Strapless heaven

by Sim Bradley
31 / 07 / 2008

You’d think that working for a wakeboard magazine, a large part of my life would involve being in the water. Well to a certain extent that’s right, but I don’t count standing waste deep in weed-infested water with a camera as good exercise. I definitely don’t get to ride anyway near as often as before I took this job, so anytime I do have to slaysh around, I make sure that it’s going to be the most fun possible.

For me there is only one place to go when I want to kick back and wakeskate, and that is the unmistakable fresh waters of Port Haverigg on the North West coast. The Costa Del Haverigg is allegedly a full ski club, with a choice of boats, great coaches and possibly the nicest clubhouse in the country. While all these facts may be true, it is the most slack, lazy attempt at a Club you could imagine, which makes it the best place in the land to get your shred on. Owner Jason Attwood and manager Lee Warren live life with a relaxed manor and successfully run the business in a really low-key way. You can turn up any day without a booking and unless it’s howling with wind, you can get a tow easily on either a Super Air Team or the re-christened Mastercraft Pro-Wakeskate 190. If neither of them takes your fancy or it is blowing a gale, then Lee will pull out the Mark-II Monkey Wench winch and you can session the rails along the sheltered sea wall.

It’s this side of the Costa that appeals to me more than any other, as basically all the regular guys and girls down there are wakeskaters. As well as Lee, there’s his partner Leanne Swales and their kid Callum, Pat McGucken, Jenna McAvoy, Jo Rogers and up-and-coming superstar Simon Powell, all frequenting the lake on a more than weekly basis. But they don’t just wakeskate up north, they live the sport as a lifestyle, and so if you’re not actually riding there’ll always be a skateboard kicking around or some videos at the very least. I recently made the 4:20 hour journey up to stay with Pat and co, riding solid for a weekend in the sun, and it was totally worth the effort. A boat set at Haverigg is £12, a hell of a lot cheaper than anywhere else and often comes in at over 20-mins. Also, because everyone skates there’s no grief when you fall a lot or are trying to stick a new trick. There is an overwhelming aura of stoke and encouragement amongst the group and even if you don’t ride, the conversations are epic and before you know it you’ll be on your ninth brew watching the sunset.

I love Port Haverigg, so much so that part of me didn’t want write this and give away my little heaven, but if you want to have a good ride in a friendly relaxed place then I highly recommend you make the journey up the M6. And don’t just think it’s for skaters, you strappers are more than welcome at what is the home of the Northern Monkeys and could find yourself riding with a Moyle, Woodhead or even a Sedgewick if you’re lucky! Go to their website now and start getting excited.