Earl Slick, who in 1972 purchased nearly 3,000 acres spanning from the ocean to the sound, didn’t want Currituck Banks to be swamped by development.
profile
Earl Slick: Airline founder, Banks developer, outdoorsman
The president of Slick Airways and son of a successful Oklahoma oil wildcatter purchased a longstanding Outer Banks hunt club in 1972, a decision that would have lasting effects here.
In ’76, oilman Walter Davis made a bet on the Outer Banks
He grew up on a soybean farm near Elizabeth City and his billion-dollar empire included for a time Southern Shores in Dare County, a different sort of asset that paid off.
Designer Lilias J. Morrison: Homes should ‘blend into land’
Reared in Northwest England, surrounded by botanical gardens and history, the unlikely developer says she “became a builder because local builders wouldn’t do anything except beach boxes.”
For Dave Rohde, a passion for fishing was also a lifesaver
Well-known surfboard shaper Dave Rohde of Kitty Hawk is also renowned as an expert fisherman and guide, and he credits fishing for saving him from self-destruction.
Tim Still’s no beach bum; his brand of lures is catching on
The Havelock resident, former college and pro baseball player and newspaper sports writer has turned his love of fishing into a growing enterprise.
A future tied to tourism: Stick presses for national park
Fourth in a special series: Frank Stick’s Outer Banks development dreams having been largely dashed by the Great Depression and a hurricane, the conservationist landowner launched his calculated campaign to establish a seashore attraction.
Uncovering the improbable tale of multifaceted Frank Stick
New series: Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gil Gaul dives into newspaper clippings, archives and other sources to reveal the complex story of the New Jersey artist, outdoorsman, developer and speculator who filled miles of Outer Banks beaches with hundreds of houses.
Outrigger club completes second leg of coastal NC trek
Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club paddlers recently completed a three-day, 125-mile journey from Swansboro to Cape Hatteras in a traditional oceangoing Polynesian canoe to raise awareness of risks to water quality.
Tonya Sanders’ love of fishing leads to online support group
The Wilmington native’s Facebook group, Female Fishing Fanatics, is open to all anglers, but is specifically a safe haven for women to be able to post their catches without fear of online harassment.
Petrels ‘little superheroes’ to researcher Kate Sutherland
UNCW researcher and Hatteras Island resident Kate Sutherland studies the chemical isotopes of the feathers from black-capped petrels, a difficult-to-study, endangered pelagic birds species.
Crafty fly fisher Kristi Irvin finds joy in tying one on
The Kitty Hawk resident is no stereotypical fly fisher, but she may have learned a thing or two from some who were.
Professional know-how a fisheries biologist’s fishing secret
A quarter-century career as a state fisheries biologist may give Chris Batsavage an edge on the water, but his personal database may be his most powerful advantage.
Manager says Corolla horses look ‘marshy’ for good reason
Meg Puckett, who manages the herd for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, knows well the challenges and the horses themselves, but she says the work never gets old.
Havelock PE teacher finds fishing offers lifelong learning
Havelock High School teacher and soccer coach Josh Helms has been honing his angling skills since childhood, most recently exploring the art of fly fishing, and says an open mind is vital.
Mariko Polk celebrates doctorate, new career with Sea Grant
The coastal processes specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant recently completed her studies and stepped into the job long held by Spencer Rogers, who retired last year.