Well in advance of the White Air extreme sports festival, which takes place on the Isle of Wight over August Bank Holiday, Chris Higham, a fully paid up member of the Couch Potatoes Society, was persuaded to ‘have a go’ at a range of adrenaline-filled extreme sports on a beginner’s weekend – and lived to tell the tale.

An alarming ‘have a go’ mentality is sweeping the UK.  Non-sporty types the length and breadth of the land are donning helmets and protective kit and trying out a death-defying range of sports. Many of them make for the Isle of Wight, the ideal location, apparently, for complete novices to try water and land based adventure sports - and that’s where I found myself a nervous participant in surfing, sea kayaking, mountain boarding and power boating on a beginner’s weekend.

In August, international athletes will head over to the Isle of Wight for White Air, Europe’s leading extreme sports festival, and compete in a clutch of international championships – this year including the World Windsurfing Grand Prix Formula Racing Championships. To complement this, the White Air offers spectators the opportunity to ‘have a go’ themselves and complete novices will be able to try a wide range of adventure sports – including the new craze Parkour, in which the objective is to get from A to B in the shortest possible time, even if it means running up walls and over roofs.  Hmmm. 

Our weekend, arranged by White Air sponsor Wightlink, was designed to provide a foretaste of what would be on offer at the festival.  It all started well with drinks and canapés at the oh-so chic boutique Wellington Hotel, our Ventnor base for the weekend’s roller coaster ride. Newly opened over the past year, the Wellington, a symphony in designer white and cream, has the best views in Ventnor from its extensive wooden decked drinks terrace.

Over a glass or two of chilled white wine, our group discussed the weekend schedule.  It soon became clear who would be the serious contenders for sporting success and who the ‘Eric the Eel’ of the team.  Who can forget his heroic last-by-a-mile place in the Sydney Olympics.       

Next day we set out for nearby Shanklin and Wight Water Adventure Sports, where a seriously fit posse of young instructors nursed us through the challenging task of climbing into wetsuits and

making it down to the sea without falling over.  The conditions were calm so we started out with sea-kayaking and a series of ‘know your boat’ games involving standing up, kneeling and attempting (unsuccessfully) to kiss the kayak’s nose whilst sitting at its front.  With the last test, disaster struck and, wetsuit notwithstanding, the waters of Wight proved rather cooler than expected!

Kayaking is energetic and the progress slow – but at least it is steady. With the wind gathering force, we moved on to surfing.

On dry land we learnt how to paddle and jump up from lying to standing on our boards.  Then we took to the water for team paddling races.  At first the girls won but as we progressed to running along surfboards lined up in the water and held steady by our instructors, accompanied by big cheers for the most spectacular dive off at the end, it was the men who triumphed.  By now there were small waves and it was time to have a go for real.

The sense of achievement in managing to stand up for a few seconds and catch a wave before falling headfirst into the water may be a tad sad to the onlooker but it was mighty exciting for us trainee surfers.  To my astonishment, I was beginning to get hooked.

That was just as well as we were about to move on to a real adrenaline-thrill in the form of riding the world-record smashing Sunseeker XS power boat.  Powered by two enormous 440 bhp engines which sounded like a fleet of Ferraris revving up, the Sunseeker XS provides just about the most exhilarating ride experience of a lifetime.  Hitting speeds of 50 knots and waves 20 feet high, the Sunseeker moved at such a ridiculously fast pace that passing boats on a round trip to the Needles were a mere blur.

Even hairier was the Thundercat experience, a daredevil ride in a small, incredibly fast dinghy that sits frighteningly close to the water. In this sport, one person pilots the inflatable whilst the other, kitted out in a motorbike helmet and ski goggles, holds on for dear life.  In one short journey I learnt to assist the pilot by adjusting my body position to maximise speed and to lean out of the boat when cornering at high speed.  I also remembered the art of praying.

Our last extreme sport was back on dry land – at the top of Arreton Down, one of the Island’s highest spots, with great views across the Island.  We’d come to learn mountain boarding, a new craze that’s like a cross between skateboarding and snowboarding, neither of which I had tried before.  The board resembles a big skateboard with pressurised all terrain tyres and the idea is to roll down the hill on it, turning smoothly and stopping when you choose.  That’s easier said than done and, after finding myself spread-eagled in a clump of grass on several occasions,  I was grateful for the padding provided by the knee and elbow pads, wrist guards and, of course, the all important helmet. 

As with all the sports I tried, there’s a fast learning curve to mountain boarding, but with practise comes a great sense of achievement – a feeling shared by everyone who took part in the beginner’s weekend.

On the Wightlink ferry ride back to the mainland, we reviewed our accomplishments, congratulated each other on our successes and planned our next outing.        

EXTREME TRAVEL FACTS

Chris Higham travelled to the Isle of Wight with Wightlink (0871 376 4342/ www.wightlink.co.uk) and stayed at the Wellington Hotel, Ventnor where three night half board breaks in a deluxe sea view room cost from £250 per person, including return ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington, rising to £300 per person during peak season.

White Air 2007 www.whiteair.co.uk takes place from 27th August – 2nd September 2007. Tickets cost from £10 for children, £17.50 for adults, and £49 for a family of four.

Wightlink Ferries (0870 582 7744 www.wightlink.co.uk) offer a range of ferry packages for spectators, starting from just £40 for a family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) Wight Rover day return ticket, which combines foot passenger ferry crossings from Portsmouth to Ryde or Lymington to Yarmouth and unlimited travel for the day on Southern Vectis buses. Alternatively, a day return fare for a car and up to four passengers costs from £53.

Thundercats will be racing at White Air on 1st & 2nd September 2007. For more information, visit www.thundercatracing.co.uk

Wight Water Adventure Sports (01983 404987/www.wightwaters.com) offers eight hour beginners courses in sailing (£150) and windsurfing (£120), and six hour beginners courses in surfing (£90) and kayaking (£90). They will also be running one hour ‘taster’ sessions in sailing and windsurfing (£30) and surfing and kayaking (£20). They will have a stand at White Air – please call in advance to book (availability of courses is weather dependent).

Mountain Boarding is the UK’s fastest growing extreme sport. ‘Have a go’ lessons will be open to all visitors to White Air in association with Adventura and Trampa mountainboards. Trampa Boards (0800 587 7487/www.trampaboards.com) are running a ‘demo on the hill’ for beginners - £10 for 1½ hour.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:                                                                    By:

Wightlink Ltd                                                                             Christine Ball PR

24th May 2007                                                                           Tel: 01798 874177