überdog magazine by überdog magazine

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meet ‘the dog’

Festive

Frolics carved onto We’ll it’s certainly been an interesting few weeks. I’ve had my face force of the a pumpkin, been hit by a Supercross bike (or two!) and felt the full wind in a blokart, and that’s just the beginning…

hristmas shopping hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind I must confess. There have been far more interesting things to do such as hitting the singletrack in the rain, joining an adventure race in the dark and trying my hand at freestyle skiing. Santa’s little helper I’m not, but I am having a hound of a time scaring myself silly. Of course, there are always people out there who are madder than me and I had the pleasure of meeting a few of them recently. There was the nutty BMX collector, Neil Wilkinson whose collection of retro bikes had me drooling. Check out his pride and joy on page 28.

Then there were the Wolfe boys. What can I say, Dan and Gerard Wolfe are two of the most exciting downhill racers in Ireland and with Dan winning the Irish National Championship in 2010, they are also the guys to beat in the year ahead. We meet them for a track rekkie in Ravensdale wood and had a ball of a time. These guys may

the National Lead Climbing Championships and British Supercross action at its best in Belfast. Just to prove I’m not all talk and no action, I put my butt where my bite is and try my hand at Blokart racing on page 63. Of course we couldn’t have printed a winter issue without including snow sports and although we haven’t been blessed with any of the white stuff yet, we headed to Ski Club Ireland for some lessons in freestyle skiing see the results on page 32. This exciting new sport is attracting a real youth following and proves that when you throw away the rule book and let style and creativity take over, you can have a whole lotta fun. If you take your slope style seriously you’ll love our round-up of the latest skiwear, goggles and boots I’m just sorry they don’t make them for mammals of the four legged variety! Enjoy the read and keep your nose clean!

their attitude to mtb reminded me what sport should be all about - getting out there and having a blast! take their racing seriously, but boring they weren’t and their ‘thrills and spills’ attitude to mtb reminded me what sport should be all about getting out there and having a blast! But it’s not just me that does all the hard work round here. Uberdog wouldn’t be half as good as it is (modest eh?) without the help of all our contributors - sports people in the know who dedicate their time to bringing you reports on the latest sporting events across the country. This issue we’ve got surf contest reviews; a report from the legendary Sluice Rodeo; results from

And the winners are… Congratulations to our issue four competition winners: RAY MEARS LIVE TICKETS Kieran Devlin, Belfast BRITISH SUPERCROSS TICKETS Sarah Gray, Dromore NI KITESURFING LESSONS John Taylor, Banbridge ENTIES X CLICHÉ JAMESON SHOES AND PRO BOARD David Gray, County Down

you can follow our paw prints at: www.facebook.com/uberdogmag

Got a sport you want to tell us about? Get in touch on editorial@ uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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NAME:

DOES:

BLURB:

Rob has been working with publications in Northern Ireland for over 21 years and was the original creator of überdog back in 1996. Steering the magazine along in a style akin to a stagecoach going down the side of a mountain may look easy, but Rob has perfected this ‘controlled chaos technique’ over many, many years.

An award winning magazine editor, überdog is Tara’s first venture into the world of extreme sports and she’s having a blast! When she’s not at the computer you’ll usually find her in the great outdoors trying to tire out her three kids - anything for a good nights sleep!

Rob Doherty

tara Craig

Big Dog at überdog

Best seat in the house, until it starts raining quads...

Editor & Wordsmith

that’s a mighty fine ass you got there...

NAME:

Peter Stewart

Andrew McCombe DOES: advertising sales

Andy’s latest sales strategy - Lassoing clients

DOES:

BLURB: Never one to shy away from a challenge, Andy

Wicked wakeboarding moves

couldn't turn down the offer to work with Team Woof and help bring uberdog to the world. With a creative background including visual design, lens-based media and copyright, Andy's eye for detail keeps our clients and supporters happy. Fond of the outdoors he likes nothing more than to be hiking in the Mourne Mountains on days off. And for added adventure he recently took up rock climbing - a bit of an allrounder is Andy.

BLURB: With five Irish Championships, a 3rd place at the World Championships Orlando Florida and a 3rd place at the European Championships under his belt, Peter has been heavily involved with the growth of Wakeboarding throughout Ireland for most of his life. While still competing Peter is now focused on helping others learn the sport and is one of the country's leading wakeboarding coaches.

‘Wake’ me up before you... oh, you’ve already heard that one

NAME:

DOES:

BLURB: 14 year old Luke has risen to local fame thanks to his YouTube site which he uses to post skate footage taken in bizzare locations across Northern Ireland. Luke contacted the magazine offering to do a series of skate tutorials for beginners and we were so impressed with his style and skill that we just had to say yes!

BLURB: Dave will be taking you from mtb novice to nutter over the next few issues. Dave started out on his trusty Grifter 22 years ago, complete with lollipop stick attached to the back wheel for extra speed and noise! He developed his love of mountain biking after buying one off a bent copper and has mastered the art to become Ireland's most qualified guide and coach.

Luke Humphreys

Dave Youngs

Skate trickster

Is the pen mightier than the board?

Sith lord of the saddle

If anyone could teach Eamonn Holmes downhill - it was Dave

NAME:

Iain Gilmore

Aaron Wilson

DOES:

personal training

Surf Guru

Getting extremely ‘board’ the Gilmore way...

Prepare to be introduced to my best friend

PAIN!

BLURB: Jersey born, Iain is a champion surfer living in Fanad, County Donegal. With 28 years surf experience and a string of awards to his credit, we thought he was the perfect man for the job of ‘surf correspondent’. When he’s not down on the beach, Iain can be found at his Adventure One Surf School on Ballyheirnan Bay, Fanad.

The new pool in the

BLURB: Once a trainer for surf pros in Australia, Aaron has returned to Belfast where he works as a fitness manager at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. Aaron also offers one-to-one fitness coaching as part of Belfast Personal Training.

Merchant ROCKED...

NAME:

Graeme Livingstone

marty McCann

DOES:

Front line combat sport correspondent

Waveski expert

BLURB: 22 year old Graeme is überdogs tamed version of Rambo. Known by his call sign - Century Child, he has been playing airsoft for nearly four years and enjoys nothing more than a good skirmish. Being a big fan of extreme sports and an ex-bmxer he was keen to introduce a fresh new sport to the list in überdog.

current Irish Waveski champ, Marty McCann is also a British Canoe Union level 5 coach surf and a Beach Lifeguard trainer and assessor . Marty lives in south Donegal where he offers paddlesport coaching through www.oceanaddicts.com. As if that isn’t enough Marty also enjoys a spot of kayaking, mountain biking and general mincing!

BLURB: World European Waves competitor and

Not quite sure which way around this photo goes...

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the

s t n e cont

issue five Dec 2010 / Jan 2011ad

Puppy’s Privates

Mütt Snutts, überdog’s roving reporter sniffs out the latest word on the street.

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überdog meets the Irish National Downhill Champion, Dan Wolfe and his brother Gerard as they prepare for the season ahead

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downhill

Double Trouble

Main Picture: L-R Gerard and Dan Wolfe

überdog meets Irish Downhill Champion Daniel Wolfe and his brother Gerard as they gear up to set tracks on fire in Europe and beyond…

ith a big reputation and an even bigger image to live up to, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Wolfe brothers. We meet for pictures at hit Ravensdale and the lads are an instant drool with the local rookies who stare and over their spanking Specialized bikes, new latest Troy helmets and sparkling goggles. Oakley Yep, there’s no doubt that these boys look every inch the seasoned DH racers that they are, but what’s more impressive is their down to earth demeanor which says ‘yeah we may be champions, but we’re still just Dan and Ger out on our bikes’. That said, the guys are treated with god-like reverence by the local bikers reminding me that I am in very good company. A quick synopsis of the Wolfe this: brothers career to date reads like Both race in pro elite, Gerard from 2004 and Dan from 2005; both have the world represented their country all over under and both have a string of victories 19/11/10 024-025 Longboards V01.qxp their belt.

This year Dan was crowned the Irish National Champion and with Gerard now free from studies and able to devote himself to his

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sport, the duo are eagerly anticipating what 2011 holds. “2010 was a good season,” begins Dan. “Sometimes it’s hard to put look at yourself outside the situation and what you’re doing or have done or now that achieved during the season. But can see we’ve had some time to reflect, we that we had some really good results. the “We learnt a lot more this year about just mental game behind racing. It’s not of the day about riding your bike. At the end looking it’s about racing well. It’s not about from the good on a bike, it’s about getting

It’s about understanding the fundamentals and approaching a track with confidence.” Recalling his National Championship in a victory Dan says: “My head was just good place at the champs, I qualified knew I second with a few mistakes and I and kept it could go faster so I kept my cool together and it all came together nicely.” Dan On the world cup circuit however “I wasn’t so pleased with his results: so my dislocated my elbow in Fortwilliam dreadful. was year this Season World Cup and “My plan was to go to Fortwilliam qualify and use that confidence and the experience to go on and do well in

“It’s silly between two worlds,” he reveals. against going to a race where you’re racing that pros and giving yourself the excuse this in you’re just an amateur who’s doing in his spare time. You have to put yourself guys the mind frame that you are with these always and you are one of them, but it’s not easy. good “For the Irish Championships I felt won the and I knew I could win it. Now I’ve I can national champs in every category retire,” he laughs is really He’s joking of course. Retirement racing the last thing on Daniel’s mind, but to isn’t number one either as he continues juggle books with bikes. at the “I’m in my final year in college so books moment so I’ve got my head in the anything and I don’t have much time to do been bike related. To be honest, I’ve hardly in on a DH bike in the last month. I cycle town so and out of college and I cycle into getting I’m still in alright nick, it’s just I’m not wont until much DH biking in and I probably I finish in the summer.” The frustrations of putting education Gerard is before passion is something that “I’ve just all too familiar with as he reveals: spending graduated as a civil engineer after tough as five years straight in college. It was on every year that wasn’t spent focused and racing I noticed my race times dropping my definitely was It slipping. my placement me back. education commitments that held on from Austrian World Cup and continue the But now I’m free to go full time with which there but I wasn’t able to race either biking, which is exciting. wasn’t set me back a bit and my head game year “If I’m honest, last year was a hard great from there on.” for me,” Gerard continues. “I committed For Dan it seems to be a case of mind so I myself to my studies for my final year, with over matter and he admits to struggling maybe out was I bike. my on out got rarely the demands of every day life. I did I once a month at the most and when also “It’s difficult. I’m a pro racer but I’m ended up injuring myself. pulled studying Fine Art in college so I’m

MTB guru Dave Young’s guide to biking basics

ovingit L Longtime

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

longboarding

Paddy

No gain without pain!

rs reaching speeds of 40mph überdog meets six longboade riding to the next level at home… who are taking downhill crazy stuff. Please, don’t try this Pictures: Roger Bonnar and doing some seriously

eet the Longboaders: Paddy Parke, age 21; Johnny Bonnar, age 20; Brendan Parke, age 20; John Allen, youngest

age 18; Roger Bonnar, age18 and recruit Peter Bonnar, age 13.

