Bushell's Best Bits - Everything You Needed To Know About The World's Craziest Sports. Mike BushellЧитать онлайн книгу.
and the equipment isn’t cheap. But in terms of picking up a skill, in a first session, everyone I was with, from child to adult, was soon using the power of the wind to get up to 20 miles per hour, on long adrenalin rides along the sand.
Blokart sailing is sailing on land. You are in a go-kart on three wheels, two at the back and one at the front. There is a steering handle, and then above you, your sail, which you control with a rope. If you have always fancied the idea of taking the family sailing on the high seas, but couldn’t afford it, or you worry about the dangers of deep, cold water, this is a superb alternative.
Just like in sailing, Britain is becoming very successful in this sport. I had to come to South Wales to see the 2010 world silver medallist Tim Seed. He arrived with just a large holdall bag. The other advantage this has over sailing is you don’t need a trailer for your boat. The Blokart will come apart and fit inside your car boot.
So Tim was changed and ready to go within around 20 minutes, and in capable hands like his, these land yachts can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour.
‘It’s great for getting the adrenalin going.’ he said. ‘It’s very similar to sailing. You are looking at the wind, trying to read it all the time, and constantly checking the sails, making sure the tails are full, as we turn and tack.’
The children in the group of beginners I joined were in their own Blokarts within half an hour, after a tutorial on the sand. We sailed up and down, and every 200 metres we would try to turn, by adjusting the angle of the sail with the rope, and by moving a handlebar attached to the front wheel. It’s a fine line, and all of us tipped over at times, when we misjudged the strength of the wind or simply got our hand movements on the rope and bar wrong. However, you are secured into your seat with a belt, and so while you may feel helpless, it doesn’t hurt. With a helping hand, you are back on three wheels again in an instant.
‘It’s like riding a bike,’ said one beginner, Lara Bell aged nine. ‘It’s scary when you tip over,’ said Annabelle Gilborn, the youngest girl there. She was seven at the time and in 2012 she came third in the BLSA fun series. ‘I have tipped over twice already, but the second time was quite fun,’ she admitted. Her dad John hadn’t fared so well in the adult competition.
Blokart is seen by the instructors as a valuable way to teach children the skills needed for sailing, before they can then try their hand at sea. Blokarts were first designed in 1999 in New Zealand, and because they are small enough to be packed away in the car, they are light enough for people of all strengths and sizes to manoeuvre. There are also double karts, which enable you to take even younger children for a ride. The wheels can also be replaced by blades, and the first Blokart ice world championships were held in 2010 in Lithuania. The main competition though is on wheels and the international championship is held every two years. While these events are staged on beaches, parking areas and disused runways are also used. As a hobby it can be done on any open area larger than a tennis court.
‘Wahooo!’ – I couldn’t help myself making ridiculous baboon-like noises as I picked up speed with the wind behind me. I was only going at about 25 miles per hour, but it felt double that and every turn now was one smooth line. The learning curve had been climbed, I thought as I waved to the instructor…and then promptly flipped over like a toy, helpless in the hands of the ogre of overconfidence.
The price is similar to that of basic sailing. A new Blokart will set you back around £1,500, so the best way to start is to arrange a session for a group, via the the BLSA Blokart sailing website. They run taster experiences all year around depending on the weather and it’s certainly ideal for a summer holiday activity in a number of locations around the UK. The sport is also working with the Army and their ‘Battle Back’ scheme for injured servicemen, and Sportability. In 2012 a team of 15 UK competitors travelled to the World Championships in Ivanpagh, and two of the squad were wheelchair athletes. One of these sailors, Chris Selway, a primary school teacher from near Bristol, came third in his class. To get involved the governing body can be contacted at www.theblsa.com
SAILING AND RIB RACING
If you want to experience actual sailing and are ready to go straight onto the water, then there are plenty of ways to learn how to do it safely. The Royal Yachting Association’s Junior section provides training courses for beginners and upwards. Safety is paramount, with professional coaches helping every step of the way. The best way to get started, whether it be as a young sailor in a dinghy, or a junior rib racer in a starter powerboat, is to join a club. The RYA is the place to look, and their website is www.rya.org.uk.
Don’t think you have to be near the sea, either. In 2008 after his gold medal winning performance in Beijing, I joined Paul Goodison and a group of beginners on a lake near Sheffield, one of the most landlocked cities in the UK. There was hardly a breeze which made his ability to read the slightest of ripples even more impressive.
STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING
Another water-based activity that is relatively easy to pick up is stand up paddle boarding. You jump up on your feet on a large surfboard and propel yourself along. In my first lesson, I was paddling out, and after the inevitable first few falls, it was a case of trying to steady myself on the waves as they brought me back in.
I tried this off West Wittering beach, where the most experienced boarders were paddling out to the Isle of Wight. They looked as if they were walking on water. It’s a cross between surfing and punting, except instead of the large poles that you dig into the river bed, you just gain speed and direction with oar like paddles. It’s become one of the fastest growing water sports in the world, after its rise in Hawaii in the late 1960s. There are now national and international competitions. It’s growth is gathering more momentum thanks to inflatable paddleboards which make them more portable and accessible for lakes, and rivers.
www.standuppaddleboarding.co.uk is the place for more information.
BOOMERANG
Cue the resonant drone of the didgeridoo. Imagine you are tiptoeing across the outback, flattened stick in your hand, ready to flush out your dinner, and it will explain why I was in deepest Hertfordshire, looking for a man in a park. It’s why my daughter and I had a Sunday morning we’d never forget in my original home town of Stevenage.
The boomerang has been used in hunting for more than ten thousand years and it’s thought to have been a weapon used by stone age tribes. It is still a favoured method of some Aborigines, because of its ability to come back. The swishing noise generated by its movement and the way it can sweep around in a circle behind a clump of trees or a bush make it effective for flushing out prey. More commonly though, it is now used in sport, and boomerangs can increasingly be seen hovering in the skies above the UK.
Lucy and I had come to Stevenage for a session with Adam McLaughlin, one of the UK’s finest throwers. He’s been in the sport for 30 years and has competed all over the world. There aren’t many cheaper, more accessible sports. The first thing that struck me was how different the colourful, light, carbon fibre boomerangs were compared to the large heavy wooden one I had been given by a friend on his return from Australia.
Some of the flyers had three arms, others two, and they were small enough for Lucy to get going straight away. They are not going to cost you much more than £10 and to get in some extra practise, the British Boomerang Society has tips on how to make free ones out of cardboard for use indoors.
Now, don’t think for a moment this is just about how far you can throw. This is a sport which like the sky, knows no limits. Adam stepped forward, and like a javelin thrower, drew back his arm before thrusting it forward. With a flick of his wrist, the boomerang cut through the air. It raced to a height of around 200 feet, but then slowed as it started turning. It was like watching a bird of prey circling and hovering, before diving for its victim. It seemed to take an age for it to meander gracefully back down.
We watched in wonder as Adam sat down and rolled onto his back. He stuck his legs in the air, and having read the flight of his winged wonder perfectly, it came