.com. • Blow your kids’ minds when Children’s Story Time comes to Duck Amphitheater every Thurs., July 7-Aug. 11, with local authors, Duck Fire, Police and Surf Rescue, and books provided by Duck’s Cottage and Island Bookstore. And all of July

sees the Where’s Waldo Scavenger Hunt hide your favorite red-striped character in dozens of independent businesses in Duck and Manteo. Find the most Waldos for a shot at winning prizes. More at www.duckscottage.com. • Come July 16-17, experience flight where flight began when the 38th Annual Wright Kite Festival soars over Wright Brothers National Monument. Large display kites, stunt kite lessons, and kite making. (Admission is $4 but festival participation is free.) More at www.kittyhawk.com. • Sophisticate your earholes on July 22 when the Bryan Cultural Series hosts European tenor, Tim Oliver, for An Afternoon of Opera Arias at All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores. $15. For tix and info visit www.bryanculturalseries. org. • Or glow-up your eyeballs at Waves Watersports Resort’s 2nd Annual Light Up the Night on July 26. Test-drive Nocqua neon watersports gear, SUPs, games, and toys — then lay out a blanket and watch Pirates of the Caribbean go big-screen. Blaze to www. kittyhawk.com for deets. • And keep on iridescing when Roanoke Island Aquarium celebrates National Moth Week with a free party on July 29 at 8:30pm. Participants will help collect moths on-site and learn the importance of these fuzzy, nocturnal pollinators. More at www.ncaquariums.com. • On July 30, flutter over to Manteo’s Downtown Waterfront for the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum’s 14th Annual Summer One-Design Regatta. Open to Optimist, Sunfish, 420, and Topaz class sailboats. Registration starts at 10am; $20 entry fee includes dinner and a t-shirt. Signal www.townofmanteo.com for more. • Or glide over to Kill Devil Hills for the Outer Banks Skim Jam. This longest-running and largest shorebreak throwdown gathers the best skimmers on the East Coast for high-flying action. Keep checking www.skimusa.org for location. • Give your arms a workout — and help push local high schoolers — when the 23rd Annual Outer Banks Surfrider 1-Mile Paddle Race runs

You Be the Judge.

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endnotes Coast for a free juried show. And all you have to do is show up Aug. 17-18., from 10-5pm, seven different categories from long to short — kayak to SUP — all to fund three college and gaze upon masterpieces in every medium. (They’ll even give you free parking and a scholarships. Sign-ups begin at 9am at KDH Bath House; first heat at 10am. $25. ($20 for shuttle bus at COA.) More at www.darearts.org or call 252-473-5558. • Guess who turns 429 members.) Board limits and finer details at www.surfrider.outerbanks.org. • Come Aug. 3-4, on Aug. 18? Virginia Dare. (Or she would be at least.) But all of Manteo still celebrates the head to Cape Hatteras Secondary School for two days of local creativity at the Hatteras first English child born in the New World. At the Elizabethan Gardens, cake and ice cream Island Arts & Craft Guild Summer Show. 10am-4pm. Totally free. Learn more on comes out at 1pm — admission and plants on sale all day long. Meanwhile, games and Facebook. • Or pop into Duck Town Hall, Aug. 3, for the opening reception of the laughter fill the grounds at Fort Raleigh — and real live babies play the leading little lady Women’s Photography Exhibit from 5-7pm. Miss it? No worries. The show hangs July during the evening’s Lost Colony performance. Details and audition dates at www.

30-Oct 27, Mon.-Fri, 9am-4pm. (Show up before July 28, you can still catch Gwen Taylor’s thelostcolony.org. • Stop worrying about infant actors and start hunting future surfers when Mixed Media Exhibit.) More at www.townofduck.com. • Say cheese! Then say wine! Then the Rip Curl GromSearch comes to Jennette’s Pier, Aug. 19-20. This annual series sifts out say beer! It’s Trio’s 5th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 4, with plenty of live tunes and the strongest talent from across the globe for an international shakedown next year. Learn intoxicating fermented prodcuts to make everyone smile. Fill up on details at www.obxtrio. more at www.ripcurl.com. • On Aug. 19, jet over to Wright Bros. National Memorial and com. • Eat fruit for fun, spit seeds for distance — and support local safety — when the celebrate National Aviation Day. Partnering with NASA, the First Flight Society and US Outer Banks Watermelon Festival returns to Nags Head’s Kitty Hawk Kites on Aug. 4 to help raise funds for the Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition. Eat enough Coast Guard, this event uses science and hands-on learning to connect the dots from the first powered glider to galactic exploration, instilling a sense of wonder for aviation history.