When did you get into longboarding? five years. PP: “We’ve been into it for roughly and as It started off as a means of transport It’s something to do when there’s no surf. dew really a dry weather sport, but a light makes for a great slide session!”

What is it about the longboard that got you hooked? JA: “I like the graphics on the bottom...” the BP: “The wheels, I like the shape of wheels…” RB: “It makes my soul feel free…” PB: “It is a means of travelling to remote fishing destinations...” PP: “My longboard completes me...” JB: “I do it for the chicks...”

Where do you like to take your board and why?

encounters with cars; Paddy longboarded The down the M2 into Belfast at 2am and in the Parkes did some epic downhill riding Scottish Highlands.”

PP: Lush Bahari and Loaded Dervish JB: BC Eel and Arbor Kelly Slater BP: Lush Bahari JA: Loaded Dervish RB: Bustin Strike and Lush Bahari PB: Loaded Tan Tien

“Life without risk is no life at all” The Brotherhood 2010. o

we reached speeds of up to 40mph plus travelling Dam... down the road at Spelga

Johnny

The Brotherhood 2010

Skate Basiks

and PP: “Backside drifts, pendulum slides likes stand-up 180’s, the Bonnars dad (Brian) the faceplant!”

Meet retro BMX collector Neil Wilkinson and prepare to be very, very jealous

Luke Humpreys stepby-step guide to pulling off a perfect Tre-flip

loving it long time

überdog meets the six longboarders who are taking downhill riding to the next level

the dog digs

überdog sniffs out the latest, products, best kit and greatest gear on the market

ack in the 80s it was every boy’s dream to own a BMX. Neil Wilkinson was one such boy, except at the last minute he changed his mind and this fateful decision was to shape his future. “I always wanted a Raleigh Burner,” Neil recalls. “I was going to get one for Christmas and I remember going into the bike shop and sitting on one and then at the last minute I changed my mind and got a Scaletrix instead. Crazy I know…but as I result I never owned a Burner, so twenty odd years later, when I wanted to get a retro bike the Raleigh Mag Burner was top of my wish list.” Aged 32, Neil has been collecting BMXs for the last three years and his collection started with that childhood dream, the Mag Burner. “I wanted a bike to take away in the VW camper van. My wife had a chopper and I wanted something old and retro to go with it so the Mag was perfect. A mint one was too expensive, I only wanted a cheap one at the time, so I bought a really rough one and did it up and I was hooked from there on.” As Neil admits, ‘one bike is never enough’ but that first buy and the thrill of the chase is something he’ll never forget. “My first bike was fairly complete but it really was a total shambles. So my plan was to restore it and get out there riding on it. Finding the Mag was a great feeling and I’ve never lost that excitement. The buzz when you find a bike or a rare part is unbeatable.” Not really knowing where to start on his first restoration project Neil hit the internet and soon found himself drawn into a world of

go freeski

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BMX

überdog meets Neil Wilkinson a retro BMX collector whose collection had us drooling…

überdog joins the Salomon Freeski Gromcamp and interviews two of the biggest names in freestyle skiing

BMX enthusiasts: “It’s a massive community out there. When you first think you want a Raleigh burner you imagine you’re going to be one of few that want one, but there are thousands of followers in the UK. “There are some great classic BMX forums online where all the information and parts you need can be found,” Neil continues. “There are guys trading parts, selling bikes and swapping bikes all the time. The websites were a great source of information - anything I needed to know could be found online.” After completing the restoration of his white Mag Burner Neil was on a roll and he hasn’t

stopped since. “The next bike I wanted was the Raleigh Team Burner - one of the most famous colour schemes in the Burner range. After that, each time I got a bike, I was on the look out for another model and there’s still lots out there I would like to say I’ve owned.” When asked the size of his collection Neil suddenly goes coy: “I don’t actually know, it chops and changes all the time. I buy, sell and trade with other collectors in England. Parcel Force is here on a regular basis bringing bikes in and out.” At a rough count Neil had 20-odd BMX bikes sitting in his purpose-built out building when we visited, all of which he has brought

The collector’s Holy Grail - an immaculate Raleigh Aero Pro Burner

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eye spy

Performance eyewear for the slopes

get the drift

Show off on the slopes in the latest ski jackets and pants

22 43

Brendan jumps Paddy

Brendan and Paddy

Parting words?

What is your favourite move?

to 40mph JB: “Well we reached speeds of up Dam plus travelling down the road at Spelga had in the Mournes. A couple of us have

5 minutes of fame

Skater Alex Hayes spins a trick or two

Brendan Parke

What boards do you ride?

PP: “Any hills on the north coast and do a lot occasional trips to the Mournes. We of night skating in Coleraine and Portstewart anywhere when the roads are quieter. Really with a good surface and a good hill.”

What is the most radical thing you have done on your board?

From Novice to Nutter

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and to do top to the bottom of the hill quick the right that you have to have your head in place and be positive. “Racing for me isn’t about being ballsy.

double trouble

BMX

old school rocks

put your foot in it

Dressing for the slopes starts with your feet

wake up to wakeboarding

Peter Stewart’s insider guide to wakeboarding

wet & ready paddlesports

Adrian Durrant reports on the paddle action from Dublin’s celebrated Sluice Rodeo

Wet & Ready

:Wavesport Sluice Rodeo On Saturday 16th October the countries freestyle paddlers descended on a small village on the outskirts of Dublin for the celebrated Sluice Rodeo. Pictures: Niamh Cleary & John Flanagan Event organiser Adrian Durrant reports on the action...

youth over experience

paddlesports

he sluice, as it is affectionately

known, is Dublin’s premier play spot and is viewed, a little like Marmite, with mixed feelings by those who love it and those who hate it but respectfully try it. The feature itself forms when the River Liffey floods and water constricts through an old sluice gate wall forming a hole/wave feature allowing opportunity for all freestyle tricks. Competitors travelled from all regions of the country to participate in one of the biggest events of the year, the Wavesport Sluice Rodeo. The whole competition took a fun format in the way of 15-minute jam sessions between five paddlers with a score sheet made up of variety including both tricks and fun elements. This format allows a lot of pressure to be taken off of the paddlers and gives people the chance to try bigger and more complex tricks with only the five highest scoring moves counting. The heats kicked off with the Junior Men, probably the most hotly contested event of the day. Performing huge loops, cartwheels and waves, the Junior Men mixed new school tricks with old school fun, showing the crowd what they love to do best. The Junior Women followed with a straight final between three young friends. It was, as always, was a close affair, with Caoimhe just pipping her sister Emer and good friend Niamh into 2nd and 3rd respectively. The Sport classes were next with a new category for this year, the Masters, comprising of over 35’s. There was a fun feeling about the event and the guys took to the water to strut their stuff with loads

of paddle spins, waves, rail grabs and even the odd air guitar. This year local lad, Garvan Smith (over 35), took the win in this, his first competition, having been paddling for just over a year. The Women’s Expert category went straight to final and all three ladies walked away with the exact same score meaning the prizes had to be shared amongst the three! Last heat up was the Expert Men. This is really where the men are separated from the boys! Entertaining the crowd the experts really worked the sluice proving that experience and practice really does help in a tricky feature! The men showed their class with huge space Godzilla’s, air loops and even the odd donkey flip for good luck. From the cool and controlled style of Ronnie to the high powered, fast rotating rides of Wongy, the men’s heats had it all. Out of the heats the top five riders went through to the finals in the afternoon, which kicked off with the Junior Men. Of the final five lads, two were locals and part of the increasingly famous “Sluice Crew”. Would this home advantage really pay off? Robbie showed that practice makes perfect with high scoring 265 landing loops and blunts with great vision and skill. The 2nd place also fell to a local lad, Alan Murphy, who was Junior League winner in 2009 and 3rd

place went to new lad on the scene, Billy Brett from Kilkenny. In the Expert Men final spectators enjoyed 15 minutes of pure class as some of Irelands top paddlers lay down moves and rides. The event was hard fought but it was the local lads that came out top Tom Dunphy (100% Sluice Nut), taking 1st with a huge score of 450. Second place went to event organiser Adrian Durrant and in 3rd place was Moogie, a monster of a man paddling a Gui Gui, showing glimpses of how big a composite boat will, and can, go in the Dublin Sluice. After the finals it was time for the Boater X, a fun event where all the paddlers start upstream, paddling down and through the Sluice with the first one making it to the bottom eddy winning. Picture 50 paddlers forcing their way through an 8ft gap and did I mention spray decks were banned! This caused some massive upsets with Derek Polo Conway taking the victory in a slalom boat brought along just for the occasion. The Evening Party, held at The Canoe Centre, Palmerstown, was sponsored by Wavesport Ireland, rounding off a truly amazing event for all. o n For more event information visit www.sluicerodeo.com

the experts really worked the sluice proving that experience and practice really does help in a tricky feature...

