A fantastic new book came in post today, courtesy of Pavilion Books, an imprint of Anova Books Group Ltd.
‘Extreme Surf’ by Benjamin Marcus illustrates the lengths that some people will go for the ultimate surfing experience. Beginning with a history of the sport’s evolution, the book takes us to the most remote, most popular, and most dangerous surfing spots. From the longest, fastest, coldest and warmest waves to the deadliest waters, the book is packed with jaw-dropping images and engaging text.
Here is an extract taken from the book entitled ‘Messing with Mother Nature’, featuring Bournemouth’s upcoming artificial surf reef. Extract reproduced with permission.
Artificial reefs are dependent on swell. They can’t create magic with no materials, so you have to wonder about the wisdom of putting an artificial reef halfway up the English channel.
In December of 2007, England’s Marine and Fisheries Agency granted a special environmental license to Bournemouth Council to begin construction of an artificial reef between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers. Bournemouth is on the south coast of England, about halfway between Land’s End and Dover. The limited swell window in the middle of the English Channel is even less for Bournemouth, which is tucked away within Poole Bay and the Isle of Wight.
Stuart Matthews has been surfing England his whole life, and he says there is more surf in that area than the location would suggest: “Bournemouth reef does get swell and just 25 miles away to the west, a reef break at Kimmeridge Bay is one of the best waves in the UK – when it breaks.”
Recreational studies of the area have tallied anywhere from 77 to 100 surfable days in the Bournemouth/Boscombe area, and the local hopes are that the reef will make sense of what ocean energy is available in the area and turn the area into a year-round surf spot.
The reef was designed by Dr. Kerry Black of ASR marine systems who predicts the wave will produce a righthander that rates a 5 on a scale of 10 – with Pipeline an 8-9 on that scale. Like Narrowneck Reef (in Australia) the reef will be made of 30 metre-long geotextile bags filled with sand. The bags will be laid 225 metres out to sea, to the east of Bournemouth Pier, creating a reef the size of a football pitch – which can be as big as 90 metres by 120 metres.
However if a vibrant new surfing community can help Bournemouth shrug off its reputation as the retirement capital of England, then the cost of construction will have been a small price to pay.
This great new book is out in October. To order, go to www.amazon.co.uk.
Pictured (L-R): Nick Behunin – ASR Ltd, Roger Brown – Head of Leisure Services, Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin – Leader of the Council and Andy Campbell, ASR Ltd.
Bournemouth Borough Council has officially contracted New Zealand-based ASR Ltd to construct the Europe’s first artificial surf reef.
The contract is performance-based, to ensure the reef will perform to pre-stated standards. The contract also requires the reef to be completed by 31st December 2008 at the latest. The core construction period will be July-October and the estimated completion date remains the end of October, depending on weather conditions.
Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council says:
The deal has been done to bring the long-awaited surf reef to Boscombe to revive the area. It will be the most innovative sports and tourist attraction in the South. The public can be assured that the reef will definitely be completed at the latest by the end of this year. ASR Ltd had previously been commissioned as designers of the reef and will now use their expert knowledge in this highly complex marine construction project to achieve the performance requirements specified by the Council.
The first delivery of construction materials, which includes the webbing base and the first consignment of geo-textile bags, is due to arrive in Southampton Docks in late June. The bags will then be transported to an undisclosed area in Dorset where they will be assembled onto the webbing base at a harbour-side location. They will then be loaded onto a barge for deployment at the Boscombe site.
Nick Behunin, Managing Partner of, ASR Ltd says:
We are pleased to be introducing Europe ‘s first artificial surfing reef as part of the Boscombe regeneration plan. We believe our ground-breaking technology will be integral in increasing tourism to the area. It’s exciting to see how Bournemouth Council is going further than the other destinations in the world where we have built surf reefs, with significant additional investment in the infrastructure and facilities surrounding the reef. The regeneration of Boscombe, with the revitalisation of the Pier, Overstrand and new surfing facilities, restaurants and shops are really transforming Boscombe into an exciting surfing destination in the UK .
Dr Kerry Black discusses plans for Europe’s First Artificial Surf Reef.
Read a transcription of this interview.
Link to Google video.
