Since English settlers first laid eyes on Roanoke Island more than 400 years ago, the rugged beauty of the Outer Banks of North Carolina continues to entice visitors. With 130 miles of unspoiled miles of shifting sand and undulating dunes dotted with whispering sea oats, the Outer Banks represents the ultimate playground for outdoor sporting enthusiasts.

The area’s remote national wildlife refuges, sheltered seashores and protected maritime forests afford both peaceful retreats and awesome adventures.

Hang Gliding

Windsurfing programs at Kitty Hawk Sports range from beginning to advanced.

Prospective aviators can fly near the same location where the Wright Brothers took their historic flight in 1903. To date, more than 260,000 students have learned to hang glide at Kitty Hawk Kites, the world’s largest hang-gliding school.

After sitting through a ground-school class, students trek over to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the tallest natural sand dune on the East Coast.

After some additional instruction, it’s launch time. With a constant breeze at their backs and the sounds of the waves in their ears, students run into the wind. Once their feet no longer touch the ground, they soar over the rolling sand dunes until they glide down and come to rest on the soft, forgiving sand.

Thanks to tandem aero-towing, there are no physical restrictions other than weight limits for anyone who wants to touch the sky and fly.

Water Sports

Since 1981, Kitty Hawk Sports has been offering a range of water sports, including windsurfing and kayaking programs for beginning to advanced adventure enthusiasts. Kayak nature tours take visitors on two-hour, four-hour, all-day or overnight excursions to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Kitty Hawk Maritime Forest.

As kayakers glide through the salt marshes, sounds, tidal creeks and ocean, they have the opportunity to spot a diverse range of marine and animal life, including ospreys, deer and dolphins. Carolina Outdoors, a division of Kitty Hawk Kites, also offers kayak rentals and eco-tours, as well as sport-wall climbing, parasailing, surfing, wave-runner rentals and tours, and jet-boat dolphin tours. Other active water sports available through area outfitters include jet skiing, canoeing, diving, sailing and recreational boating.