There was everything to fight for at this year’s Rossnowlagh Intercounties Surf Contest AKA ds Woo es Jam on the cover: thing ‘Woodsy’ shows why he’s the hottest in freestyle ski. Photograph: The Big Dog 46

ON THE COVER

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battle of the ages

men of the mournes

flannel panel

Surf contest veteran Iain Gilmore reports on the first leg of the North West Surf Club’s mini surf tour, ‘The Cold Water Classic’

Meet the threesome behind the newly edited ‘Rock Climbs in the Mournes’ and discover what makes their world rock

BMX

combat news

Bang, bang, what’s happening in the world of combat sports? 29

Men

mountaineering Craig likes to ‘hang’ out in the Mournes

of the

Mournes When we heard a new edition of ‘Rock Climbs in the Mournes’ had hit the shelves we went on a quest to find out more about the three men behind the words and pictures…

Craig Hiller

AGE: 29 LIVES: Belfast INTERESTS: Rock climbing, photography DAY JOB: Rope Access Technician HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO CLIMBING? A good friend of mine from school introduced me to the sport. He worked in an outdoor retail shop at the time and encouraged me to try it. He took me into the mountains and threw me in the deep end.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU LOVE THIS SPORT MORE THAN ANY OTHER? I love the solitary aspect to it, the natural beauty of the environment surrounding you and leaving your troubles behind. Even though you climb with a partner when you are leading up a route it is your own thought process and sole ability that gets you to the top (or not).

WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN YOU DISCOVERED THE SPORT? I was roughly 22 at the time. WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN PRODUCING THE GUIDEBOOK? I was the photographer and coordinator for the guidebook. My job was to take all the crag photos and capture as many climbing shots as I could. I also contributed my own mountain images from my website. (www.hillerscapes.co.uk)

HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ‘ROCK CLIMBS IN THE MOURNES’ COME ABOUT? Over the last ten years I have been exploring and photographing the Mournes at great length which enabled me to produce a large stock of landscape and rock climbing images. It was common knowledge amongst local climbers that an updated guide for the area was long overdue so when Mountaineering Ireland put out a tender it was something I felt passionate about doing.

WHERE DO YOU MOST ENJOY CLIMBING? I have a soft spot for the Mournes as I began walking and photographing these hills before I started rock climbing. No matter where I go in the world I always look forward to coming back to the Mournes. WHAT IS YOUR

FAVOURITE IRISH CLIMB? I don’t know if I have a single favourite. One of my favourites is a route called Satanic Majesty at Slieve Beg in the Mournes. It is a long leaning corner graded E2 5b and has a brilliant exposed top out leading to the summit of Beg.

DID YOU ENJOY THE PROJECT ? I thoroughly enjoyed the project. I obviously enjoyed walking in the mountains and photographing the crags and working along side Ricky and Simon. It was exciting to see my images put into design and see the guidebook come together. The only dislike I can think of was the weather getting in the way of the photography. o

CRAIG’S FAVOURITE MOURNE CLIMB:

SLIEVE BEG

My favourite crag has to be Slieve Beg. The reason being it is quite remote and has a large concentration of good quality routes (***) with long pitches. The approach takes over an hour which puts off the lazy climbers but it is a mountain crag after all and takes a bit of effort to get there. The introduction from the guidebook says it all. ‘This is perhaps the best mountain crag in the Mournes, situated in a commanding position at the head of the Annalong Valley. It has previously had a lot of neglect with a lack of traffic resulting in overgrowing routes. Though recent efforts have seen some of the best new lines being established and a renewed interest in existing routes. It has a remote, big adventurous feel for the Mournes and combined with the long but reasonable approach it should be much more popular.’

team woof:

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big dog: Robert Doherty email: rob@uberdogmagazine.co.uk telephone: 077 1184 6246

custom airsoft weapons

Graeme Livingstone reviews how to upgrade your weapon and discovers that the sky’s the limit

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mountaineering

pawed and tested

Multi-purpose pocket knives get put to the test

editor: Tara Craig n The busy assembly area

Dedicated adventure racer Michael Regan shares is experience of the challenging new 10km Stormont Estate course, the first race in the 26 Extreme Winter Series... THURSDAY 4th November and I arrived at the already busy car park at Stormont Estate at 7pm. There was a great atmosphere and it was great to see a lot of new faces from last years series. The 26extreme team had everything set up and ready. Registration was a fast process and once I'd got my chip and number it was off for a quick warm up before the race briefing. Ian welcomed everyone to the 2nd 26extreme Winter Series Race 1 and talked us through the course, a clockwise lap of the trails around Stormont Estate. The loop was 5km and we would do this twice. The trails were mainly hard packed gravel through trees with one section on the tarmac road running down the hill. I was around the front and sat with the lead group as we left the start line. We crossed the road at the main gates to Stormont and into the trees at the other side. The trail was very wet with puddles dotted around the flatter sections. This section was proper dark but everyone’s head torches lit the place up well. The trail took us along the left side of the grounds climbing all the time with a few sharp hills opening up the pack. I eased up a bit here and started to run my own race and let the lead group go ahead. Lets be honest, I was never going to sit with them for the whole race let alone this lap! Crossing the road at the side entrance we rejoined the trail and headed up to the top bridge. Finally a good descent to get the breathing back on track and open the legs up a bit. We followed the trail down to the road turning left onto the tarmac where Rowan from 26extreme was standing on the sidelines cheering us all on. Then it was a short climb to the roundabout and a right turn down the main road. The pace picked up again on the down hill. Good light and the descent made this section fast for most. We crossed the road and joined the trail again heading into the right of the grounds. This took us out along side the football pitches and back through another dark wooded section to the start finish. One Lap complete 00:20:59mins. Ian from 26extreme was also cheering everyone at the halfway point and taking photos as we passed the chip timing station. I got a few words of encouragement from a mate who had come down to see the race which helped me pick up the pace again. I pushed on feeling o.k. apart from my breathing. My legs felt o.k. and wasn't tired yet, although second time round the hill did feel a lot longer! Rounding the bridge for the second time I knew I had to make up some lost ground so I got my head back, sucked in as much air as I could and took off down the hill. I had my eyes closed as the light from the head torch reflected off the moisture from my breath making it really hard to see. I knew the path was straight and just kept going taking the odd look to see if I was still on course. Thankfully I had a clear run coming out of the trees and onto the road section. I even managed to pass a few people that had passed me on the climb and kept a steady pace going into the last wooded section. Rounding the last corner three abreast we took off for the line. One passed me and I managed to stay ahead of the other guy. Second lap was a much slower 00:23:35mins with a total time of 00:44:34mins. A fair bit of my PB for 10km but a tougher course than I had anticipated. The new course was good and as always the organisation was top class. Thanks to Rowan and Ian at 26extreme for another excellent event and to Surf Mountain for the discount vouchers. For more race blogs from Michael, visit www.26extreme.com

email: editorial@uberdogmagazine.co.uk telephone: 078 1740 1844

n Scott Nelson (225) and Robin Alexander (199)

n Michael Regan

n Paul Duffy

n First place man home Geoff Smyth (212) in a time of 35:44

sales: Andy McCombe email: andy@uberdogmagazine.co.uk telephone: 077 0860 9872

n 7pm, Thursday 4th November, Stormont Estate - and the 2010/11 26 Extreme Winter Series is go...

n Stephen Farr (223) and Kathryn Bell (222)

n Daniel Young

n Mark Cassidy (224) and Eimear King (205) at the start of the 10k

Keep up to date with Team Woof at

n First place woman home was Hazel McLaughlin (42) in a time of 44:42 n Steve Cooke

n Joe Gavin

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Investigate, Spectate and Participate

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Blow the cobwebs away with a Blokarting session

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A report from the first race in the 26extreme Winter Race Series

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supercross comes to belfast

Pictures from the first round of the British Supercross Championship

70 paddlesports place went to new lad on the scene, Billy Brett from Kilkenny. In the Expert Men final spectators enjoyed 15 minutes of pure class as some of Irelands top paddlers lay down moves and rides. The event was hard fought but it was the local lads that came out top Tom Dunphy (100% Sluice Nut), taking 1st with a huge score of 450. Second place went to event organiser Adrian Durrant and in 3rd place was Moogie, a monster of a man paddling a Gui Gui, showing glimpses of how big a composite boat will, and can, go in the Dublin Sluice. After the finals it was time for the Boater X, a fun event where all the paddlers start upstream, paddling down and through the Sluice with the first one making it to the bottom eddy winning. Picture 50 paddlers forcing their way through an 8ft gap and did I mention spray decks were banned! This caused some massive upsets with Derek Polo Conway taking the victory in a slalom boat brought along just for the occasion. The Evening Party, held at The Canoe Centre, Palmerstown, was sponsored by Wavesport Ireland, rounding off a truly amazing event for all. o n For more event information visit www.sluicerodeo.com

y e t e a

Volume 2: Issue 5 was published by

the height of success

email: info@pigsearpublishing.co.uk web: www.pigsearpublishing.co.uk

climbing climbing

Height of Success

Louis Mulloy 1st senior male

printed by

The National Lead Climbing Competition took place at Play-at-Height wall, Dingle, on Saturday 16th October. This year saw a bigger turnout of competitors than last and a great standard of entries… pictures: Rob Davies

he competition begins with two qualifying routes with the six highest scoring competitors on these two routes progressing to the final. Scores are allocated for every hold reached by the competitors. Rachel Cooper took 1st place in Junior Female and Vanessa Woods took 2nd. In the Junior Male category the final route took on Play-at-Heights most overhanging wall, with positive but steep climbing through the initial section, and some very tricky sloping holds above. Andrew Colligan took 1st by the narrowest of margins, with Austin O’Currain a very close 2nd. The 3rd place was a three way tie between Jamie Rankin, Dominic Burns and Eoin Acton, whose small stature and dynamic style greatly impressed the audience.

In the Female final it was another extremely close finish, Rachel Copper won through because of her strong performance in the morning round. Third place went to Joan Mulloy, who reached a point just one hold behind Beatriz Baselga who took second place. The Men’s final route tackled the middle section of the competition wall, but what the route lacked in steepness, in made up for in sloping holds and dynamic moves. Louis Mulloy coped extremely well with the climbing style, and put in a great performance to take 1st place. With just two holds separating the top three competitors, Neal Mc Quaid took 2nd and Eddie Cooper 3rd. o

W&G Baird, Antrim

all the competitors either topped, or were within a hold of the top on the first route...

