NextLens
Gene Meree': The Sea Dog of Folly Beach | NextLens
Episode 1 | 6m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Gene Meree is a legendary figure from Folly Beach, South Carolina.
Gene Meree is a legendary figure from Folly Beach, South Carolina. Learn about his love for kiteboarding and his deep respect for the waves.
NextLens is a local public television program presented by SCETV
NextLens
Gene Meree': The Sea Dog of Folly Beach | NextLens
Episode 1 | 6m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Gene Meree is a legendary figure from Folly Beach, South Carolina. Learn about his love for kiteboarding and his deep respect for the waves.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat instrumental music) - I saw a picture of a windsurfer and a Canadian club whiskey advertisement, and I said, "Okay, that's what I'm gonna do."
And I bought one sight unseen and taught myself from a little pamphlet.
Kiting came along and I liked the idea of kiting because I loved to jump the wind surfers.
The kiting just opened up a bigger range.
(upbeat instrumental music continues) It's like getting on a bicycle once you learn, but when you're learning, yes, it is very strenuous and it does work you out.
But once you learn, it's just the flow out there.
(upbeat music) I like clean waves without a lot of chop, and I like a steady wind because then you can set up for anything that you want to set up for and stay in control.
And I've learned that I need to stay in control or I will hurt myself.
The only place I've catered other than Folly Beach is Cape Paters.
I took myself to Cape Paters for my 65th birthday present for myself.
I only have so much money, but I really have everything I want here, and then Paters provides what else?
Excitement that I used to like to get back.
(upbeat music) In 2005, I went up north of Avon and did a down wind, or I put my seven up.
I was still leashing my first bidirectional board to my ankle.
We had 15 foot shore break.
That's what John told me now.
It was overhead, it was big.
I slid down the beach as soon as the wave broke and I cleared the shore break.
I stayed outside that day because the current was running so bad and it was big and I was by myself.
I came in at Aston Creek and I rode a back of a wave up onto the beach because that was the only way I was gonna get out that day.
That was a day that I got away with one, and if I dropped my kite, it'd been all over.
I used to be fearless.
I had my accident 10 years ago.
I became fearful that day.
It can be dangerous.
Even the best can get hurt.
Beware of gusty days, especially when you're doing radical things.
(upbeat music continues) We've known people that have been injured severely, paralyzed and have died in the sports, and that's something that touches me very closely.
I miss some people, and I know that we do live on the edge.
(upbeat music continues) I watched windsurfing develop with teak booms and no foot straps, no harness.
I've watched kiting start with the two line kites, and of course, we've watched the foils come in and we've seen the foils on wind surfers out here now.
We've seen them on the kite boards.
We've watched the foil surfing.
And where it's going, I don't know, but I'm enjoying watching.
(upbeat music continues) We have a very friendly community here, and we watch out for each other and help each other.
I love all my water pumps.
It's just a great community.
(upbeat music continues) The ocean is the draw.
When my mistress calls, I come running and the ocean is my mistress.
I get my serenity.
I used to say that's the closest I would get to God because it was in his creation and a lot of energy and power, and just to go out and flow in it and exist in it and come back with a smile on your face afterwards is why I've always pursued the things I did, and I, they were always number one in my life and I just want to keep fighting until that last sunrise.
(upbeat music continues)
NextLens is a local public television program presented by SCETV