An insurance claim was made to pay for repairs to the 70-metre long bag on top of the reef that was damaged and partly detached in March 2011. The remedial work has yet to be completed, however ASR have agreed to return this spring, for what will be its fourth year of work on the £3.2million reef.

The reef was certainly a positive catalyst for regeneration and has been successful at helping transform Boscombe seafront. Will it ultimately prove to be a waste of money?

In a 2 ½ hour meeting, the Panel also recommended that Cabinet authorises officers to negotiate the release of up to £77,500 of the retained £150,000 performance-related monies, towards the cost of the refinement works, but only on completion of those works and upon early receipt of evidence of an improved right-hand breaking wave.

Chairman of the Panel Cllr Robert Chapman, said:

It was important tonight that we heard all points of view, in particular regarding the legal and financial options available to us in terms of payment or otherwise to ASR. Whilst we acknowledge that there are no guarantees that the technical solution proposed by ASR will achieve the desired performance, we accepted the views of the experts, including Dr Mark Davidson from Plymouth University’s School of Marine Science & Engineering, that it represents the best chance of achieving improved surfing on the reef.

We are also recommending that a proportion of the performance-related payment is released to ASR on completion of the works. As a Panel we believe that this represents the most practical way of ensuring ASR return and complete the agreed works, gives the best return on the financial investment already made by the Council, and retains a significant sum to be payable only following a further period of performance monitoring once the works are complete.

Tony Williams, Executive Director for Environment and Economy said:

Officers will now discuss with ASR the timetable for the refinement works. ASR have already stated their commitment to Boscombe’s surf reef, and I know they are keen to return and make the required modifications. We anticipate that, subject to successful discussions, that work will take place in summer 2011. This will allow us to get evidence of improved performance very soon after completion of the remedial works, subject to the prevailing surfing conditions arriving as expected in the autumn.

The Panel heard that a protracted dispute with ASR is unlikely to resolve the issue and may result in significant additional costs to the Council with no guarantee of either dispute resolution or improved performance.

The recommended solution would see four bags placed against the base of the reef in the fast and closing out area of the right-hand wave. Three pillow bags would also be added. This will create a gentler slope on the reef, and a better managed wave.

Three times world surfing champion Andy Irons has been found dead in a Dallas hotel room after withdrawing from a surfing competition in Puerto Rico. Irons was regarded as one of the world’s best competitive surfers and won the world championship in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

The 32-year-old had made the stop on his way home to Hawaii after failing to show up during a competition in Puerto Rico. Officials said he withdrew from the competition the next day, citing an illness he contracted during an event in Portugal.

Public safety officials said he had died from unknown causes. However, according to a report by Hawaii’s Star Advertiser newspaper, an unnamed official at the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office said that methadone was found in his room. The narcotic was hidden inside a container of prescription sleep aid zolpidem, which was on the nightstand, according to the report.

A statement posted on the website of sponsor Billabong said: ‘The world of surfing mourns an incredibly sad loss today with the news that Hawaii’s Andy Irons has died. Irons, 32, withdrew from a professional surfing event in Puerto Rico last weekend due to illness and passed away during a layover en-route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii. He had reportedly been battling with dengue fever, a viral disease.’

Reef contractors ASR Ltd believe £155,000 worth of improvements could enhance the reef’s performance and provide a less challenging wave for stand-up surfers.

In a meeting to be held this evening, councillors must decide if they will pay ASR to return. However, the New Zealand-based firm say they are not willing to come back and make those improvements without a guarantee that they will receive at least half of the £150,000 retainer currently being withheld by Bournemouth council.

A statement on ASR’s website says:

ASR is encouraged to hear that the task and finish group will be suggesting our technical proposal as the primary recommendation for moving forward.

They have also confirmed that no additional money will be allocated towards Boscombe Reef and that the remedial work, as was always part of the plan, will come from the amount withheld by the Bournemouth Borough Council. In the meantime, local surfers have taken to the media in an effort to prove to the world that Boscombe Reef not only works but also creates an exciting and challenging wave. Recent surfing competitions and excellent conditions continue to prove the value of Boscombe Reef as a recreational amenity.