Andrew Colligan 1st Junior Male

web: www.wgbaird.com

Neal McQuaid 2nd Senior Male

Rachel Cooper Senior and Junior Champion

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Beatriz Baselga on the Women's Final Route

EM News Distribution Belfast & Dublin

Highlights from the National Lead Climbing Competition in Dingle

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travel

one for all

GOING TO EXTREMES The Med may offer sea and sunshine, but it you’re a get-up and go kinda you may want to travel a little further afield for your holiday high. guy, Here are our top destinations for extreme holiday fun…

A team building Duke of Edinburgh expedition to the Isle of Arran in Scotland

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Mountain biking in Tibet, The Roof of the

World Experience the world's longest mountain bike descent from Tibet into Nepal and bike across the Pang La with unrestricted views of the Himalayas. Pioneered by KE Adventure Travel in 1994, this classic mountain biking holiday from Lhasa to Kathmandu is a long and demanding cycle ride on sometimes rough and ever changing roads across Tibet to Nepal. The route navigates six major passes and through the unforgettable monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar. Detouring from the main highway, you’ll climb the hairpin bends to reach the Pang La and enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Everest, before continuing to camp in the Rongbuk Valley, beneath Everest's north face. Finally, as you reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau you’ll be faced with a mind-blowing descent of 4600 metres (15,000ft) via the border town of Zangmu into Nepal. This is one of the toughest and most rewarding biking journeys on earth! DATES: 18 September 2010 & 9 April, 30 April 2011. PRICE: Land-only price £2,295 for 21 days. Flights from the UK will be an additional £750. HOW TO BOOK: Contact KE Adventure Travel, www.keadventuretravel.com

Into the wild Kayaking in Antarctica Imagine bumping through the ice, gliding across a glassy bay with the mountains and glaciers reflected in the water, or dodging a raft of porpoising penguins…these are just a few of the experiences you can expect to enjoy on a sea kayaking trip in Antartica. The program is designed for people with an adventurous spirit and basic paddling skills with sea kayak excursions being tailored to your ability. All specialist kayaking equipment is provided, you just need to bring your suncream and sunglasses.

One family’s holiday experience at Salt Island Bothy

going to extremes

Play in the Alps, Area 47, Tirol, Austria One of the most extraordinary outdoor adventure playgrounds in the Alps, AREA 47, has opened its doors. Located at the entrance to the Ötz valley in the Austrian Tirol, this ultimate theme park offers climbing, canyoning, rafting, mountain biking and much more. Test your balance 30m above ground on the high rope course, your physical limits on the climbing wall or race against the clock on one of the speed climbing routes. For a thrilling descent, ride 400m on the ‘Flying Fox’, experience a true freefall adventure on the ‘Powerfan’ or swing across the Ötztaler Ache on the ‘Megaswing’. Water lovers will have a splashing time with a rafting or kayaking adventure on the Ötztaler Ache and Inn River, canyon through the picturesque gorges or for speed on dry land try the go-cart or KTM Electro tracks. DATES: Open all year round PRICE: Activity prices start at €8 for the climbing wall, rising to €78 for a rock and caving experience. Stay overnight in an authentic Tepee or traditional log cabin with prices starting from €22 B&B per person per night (sleep up to seven) or from €32 per person per night in a lodge (sleep up to four). HOW TO BOOK: For more information visit www.area47.at or call +43 5266 8 76 76.

DATES: Various trips from Nov 2010 – March 2011 COST: Sea kayaking is an optional activity while enjoying a One Ocean Expeditions Cruise. Cruises start from $5590 pp with the sea kayaking costing and additional $750 pp. HOW TO BOOK: For more details and to book visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

Cycle Machu Picchu, Peru This exciting new biking route is set to become an Andean cycling classic and is a unique way to bike to discover the beauty of Machu Picchu. Starting out on the shores of Lake Titicaca, this exceptional biking expedition traverses a rarely visited part of Peru, following littleused dirt roads across the High Andes and passing through stunning scenery en route to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The trip culminates in a trip to visit the amazing lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. Expect to encounter Llamas, amazing rock formations and the very rare puya raimondii, with its 10 metre-high flower spike. DATES: 2011 dates to be confirmed PRICE: Land-only cost of approx. £1,495 for 13 days. For flights expect to pay around £945 from the UK. Hire a full suspension Kona bike for only US$100 HOW TO BOOK: Contact KE Adventure Travel, www.keadventuretravel.com

Ski the Seventh Continent Get off the beaten track and ski among the stunning Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica, the seventh continent, with Antarctic operator Adventure Network International (ANI). The skiing program is tailored to suit the client – whether you are an experienced ski mountaineer wanting to make first descents on Antarctica's hidden peaks or a downhill skier with little off-piste experience looking to improve your back-country touring skills in an extraordinary setting. Choose either an expedition-style ski program where you venture off with a guide carrying all your supplies for a self-supported trip, or enjoy day tours from the comfort of a base camp carrying only a small daypack with some warm clothing and food for the day. DATES: 16 - 29 December 2010 (14 days) / 10 - 23 January 2011 (14 days) PRICE: $23,250 per person including round trip flights Punta Arenas to Antarctica; airport transfers; meals and accommodation while in Antarctica; group camping and mountaineering equipment; expedition guide and support of staff physician throughout the journey. International flights to Punta Arenas are not included in the price. HOW TO BOOK: For more details and to book visit www.adventure-network.com

Skydiving in New South Wales, Australia Experience the ultimate adrenaline rush on this rapid progression accelerated free fall skydiving course in Moruya, near Batemans Bay where you’ll be skydiving without the aid of an instructor attached to you in just one week DATES: Whenever suits! PRICE: 7 days from £2,026 per person including accommodation, meals, activities and tuition. International flights not included. Flights: Belfast to Sydney available from £930. HOW TO BOOK: www.statravel.co.uk or call 08712308512

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Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices and dates correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. überdog cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material or photographs or for the views and opinion of our advertisers. For competition terms and conditions visit www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk The views expressed by contributors and correspondents in articles, reports, reviews and other contributions do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Accordingly, the publisher is not responsible for any such view, nor for any act or omission on the part of any such contributor or correspondent. Neither is any responsibility accepted by the publisher for any loss or damage caused to any person relying on any statement in, or omission from überdog magazine.

paddle travel sports

Camel Trekking in South Australia

Camel trekking is an exciting alternative touring option for exploring South Australia’s magnificent Flinders Ranges. One of the most experienced operators in the region is Pichi Richi Camel Tours run by a fourth generation family of cameleers, the Cannards offer camel safaris, tours and rides ranging from a half hour camel riding experience to a four-day camel safari through some of the oldest landscapes on earth. DATES: Bookings to be arranged in advance PRICE: Prices vary depending on the package booked. A two-day camel safari including two camel rides per day, a gourmet 3-course meal and an overnight stay in a native bush camp costs from AUD$550 (approx £332) per person but you can enjoy a one-hour ride for as little as AUD$35 (approx £21). Flights additional. HOW TO BOOK: Visit www.pichirichicameltours.com for booking details

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Top destinations for extreme holiday fun in the months ahead 5

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CRC Tops Which? Poll

Mütt Snutts, überdog’s roving reporter reveals the latest word on the street…

Check out what all the Hype's about HYPE Urban Sports Store has moved to a spanking new shop at 4 Nelson Street, Belfast. Perfectly placed directly in front of what will be the new Bridges Skate Park, Hype is bringing BMX and skateboarding right into the city centre. Three times bigger than the previous shop at Unit 13, Hype now has a bigger and better selection of BMX and skate stock, together with stylish gear for other urban sports including inline, scooter, and even yo-yos! The Hype Team have years of BMX and skateboarding knowledge and experience and continue to deliver good deals, premium service and custom-spec designs. So get down there, get kitted out and help make Belfast the place for urban sports. Hype Urban Sports Store, located at the junction of M1, M2, M3, Westlink and Sydenham Bypass, with car parking outside. Tel: 02890 245 241 and online at www.hypebmxstore.com

OUR VERY own home-grown retail giant, Chain Reaction Cycles received an impressive 93% in a Which? Customer satisfaction survey beating top names such as Amazon, John Lewis and Mark & Spencer. Way to go guys. DID YOU KNOW? Chain Reaction Cycles started 25 years ago, with just £1500. Since then the company has grown from a small shop in Ballynure, County Antrim, to be a giant of internet mail-order, employing 450 people and shipping over 5000 parcels a day from its 100,000sqft purpose built facility still located in Northern Ireland!

T13 is open for business T13 OPENED its doors on the 7th November and despite building work ongoing, it’s clear to all that this is going to one steaming skate park! With Unit 13 now closed, T13 in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter has just become the coolest indoor skate/ride/blade in town and over 100 people turned up to ride the ramps on the opening day. Open Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm and costing just £5, what will become ‘Scraps Ghetto Park’ got a rave reception from the skate fraternity and the T13 crew promise there are a lot more surprises still to come so watch this space!

The evolution of Revolution!

BIGGER, brighter and better than ever before, Revolution Bike Store has moved to new premises in Newry’s Loughway Business Park. Customers at the open night on the 30th October were impressed with the spacious showroom that has bags of room to show off the latest bikes, clothing and accessories. Shiny new specimens from some of the most coveted bike brands on the market can be found here including Specialized, Santa Cruz and Merida. Revolution also stocks a full range of female specific bikes. And if you like to look good while you ride there’s an impressive array of gear to choose from by leading names such as Specialized, Fox clothing, Hope, Oakley and Altura. Even the staff are cycling enthusiasts, which helps

when you’re looking for technical biking advice or just some plain talking. A bike servicing service is also offered and if you fancy splashing out on something more bespoke, a bike customization service is also available. What’s more, on proof of club membership, customers receive a 10% discount off the competitively priced accessories in store. Park up in the on-site parking, enjoy a freshly brewed coffee and shop at your leisure - we challenge you not to be impressed! Revolution Bike Store can be found at 7A Loughway Business Park, Greenbank Industrial Estate, Newry. Tel: 028 30832829 and online at www.revolutionbikestore.com

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Double Trouble überdog meets Irish Downhill Champion Daniel Wolfe and his brother Gerard as they gear up to set tracks on fire in Europe and beyond…

ith a big reputation and an even bigger image to live up to, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Wolfe brothers. We meet for pictures at Ravensdale and the lads are an instant hit with the local rookies who stare and drool over their spanking Specialized bikes, latest Troy helmets and sparkling new Oakley goggles. Yep, there’s no doubt that these boys look every inch the seasoned DH racers that they are, but what’s more impressive is their down to earth demeanor which says ‘yeah we may be champions, but we’re still just Dan and Ger out on our bikes’. That said, the guys are treated with god-like reverence by the local bikers reminding me that I am in very good company. A quick synopsis of the Wolfe brothers career to date reads like this: Both race in pro elite, Gerard from 2004 and Dan from 2005; both have represented their country all over the world and both have a string of victories under their belt.

