What We Did . . .
"It was absolutely amazing, but it was also very physically and mentally exhausting: 'Slear said of the journey. "When you're kiteboarding, you are doing so many things - watching out for other people in the water, watching the winds and the waves, trying to figure out your next tack. There's a lot of stuff constantly going on and it takes a toll."
Although kiteboarders or kitesurfers can now be seen flying off the coast on any Windy day, such longdistance trips are rare. Kiteboarders generally go out for a day when the wind and waves are right, and they stay within a mile or so of their point of departure.
The 100-mile trek (as the crow and kiteboarders fly), made possible by sunny skies, excellent waves and a 15-20 mph southerly winds, is the second longest downwind kiteboarding excursion, according to Adam Von Ins, owner of AIR Kiteboarding Center.
Ic's also the longest trip in North America in the sport's short history. Kiteboarding didn't take off until surfers and wakeboarders put a giant kite and a harness on their gear in the 1980s, and the result was a new mode of transportation and recreation that tops it all.
Who Is Dale Slear?
"It's just an incredible feeling of freedom:' said Slear. "There's no boat or anything pulling you or holding you up, just the wind. I fell in love with it the first time I tried it."
Slear had limited surfing experience while growing up in Socastee and preferred boating in the Intracoastal Waterway to swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. But after climbing on hi~ surfboard and strapping on the kite, he was literally hooked on the adrenaline rush. While learning the ropes can be difficult, the ability to fly and surf was worth the work.
After mastering the sport when he moved to Sullivan's Island, SIear began making several cross-harbor rides with his kiteboarding pals and dreamed about the homecoming trip. They got together a parry of eight, with Gretta Kruesi, Trey Sedalik, Noah Simon, Hunter Stunzi, Ryan Reichlyn, Yani Oiling and Whittaker Warrington joining S[ear on the ride.
Why We Kiteboarded 100 Miles
"We always talked about riding from Charleston to Myrtle Beach. I always thought it was idle talk, but it all came together and it was awesome," Slear said. "The view was incredible because you can jump and see the barrier islands. In a boat you're at eye-level with the beach, but in the air you can see the whole island, the marshes and the inlets.
" That was the purpose of the journey - to raise awareness about the natural beauty of the South Carolina coastline and the availability of wind-powered sports in the area, as well as to benefit the South Carolina Maritime Foundation. The fun was just a fortunate by-product.
For all the natural beauty they were able to take in while riding the wind and waves up the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline on the East Coast - Capers Island, Dewees Island, Cedar Island and Murphy Island - the most pristine may have come while they weren't riding. The group camped midway at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
"It was beautiful, but I guess we didn't realize how much water the boat would take on and all of our OUTDOOR SECTION 6uh i& wao,.. ky(J&~ff/~~~ aM-et I'vvevvtaf1;t &xJuzuM;iMjJ/' gear and sleeping bags got soaked," Slear said. "We were tired, wet and hungry, but we started a fire, and cooked some chicken and burgers and drank a few beers and it was great. I guess we're stupid athletes because we stayed up until about 2 a.m
A Few Memorable Kite Surfari Moments
"The group got an early wakeup call when someone spotted a sizable gator curiously crawling up to the camp at the break of dawn. But the group was quickly back in the water and the air and didn't see so much as a shark the rest of the way to Myrtle Beach.
Slear did get one surprise visitor, father and photographer Michael Slear, who boarded a Cessna aircraft and took some aerial photos of the group during the final homestretch. In fact, they were so tired after the trip that they skipped a planned dinner at Damon's.
"We were so wiped out, but it was worth it," Slear said. "We were already talking about doing it again and maybe even making it longer. .. I'll train harder next time.
" The group hopes to organize another excursion in the near future and encourages those who want to join in on the fun to check out th.eir Web sites, catchsomeair.us and daleslear.com. One word of warning for those considering making the trip - unlike the usual route on Highway 17, there are no pit stops, pull-offs or U-turns, just the wind, waves and fun. ~GS
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