Despite coastal storm, OBX Wind brings a global crowd to Hatteras Island

When a strong coastal storm hit Hatteras Island last week, most visitors spent their days checking tide charts, watching N.C. Highway 12 updates, and waiting for skies to clear. But on the soundfront in Avon, more than 160 windsurfers did exactly what windsurfers do when the weather turns wild — they rigged their sails, zipped up their wetsuits, and hit the water.

OBX Wind, the annual windsurfing festival hosted by Ocean Air Sports, returned for a week of light-wind races, slalom sprints, freestyle showdowns, demos, raffles, and social gatherings that stretched from Monday through Friday — a welcome dose of color and community during an otherwise challenging week for Hatteras Island.

“We had a tremendous event every day. Monday through Friday, we had stuff going on — races, raffles, a Halloween party, freestyle competition, awards — all day, every day,” said Ocean Air Sports owner and event organizer Brian Klauser. “Even with the storm, it didn’t put a damper on the event.”

The week opened Monday with long-distance racing — a 12-mile route that is completed twice — followed by Tuesday’s raffle at Ocean Air Sports, which packed the Avon shop shoulder-to-shoulder as rain poured outside.

Wednesday brought slalom racing in strong winds, while Thursday featured another long-distance challenge and a high-energy Halloween party complete with costumes, DJ, disco lights, and smoke machines. Friday wrapped up with a freestyle competition and an evening awards ceremony.

The only casualty of the weather was the event’s annual swap meet, typically held outside and featuring gear trading and socializing. “That was the one thing we didn’t do because it was either too windy or raining,” Said Klauser. “But nobody minded — everything else went off.”

More than 90% of participants traveled from out of town, with visitors flying and driving in from all corners of the U.S., as well as international attendees from Europe and Asia. Many return annually, drawn by the steady fall winds and the tight-knit windsurfing community that has taken root on Hatteras Island.

“We’ve had people come from California, the Northwest, Austria, the Netherlands, Thailand — and all over the U.S.,” said Klauser. “People who know how fun this is keep coming back.”

Though the storm didn’t stop the action, international travel advisories kept some regulars away — particularly from Canada, a region that typically accounts for roughly half of the fall windsurfing visitors.

“Normally, this time of year our business is about 50% Canadian, and a lot didn’t come because they were worried about border issues,” said Klauser. “Still, the turnout was great.”

OBX Wind has been running for roughly a decade, and was originally held in the spring before shifting to the fall to help extend the island’s shoulder tourism season.

The approach works: the event fills homes, restaurants, and shops during a quieter time of year, delivering an economic boost and energizing the waterfront with sails, cheers, and flurries of colorful motion.

“We do it in the fall now to extend our season by a week,” said Klauser. “When the event ends, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and unwind.”

Despite the days-long stormy weather, spirits stayed high — in fact, the conditions only underscored what makes OBX Wind distinctive.

“We plan this event knowing that there’s not going to be glorious conditions every day,” said Klauser. “And nobody minded the weather.”

By Saturday morning, sails were rolled up, racers rested sore arms, and a crowd of tired but happy competitors prepared to head to their far-flung homes until next year’s event.

And during a week when many Hatteras headlines focused on overwash, closures, and storm recovery, OBX Wind offered a vivid reminder of the island’s resilience — and of the salt-soaked joy that keeps visitors and locals coming back to the water, no matter the weather.

A list of this year’s winners and videos of the event can be found on the Ocean Air website.