ASR continues to work cooperatively with the Bournemouth Borough Council in an effort to enhance and maximize the value of Boscombe Reef. ASR is proud to have contributed to the successful Boscombe Spa Village Regeneration Project and commends the council for completing the first multi-purpose reef in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Surf Reef Task and Finish group were set up to find an affordable technical solution to improve the performance of the surf reef. They are set to report to the Bournemouth council economy and tourism scrutiny panel on November 2 which will then make recommendations to the cabinet.

The group’s meetings had previously been held in secret and details were not disclosed to the press and public.

Issues believed to have been raised include the safety of the reef, whether the reef had been built too high and whether ASR is the right company to try and correct the apparent problems.

Representatives from the surfing community who attended a meeting last month were given strict instructions not to talk to the media afterwards.

In August, deconstruction of the reef was ruled out as an option, with the parties agreeing to focus their efforts on seeking a solution that will deliver a more surfable wave.

Thursday 19th

2:00 – 3:00pm

• PWRR Parachute display team “The Tigers”
• RAF Tutor
• RAF Tucano
• RAF Hawk
• RAF Beech King 2000

3:00 – 4:00pm

• Battle of Britain memorial flight
• Breitling Wingwalkers
• RN Black Cats display team
• RNAF F16
• The Blades

8:20 – 9:00pm

• Miss Demeanour Hunter Jet and RR Spitfire
• RNAF F16
• PR freefall team – Red Devils

Friday 20th

1:30 – 3:00pm

• PWRR Parachute display team “The Tigers”
• RAF Tutor
• RAF Tucano
• RAF Hawk

3:00 – 4:00pm

• Battle of Britain memorial flight
• RAF Beech King 2000
• RN Black Cats display team
• RNAF F16
• Breitling Wingwalkers

4:00 – 5:35pm

• The Blades
• Miss Demeanour Hunter jet and RR Spitfire
• Red Arrows

Saturday 21st

12:00 – 1:30pm

• Royal Marine Beach Assault
• Royal Air Force red Arrows
• Yakolevs
• PWRR Parachute display team “The Tigers”

1:30 – 2:30pm

• RAF Tutor
• RAF Tucano
• RAF Hawk
• RAF Beech King 2000
• RAF Typhoon
• RN Black Cats display team

2:30 – 4:30pm

• Army Historic Aircraft flight
• Sally B B17
• Battle of Britain memorial flight
• Breitling Wingwalkers
• CAP 232
• Miss Demeanour Hunter Jet and RR Spitfire
• Vulcan
• RNAF F16
• The Blades

Sunday 22nd

12.30pm – 2pm

• Royal Marine Beach Assault
• The Blades
• The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment’s Parachute Display Team ‘The Tigers’
• Royal Air Force Tutor
• Royal Air Force Tucano
• Pitts S2 Duo

In a change to the published programme the Yakovlevs will NOT be appearing.

2pm – 3pm

• Royal Air Force Hawk
• Royal Navy Black Cats
• Spitfire/Hurricane
• Sally B – Flying Fortress
• Royal Air Force Beech King Air 2000

3pm – 4.30pm

• Miss Demeanour Hunter Jet
• RNAF F-16 Fighting Falcon
• Army Historic Aircraft Flight
• CAP232
• Royal Air Force Typhoon
• Royal Air Force Red Arrows
• Matadors
• Avro Vulcan

Bournemouth Air Festival 2010 timetable is subject to change.

A 6 minute factual piece on Boscombe Reef, and how it has affected the local area; in particular local surfer and Guest house owner Danny Chilcott.

Following a meeting at the Town Hall to discuss ASR’s new proposals to rectify the reef’s faults, Mr Williams announced that a group had been formed to develop a technical solution to the reef’s performance.

He stressed that this would involve working with proposals by New Zealand-based contractor ASR to enhance its performance.

Leisure services director Roger Brown said panel members had also ruled out deconstruction, agreeing instead to focus their efforts on seeking “a solution that will deliver a more surfable wave”.