Vitamin C, and you can come back Aug. 10-11 and show off those scurvy-less legs at the More at www.nps. annual OBX Pirate gov. • Would-be Festival. For more astronauts and info visit www. astronomers alike kittyhawk.com. • will enjoy Aug. 25’s Aug. 5 means National Park another First Friday Service Founders in Manteo. See NC Day Celebration author Kristy at Ocracoke Day Woodson Harvey Use Area. From sign her new novel 8:30-10pm, come Lies & Other Acts out for the 2nd at Downtown Annual Starry Books from Starry Night, 6pm-8pm. Then where stargazing walk next door to and interpretation the Dare County encourages Arts Council for protecting and CANNery Row, a enhancing our mixed media/tin night sky. Show up exhibit by Julie early, you can Moye, Shirley Shake a leg, art lovers. On Aug. 17-18, 75+ creative geniuses from across the region converge on Downtown Manteo for the 35th Annual New World Festival of the spend the whole Ruff and Fay Davis Arts, promising fresh bodies of work in every medium. Photo: James Gary Richmond day bronzing Edwards that beneath your favorite star, too. Plus! In honor of the NPS’ Centennial enjoy free admission shines all month long. More at www.darearts.org. • Bolt back over to Kitty Hawk’s 4.5 beach access — aka The Black Pelican — for Aug. 5’s 15th Annual Sandbar 5k, where racers step to Wright Bros. Memorial from Aug. 25-28. More at www.nps.gov. • You got four chances at free fancy tunes when Bryan Cultural Series brings Surf and Sound Chamber Music to up fast to help the Outer Banks Relief Foundation — and top three finishers get all sorts Southern Shores’ All Saints Episcopal Church on Aug. 23, Town of Duck Amphitheater of goodies. $30; $35 after July 1. Register at www.outerbanksrelieffoundation.org. • Holy on Aug. 24 and Manteo’s Dare County Arts Council on Aug. 26. (Plus one more TBD moly! Guess who’s turning 100? St. Andrews-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. This church’s performance on Aug. 25.) Shows start at 7pm. Stay updated at bryanculturalseries.org. • history and impact spans whole generations, so expect the Aug. 5-7 celebration to be awe-inspiring. Learn more at www.saintandrewsobx.com. • What the hell is Slickstock? Well, Music may feed the soul, but it can’t fill a kid’s empty stomach.. On Aug. 28, come celebrate ten nourishing years — and 5300 fewer hungry children in Dare County — with Food for we know it’s five days of live music behind Real Watersports in Waves. We know former headliners have been pretty huge. And we know it runs Aug. 8-12. Otherwise, we’re clueless Thought’s First Annual Back to School Beach Party at Duck Woods Country Club.

From 5-9pm, have fun — and raise funds — with a DJ, shag dancing, a silent and live auction, so you’ll have to satisfy your curiosity at www.realwatersports.com. • Get toasted and talk and buffet. For tix and deets, dig into Facebook. • Guess who else is turning100? NC State roses when The Elizabethan Gardens hosts Highballs and Hydrangeas on Aug. 10. From Parks. On Aug. 30, join Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and park staff for a birthday celebration 6-9pm, this invitational cocktail reception gathers the Board of Governors to announce and a Save Our Sand Dunes Heritage Day, paying tribute to everyone who’s poured their annual awards and make special presentations. Tix and deets at www.elizabethangardens. org. • Hook your kids on a healthy addiction when the 3rd Annual Town of Manteo Youth heart into our highest dune. More at www.jockeysridgestatepark.com. • Wait! Dude!

Summer’s not done yet. Not till you’ve watched the WRV Outer Banks Pro, Aug. 30-Sept.

Fishing Tournament runs Aug. 13. Registration begins at 8am. Awards go to the biggest, smallest and most unusual fish for ages 3-6, 7-12, and 13-16. Bring your own gear; they bring 5, where a field of top pros from across the globe descend upon Jennette’s Pier to rip waves — and light up surrounding sandbars — raining spectators with hot surfing action, the bait. More at www.townofmanteo.com. • Stop stalling; start staring. For 35 years, cool vibes and ice cold Pacifico. Get your updates at www.waveridingvehicles.com.

Manteo’s New World Festival of the Arts has gathered 75+ artists from across the East

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