For those of us who merely gawp at the colourful dots gracefully zigzagging down titanic walls of water, watching the surfing experts of the world tear through rolls of turquoise tunnels before effortlessly gliding through the shallows of the tide onto the beige beach, leaving the roar of the crashing sea howling behind them. A dangerous sport, which requires a momentous amount of skill, bravery, fitness and refined technique; consequently making surfing an activity most of which would not even dare to attempt.
However, Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks in North Devon has a state of the art sports complex due to open in May 2012, which will be home to the first inside surfing stimulator. Guests can bypass the usual half hour gruelling treadmill workout and a frustrating fifteen minute spat on the cross trainer to experience what surfing would really be like. The machine provides a surfing board positioned on an artificial wave which generates a thin sheet of water flowing over a stationary curl of liquid. I daresay a degree of balance and patience would be required before one can begin to enjoy the activity, yet Woolacombe Bay assures that anyone from beginners to experienced surfers can practice the sport in a safe and controlled environment.
The exhilarating and unique stimulation will be supervised by an army of qualified instructors and professional surfers on hand to provide advice and encouragement. Westsuits, various boards and all other additional equipment is provided to ensure you have a very realistic, exciting and predictably wet experience. Condensing the thrill of riding a wave and maintaining a stabilised position on the rolling thrash of the current beneath you is sure to draw hoards of budding-surfers to the complex.
Woolacombe Bay is also breaking away from traditional fitness activities; a spinning class or water aerobics session will surely be eclipsed by the large handful of thrilling features also due to be launched in May. A new multi-levelled high ropes course, a looming rocky climbing wall, plunging bungee run and bouncing bungee trampoline are just a few of the in house jewels guest can explore.
The climax of all the newly unveiled sporting sensations is the distinctive ‘Wateralkerz’, the name alone triggering a mixture of textured questions from those who’d have thought walking on water was a concept that belonged in biblical times. However, guests can also experience what walking on water would really be like due to the genius creation of an inflatable, inimitable ‘Wateralkerz’ pool.
So, if you are tired of those tedious lengths in your local swimming pool or can’t muster enough energy to pull yourself repeatedly back and forth on the rower machine, Woolacombe Bay perhaps could be the answer. Woolacombe Bay can dissolve the harsh cost of trekking it all the way over to the mecca of surfers in Australia, when all you really need to do is hop on the M5 for a taster of surfing, climbing and the miracle water walking.
Article by Emma Boyle
