Fecal Creek

I recently went to the southern Oregon coast with the inept kite crew to do an editorial feature for Kiteboarding Magazine. We failed to find any wind but the guys did find a stagnate ditch with brown stinky water and the remains of what was once a bridge. It's funny what one can get excited about when the wind isn't blowing.

Dylan Thompson- Mellon grab Fecal Creek Oregon.

Joby and Dylan

Local kiters Joby Cook and Dylan Thompson are out in Hatteras this week in the Triple S event. Definitely the super bowl of the kiteboarding world, the event pushes the progression of kiting further and further every year. 

Getting some feedback that the boys are representing the Gorge well- Joby has been pushing wakestyle movement since I've known him back in 2003. Dylan is a phenom who grew up in the Gorge as a young rat watching his dad windsurf and kite, spending every day all day at the sandbar.  It's no wonder he grew up to be such a powerful rider- Joby made sure if the kid was gonna ride he was going to do it right.

Interview with Pro Kiter Dylan Thompsan

Thompson does what he wants, when he wants. It would be easy to dismiss the kid sporting the steezy tall tee and mint New Era cap as just another punk, but the kid is legit. His style comes from the simple fact that he does things for himself and for no one else. That may sound selfish, but it really isn’t. It’s about a personal code that answers to his own inspiration. It doesn’t turn on and off at the request or demand of others. It’s about measuring himself and his actions to the essence of his being.

The first time I saw and shot Thompson was when I poached a late-afternoon photo session taking place at the Sandbar in 2003. I didn’t know it at the time, but the photographer was a guy named Stephen Whitesell. It was apparent why Thompson was the subject of his focus. Even to my untrained eyes, his style was unique. His kiting was ahead of the curve. Never satisfied with the current status of kiting, Thompson has looked toward the future, progressing the sport and inspiring others while crossing influences from snowboarding to skateboarding.

He carries himself on and off the water with a quiet presence. His voice is soft and his words are few, coming only after they are validated against the intrinsic judge within.

read the rest of the interview  here>>