Kiteboarder who took wild ride has local ties

The most-famous battered and bruised kite-surfer in America is recovering from his wounds, and it appears he spent some of his life in Charleston.

Kevin Kearney, 28, now of Fort Lauderdale, drew instant fame this week when video of him flying about in Tropical Storm Fay's winds was aired on television and YouTube.

In the footage, Kearney, who was described in media reports as "just another random daredevil at the beach Monday," got a wild ride when Fay's gusting winds blew him across the beach, over a roadway and into a building.

The long-distance flight of more than 100 feet was just a few seconds in duration, and was captured by a TV news crew prepping for a live report on the storm.

Kearney was recovering in Broward General Medical Center where his condition was upgraded from critical to serious Wednesday, said Kathie Capstack, hospital spokeswoman. The extent of his injuries were unclear.

Media reports from Florida say Kearney grew up in Charleston and graduated from Penn State University. Repeated attempts to reach his family members, who were with him in the hospital, went unanswered.

Dan Floyd, who recently opened up the OliNah outdoor store on the Isle of Palms, said he knew of Kearney's kite-surfing skills from when he lived in South Florida for a time, and board-sport lovers would congregate at events.