Southport Magazine

Our first thought when we heard that a kite shop was opening in our community was “Well, it’s about time!” Of course kites have been available in the local beach shops in a limited way, but it always struck us as odd that no one had opened a dedicated kite store. That all changed last year with the opening of Carolina Kite House in the Southport Commons shopping center. I was excited to visit when they opened and was expecting to be impressed by a bunch of colorful kites — and they are impressive — but what immediately caught my attention was a little balsa wood plane powered by a rubber band just like I used to trek to the local mall’s hobby store with my best friend to buy. Memories flooded back in the absolute best way. Carolina Kite shop is indeed a kite store, and they carry wind socks and flags as well, but it’s also well stocked with all the best sort of toys, the sort of toys that capture and nurture imagination and activity and getting outside in the sun and the breeze. It’s our newest local treasure and if you’ve not stopped in yet, you really should. 

We spoke to Jamie Sorber, who, along with his wife Jenny, owns and operates the Carolina Kite House. 

Can you describe what Carolina Kite House carries? It’s so much more than kites.

Absolutely!! You are correct. We have much more than just kites. In fact we carry many “wind powered” items to include windsocks, wind chimes, spinners, children’s toys, garden and house flags.

When did Carolina Kite House open? 

We opened our doors in November of 2023.

Can you tell us  a little about your backgrounds?  

Jenny and I have adventured our entire lives. We have visited the world with our children. We share six children who are now thriving as adults in three different states.  Once our children became adults we looked for something to fill our time. We took some sailing lessons and have enjoyed that ever since. We love the power of the wind. The wind has such power. When we think about kite flying, it brings beauty, fun, and entertainment. When we think of sailing it brings adventure, ability, and grace. We try to find the good in everything we are given. 

What moved you to open a kite shop? Have you been a kite enthusiast? 

When deciding how we could enhance an already amazing area of the country, we looked to our children. One of the toughest things to do as a parent of six is to be sure everyone knows where Mom and Dad are. When our children were young (our youngest Jake who also assists in the day-to-day operations of the store was just 6 months old) we had taken a beach vacation. Our older children tended to sway with the sea waves and find themselves looking for us on shore. In order to ensure they knew where we were on the beach, we bought a Jolly Roger kite and attached it to our chairs. Our children were instructed to stay in front of the Jolly Roger to make it easier for us to keep track of their location and vice versa. To this day we still fly that kite each time we are at the beach. It was a great memory that we hope others will have the same chance to make. 

Walking through your store brings me back to my childhood. How did you find all those little “throw back” toys?

Those toys are fun aren’t they? We looked long and hard to be sure we had a great selection! The juggling balls take me back to my time in school where an English teacher challenged us to purchase a book from the book fair the school was hosting. I found a book called “How to Juggle” that included juggling balls and accepted the challenge. Needless to say, the English teacher was not amused.

What is your favorite item you sell? 

Of course the kites are our personal favorite. It is such a wonderful way to spend time on the beach. Why not take advantage of the warm breeze and paint the sky with color! Jenny stresses that she loves flying the microkites as she just opens the package, takes out the kite and it basically flies on its own. 

What things have been the most popular?

It’s hard to say one particular item is more popular than another. Of course, in a kite store they are the number one seller. Diamond kites, Delta kites, stunt kites, character kites — you name it, they are all popular. Folks love to see the colors in the air!

What’s been the most surprising thing since you opened the store? 

The amount of support in the local community! It is amazing to see so many people gather and support local businesses in this area!

We live in a great place for kites. Any advice for novice kite flyers? 

I couldn’t agree with you more. With such access to the coastline we have miles of beach to fly kites. We welcome beginner flyers all the time. If you have ever wanted to fly a kite and thought it might be a lot…you’d be surprised how simple it really is to fly single line kites. It’s really more about selecting a kite that represents your personality and colorful you feel.

Any plans for the future? 

We are always planning for the future! Locally, we are looking for anyone interested in meeting as a group to fly kites. The group will be called the Cape Fear Kite Flyers and is just a way for kite flyers to connect with each other. The group will meet once or twice a month at some of our local beaches. No experience necessary and we are willing to provide instruction to any beginners. If anyone is interested they can contact us at the store or stop in and ask!