"Such a large part of my own personal mantra is to do what truly makes you happy and to do what gives you that feeling of being free to be you."
We caught up with Larsen Christiansen, a lead hang gliding instructor at Kitty Hawk Kites, adventurer, sandboarder, and aviation enthusiast about doing what makes you happy and being a small (yet significant) part of what changes the world.
Q: For those Flyers who don't already know you, please introduce yourself!
A: My name is Larsen Christiansen, I was raised in Washington State but all my family was originally from the East Coast. I moved back to the Outer Banks during the pandemic and have been spending my summers here and winters in Colorado ever since. I love trying out new things and spending time hanging out with my friends.
Q: How long have you been working with Kitty Hawk Kites? What role do you play and what do you love most about your job?
A: I have been working for Kitty Hawk Kites as a hang gliding instructor for 4 years now. I have been a lead instructor now for 2 ½ years. As a lead instructor I am responsible for doing the ground school and preparing each class to fly on the dunes. The part I love most about my job is the teaching. Nothing beats the feeling of a struggling student finally getting it down and really enjoying whatever it may be that I'm trying to teach them.
Q: What is the significance of the Wright Brothers and flight in Kitty Hawk? And what does it mean to you?
A: I mean, it's everything. The Wright Brothers are credited with being the first to have powered flight. But before that, they had to practice and learn and they did tons of that on the very dunes I run up every day. It's really cool to have that feeling that I am a small part of something that changed the world.
Q: If you could have one aviation experience (if you could fly anywhere, in any way) that you haven't had yet, what would it be and where?
A: Well, I love hang gliding so that is still my choice for aircraft. But I want to go fly in front of the giant Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. My very first exposure to hang gliding was from the movie Rio, so it's always been a dream of mine to go fly there.
Q: Our personal mantra is: "Run Faster. Jump Higher. Fly Free.” What does it mean to you to Fly Free (as it relates to your personal life, professional life, or future dreams)?
A: It is a huge part of my life. Not just because I love to fly, but because Such a large part of my own personal mantra is to do what truly makes you happy and to do what gives you that feeling of being free to be you (whether it's sandboarding, hang gliding, etc.). When I am up in the sky, it truly feels like nothing in the world can touch me. All problems on the ground are immediately left behind when my feet leave the ground. I just sorta become a bird and forget about everything else other than FLY FLY FLY.
Follow the blog and our social channels over the next few weeks as we feature spotlights on a few instructors from Kitty Hawk Kites in the Outer Banks and discover what "Flying Free" and the spirit of flight mean to them.