This year Dan was crowned the Irish National Champion and with Gerard now free from studies and able to devote himself to his sport, the duo are eagerly anticipating what 2011 holds. “2010 was a good season,” begins Dan. “Sometimes it’s hard to put yourself outside the situation and look at what you’re doing or have done or achieved during the season. But now that we’ve had some time to reflect, we can see that we had some really good results. “We learnt a lot more this year about the mental game behind racing. It’s not just about riding your bike. At the end of the day it’s about racing well. It’s not about looking good on a bike, it’s about getting from the

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downhill

Main Picture: L-R Gerard and Dan Wolfe

top to the bottom of the hill quick and to do that you have to have your head in the right place and be positive. “Racing for me isn’t about being ballsy. It’s about understanding the fundamentals and approaching a track with confidence.” Recalling his National Championship victory Dan says: “My head was just in a good place at the champs, I qualified second with a few mistakes and I knew I could go faster so I kept my cool and kept it together and it all came together nicely.” On the world cup circuit however Dan wasn’t so pleased with his results: “I dislocated my elbow in Fortwilliam so my World Cup Season this year was dreadful. “My plan was to go to Fortwilliam and qualify and use that confidence and experience to go on and do well in the

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Austrian World Cup and continue on from there but I wasn’t able to race either which set me back a bit and my head game wasn’t great from there on.” For Dan it seems to be a case of mind over matter and he admits to struggling with the demands of every day life. “It’s difficult. I’m a pro racer but I’m also studying Fine Art in college so I’m pulled

between two worlds,” he reveals. “It’s silly going to a race where you’re racing against pros and giving yourself the excuse that you’re just an amateur who’s doing this in his spare time. You have to put yourself in the mind frame that you are with these guys and you are one of them, but it’s not always easy. “For the Irish Championships I felt good and I knew I could win it. Now I’ve won the national champs in every category I can retire,” he laughs He’s joking of course. Retirement is really the last thing on Daniel’s mind, but racing isn’t number one either as he continues to juggle books with bikes. “I’m in my final year in college so at the moment so I’ve got my head in the books and I don’t have much time to do anything bike related. To be honest, I’ve hardly been on a DH bike in the last month. I cycle in and out of college and I cycle into town so I’m still in alright nick, it’s just I’m not getting much DH biking in and I probably wont until I finish in the summer.” The frustrations of putting education before passion is something that Gerard is all too familiar with as he reveals: “I’ve just graduated as a civil engineer after spending five years straight in college. It was tough as every year that wasn’t spent focused on racing I noticed my race times dropping and my placement slipping. It was definitely my education commitments that held me back. But now I’m free to go full time with the biking, which is exciting. “If I’m honest, last year was a hard year for me,” Gerard continues. “I committed myself to my studies for my final year, so I rarely got out on my bike. I was out maybe once a month at the most and when I did I ended up injuring myself.

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Gerard sets the pace

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downhill

“In saying that, I did have some good results where I wasn’t too far off Dan’s times but my overall position looks bad because there are so many fast guys who are a split second faster and that pushed me down the rankings. “Now I’m able to get out 3-4 times a week and I’m noticing that I’m stronger and fitter. I’m also getting more used to the bike. The first time I rode this bike I was abroad - we literally packed the van and went as soon as I finished my exams so I hadn’t got any practice in. At that stage Dan was cleaning up in Ireland and doing really well internationally as well, so I was playing catch up.” With Dan buried in his studies and Gerard having more time to focus on the sport it could be that 2011 will be Gerard’s year. Either way, it’s a Wolfe win that matters: It wouldn’t have mattered who won the champs as long as one of us did it,” says Gerard. “Having that title to our name means that we have a better chance of getting support and coverage which could help with sponsorship.” With Cycleways and Specialized helping with the bikes and VW providing the team van, the boys have most of their needs covered, all they need now is a little financial support to see them through the coming season. “There’s no money from Cycling Ireland for DH at the moment,” explains Dan.

working perfectly it’s one less thing to worry about and you’re able to go faster, I feel.” With Gerard now able to drive, the brothers will be hitting the race circuit next year on their own, although it’s clear they’ll miss the help of their Dad: “Last year Dad drove the van for us and became our roadie,” reveals Dan. “He took care of us and drove us everywhere, but next year it will be just the two of us which will be a learning experience.” “We felt a bit like spoilt brats last year,” laughs Gerard. “We’d come back from a spin to a lovely prepared diner while the rest of the guys had to break down their bikes and make their own dinner, I think they were all a little bit jealous.” With cooked meals and a roadie on hand, life on the road with the Wolfe brothers sounds like fun. “Most of the riders are really cool,” says Dan. “We tend to hang out with the Scottish riders as they’re good craic and the Atherton’s are really fun too. Our dad gets on well with their dad, so it’s a bit like a big family.” With bigger ambitions than ever before, next years calendar is back to back, kicking off in the new year with a trip to New Zealand for Gerard. “There’s four guys from New Zealand in the top ten so I want to go there and do their race series and train with the top guys. Plus it will be summer there at that time of year and I love the heat!”

After that it’s on to the British series and then Canada taking in the world cup circuit as they go along. “The British series is a real learning curve,” says Dan. You are racing against the guys that are the best in the world, but you’re racing on a terrain that is more like ours, which makes that step up easier. It gives you a chance to prove to yourself that you deserve to be among them. Once you know that in your heart, it doesn’t matter what track you are competing on after that. “Next year, if everything falls into place I’d like to go pro and aim for the top. For me it has to be that way - it’s all or nothing.” So even after six years racing are the Wolfe brothers still feeling it every time they go out on their bike? “Absolutely,” says Gerard. “There is more to mountain biking than racing. I just love it. I’d go out in the lashing rain to drift around and do some jumps. It’s super fun. Sometimes I come down a hill laughing because it’s so much fun.” “Yeah,” adds Daniel. “If I didn’t get to cycle I’d go mental. A lot of people in my year in college are going a bit scatty. I need that that vent - it keeps me sane. I like to pick strange lines when I’m riding for the craic, that’s what keeps me interested. I’m always up for trying new things. “ I ask the guys which tracks they like to hit for practice and they laugh. “We don’t practice DH,” says Gerard, “ we rarely get the time, but we do try and get out for some

We are at each others throats now and again, I think that’s only natural - It can be competitive between us... “The priority seems to be Olympic hopefuls, which is understandable, but it makes it a lot harder for people like us that are trying to compete on an international level in a lesser known sport.” Grateful for the sponsorship help they have received over the years, the boys speak particularly fondly of Conrad and Michael from Cycleways in Dublin: “They have put their necks out so far for us,” says Gerard. “We learnt a lot from them and they helped us in the shop when they could, but when we are away it’s just us so we need to know how to do everything on the bike.” “On the plus side, you have to know how your bike works to know what it can do,” adds Dan. “When you know that your bike is

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• Bigger, brighter shop with on site parking • Bike showroom and clothing and accessories showroom • Friendly & knowledgeable staff, all of whom cycle • Bike Brands: Specialized, Santa Cruz, Merida • Accessories brands include: Specialized, Fox clothing, Hope, Oakley & Altura • Full range of female specific bikes and accessories available • Bike Servicing and building • Coffee Machine • club members recieve 10% discount off accessories with proof of club membership

Revolution Bike Store | 7A Loughway Business Park | Greenbank Industrial Estate | Newry | BT34 2TH

Telephone: 028 30832829 E-mail: info@revolutionbikestore.com

website: www.revolutionbikestore.com

SUSPENSION CENTRE IRELAND’S ONLY AUTHORISED FOX RACING SHOX WARRANTY AND SERVICE CENTRE Unit 49 KCR Industrial Estate, Ravensdale Park | Kimmage, Dublin 12 | Ireland

tel (00 353 1) 49 29 552 email info@octuning.ie Team Rider: Greg Callaghan

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Team Rider: Meave Baxter

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XC and we love dirt jumps. Enniskerry and the Wicklow mountains are great. There’s a hill behind our house that we use to practice on. It’s a series of corners and turns and we put in times against the clock there.” “Flow Racing is our team and we hold races in Carrick,” adds Dan. “It’s a quick track where you can build up lots of speed. The lead mines are great too. We don’t go and build tracks, we are more into natural features. We literally clear a corner and then hit it until it turns into a corner.” Walking around Ravensdale Dan proves the point as he hunts through the forest for natural lines, tight corners and a good lip. There’s a whoop

of excitement as he finds the perfect turn and beckons Gerard over to share the find. The banter between them is mighty - just as you’d expect from a couple of brothers, but is it always so amicable between them? “We are at each others throats now and again,” replies Gerard. “I think that’s only natural.” “It can be competitive between us of course,” adds Dan. “If I do a good run and Gerard beats me I’m not happy and I’ll try to work out why he beat me so

he can’t do it again, but it’s all healthy. And at the end of the day, if I wasn’t going to win I’d want to see Gerard win over any one else.” “If we’re dirt track racing and I’m blazing the track, Dan will want to out race me and vice versa,” continues Gerard. “We set a challenge for each other which pushes us on. If I’m not racing against Dan, I don’t know if I’d try as hard.” Brothers they may be, but in racing style, they are both very different as Gerard reveals: “Daniel’s an artists so he goes with the flow whereas I’m an engineer so I have to work everything out before I do it. I like straight lines and he’s all flowy” Either way, both of the Wolfe boys have what it takes to win a DH race and with wise words from Gee Atherton ringing in their ears, 2011 could be their biggest year yet. “Gee said to me one time that you win your race five minutes before your run,” recalls Dan. “Obviously you need to be physically prepared before that, but it’s what’s in your head going into your run that’s important. It’s all about keeping your cool and remembering your calculations. That five minutes before your race is what wins it.” o

It’s not about looking good on a bike, it’s about getting from the top to the bottom of the hill quick... Win the fastest jersey in ireland! You could win the very jersey that Dan Wolfe wore when he rode to victory in the Irish National Downhill Championships. And better still, we got both Dan and Gerard to sign it making this a truly unique prize for any DH fan. HOW TO WIN: To enter the prize draw to win this jersey visit www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk and follow the competition link. Good luck! Competition closing date is Friday 7th January 2011. Full terms and conditions online.