Earlier this year the council released results of the reef’s first monitoring exercise which showed that the controversial project was failing to meet four out of its 11 objectives.

The council is withholding a £150,000 performance-based payment to ASR until the reef is rectified with work expected to get under way next April or May.

Panel members Cllrs Basil Ratcliffe, Roger West, Ben Grower and Michael Everingham will liaise with the Boscombe Spa Village project board as well as surfing and business representatives before making their recommendations this autumn.

July 13th & 14th 2010 sees the return of the ever popular Rip Curl Girls Tour with free surf lessons by qualified instructors from Rip Curl & Sorted Surf School. A complimentary goody bag is available to all that take part plus all equipment required is provided completely free of charge.

New for 2010 is a DJ workshop where experienced female DJ’s will teach budding surfers how to spin some tunes. The fun continues in the evening at Urban Reef with a Sunset Chillout Session, so come and join in whether your chilling after your surf lesson or just want to come along and listen to some chillout tunes while sipping a cocktail in the evening sunset.

Lessons are at 1pm 4pm & 6pm on the 13th and 10am & 12pm on the 14th. Call 01202 300668 to book your free lesson & goody bag.

Experts from Plymouth University have given Bournemouth surf reef a score of just four out of ten in a scale of its success.

The findings were presented on Monday by Dr Mark Davidson after a six month examination of the surf reef since completion.

Dr Davidson has said:

It’s a bit of a mixed bag. The reef has produced a new, more exciting and challenging surfing wave.

But it falls short on a number of criteria. The length of the ride – 40 metres or less – is a long way short of the promised 65 metres. Another area where the reef is falling short is consistency.

See the criteria and assessment below:

Bournemouth council’s service director for leisure Roger Brown said:

Obviously there is an element of some disappointment but I always thought the reef would probably need some modifications.

Our contractors ASR have agreed with the performance assessment and are committed to carrying out this work.

It’s not just their final payment of £150,000 that is at stake; it’s also their reputation. I’m optimistic that the ride length can be improved, the take-off speed can be reduced and surfing can be made less difficult.

We need a licence to carry out further work, ASR have to sort out visas to bring personnel here from New Zealand and additional geotextile bags may have to be manufactured and brought to the UK.

It’s possible that it could happen this summer but it could be next spring before we’ve jumped through all the necessary hoops.

Dr Davidson’s report is due to be considered by the council’s cabinet next week.

Bournemouth’s Daily Echo have obtained email records under the Freedom of Information Act, which appear to suggest that a water park is a frontrunner for the waterfront IMAX site.

The records show that a company called Moirai Capital Investments approached Bournemouth council last May with the idea of opening an indoor surfing centre in the controversial seafront building.

Following a meeting with the council, architects’ plans were submitted for an attraction described as “a combination of covered slides, freeform pools, water activities, indoor surfing and high-quality relaxation areas.”

Council leader Stephen MacLoughlin confirmed that an indoor surfing facility is one of the many options currently being analysed for the IMAX site. Results of the public consultation will be released later this month.

He added:

The public consultation process will feed in to how we take our ideas for the Imax site forward. This particular organisation (Moirai) may or may not feature in the next steps.

They certainly don’t have any preferential inside track with the council. We’re determined to get the best possible deal for the town, both in terms of the functions that will happen on that site but also in terms of the design of the building.

The award was announced by the Local Government Chronicle Awards in recognition of the multimillion-pound redevelopment which includes the restored pier, improved public open space, restored Victorian Gardens, beach pods, restaurants, shops, a surf school and the artificial surf reef.

This is the second national award presented to Bournemouth Council in recent weeks. Boscombe Pier was recently voted the National Piers Society’s ‘Pier of the Year 2010′.

Since completion, the regeneration scheme has created 91 new long term jobs. Visitor numbers have increased by 32 per cent and incidents of anti-social behaviour down 40 per cent.

Leader of the council Stephen MacLoughlin congratulated all involved in the regeneration, saying:

I don’t believe we would have won this award without the support of local entrepreneurs who have believed and invested in the seafront.

