Are we nearly there yet?

…Apparently not because September and October are the busiest they’ve every been. Usually, by the time we get around to the London Night Jump at Liquid Leisure (www.thelondonnightjump.co.uk) and the last of the Ten Feet High Series at Sheffield Cable (www.sheffieldcablewaterski.com) we can look forward to the odd weekend lie in to give mind, body and soul a bit of break from the craziness of the summer.

It is just not to be because within the UK Watersport and Action Sports world things are a bubbling hot! Bank Holiday weekend was a busy one for most across the country with a multitude of festivals going on all over and for those of us into our towable Watersports it was pretty busy too. Can’t moan too much about being tired because it wasn’t all because of hard work. Courtesy of Relentless who had their bat cave of a tent set up in the Guest Area of Reading festival, my good lady and I had a couple of days relaxing come not relaxing at all, listening to a stellar line-up of acts thrown in with a good bit of partying merriment.

To make this weekend that bit more luxurious, actually a hell of a lot more luxorious and considering the weather beaten events we’ve had to endure under canvas so far this year, Volkswagen took pity and hooked us up with one of their rather sweet California Campervans. A home from home and make no mistake. I would also say that every one of these vans should also come with a  Sophie person because she is an unbelievable ‘Susie home-maker’ – expect to see her listed in the options available on the vans for 2010.

So, we pitched up, drank tea, had bacon & eggs as well as healthy lunch and dinners – healthy food at a festival would you believe – got started with the drinky winkies in the van before checking out the camping facilities in place for the minions. I have such respect for all festival goers after seeing what they have to endure for a good time weekend. It is something to behold,80 000 people plus in an area that doesn’t seem as though that many people should be able to fit, and those people are there hell bent on getting a bit crazy. It was good though, and favourites had to be Jet Black in the Relentless tent, the Kaiser Chiefs and the Silent Disco tent. Please Reading Festival, can you turn the volume on the main stage up next year!!!

There was no lie in for us on Sunday morning though, as duty called of the MC’ing variety at the 2009 London Night Jump. For those who don’t what its all about, well you’ll be able to read all about it the next issue of Spiked as a well as a more personal report in my diaries. For now, however, just picture guys and girls hurling themselves at a ramp, sitting six foot in height, moving at speeds of up to 70 mph when they hit said ramp, flying over 65 metres through the air, all on a pair of waterskis. Then imagine doing that at night! Total craziness and alongside the worlds best jumpers we had the UK’s best wakeboarders, the Animal Relentless Bike Show, Freestyle Motocross, lots of girls walking around in minimal amounts of lycra and a kick ass party.

With a week of catching up on paperwork, sponsor stuff, Voice Over for iEX – www.iextv.net (action sports news show on Extreme Channel) then an Alliance photo shoot at Princes on Friday, it was on the road again for the last stop of the Ten Feet High Wake & Skate series at Sheffield Cable. A heavy day and night followed by an early rise headed for the BWS Cutting Edge Championships at Ten 80. There I joined skater Oli Moore and Watersi legend Jodi Fisher where we put on demos and ccaught up with all the kids taking part in this awesome grass roots development weekend.

And breath!!!!! More to come from me with Windfest just round the corner, the King Of Cable as well as none stop events throughout September and October. Be sure to check out the issue of Spiked mag with my latest diary!

Stay Classy Spiked people – MC

Welcome To My World!

Hello to all, hope you’ve been enjoying the Spiked experience so far in 2009. From the vision of a few little more than a year ago, it has become a bloody great success in my opinion. Two issues under our belt, covering every Action Sport under the sun, spreading the good word and giving us, in this wonderful world, a voice to share our good times with all you guys.

OK, that’s the preaching out the way and now to my first Blog. Magazine articles I’ve been doing for a good number of years now but I’m still getting to grips with this social networking media age. The odd Blog for websites hear and there and now I’m a full blown Twitter addict - www.twitter.com/mcwakeboarder - and here we go with the first of my Spiked Blogs. The reason behind them, well, there is lots going on in the world of Wakeboarding, which is kind of my thing, as well as the Freesports scene in general. I’m lucky enough to be fully entrenched in both scenes and want to make sure you guys are as well informed as possible with the hope being it inspires you to get out there and get stuck into which ever Extreme past time takes your fancy!

We are a good three quarters the way through the wakeboarding season, having had the Think Tank Wakeskate Jam, Student, Open & Grom Nationals, Wakestock, Cable and Boat Euro Champs and still there is a mass of big events to come. What do we know from the summer so far though? That was a rhetorical question because I’m gonna tell ya! We know that the UK has some of the best wakeboarders on the planet. It has been the Davies show in 2009 with a World Title on Cable followed by back to back wins on the World Cable Park Series, a National Title and finally claiming the Wakestock honours on its 10^th Anniversary. It doesn’t stop there for British accolades in ’09. Team Silver at the Cable Euros and a whole host of medals from all age categories for the UK. Team Gold at the Boat Euros for the umpteenth time and leading the fight was Britain’s Wakeboard contest stalwart Dan Nott, taking the European title for the third time, Davies in 2^nd with medal placings on the podium, once again, in all of the other categories.

A few disappointments this year however, all surrounding the current fiscal strains we as a planet are facing. At the top of this list was the lack of the Rococo Rail Tour stop at Relentless Boardmasters. I was down there all week presenting for www.mpora.com  experiencing the best Boardmasters Newquay has ever seen. Unreal weather, good waves, lots of people and just an overall fantastic festival. The wakeboarding will be back there next year don’t you fret!

It is all go, go, go over the next few weeks with a slight lull right now, the quiet before the storm. We have the London Night Jump - www.londonnightjump.co.uk - on the Bank Holiday Sunday and just before that I’m being treated to a festival jolly courtesy of Relentless and Volkswagen at Reading – that is going to be a heavy weekend. Then September will come around with Windfest, the King Of Cable and rounding off the season as always Glass Butter Beach in Abersoch, North Wales.

I promise each of my Blogs won’t be this long but wanted to give you the full run down before I get down to some serious Blogging from now on. Don’t forget to check out the next issue of Spiked with the 3^rd instalment of my 2009 diaries and a whole lot more besides!

Stay Classy Spiked people – MC

Test