Monday, February 4, 2008

New OBX blog

Aahhh....to live on the Outer Banks. I can't do it so I just do the next best thing...go when I can and stay in touch with those that live, work, and play there. There is a new blog to join the ranks of OBX Bill's web site. It's from Andy, who works at the Sailworld shop in Avon. Andy's site is awesome and really reflects a waterman's life at one of the best beaches in the world. And I love the name "Lost in Hatteras".

And OBX Bill has something really unique this week. If you're a fan of flying and airplanes, check this out.

The great thing about all these blogs from Andy, Bill, Peconic Puffin/Michael, Kevin Pritchard, my good friend Rob, etc (and they're growing like crazy)....is this....think about how you subscribe to magazines. With blogs, we're subscribing to people....and it's interactive. It's also close to real-time, compared with seeing words and pictures in a magazine that were created months ago before going to print. Don't get me wrong, windsurfing magazines are great too and I think still play an important role. However, blogging is such a great complement, fills the void between issues, and connects you with real people and their real experiences.

5 comments:

Andy said...

Hey Mac, glad you like the site! We'll see if I can keep it up when I go back to work in a month... Thanks for the promo!

BTW, I love print magazines, and always will!

See you on the water!

Bill said...

Hey Mac,

Yea I agree regarding the blogosphere as compared to print mags. Near real time content including photos, text, and video is hard to beat. The destination blogs especially have the effect of "putting you there" which is a whole different perspective as compared to print.

Print though will always be king though since there is something about seeing a photo or article in a magazine. I guess it may be the vetting process where usually only the "best" photos or edited content makes it to glossy paper, or perhaps its just simply seeing the image on paper as compared to onscreen. One cool thing though is the print mag's embrace of the blogs and their featuring of choice blogs such as GP's Maui Surf Report (Windsurfing Magazine) and the Peconic Puffin (Windsport Magazine).

Perhaps a future print mag article will be written about most of the windsurfing blogs out there with a chart listing them ranked by some criteria?!

Waterturtle said...

Hey guys....agreed on all points. I fully appreciate you guys sharing the OBX stoke. I'm 6 hours drive away from OBX, with lots of family/work commitments (but luckily close to a large lake to play on). So your blogs help "put me there" when I'm not there. Hopefully see you in April. Mac

PeconicPuffin said...

These guys who get to live in the Outer Banks do not need any additional appreciation or kudos. They are already living fantasy lives. Bill in particular is extremely annoying...he recently had to buy a CAP because the air is cool. This while I worry about slicing open the bottom of my board (again) hitting floating ice.

So as I see it, the criteria should be:

1. Lucky guys who get to live in the best places,
2. Us suffering bastards who either rarely get to windsurf or who endure extremes for a bit of wind,
3. windsurfing bloggers with RC camera planes (okay, Bill gets to be in two groups.)

I hope to get down to OBX this Spring (I said that last year but history indicates that I lied) and actually sail with these priviliged few. Mac, we should all go down together!

Waterturtle said...

Yes, we should! Windfest week....don't miss it. Windfest is April 17-19 but I'll be there probably day before and stay one day after....staying in soundfront house nearby in Frisco.