The Outer Banks 2009 Official Travel Guide - (Page 54) OUTER BANKS SURFING THE OUTER BANKS Cape Hatteras is synonymous with big swells and the place on the East Coast to test your determination and finesse on the water. The unbridled nature of these barrier islands of North Carolina make the Outer Banks the perfect playground for surfers and those who love them. There’s no shortage of places to see and be seen when chasing wave action. Even those who don’t surf, and just want to watch will be in awe of the power of the sea and the skill of the people who harness it. Bring a board or a camera and come on! The same geologic and meteorological forces that shaped the dynamic barrier islands tens of thousands of years ago are still at work, twisting and torquing the shoreline. Bowing way out into the Atlantic Ocean as the Outer Banks do, waves can come from any number of directions with little reduction in energy. That means huge surf that looks like it was carved from glass can shape into a great weekend of surfing for you at short notice, and that’s why surfers from all across America race to the Outer Banks each season. Men and women from Miami to Toronto make the summer, fall, winter and spring migrations to local hotspots like the “S-Turns” on Highway 12 in Rodanthe, or Cape Hatteras and a few lesser known public accesses in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills where the carving can be just as sweet. Combine an offshore wind with doubleoverhead conditions, or glassy spitting barrels and you have all the makings of a magazine cover. The word is getting out. We’ve got contests big and small, some pro, some under-the-radar. Keep checking in with outerbanks.org for all the latest events this season. 54 http://www.outerbanks.org
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