by Vali Puscasu

So who are you Mr. Fuller? ( If you can introduce yourself..name, profession, age…etc)

My name is Warren E. Fuller (63) and I’m retired from the National Security Agency (1996), professionalized as a Computer Scientist. Before that, I was a Captain in the US Army as a helicopter and fixed wing aviator.  I served two tours in Viet Nam, one as a helicopter pilot and the other as a fixed wing pilot.  I met my wife Janie while working at NSA, we were married in 1978. I have a son and daughter from a previous marriage and Janie has two sons from a previous marriage. Our pet is Eugene “Idaho” Fuller

Have you always been in to adrenalin driven sports? What was  your first sport?

No, I was always in to “ball” sports; baseball, football, tennis and golf. Then in 1980, Janie had me buy her a windsurfer as her Mother’s Day present. I learned to windsurf at her mother’s place on Bodkin Creek, just off the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and then taught her how to windsurf. We windsurfed every chance we had until 2000.  That’s when I saw three guys from Hatteras put on a show at New Road, Trip Forman, Ty Luckette, and I think the third kiter was named JC Turner. They were flying F-One ram air foils and directional boards. The air they were getting was mesmerizing and they were doing 720 spins as well. After watching for 30 minutes or so, I decided right then that I was going to Hatteras to learn this sport. Bob Singer, of East of Maui, made arrangements with Trip to have Mike Littlejohn and I to come down and take lessons the following week. Dave Loop, of H2Air, was the Naish rep and he wanted Mike and I to get a lesson from him as well. We spent a couple of hours with Dave, learning how to rig the kite and fly it. I remember watching Mike with the kite and thinking “wow, he’s never going learn to fly this” …. now look at him.

Three years ago I found out that you were also a military pilot. You also went twice in Vietnam. Why did you choose this career?

I’ve always wanted to fly and when US troops in Viet Nam were building up, I joined the Delaware National Guard in 1963 so that I wouldn’t have to go right away.  I volunteered for the US Army Warrant Officer School but was told that they were only taking Commissioned Officers from the National Guards, so I went to Officer Candidate School and got my Commission in 1966.  I then volunteered for active duty so as to get into flight school. I graduated from Rotary Wing Flight School in 1968 and was immediately given orders for Viet Nam.  I was assigned to Division Artillery in Chu Lai and flew 674 combat hours.  My next tour in Viet Nam was in 1971 flying fixed wing turbo-props for Military Intelligence, doing Airborne Direction Finding.  I flew 820 combat hours in Phu Bai and Da Nang which was also in I Corp.

How and when did you get into kiteboarding? Why  retire to Dewey, instead of  Florida?

We retired to Dewey Beach, DE in 1998, right after Janie retired from NSA.  We chose Delaware because of tax implications and to be near the ocean, for our windsurfing passion.  Also, our families are all within 2 hours of each other. St. Augustine, FL is always a possibility.  We’re spending January, February and March there this coming year.

Janie is your life partner but also your kiteboarding partner. How did you guys meet? Who was the first one into this sport?

Janie and I became friends first and lovers second, so it was natural for us to take up sports that we could do together and windsurfing and kiteboarding proved to be our passion sports.  Now that “windsurfing has been cancelled”, that leaves kiteboarding for us to enjoy together.

In the last year there is a big migration from freestyle and big air towards wave riding. What do you think is behind this movement? Is it a fashion or more than that?

I think the overall allure to kiteboarding/kitesurfing is to be able to ride waves.  We saw it in windsurfing as well. Getting jumps off of a wave face is much more exhilarating than launching off of flat water and challenging the ocean surf on long downwinders is where it’s at.

Describe a perfect kiteboarding day for you.

Funny that you should ask, because I had 6 of 7 days in Hatteras, NC this past September that I would describe as “perfect”. I’d drive 3 miles north of Rodanthe at 8:00 a.m., park my van next to Hightway 12, walk across the sand dunes and rig up on the ocean side. I’d then do a downwinder to the take out by the Salvo Camp Ground (24).  I’d play in the waves all the way down and really “milk” it for as long as I could.  Janie, who likes to sleep in…..did I mention that she likes to sleep in???, would get a ride from someone in the house we were sharing with 30 other people and go pick up my van and then drive to the Salvo Camp Ground and pick me up.  We’d then come back to the house for lunch.  After which, I’d rig up a kite for both Janie and I and we’d kite all afternoon in the sound, right up to sunset. A meatball sub from Leonard’s would top off the day right after we got out of the hot tub.  We’d end the day with a card game of 99, or the board game of Sequence, or a game of Corn Hole outside in the cove ed driveway.

Now pimiping time. What gear do you use and why?

I’ve used ram air kites and inflatables  to include Fone, Wipika, North, Cabrinha and SlingShot.  By far, the best kite I have ever used is the SS T2. It’s a true “bow” kite and does everything I could ask of a kite.  It has excellent relaunching abilities, very good pop off of the water, excellent depower, excellent construction and the bar setup is perfect…..with a few of my own modifications.

What would like to see more in our local kiteboarding scene? What do you like, what you don’t like?

I have to say that I’m about 99% happy with the way things are now.  My only real gripe is that the fisherman get to drive and park on the ocean beaches and pretty much sit and drink.  I think surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers should be allowed to purchase beach tags and use the water as they see fit, without having to “plant” a fishing pole in the sand and pretend to be fishing.  If someone hits me with one of those sinkers on purpose,……someone’s going to die!!!