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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w to Mtb guru Dave Youngs reveals ho d ride mud without landing in it, an rsâ&#x20AC;Ś tackles corners for beginne Jake Samuels Pictures:

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Tricks & Tips

NOVICE / BEGINNER:

There are hundreds of lines and s loads of ways to approach corner are we ue iss s as they are all different. In thi dient coming going to deal with a slight gra g line with no down the trail on a simple flowin ed feet and e weight fields of view. Tips like outsid ar cle and il tra the issue. on les tac obs pedals will be taught in a later

CORNERING Approach

the lines you want oach. Whilst you are learning walk Look at the corner from your appr a car you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be turning points. Similar to driving to try, and look for your braking and weight in the middle third the bike and suspension. Keep your braking mid corner and unsettling the bike. Pedals centred with s bent and your body supple on of the bike with heels down, knee speed will be determined by ng on the corner. The approach your outside foot forward dependi st line. the surface and choose the smoothe the sharpness of the turn. Look at

obstacle

t to go to hit the apex - look where you wan Start on the outside of the turn. Aim your front wheel any speed. Think about it logically, and the bike will follow. Scrub off . Move your tight have the front brake locked on cannot track and follow a line if you the bike and on low er and the bike will follow. Keep hips as you look through the corn ugh the corner on and large rocks if you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see thro watch out for cut-off tree stumps an even contact front forks weighted so the tyre has your approach route. Keep your the front end washing away. patch with the ground. This will stop

exit

If you it on the fast flowing single track. r hook up another corner or send eithe to g goin are you er corn the As you exit st your body weight. If you are d, look through the corner and adju spee and feet your st adju er, are hooking up another corn e! letrack look forward to the next issu moving onto the fast flowing sing

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ADVANCED:

MUD

roots where we learned to master the wet Continuing on from the last article d roun year all rain to s ! Considering it seem we are now going to look at MUD er Tow ns Hele come in very useful. Places like on our lovely Island this skill will your wheel axles year. You will find yourself up to seem to stay muddy most of the route selection. ’t keep an eye on your lines and in mud and over the bars if you don you have the the same tyres all year round. If Normal, every day riders, will ride tread pattern wide a with tyres, go for something option to run summer and winter This will give psi. er your tyre pressures by 5-10 which will clear the mud better. Low nd... a greater contact patch with the grou

Approach You need First of all select the correct gear. very little with ing turn to be able to keep the pedals als will ped the resistance. Too much pressure on line your . Pick make the rear tyre spin in the mud of of the depth the and stick to it. If you are unsure feet, try a stick! mud check it first. Not with your need to pedal. Keep your arse on the seat if you the mud when you This will assist with the traction in Keep the front apply pressure through the pedals. the back third of to in ht end light and move your weig for grip and Look . the bike. Approach at a fast walk of a bit traction. any gravel in the mud to give you

obstacle

keep all your weight off the As your front wheel hits the mud tacle. or rut until you are clear of the obs bars, try and stay in the channel er make the bike wash out from und Sudden changes in direction will the on pull ’t Don ion. dy pedalling mot you. Stay seated and keep a stea ’t Don . seat the , move your arse back on brakes. If the rear starts to spin you as y or right or again it will wash awa try and lean the bike to the left tyre wall. Keep the pedals turning. have no weight in the side of the

exit

the pedals turning or gravel to give you traction. Keep Look for your exit and any grass your line and read the trail m. Remember, once clear look at as you need the forward momentu mud the tyres will be e you are a few metres clear of the as taught in previous articles. Onc to your normal trail riding. ’t get too excited and change back trying to shed all the mud so don

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Tricks & Tips

BIKE SADDLE ADJUSTMENT

NOMAD 18v CORDLESS PRESSURE WASHER RRP £179

A few simple adjustments on your bike will alter your riding and the improvements will be unreal. The adjustments are simple.

THE NOMAD holds 14 litres of water and

n MOUNTAIN BIKERS need to ensure they use the full

will clean 2-3 bikes. Far from a one trick

pedal stroke to save energy. Most people have their

pony I have used it to wash the car, sea

saddle at the wrong height and waste too much

kayaks, muddy biking kit before it goes

energy. You can lower the saddle for descents.

in the washer and the windows at home

n WITH the crank arm at the 6 o’clock position and

when the wife tells me off!

you sat on your bike you should have an inch bend

The tank is detachable and has a filter

in your leg. The ball of your foot should be on the

to stop the main tank filling up with mud

pedal.

and debris. n THE SADDLE can be moved backwards

The hose and

and forwards on the rails depending on

attachments

your personal preference. Be aware,

are stored in

this will effect your body position and

the neat little

centre of mass on the bike.

front neoprene

n YOU can also move the saddle angle.

pouch. The

Most people ride with it horizontal or

nozzle has the

slightly nose down.

full range of

n TIGHTEN all the bolts and try your new adjustments

adjustments from jet spray to fine mist.

n The correct position

The battery pack will last for a good few washes and the mains charger is included in the package. The whole unit takes up very little space and truly is a portable affair best used as a standalone unit. In summary: You get what you pay for, simple to use and truly portable.

For all the geek information take a look at the NOMAD site, www.nomad2go.com

n Ireland’s most qualified coach and guide, Dave Youngs has over 15 years experience in the field. Dave holds the MIAS Level 6 Coaching Qualification, endorsed by the CTC and Association of British Cycling Coaches and is a qualified First Aid and map reading instructor. Youngs MTB Instruction have recently been working with a number of high profile European holiday companies and local activity centres to ensure mountain bike standards are maintained and Dave has also been training local Down Hill champions wanting to make the transition to coaching and guiding.

In issue 6: Climbing, Manuals, Switchbacks www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

020 Adverts x 3.qxp

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e It’s part four of Luke Humpreys’ skate tutorial and this issu he’s tackling the tre-flip…

Lesson 4: The 360 flip

The ‘360 flip’, also known as the ‘tre-flip’, or ‘3 flip’, is basically a varial kickflip except the can land varial kickflips consistently, it’s you once takes time, but

board rotates 360 instead of 180. It’s a hard trick to master and how to 360 pop shove-it, although if you can, it’s a good a good one to work towards. Oddly enough, you don’t need to know and landing in the right place. Again the 360 flip was start. The hardest part of this trick is probably getting the full rotation do! invented by Rodney Mullen and is a super stylish and fun trick to

REQUIRED SKILLS: Kickflip - Pop shove-it - Varial kickflip - 360 Pop shove-it (optional) STEP ONE: SET UP your feet in the 360 flip foot position keeping in mind that with this trick everyone’s foot placement can be different. Make sure you are well balanced and get ready to scoop and flick the board. Remember, always commit as if you are going to land it.

STEP TWO: POP down on the tail like you do for all tricks, then scoop really hard with your back foot to get the board to rotate 360. At the same time flick your front foot off the board like a kickflip except instead of flicking off the side, flick straight in front of you. Trust me, this helps to get the whole flip instead of just half a flip. Remember, it is important to jump high when you pop because 360 flips take longer to complete their rotation than most tricks.

STEP THREE: ONCE you have started the rotation of the 360 flip and popped you may think that that’s the hard part over and all you have to do is just catch it. In fact the hardest part of a 360 flip is catching it in the right place. Usually you will catch it on the nose and fall forwards. Don’t worry, this is quite common and happens with most people. The way to correct this is to keep practicing the scoop of the back foot until it becomes easy to get the full 360 rotation. Then once you pop, jump forward in the direction your toes are pointing, just like a varial kickflip but further. This should help you land more centrally on the board. Remember, the ultimate goal is to land on the bolts.

STEP FOUR: ONCE the board has finished its full rotation and flip, stomp your feet down on the grip tape to land. There are a lot of ways to catch a 360 flip, such as an eagle spread catch or a front foot catch, but when you are just learning it’s much easier to stomp both feet down at the same time. Try and catch the board on the bolts to make the landing as stable as possible.

STEP FIVE: After the board touches the ground bend your knees to absorb the impact. Once you’ve got the moves dialled on flat-ground then why not try to do them down a small set?

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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Skateboarding

step 1

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 5

Starting foot position

COMMON PROBLEMS: There are many problems with the 360 flip, mainly because there is so much rotation going on and it is hard to get everything perfect, but here are a few tips to help fix the most common ones. • IF THE BOARD isn’t spinning enough and goes 270 or something similar, it is probably because you aren’t scooping enough with your back foot. To fix this, try scooping as hard as possible but still try to have control over where the board goes. If you practise 360 flips a lot it becomes easier to get the board to do a full rotation. • ANOTHER common problem is not getting the board to flip the whole

way, this happens because you aren’t flicking off in the right place. Try to flick straight in front of you, and if that doesn’t work, just keep your eye on the concave where you should flick off and try to flick off there. • THE THIRD and probably most common problem is landing on the nose. This happens to almost everyone and it takes time to fix. To land in the correct place try jumping in the direction of your toes when you pop, this should help. Remember we are all different, so if you are still having problems just experiment with little tweaks in your technique and eventually you’ll get it right. o

Giving it a go? Why not video your attempts, whether successful, disastrous or just plain daft, and email them into tv@uberdogmagazine.co.uk

at If you are still having trouble check out Luke’s youtube channel should www.youtube.com/sk4tebox where you’ll find a video tutorial that help. Check it out and subscribe to it for more trick-tips. www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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longboarding

it g n i v o L Longtime

überdog meets six longboaders of 40mph who are taking downhill riding to the next level reaching speeds at home… and doing some seriously crazy stuff. Please, don’t try this Pictures: Roger Bonnar

eet the Longboaders: Paddy Parke, age 21; Johnny Bonnar, age 20; Brendan Parke, age 20; John Allen, age 18; Roger Bonnar, age18 and youngest recruit Peter Bonnar, age 13.

encounters with cars; Paddy longboarded down the M2 into Belfast at 2am and The Parkes did some epic downhill riding in the Scottish Highlands.”

Brendan Parke

What boards do you ride? When did you get into longboarding? PP: “We’ve been into it for roughly five years. It started off as a means of transport and as something to do when there’s no surf. It’s really a dry weather sport, but a light dew makes for a great slide session!”

PP: Lush Bahari and Loaded Dervish JB: BC Eel and Arbor Kelly Slater BP: Lush Bahari JA: Loaded Dervish RB: Bustin Strike and Lush Bahari PB: Loaded Tan Tien

Brendan and Paddy

Parting words? What is it about the longboard that got you hooked?

