Pro Diaries: Dan Nott – Interview – European Champion – Wakeboarding

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Dan Nott, extreme sports, Monster Eneregy Drinks, Surrey, wake boarding, wakeboard, Wakeboarder

Hi Dan, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. So, what have you been up to this year?

Dan Nott, Professional Wakeboarder

At the beginning of 2010 I headed out to Argentina for the off-season as I have done for the last 4 years. It’s great to get out there as it is their summer during our winter. My girlfriend (also a pro rider) is Argentinean, so I stay out there with her and ride with all the locals on their boats.

Cool, sounds like fun! So what will the rest of 2010 hold for you?

Well it’s going to be a busy one for me. There are a lot of contests this year, including the rebirth of the UK tour which I am really looking forward to. My next contest is the FISE (Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri) in May, which is a rail-only event and is always fun. I will also be traveling around the world quite a bit, going to Spain, Russia, Sweden, Korea, China and many more countries hopefully!

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Extreme Sports Guide to Buckinghamshire

Aaron    Destination Guides     4x4 Driving, experiences, extreme sports, gliding, Jet Skiing, motocross, skydiving, Snow Experiences, wake boarding, water skiing, water sports, zorbing sphereing

The county of Buckinghamshire is enriched with many claims to fame inside the UK, stretching across the first ‘real’ snow slope, the first Indoor Skydiving centre and the most successful Olympian to ever walk Blighty’s soil; Sir Steve Redgrave.

Wakeboarding in Buckinghamshire

The South East County is similar to its bordering county of Berkshire and its neighbour Surrey in that it falls easy on the eye with a dense population of woodland and countryside, and is also situated around 45 minutes away from Central London. The picturesque county has a wide range of activities and unique experiences to make a weekend visit out of, including those taken on water – as the county encompasses two of the three largest rivers in the UK.

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Pro Diaries: Dave Compton – Interview – UK Freestyle Mountain Boarding

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     ATB, experiences, extreme sports, mountain boarding, Mountain Boarding Championships, Surrey

Theo Acworth's Photography of Dave Compton

Dave Compton is part of the RTH team performing at this year’s Exclusive Mountain Boarding Day.

Hi Dave, thanks for talking to us today. So what exactly is Freestyle Mountain Boarding and what do the competitions consist of?

Hey there, no probs. Freestyle Mountain Boarding is probably most similar to Freestyle Snowboarding, as your feet are strapped to the board. Freestyle used to be run on one big-air jump, with the best single trick winning; but now Slopestyle courses are used a lot more, with a line of jumps, rails and quarter pipes.

Winning runs nowadays will have huge flips and spins, technical rail tricks, and most importantly good style throughout the whole thing. A lot of the recent competitions have been run in a Jam format, where everyone can drop in for their run when they want, instead of on a timer by the organisers. Jams are brilliant fun because they end up being a lot more creative and progressive, and usually less stressful for the riders as well.

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Exclusive Central London Bungee – 2010

Aaron    Experience Guides     Bungee, Bungee Jumping London, experiences, extreme sports, London Bungee

September 26^th & 27^th 2009 was a record breaking weekend for Bungee Jumping. Having successfully jumped 297 brave bungee’rs; we proudly took the record for the most ever in one weekend!

Tower Bridge Jump 2009

However, ‘Resting on Laurels’ isn’t in the Extreme Element dictionary unfortunately, so this year we’ll be going flat out to make it bigger, better and bungee brilliant as we aim to leave last year’s memory behind with an even more marvellous weekend!

Now that the summer is slowly creeping up on us and the sun is shining, it’s time to fire up the London crane again and prepare for another fantastic weekend of sun, scenery and shots of adrenaline as we announce the dates for London’s only bungee jump of 2010.

September 25^th& 26^th 2010 – Don’t miss it!

Check the photos from last year here

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Pro Diaries: Lewis Wilby – Interview – Flexifoil – Landboarding

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Devon, experiences, extreme sports, mountain boarding

Hi Lewis, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. What exactly is Landboarding and what do the competitions consist of?

Lewis Wilby, Landboarding

Hi there, no problem at all. Well, ‘Kite-Landboarding’ is as it sounds; using the wind to power a large kite (between 3 – 20metres) which then allows you to be pulled around on an oversized skateboard. There are three main categories in competition; racing, speed and the most common form – freestyle. The freestyle competitions can be compared to a Snowboard or Skateboard competition; the rider who lands the most impressive/ innovative range of tricks (usually as high and smooth as possible) within a set time limit will come out on top and win.

So, how did you get involved in board sports?

I started Power Kiting in 2002 when I was 13 as my younger brother had just recently started, and it was through him I had my first go on a Flexifoil Proteam 8. I knew instantly it was the sport for me and quickly became addicted. I bought my first board later that year and within hours I was practicing jumps! I quickly progressed and was in magazines the next year before competing in the X-Zone Autumn Games in 2004 and have just continued practicing and competing since!

