Nags Head, N.C. (April 22, 2016)
The 44th Annual Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding Spectacular will return to the dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park from May 13-16. Nearly 50 top-level competitors from all over the country will take part in this Outer Banks tradition.
Spectacular is the longest-running hang gliding competition in the world. It truly showcases what hang gliding is all about: fun, flying, good times, a little competition, and fellowship with life long friends.
The Competition
The weekend will include three days of dune competition where the pilots engage in a variety of skill competitions. Most notably pilots will navigate their gliders around obstacles before attempting to spot land in the center of various targets. Additional skill competitions showcase the artistry and expertise of these masterful pilots. This event is also FREE to spectators. Witnessing the dunes of Jockey’s Ridge lined with hang gliders as host to these exciting air games is really a sight to see.
Then on the fourth day of competition, pilots will head up to the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg, NC for the aerotowing portion of the event. The pilots and their gliders are towed thousands of feet into the sky. There they will engage in duration and spot landing competitions before returning safely to the ground. Flight times can be anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours, and sometimes longer.
The Celebration
In addition to the daytime competitions, Spectacular weekend will feature a FREE concert on Saturday night at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing Shopping Center. Moreover, local band, Frozen Head and the Squirrels will take the stage at the annual Woody Jones Memorial Street Dance. So we welcome attendees to bring a cooler and put on their boogie shoes to join in on the fun.
Kitty Hawk Kites would like to thank their sponsors for helping make this event possible. Mulligan’s Bar and Grill, Make it Personal Engraving, Dunkin Donuts, Wills Wing, The Cotton Gin, North Beach Sun, Milepost, Beach 104.1 and Dixie 105.7.
For more information about the Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding Spectacular, visit hangglidingspectacular.com.
About Kitty Hawk Kites
Founded in 1974 on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk Kites is the largest hang gliding school in the world. In addition to hang gliding, Kitty Hawk Kites offers more than 20 other outdoor activities. Those range from kayaking, paddleboarding, kiteboarding, paragliding, and parasailing to surf lessons, jet skis, sunset sails, dolphin tours, and wild horse tours. Truly the Outer Banks’ leader in adventure and recreation.
Kitty Hawk Kites’ retail operations have also experienced an upward trajectory from its original home in Nags Head. Expanding to over a dozen locations on the Outer Banks, as well as three stores on the Emerald Coast of Florida and locations in Beaufort, NC and Virginia Beach, VA. Finally, a growing e-commerce operation; a number of Life Is Good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes on the Outer Banks, New England, and Destin; a world-class Outer Banks watersports resort; a Flight Park in New Hampshire; and several Kitty Hawk Surf Company stores round out the company’s growing portfolio.