“Life without risk is no life at all” The Brotherhood 2010. o

JA: “I like the graphics on the bottom...” BP: “The wheels, I like the shape of the wheels…” RB: “It makes my soul feel free…” PB: “It is a means of travelling to remote fishing destinations...” PP: “My longboard completes me...” JB: “I do it for the chicks...”

we reached speeds of up to 40mph plus travelling down the road at Spelga Dam...

Where do you like to take your board and why? PP: “Any hills on the north coast and occasional trips to the Mournes. We do a lot of night skating in Coleraine and Portstewart when the roads are quieter. Really anywhere with a good surface and a good hill.”

What is your favourite move? PP: “Backside drifts, pendulum slides and stand-up 180’s, the Bonnars dad (Brian) likes the faceplant!”

What is the most radical thing you have done on your board? JB: “Well we reached speeds of up to 40mph plus travelling down the road at Spelga Dam in the Mournes. A couple of us have had

The Brotherhood 2010

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Paddy

No gain without pain!

Brendan jumps Paddy

Johnny

026 Hype advert Compo.qxp

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Now relocated to Nelson Street next to new Bridges Skatepark project 5 minutes walk from Belfast City Centre tel: 02890 245 241

Competition Time

Win With Hype Urban Sports Store, Belfast

Hype Urban Sports Store, and uberdog magazine have a super cool his and hers watch and hoodie to give away. One lucky he and she each win an Ex-Time watch and an Extreme hoodie. HOW TO WIN: To enter the prize draw to win this book visit www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk and follow the competition link. Good luck! Competition closing date is Friday 7th January 2011. Full terms and conditions online. Pictures for illustrative purposes, colour and style may vary.

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028-031 Neil BMX Interview V01.qxp

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BMX

überdog meets Neil Wilkinson a retro BMX collector whose collection had us drooling…

The collector’s Holy Grail - an immaculate Raleigh Aero Pro Burner

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BMX

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bmx

back to life with pain staking patience and many of which are just too precious to ride. Looking back Neil admits that his first restoration job on the old Mag was a bit rough, using custom parts because that was “the easy way to go”, now, however, Neil has gone all nerdy and only factory specification will do. “Some factory spec parts are virtually impossible to find, but you just have to be patient. There are bikes you could spend maybe a year or more just trying to source a part for. I have a 1983 Mk 1 Pro Burner out there which took me well over a year from start to finish to restore, but it’s now nearly complete and it’s turned out really well.” And what sort of money are we talking for these rare parts? “Some things make silly money,” Neil concedes. “Aero Pro front reflectors are really hard to get. On the Pro Burner it wasn’t cool to have reflectors in the 80s, so they were all binned which means The Kuwahara ET model, - just needs a white basket to finish it off...

they are now virtually impossible to find. There are only a handful of the front reflectors for that bike in existence and I have two of them. I’ve been offered £100 for each which is just silly, I wouldn’t pay that for them.” What you can expect to pay for a retro BMX will of course depend on the condition and the model. “If you were sticking with Raleigh Burners you could go out with a couple of hundred quid and buy a nice one, but you could also spend up to £1500, it just depends on the spec of the model,” explains Neil. “Whatever your budget, you could get something nice for your money. A couple of hundred quid would get you a tidy, presentable bike to ride, it’s only when you get into show pony pieces that have never turned a wheel that you start talking big money.”

And contrary to popular belief, not every rusty car boot find will be a moneymaker as Neil reveals: “A rusty Burner isn’t worth very much. There are people that think the bike lying in back of their shed is worth a fortune because they see the price that restored models go for. But a full restoration could cost £400-500 once you re-chrome and replace everything, so you could soon spend more on a bike than you would ever get back if you were to sell it.” Neil’s Mk1 Pro Burner is the jewel in the crown of his collection and rightly so as there’s only about 30 known off in the world. “It’s a super rare bike and it’s one that I never thought I would find. I got it in a terrible state and it’s taken well over a year to bring back to factory spec as it needed everything restored and replaced but it’s been worth it. It’s Raleigh’s holy grail - it’s the most sought after and the most expensive of the whole Raleigh Burner range.” With his Aero Pro Burner nearly complete, Neil is waiting on a Haro freestyler to arrive, and has a couple of other rusty Raleigh’s waiting his attention.

Whatever your budget, you could get something nice for your money...

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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bmx There are people that think the bike lying in back of their shed is worth a fortune...

...but a full restoration could cost £400-500 once you re-chrome and replace everything

“I was completely focused on Raleigh Burners for a year or two but in the last few months I’ve got into a few other brands such as the ET bike, a Mongoose Californian, the DP Firebird and the Skyway bikes.” Talking about his ET Kuwahara model, Neil reveals how he became interested in the bike: “The guy that built the bikes for ET posted on a BMX website that he had found some of the original posters from the film in his warehouse which he was putting up for sale. Obviously I wanted one, and once I got the poster I wanted the bike! I thought I would have to buy one on the mainland and then one actually turned up in Armagh. I’m still looking for some original parts for that, I’m nearly there, I just need a white basket for it!” he laughs. And it’s not just bikes that Neil will collect. Proudly displayed in his outdoor showroom is an impressive collection of retro kit. “Any 80s BMX memorabilia is hot property. Race kits, helmets, gloves and so on… I have a signed 80s race shirt by Andy Ruffell and Craig Schofield - world champions in their time that is nice to have.” So is he just a self-confessed ‘nerdy collector’ or does Neil actually enjoy getting out on his bike? “There are a couple of bikes I like to take out and it’s been great to get back into biking again. I like going to Ormeau Park track in Belfast for a race and if the whole BMX racing scene would take off here like it has in England that would be great.

“I’ve met a good lot of guys through the BMX community and it seems to be growing in popularity here. The boom started a few years ago in England and it’s beginning to spill over to Ireland now. There are a few guys in Dublin working on a new BMX track for races which I’m looking forward to.” Describing himself as ‘fairly young in the classic BMX community’ Neil could be considered by some as a relative rookie to the collectors’ game and while his collection is impressive, he has his sights on bigger

things: “My collection is ok but there’s a guy in Wales who has every model of Burner and Styler - he’s something like 120 bikes and there’s another guy in England who has the best collection of restored Burners in the world anywhere…so I have a bit to go yet! “I don’t know if I’ll get any more now or not, I think I may just chop and change a few. After I have them built, it’s not that I lose interest, but I feel a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy the thrill of the chase - looking for that really rare part and then finding it after months of searching is what it’s all about.”. o

Get the buzz… www.Radbmx.com www.Bmxrewind.co.uk www.Burnerworld.co.uk www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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snowsports

Go Free s

nd in The Salomon Freeski Gromcamps returned to the Ski Club of Irela interview November and überdog was there to catch some of the action and sy… two of the biggest names in freestyle skiing, Becky Hammond & Wood Why freestyle guys? BECKY: I think the sport has a great vibe about it and it really helps to improve your confidence skiing. If you know you can do a 360 off a jump, you can definitely go down a black slope. The competitions are great and there’s a big following in the UK now, which means the sport has a great atmosphere to it. WOODSY: I agree with Becky, there’s a great vibe to the freestyle scene but it’s also worth trying because everyone can find something in freestyle that they enjoy doing. You can freeski to please yourself and not have to worry about anyone else or whether you’re doing it right or wrong. Try it and you’ll get hooked - that’s what I did!

Is it a sport for young people? WOODSY: We get all ages at the camps, from small kids to grown adults, but the sport as a whole is quite young - it’s only been going for 12 years this season, so it does tend to appeal to the new generation of skiers. At the moment you can see an influx of kids onto the scene from across the world. There are some kids out there as young as 7 or 8 who are showing some serious talent. I think it appeals to them because it’s a young

James Woods (Woodsy), age 18

Skiing from the age of ten Woodsy is the hottest name on the British freeski scene. Woodsy spends half his year in America and half in Europe travelling around entering competitions and generally living the dream.

sport with no rules. If you freeski you aren’t tied down by anything or anyone, it’s completely free. BECKY: 2-3 years ago snowboarding was really big - you’d go to competitions and there’d be

Becky Hammond, age 24

Pro freestyle skier with many titles under her belt, Becky hopes to hit the World World and World Championships this season in the half pipe category.

only a handful of skiers and now the tables have turned and everyone is on their skis and I think that’s largely down to the freeski

The kids get a briefing session Tackling a box

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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snowsports

e ski Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no end to the tricks that you can pull, you can always go upside down again... Main Pic: Gromcamp Head coach and Former England Freestyle Ski Team Captain, Pat Sharples styles it up

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snowsports

camps - they’ve made it cool again and very accessible, so kids are getting to progress within the sport.

probably the most important aspect. It’s someone’s style that will shine through. You can tell a top rider just by their silhouette.

Tell me about your favourite tricks?

Tell me a bit about your involvement in the Salomon FreESki Gromcamps

WOODSY: Everyone favours different tricks. When you see one for the first time you think, ‘oh my gosh, he went upside down and twisted around, that was just insane’. Once you get used to the sport you can decide what trick’s what and what ones you can handle. If you study someone skiing you can tell what they feel more comfortable with - one person will find it easier to spin one direction than another or to flip forwards or backwards. When you learn tricks you can develop those tricks to suit your style and then mix them all up in endless combinations. There’s no end to the tricks that you can pull - you can always go upside down again or spin another half rotation.

How is the sport judged? WOODSY: Judging a completely free sport is tough. Generally there are five areas the judges look for. There’s aptitude, which is the height and distance that you go; the technical difficulty of your trick; the style; the grab and finally your landing. When you are expressing yourself doing freeski, style is

BECKY: This year we have down pretty much one a week throughout the UK, travelling around the country. We try to visit all the slopes so that everyone interested gets a chance to participate. Ever since the camps started the freeskiing numbers have just shot up. The camps are a real inspiration and a great introduction to the sport. It’s great for the kids because they get the chance to be taught by some of the UK’s top freeskiers and it’s great for us to see how the kids develop over the years - that’s very rewarding. So it’s something I’m very pleased to be involved in.

Top freeski spot? BECKY: It has to be Laax in Switzerland where the British Snow Championships are held. Their park is pretty much perfect all season. It’s nicely shaped and even when there has been a good snow fall there’ll be shapes the next day. o

Ever since the camps started the freeskiing numbers have just shot up...

