Riding the mechanical shark at the kitty hawk Surf Company in Nags Head.

With all the neat toys, gadgets, and great things to do, sometimes it's easy to lose sight of how much fun it is to just walk into one of the Kitty Hawk Kites stores or Kitty Hawk Surf Company stores.

“We have a lot of everything,” Craig Purkiss, who's the manager of the kitty hawk Surf Company store at Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head was saying. “It's a very diverse group of brands we carry. North Face, Patagonia, Vans, Hurley. You'll find brands here you won't find anywhere else.”

The Nags Head Surf Company store is a really fun store to shop. Great clothing lines, an amazing selection of footwear, sunglasses in every price range . . . and then there's the shark. Think of it as a mechanical bull only a little more tame and a lot more fun to ride. Challenging, guaranteed to get kids smiling and a great photo op.

Of course, the Surf Company built its reputation on surfing, and the selection and expertise is certainly there at the store—especially with the newest way to ride the waves, or paddle the sound. “When it comes to SUPs we have the largest selection around of boards and accessories,” Craig says.