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Pro Diaries: James Boulding – Liquid Force International Team – Kitesurfing

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     cornwall, Devon, experiences, extreme sports, kitesurfing

An interview with Liquid Force International Team’s James Boulding. Recommendations of the UK’s best places, how to get started and a bit about his Kitesurfing adventure so far.

Hi James, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. So what exactly is Freestyle Kitesurfing?

James Boulding of Liquid Force

Hi there, no problem! Well, Kitesurfing is an awesome sport that uses a big kite to harness the power of the wind and a board to resist this power, providing a pull that drags you across the water. The sport is now branching out in many directions, including wave riding, powered Wakeboard style (on ramps & sliders) and Freestyle, which is as it states; free to do tricks and ride in any style, on flat water.

What made you start and how old were you?

I got into the sport when I was 18 years old, during my last year at school. I pursued it as a hobby throughout my time at Newcastle University, and I’d say it became an addiction read more

Extreme Sports Guide to Essex

Aaron    Destination Guides     4x4 Driving, experiences, extreme sports, Hang Gliding, helicopter flights, High Ropes, hot air ballooning, microlighting, power boating, quad biking, sailing, Snow Experiences

With the smallest town and the largest village in the UK; the county of Essex sure ticks a few boxes. And it is no different for the extreme sports courses and experiences scene with a decent range of activities ready to take and appreciate the many terrains of this Home County.

Flight at Dawn in Essex

The county of Essex mixes a green garden of countryside with an enormous coast, and is riddled with a history of Christian landmarks, including a 1000+ year old church (oldest wooden one in the world) amongst the many tourist attractions. The county also provides activity attractions in the shape of driving experiences that include a full day of Stock Car Racing, 4×4 Driving, Gliding excursions and more.

Essex is around 50 miles from London along the A12 & M25 and takes around 1.5 hours by train. With coastal, aerial and driving experiences aplenty; the countryside filled county makes for a quality weekend stay. We recommend…

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Extreme Sports Guide to Surrey

Aaron    Destination Guides     aerobatic flying, aerobatics, climbing, climbing wall, experiences, extreme sports, free running, gliding, Hang Gliding, land-boarding, mountain boarding, Paragliding, parkour, rick climbing, track driving, wake boarding, water skiing, water sports

Perched on top of East & West Sussex and underneath Berkshire lies the country’s most woodland filled county; Surrey. Home to the Devil’s Punchbowl and England’s largest vineyard, the most densely populated ‘Shire’ in the UK makes for a very interesting getaway.

Mountain Boarding in Surrey

Whether you take the chance to appreciate the countryside from above with one of the county’s Hang Gliding or Aerobatic Flying tours, or if you decide to indulge in a high speed driving experience through a woodland-orientated track; Surrey has a fair bit to offer to thrill seekers – and combines it with all of the picturesque countryside that being one of the Home Counties entails.

The Thames bordering county is roughly an hour from central London and is easily accessible from the M23. We recommend trying:

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Extreme Sports Guide to Devon

Aaron    Destination Guides     Devon, experiences, extreme sports, kitesurfing, microlighting, motocross, quad biking, sailing, scuba diving, surf, wake boarding

Sitting between the borders of Cornwall & Somerset and neatly tucked away in the South West of England lies the country’s third largest county; Devon. The picturesque ‘Cornubian Massif’ abuts both the English and the Bristol Channels, naturally creating a haven for extreme sports, and in particular; water sports.

Surfing in Devon

The 2700 sq mile county of Devon is renowned for its hilly contours and large granite rocks, with some peaks reaching as high as 1500ft. With over 250 miles of coastline and several inland lakes and rivers, Devon has firmly established itself as a top UK holiday destination and excels in offering year-round water sport activities, such as Kitesurfing, Wakeboarding and the more relaxing experiences such as Sailing and Diving. Thanks to its location, the powerful Atlantic swells that surround Devon’s shores sustain a constant flow of Surfing activities, with the North of the county now a world class venue for championships, creating large and short-breaking waves.

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Extreme Sports Guide to Cornwall

Aaron    Destination Guides     4x4 Driving, coasteering, cornwall, experiences, extreme sports, kitesurfing, land-boarding, quad biking, skydiving, surf

Nowhere are so many extreme sports enjoyed by so many people, in such a small place. The UK, thanks to its mixed terrain and coastal surprises, is a premiere extreme sports destination, and Cornwall is its water sports capital. With international surfing destinations, leading watersports centres and inland wonderlands aplenty, Cornwall is both playground, and testing ground for beginners and adventure sports professionals.

Coasteering in Cornwall

UK weather, as always, is changeable. But thanks to some unique climatic influences, Cornwall gets the best deal. At the most southwesterly point of the UK, it takes the best of the islands’ warmer weather. And, despite the UK’s unenviable position on the end of icy-cold Arctic winds, there is one influence that keeps Cornish seas warm: the Gulf Stream – a band of water originating from Mexico.
The north Cornish coast features rocky coves and rugged cliffs, which rise skyward from its sea. The well-signed coastal paths draw walkers inland, through natural snippets filled with plants rarely seen outside of Mediterranean climes.
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