Lou in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ returning from kiteboarding in Mexico
Louis Self was born in western Kansas 9 days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; grew up in Newton, Kansas; graduated from Newton High School with the Class of 1960; from what is now Central Christian College in McPherson, KS; from Bethel College in North Newton, KS and got his masters degree in Guidance and Counseling at Northern Arizona University where he met Rose Anne. They got married in 1971 and took up residence in Phoenix. In 1997, after 25 years of marriage, Rose Anne and Louis decided to amicably part company due to their widely divergent interests. Rose Anne is now enjoying quilting by a lake in the mountains and Lou... well you know what he's doing.
They are very proud of their children, Anne and Scott, now in their early forties. Anne, the wife of an Air Force cornal, is the mother of two fine daughters and has a degree in public relations. Scott is teaching high school, and getting his doctorate, having coached and helped with school administrative duties.
Louis has always been interested in wind sports, including aviation, a Hobie Cat (When they were in grade school, Scott and Anne were his crew),
windsurfing, kite flying and, of course, kiteboarding. In July, 2011 he was certified as a
As you can see on Trips, he travels about four months a year kiteboarding and doing stand up comedy. One of his favorite LOUisms is, "Retired life’s tough, but someone’s got to do it." Look at Smart Stuff and Van Life to see how he manages.
How did Louis become known as "Arizona Lou?" Student reviews at the end of a California ABK windsurfing clinic with which he was helping, said how great of an intructor "Lou" was – but no one knew if they were referring to Lou Blum or Lou Self. Since he was the only person from Arizona, the moniker Arizona Lou was created to avoid future confusion.
Lou kiteboarding from the Outer Banks, NC - 1:41 min.
Lou retired from the ring at 62 in Feb 2004 after two months of intensive training at Joe Diaz Top Level Boxing Gym, 20 S 9th Ave in Phoenix. The training included chopping wood (actually truck tires since there was no wood that needed to be chopped), shoveling sand, wrapping hands, special exercises, shadow boxing, heavy bag, dummy punching, speed bag and eventually sparring. Why boxing? For the experience - and it was both challenging and interesting. Lou still regularly uses a heavy bag to stay in condition.
This is his home in Phoenix, AZ
This Dig controller automates his irrigation valve, needs no battery because it operates from ambient solarlight.
INSTRUCTIONS
Lou managed his own rental for 28 years until he got smart (or lazy) and hired a manager. He sold the place 23 years later.
SPEED RECORDS for Arizona Lou's kiteboarding:
Twin tip: 34.0 mph (29.6 knots) on his 130 cm Lite Wave Stealth and 8m Cabrinha Switchblade-2 on on Pamlico Sound off the coast of North Carolina downwind from No Ache Island (low grass island on glassy smooth water, what we call a slick) Apr 26, 2010.
Strapless surfboard: 27.5 mph (23.9 knots) on his Naish Custom Fish 5’2” x 17.5” and 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 4 on on Pamlico Sound off the coast of North Carolina on the Real Kiteboarding Slick Jun 5, 2010.
Cable Park: 30.6 mph (26.6 knots) on his on 130 cm Lite Wave Stealth with a cable speed of 17.2 mph at the Mawi Cable Park, Guthrie, OK, on Jul 7,2010.
OTHER RECORDS for Arizona Lou
Longest day driving in recent history with 10 hours on the road for 575 miles from Wichita, KS to Edgewood, NM on Aug 4th, 2024
Lou has kiteboarded with people from every continent, and what a group! Hopefully you will be able to hook up with him on some of his travels. Just CONTACT him.
Lou is getting older. Here's Proof:
Ten Months Old
HS Senior 1960, age 18
Navajo Indian Reservation, age 26
Oct'08 First website photo, age 66
First Comedian photo, age 72
FaceApp: 75; Older; Younger; Female
Cataracts removed, age 79
What He Has Learned - I need to put special effort and energy to avoid the negative effects of:
too strong of an urge to get things finished, once started
avoiding anything that might not have a positive outcome.
Lou says When I'm dead and gone my body will continue to haunt the living at the foresenics Body Farm of the University of Tennessee. Naturally they will first remove any usable body parts. He believes, as a donor, it is neat that he will be able to continue having a positive impact, even after death.
Lou's Vision:
Make a positive impact on a maximum number of people, helping them to laugh and to reach their positive financial and personal goals.
Mission:
Relax and enjoy retired life, in pursuit of my vision.
Methodology:
Use humor, empathy, honesty and speaking ability to show off things I love such as kiteboarding, comedy and technology. Try to minimize but improve in things that I am not very good at, such as remembering, time frames, writing and house and yard work.
Lou says 
