Extreme fun... (From Echo)

Extreme fun...

12:00pm Monday 20th August 2012 in Basildon By Hannah Marsh

WHETHER you fancy thundering down a hill at blistering speeds, smashing into other people on rollerskates or using the wind to cruise the waves, we’ve got the lowdown on how you can get involved in extreme sports.

All across south Essex, there are plenty of opportunities to try anything from kitesurfing, mountain biking or wakeboarding. Meeting regularly in Southend are a bunch of thrillseekers with a need for speed – and the wheels to take them there.

The Southend Longboarding club get their thrills by hurtling down hills on elongated skateboards. Brad Moss, 24, of Blackfriars Crescent, Westcliff , one of the co-founders of the group, explains: “Because longboards are bigger than regular skateboards, with bigger wheels, you can ride over anything. It’s much faster.

“I don’t drive and I used to cycle everywhere, but I wanted a more fun, functional way of getting around. “I got a board and found I was getting to places quicker than on a mountain bike.

“I realised I liked going a bit faster and I started looking at hills and getting a few different sorts of boards.”
It was the start of a passion for Brad, who set up Southend Longboarding, along with some friends. He also also set up Gravity Research Division – that focuses on racing.
He has since travelled across Europe to compete in competitions, where longboarders race to the bottom of huge hills.
“We went to Belgium this year,” says Brad. “And the border of France and Germany last year. It’s a really close-knit community. We all look out for each other.”
To find out more about Southend Longboarding, visit facebook.com/
SELongboarding