Reef Runner Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Jockey's Ridge, is a large sand dune (tallest in the eastern US) on the east coast of North Carolina. The peaks are approximately 100 feet above sea level, getting you well above any wind obstructions, and it is usually wide open, offering an ample flying area. There is plenty of room for single, dual, & quad line fliers, and it is located right across the main highway, from a large kite store. The dunes actually consist of three peaks, and are an example of a Medano, shifting sand that lacks vegetation. No plants or animals make their home on the dunes, due to the harsh conditions there. During the summer months, when visitation is highest, visitors are encouraged to bring water with them. There is no fresh water available within the park, and dehydration can sneak up on you, with the warm & windy conditions, which tend to mask ones excessive loss of body moisture. The desert-like environment, can be quite harsh, with air temperatures reaching 110+ degrees, and sand temperatures soaring an additional 30 degrees. A pair of flops is a must, on those hot summer days. Hats & sunscreen are also advisable. Again, the environment can be extremely harsh, especially for the very young, and the elderly, so use caution, but do enjoy! You will never find a better place to fly, as long as you come prepared, so bring all your kites and enjoy the breath taking views, but do not forget the water !! Jockeys Ridge State Park (the sand dune), is located on the west side of the main beach road (US 158 Bypass - South Croatan Highway). There are public restrooms & water, along with a hang gliding school, located over at the Park Headquarters, on Carolista Drive, which is accessed from the main highway, at milepost 12. There are also public restrooms and restaurants, located in, and around the shopping center, directly across the main highway, from the dune, at milepost 12 1/2. There is also a park entrance, located directly across the highway from the shopping center, along with a pedestrian controlled crosswalk, to assist in getting across. Traffic is extremely heavy during the tourist season, and moving at 50 mph +, so use the crosswalk. Bear in mind, that these two areas, the Park Headquarters, and the shopping center, are located on different sides of the dune, and are approximately 1/2 - 3/4 miles apart. Once you are out on the dune, there are NO facilities, of any kind, so bring water if you plan on staying a while. Occasionally, the park rangers do circulate over the dunes, on a four-wheeler, bearing ice water for the visitors & guests, but you can not always count on them, coming by your location. Again, this can be a very HOT place, during the mid & late summer months, so please use caution and common sense. Did I mention, BRING WATER...... http://www.kitemap.org/site-details?id=77&sname=Jockey%27s+Ridge+State+Park 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Looks like a great place to fly, even if the conditions are harsh!! Didn't see it was on both forums!! Thought my reply was "lost in the mail"!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Don't forget to include the link to KiteMap. http://www.kitemap.org/site-details?id=77&sname=Jockey%27s+Ridge+State+Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
--Pete Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Nice write-up. Looks like you got it to kitmap.org and rev forum as well. Dunno if I'll ever get there (or if I could climb up if I did) but it sure looks nice. I spent a couple years near another huge dune (Sleeping Bear, in the NW corner of Michigan's lower peninsula -- the little finger of the Michigan mitten). Climbing the leeward face (45 degrees) was a challenge, even for a teenager. Some parts of the dune are 450' above the lake, but I don't think the leeward face is quite that high. Never thought about kite-flying there, but I wasn't a kite-flyer at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted April 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Don't forget to include the link to KiteMap. Done, done & done !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinjeepin Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I just have to bump this awesome place. Go during the Rogallo Kite Festival if you can. I think it's held twice a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I just have to bump this awesome place. Go during the Rogallo Kite Festival if you can. I think it's held twice a year. Again, great spot to fly............. The Rogallo Kite Festival is actually held only once a year, usually sometime around Memorial Day Weekend. This year (2015), it was actually held on the 5th, 6th & 7th of June. Next year (2016), it will be held on June 2nd, 3rd & 4th, so it sort of bounces around, from year to year, but always sometimes near Memorial Day. Then, there is the Wright Kite Festival, which will be held July 18th & 19th, this year. This event is held north of Jockey's Ridge, at the Wright Brothers National Memorial Park. Later in the season (Sept 12th & 13th), there is the Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition (OBSKC), which is held down south of Jockey's Ridge, near the Whalebone area. This event takes place at the "Outer Banks Event Site" (6800 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC), and this is where you go to show your stuff. The best place to keep up with all these events is on the Kitty Hawk Kites Calendar of events. Just Google it ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I just have to bump this awesome place. Go during the Rogallo Kite Festival if you can. I think it's held twice a year. In fact, assuming that your photo was taken this past June, we may have even passed each other, up on that great sand dune in the sky ! What a sight it was ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinjeepin Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I just have to bump this awesome place. Go during the Rogallo Kite Festival if you can. I think it's held twice a year. In fact, assuming that your photo was taken this past June, we may have even passed each other, up on that great sand dune in the sky ! What a sight it was ! Yup, here I was. Great place! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim P. Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Later in the season (Sept 12th & 13th), there is the Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition (OBSKC), which is held down south of Jockey's Ridge, near the Whalebone area. This event takes place at the "Outer Banks Event Site" (6800 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC), and this is where you go to show your stuff. The "Outer Banks Event Site" where many of the past kiting events such as the OBSKC and last year's AKA Convention is currently being turned into an outdoor concert venue I believe. I doubt they'll be having future kiting events there although I may be mistaken. Not sure where they'd move to, not everyone can make the trek up the dunes at Jockey's Ridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photomom Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 We drove past there this past May. There was quite a bit of construction going on. Looked like paving, curbing and street lights. Not amiable to kites that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted July 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Later in the season (Sept 12th & 13th), there is the Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition (OBSKC), which is held down south of Jockey's Ridge, near the Whalebone area. This event takes place at the "Outer Banks Event Site" (6800 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC), and this is where you go to show your stuff. The "Outer Banks Event Site" where many of the past kiting events such as the OBSKC and last year's AKA Convention is currently being turned into an outdoor concert venue I believe. I doubt they'll be having future kiting events there although I may be mistaken. Not sure where they'd move to, not everyone can make the trek up the dunes at Jockey's Ridge. Tim - I agree, but according to the Kitty Hawk Kites website (??), it's still scheduled for that location. I supposed everyone will have to practice up on "soft" landings......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 On Thursday, July 09, 2015 at 9:35 PM, jeepinjeepin said: I just have to bump this awesome place. Go during the Rogallo Kite Festival if you can. I think it's held twice a year. Great place to fly. The Rogallo is one of the events I try to make every year. I actually see me in your picture.. I also see a very special Rev stack that now belongs to @photomom. Jockey's Ridge deserves another bump as a great place to fly. This year's Rogallo festival Dates are Jun 10, 2017 - Jun 11, 2017 http://www.kittyhawk.com/event/rogallo-kite-festival/ As for the event site OBSKC was held there last year (2016) in conjunction with their Brewtag festival.. This year the events are separate and the OBSKC is moved back into Sept (Sep 8-10) http://www.kittyhawk.com/event/outer-banks-stunt-kite-competition/ Here's another pic from 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Pic from 2017.. Jockey's Ridge is a great place to fly.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted June 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Well, you have just about got that RIGHT !! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 6 minutes ago, Reef Runner said: Well, you have just about got that RIGHT !! 😎 just about??? Except for it's a bit of a tough climb and bathrooms aren't handy, it's pretty much ideal.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted June 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 Well, actually, you got it ! It just doesn't get much better..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted June 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 P b 4 u go up....🤢 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted June 20, 2017 Report Share Posted June 20, 2017 1 minute ago, Reef Runner said: P b 4 u go..... indeed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted August 19, 2017 Report Share Posted August 19, 2017 Looks like your prediction was correct. OBSKC 2017 has been moved to Jockey's Ridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LaMasters Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Sorry gang, as you get older, convenience becomes king,... Jockey's ridge is out of the question for me, I can barely stand the drive there, it is the very last place on earth I want to fly kites too I'm not dragging all my crap up and down that stinking' hill. I'm not peeing behind the sound tent anymore either. I don't even enjoy those howling winds! John Harris's business practices will eventually wear on you too, he has used up my patience and I can't support his operation monetarily, with labor of promotional content flying in front of the establishment, not even a single kind word on a public forum. Don't respond to this reading, we will not influence each other's opinions. We all have the right to our preferences. I would give up kites before flying there again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 Sorry you feel that way but I also very much understand WHY you feel that way. For the OBSKC, I every much preferred the other site or Wright Memorial.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted August 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 1 hour ago, riffclown said: Sorry you feel that way but I also very much understand WHY you feel that way. For the OBSKC, I every much preferred the other site or Wright Memorial.. That's quite a polite response there, "riff". Mine wasn't so kind, so much in fact, that after much thought, I have opted not to post it. I just don't see the point. Sad, sad, sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffclown Posted August 21, 2017 Report Share Posted August 21, 2017 I know Paul and I know Jockey's Ridge. I understand completely where he's coming from and on a least a few levels I agree with the assessment.. If you don't make the equipment truck up, it's quite a trek and even a light load starts to weigh you down.. Like many other things in travel, it's a great place to be, just not the most fun to get to. I've had my almost fainting moment there a few years ago.. It's like a desert in the middle of an oasis. It's still one of my favorite places to fly just not looking forward to the trek up and down the dunes. Only difference is I love the howling winds and my quiver shows it. That even all by itself makes it well worth it for me.. I still plan to go to OBSKC, but my personal kite load will be much MUCH smaller with the change in venue. For the event the other site is a much better fit. Sandspurs and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimdad67 Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 I have also flow at JR like the wind dislike the climb, but the view is great. I much prefer to fly at Fort Macon https://goo.gl/maps/p6ABBB2KKC42 Fort Macon State ParkMorehead, NCSent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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