Kitty Hawk Kites Information:

• Information Requests

• Catalog Download

• History

• Press Releases

• Staff

• Stores

• Employment, Housing, & Transportation

• Newsletters

• Contact Us

• Waiver Requests

• Commercials

Doug Banjak

I grew up as an only child to two parents determined to teach me about the wonders of mother nature. Now, as an adult, I can't thank them enough.   By age 2, I had tagged along on my first canoeing and backpacking trips which were only the first of many more to come. On our frequent family vacations we would spend time exploring state parks, national forests, and scenic rivers all over Pennsylvania and the northeastern US. As a young teenager I had the unique opportunity to travel the country exploring most of our nations national parks, many canadian parks, and the awe inspiring wilderness of Alaska. My favorite trips of my youth were the week long paddling trips to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, Algonquin, Temagami, and the Missinabi River in Canada. The longer I stay in such beautiful remote places, the less I ever want to come back.

I was 14 when I first started kayaking. My parents had a couple of old beat up fiberglass whitewater kayaks that they had bought back in the early 70s. I quickly fell in love with them. Kayaking allows you to be one with the water more so than any other experience I have ever had. The thing I love most about kayaking is that you can do it on any body of water in the world. Whether you prefer creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, bays, or even open ocean, a kayak can take you to places that most people only get to dream about.  

When it came time to head off to college, I saw it as another opportunity to learn more about our mother earth. I spent 5 and a half years studying geoscience in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania. After college I headed south to warmer weather, so I could be outdoors more of the year. I enjoyed the challenge of applying the geoscience principles I learned in college to a coastal environment that I was very unfamiliar with. I also spent considerable time learning the local plants and wildlife as well as the rich local history of the Outer Banks.   After 6 years living on the Outer Banks, I spend most of my free time surf kayaking, kayak fishing, or exploring our amazing coastlines with anyone who will go with me. I have have introduced lots of people to the joys of kayaking on our local tours, and helped many more people find the right kayak for their needs. I love to talk about kayaking or anything else related to the outer banks, so feel free to stop in and ask for 'Kayak Doug'.