We caught up with Skylar Grindstaff, hang gliding pilot at Kitty Hawk Kites, cat mom, sandboarder, and self-proclaimed free spirit to learn more about what it means to Fly Free and how she finds community and adventure in her favorite sport.
"Flying free means that I have the ability to choose. I can choose my path, but I can also choose to change that path."
Q: For those Flyers who don't already know you, please introduce yourself!
A: I'm Skylar Grindstaff! I'm a hang gliding instructor on the dunes in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Q: For our Flyers who haven't ever heard of Kitty Hawk Kites or hang gliding, can you tell us a little bit more about it?
A: Hang gliding began developing during the 1810s and has gone through many changes over the years, from the Wright Brothers taking their first flight in 1903 to Francis Rogallo pioneering the flexible wing in 1948. It didn't really start gaining traction until the 1960s, when pilots truly started to test the bounds of flight. Today, hang gliding is a tried and true method of the purest form of flight that has inspired a community of risk takers and adrenaline seekers to come together to celebrate generations of free thinkers that made their day dreams a reality. Kitty Hawk Kites is where people come to experience the immersiveness of flight through the lessons we teach.
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: This is my second year teaching on the dunes. As instructor, we get to the school in the morning and set up the gliders and the course where we're going to be flying that day. After everything is ready, we wait for the students to arrive, go over the controls a few more times, and get right into flying. My favorite part of teaching is the moment when it actually starts to click for the students. I love seeing their "lightbulb" moments.
Q: Tell us about the community/comraderier around hang gliding within your sphere?
A: Everyone in the hang gliding community is my best friend. The amount of support and acceptance that comes from every person I've met through hang gliding is truly overwhelming.
Q: How did you first get into hang gliding (how many years ago, what inspired you, where did you do it) and what did it feel like?
A: I actually had never seen a hang glider in real life before I came to the Outer Banks for this job. I took a lesson before I started, and immediately became infatuated with the sport.
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: I would love to fly at the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, Brazil.
Q: What's one extreme sport you've never tried that's next on your list?
A: Cage diving would be such a thrill!
Q: What is the significance of the Wright Brothers and flight in Kitty Hawk? And what does it mean to you?
A: The Wright Brothers took their first flight off the dunes in Jockey's Ridge. To, me Jockey's is the birth place of modern day aviation.
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: Flying free means that I have the ability to choose. I can choose my path, but I can also choose to change that path.
Q: What's one essential (or a few) that you have to have with you at all times when you're on the dunes?
A: I always keep my fanny pack with a few essentials, a ridiculously large water bottle that I will inevitably finish, and a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes.
Q: When or how did you first hear about P.F. Flyers?
A: The Sandlot!
Q: What is your favorite P.F. Flyers sneaker (style/color) in the newest Center Hi lineup–Center Hi Clay, Center Hi Sea Salt/Black, or Center Hi Black/Gum, and why?
A: The clay-colored Flyers with the white soles are so sick.
Q: Where can we follow you on social and stay connected?
A: On instagram @skylar.grindstaff.
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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.