Anyone who has been to the pier, gardens, prom or Overstrand in the last six months will have seen the changes and felt the amazing unique vibe that is now Boscombe seafront.

Local businesses in Boscombe Spa have organised a ‘Celebration Day’ to mark the completion of the seafront regeneration. The event will take place on Saturday 24 April, 11am – 4pm, and activities include surf lessons, paddle boarding, kite surfing, beach volleyball, a sandcastle competition and street entertainers.

For more information, call the Bournemouth Seafront Information Centre on 01202 451781.

According to the National Rail conditions of carriage, surfboards are not permitted aboard South West Trains.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood has recently raised the issue in Parliament in order to try to lift the blanket ban on surfboards. In the process, he’s discovered that changing the rules and allowing individual train companies to determine their own policy on surfboards is no easy matter.

Speaking last week, he said:

There is a surprising amount of red tape and a worrying number of organisations needed to change something so simple. I have written a rather plain-speaking letter to the Secretary of State asking for him to knock some heads together.

Last year, South West Trains provided funding towards a bus link between the station and the seafront to encourage visitors to the surf reef.

A spokesperson for the Association of Train Operating Companies said they were hoping to get to a position soon where individual train companies could decide their own policies.

Sorted Surf Shop have announced the first surfing contest to be held at Bournemouth surf reef. They will be bringing the event to the beach at Boscombe with the help of main sponsor Rip Curl.

The dates are March 20th and 21st and the weekend will consist of surfing and bodyboarding competitions, as well as activities and demonstration stands with equipment for all to try.

The contest categories will consist of a Mens Open, Mens 35+, Ladies Open, and Groms (under 18′s). It will also host the first leg of the British Bodyboarding Annual Championships.

Gul team riders Mark “Egor” Harris and Russell Winter will be in attendance to give advice and sign autographs.

Monster Energy Drink will be hosting the after party being held at Urban Beach. There you will find all of the contest organisers, sponsors and contest competitors enjoying a BBQ, drink and live music with a few surprises thrown in to the mix.

Keep checking here for more information as it’s announced.

The answer to the question was ‘Oahu’. If you are a winner, you will be contacted shortly.

1. Suzanne Sendell, Cardiff
2. Lucy Pugh, Bristol
3. Richard Sutherland, Edinburgh
4. Andy Joyce, Bournemouth
5. Paul Allen, London

Click here to buy the DVD from amazon.co.uk

Keep checking www.bournemouthsurfreef.com for chances to win more great prizes!

Plymouth University, home of the UK’s first marine academy, is currently assessing the quality of the waves and the number of days suitable for surfing. Experts at the university have been conducting site visits and collecting data from on-site cameras to monitor the shape and power of breaking waves. They have been keeping keep tabs on the number of surfable days and the number of surfers at both the pier and reef areas, compared with previous years.

Cabinet member for tourism Cllr Anne Filer gave the date at Wednesday’s economy and tourism scrutiny panel. 

If performance figures meet expected standards, the final payment will be made to contractor ASR. The sum is 10 per cent of the original £1.5million fee to build the reef, although this has since increased to £3.03m.

We’re giving away FIVE copies of the soon to be released “Bustin’ Down the Door” surf documentary featuring Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards.

All you have to do is answer the following question:

The notorious and famous reef break ‘Pipeline’ is located on the North Shore of which Hawaiian Island?

a) Oahu
b) Maui
c) Kauai

Please email your answer to info@bournemouthsurfreef.com.

The competition closes at midnight on Sunday January 31. Winners will be announced here at www.bournemouthsurfreef.com on Monday February 01.

The DVD is released on January 18. See www.bustindownthedoor.co.uk for more information.

Celebrations to mark the town’s 200th Birthday begin on New Year’s Day with the ‘Bicentenary Launch’ in Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens. Events will continue throughout the year to celebrate Bournemouth’s distinguished past, with various sporting spectaculars, dance, music, and historical festivities, as well as literary, food and flower festivals.

Entertainment will be in the Lower Gardens between 3.55pm to 5.00pm, culminating with a fireworks show. Visit www.bournemouth2010.org.uk for more information.