ABOUT THE SALOMON GROM FREESKI CAMPS Head coach Pat Sharples founded the Grom Freeski Camps in 2005 and remains passionate about introducing freestyle skiing to the masses. Camps are run by top names in the sport and are open to all ages and all skiing abilities. For more information visit www.salomongromcamps.co.uk

ABOUT SKI CLUB IRELAND For information on the Ski Club or Ireland which hosts a regular Friday night freeski session visit www.skiclub.ie

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2010*2011 Winter Race Series

26 EXTREME invites you to banish your winter blues and take part in the 2010/11 Winter Race Series. Following on from last years events we will be using Rostrevor, Castlewellan, Tollymore Forests and Stormont Castle, Belfast. All of the events will take place at night, each Thursday for six weeks in a row. On these race nights competitors will don their head torches and with their fellow runners will light up the trails through the forests as they take part in these unique events.

Website: www.26extreme.com Email: info@26extreme.com supported by

RUN SKI CLIMB SURF WALK

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wakeboarding

up to e k a W Wakeboarding rs advice on how Wakeboard competitor and coach Peter Stewart offepictures: Victor McCauley and Robin Gates to get involved with the sport in Ireland…

robably the best way to get involved with wakeboarding is to call down at a local club and see what they have to offer, what their rates are and what they require for you to become a member. The wakeboard season begins in March through to October so most clubs will open in March. There are many clubs throughout Ireland that offer good opportunities to get started with the sport. You can check out the list of wakeboard clubs in Ireland online at www.irishwwf.ie/clubs/. A number of instructors (including myself) also offer private wakeboarding lessons.

Secondly, take control of your board - this is critical to your success as a wakeboarder. You must be able to edge with the correct body position on the wakeboard. This will help you become more confident and stable for trying your first wake jumps. To control the board better keep your knees bent and chest up with the handle at your hip. A great tip is to remain relaxed in the knee area. Do not ride around with straight legs otherwise, if you hit any kind of wake or bump, you’ll find yourself off balance and in the water!

Getting started To get started first off you will need a wetsuit, and as we are in Ireland I would recommend a 5mm full suit for most of the year! Most clubs offer club wakeboards and bindings for you to use, but if you would like to take the sport more seriously I would recommend getting your own equipment. Riding your own setup will allow you to get used to your board and bindings and give you more confidence on the water.

top tip

Now you are able to try a few moves. I would recommend starting with a 1 wake jump heelside as this will allow you to get a small bit of air and if landed is a fantastic confidence builder to move onto harder tricks. One thing to remember when attempting the 1 wake heelside jump is to keep the handle in tight and not to let those arms straighten out at all. Another trick I recommend for beginners is a surface 180 at a slower speed. Get the driver to slow the boat down to around 16-17mph and practice turning your board around with the other foot forward and back again. Keep your toes pointed up and your head and chest up for this trick. These are two great beginner tricks when learning and will help build confidence in all the correct areas. o n NEED HELP? Feel free to contact Peter for information on wakeboarding lessons or for equipment set up advice and sales. Email: pete@no12design.com

Bindings are nearly more important than an expensive board when starting out as to master the sport it’s crucial that your feet are comfortable at all times

In my opinion, bindings are nearly more important than an expensive board when starting out as to master the sport it’s crucial that your feet are comfortable at all times. I have seen people progress very quickly once they switch to riding in comfortable bindings.

Key skills As a wakeboarding beginner there are a few key skills you need to focus on learning. Don’t be tempted to skip over the basics and try your hand at a double wake jump, you’ll regret it. Firstly learn how to position your body on the board. Head and shoulders up and no bending at the waist.

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wakeboarding

take control of your board, this is critical to your success as a wakeboarder... www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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paddlesports

y d a e R & t e W :Wavesport Sluice Rodeo on a On Saturday 16th October the countries freestyle paddlers descended Rodeo. small village on the outskirts of Dublin for the celebrated Sluice Event organiser Adrian Durrant reports on the action...

Pictures: Niamh Cleary & John Flanagan

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paddlesports

he sluice, as it is affectionately known, is Dublin’s premier play spot and is viewed, a little like Marmite, with mixed feelings by those who love it and those who hate it but respectfully try it. The feature itself forms when the River Liffey floods and water constricts through an old sluice gate wall forming a hole/wave feature allowing opportunity for all freestyle tricks. Competitors travelled from all regions of the country to participate in one of the biggest events of the year, the Wavesport Sluice Rodeo. The whole competition took a fun format in the way of 15-minute jam sessions between five paddlers with a score sheet made up of variety including both tricks and fun elements. This format allows a lot of pressure to be taken off of the paddlers and gives people the chance to try bigger and more complex tricks with only the five highest scoring moves counting. The heats kicked off with the Junior Men, probably the most hotly contested event of the day. Performing huge loops, cartwheels and waves, the Junior Men mixed new school tricks with old school fun, showing the crowd what they love to do best. The Junior Women followed with a straight final between three young friends. It was, as always, was a close affair, with Caoimhe just pipping her sister Emer and good friend Niamh into 2nd and 3rd respectively. The Sport classes were next with a new category for this year, the Masters, comprising of over 35’s. There was a fun feeling about the event and the guys took to the water to strut their stuff with loads

the experts really worked the sluice proving that experience and practice really does help in a tricky feature...

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Youthover

iencies e ExpheSurr fing Intercount 2010 Rossnowlag

make history at The groms give the old boys a challenge and the ladiesWords & images: Roo McCrudden this popular surf contest. Roo McCrudden reports...

he Rossnowlagh Surfing Intercounties 2010 will be remembered for all the right reasons. Started by Vinnie Britton (father of the Britton brothers) in 1968, the Intercounties has always been the last contest in the Irish surfer’s schedule. It’s seen as the last big get together of the year, and the craic afterwards in the Surfers Bar is always something to look forward to. The sun was splitting the sky when competitors started appearing to register their teams, but the surf was lacking somewhat peaking at about two foot throughout the day. Even so, offshore winds meant it was clean and everything still looked set for a day of fun competition, exactly how the Intercounties were intended to be. One thing that was clear from the start of the day was the Groms were

out in force. The Donegal ‘G’ team made up of Daniel Britton, Garvin McCloskey and Louis Devenney had an average age of 11, which makes them the youngest team to compete in the 42 years the contest has been running. This truly was a special Intercounties as another piece of history was made by the Donegal Ladies team. Made up of Easkey Britton, Naomi Britton, Tahlia Britton and Una Brittton they followed in the footsteps of their fathers Barry, Brian, Connor and Willie respectively who competed as a Britton brothers team around the time of the first few Intercounties in the late 60’s. The competition was run off in great spirits, and the Groms had a point to prove to the more experienced surfers. The quarter finals draw gave them this opportunity. In the first QF, a Donegal ‘C’ team made up of James

Garvey, Peter Bannon and Jack Scott took out the very experienced team of Aaron Reid, Ronan Oertzen and Connor Maguire. In the second QF, the Donegal ladies had to take on the Donegal ‘G’ team (average age 11). The Ladies stamped down their authority and with some ‘girl power’ took out the youngsters. QF 3 saw the experienced Donegal team of contest organiser Neil Britton, Gavin McCrea and Gerry Doherty take out another all ladies team of Amy-May Garvey, Jane Byrne and Emily Stewart. QF 4 was a big upset with a past winners team of John Britton, Stephen Conwell and Kenny Ward being taken out by a young Sligo team made up of David O’Donnell, Gearoid McDaid and Aaron O’Hare. The first semi final saw the Donegal Ladies team made up of the Britton girls being

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surf

knocked out in a very closely contested heat against the Donegal ‘C’ team. The second semi final again saw youth conquering experience with the Sligo team knocking out Neil Britton’s team. It was all set for a clash of the Groms in the final, with the Sligo team eventually coming out on top. A stand out in the Sligo team was Georiad McDaid who was able to make the most of the conditions with a good range of manoeuvres. All in all this was a great end to the Irish competitive surfing year, and really emphasised what the Rossnowlagh Surfing

Intercounties is all about. It’s not really about who surfs the best, or has the highest scores. It’s about a band of surfers of all ages and abilities coming together to share the waves, meet new friends and celebrate everything that’s great about surfing. o

n Check out www.roomccrudden.com and www.surfnewsireland.com The Intercounties posters are available from Barry Britton Design, Rossnowlagh, Co.Donegal & surf shops around the area. You can check out Barry's work at www.emeraldsurfwear.com

The victorious Sligo team - prizes by Gav McCrea)

Team Britton Girls: four times National Champ Easkey, Naomi, Tahlia & Una) Donegal Groms coming in

Garvin McCloskey

Georiad McDaid showing why he was a standout

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surf

BATTLE OF THE AGES Surf contest vetern Iain Gimore reports on the first leg of the North West Surf Club’s mini surf tour, ‘The Cold Water Classic’…

he first event in the North West Surf Club's (NWSC) mini tour 'The Cold Water Classic' sponsored by Adventure One Surf School was run on Saturday 30th October in perfect contest conditions at Ballyheirnan Bay, Fanad in North Donegal. The surf was 3ft and clean and the sun shone all day. Spectators were treated to some great surfing especially from current U14 Irish Champion Gearoid McDaid whose vertical surfing was in a class above all the other competitors. The day saw some other great battles in the surf in the 1st round from local surfers James Doherty and Paul Mcguckin who pushed each other until the end of the heat with James narrowly beating Paul after a judges countback. Heat 2 of round 1 saw two of the eventual finalists, Gearoid McDaid of Sligo and Oisin Cambell from Derry, push Letterkenny surfer Luke Daly into 3rd and the repercharge heat. Later in the day the semi finals saw some great surfing with Gearoid McDaid getting an 8.5 out of 10 from all the judges for a spectacular ride. Luke Daly who won the repercharge heat, showed his local knowledge and snagged the best set waves with nice long rides and big maneuvers all the way to the inside making it to the final. Meanwhile it was a battle of young versus old with Oisin Cambell from the Causeway Coast Surf Club and Fanad surfer Paddy Blaney up against Paul McGuckin and local surf instructor Iain Gilmour in the second semi final. But it was young Oisin Cambell who just pipped contest veteran Iain Gilmour into 2nd.

The final was held in perfect waves with the two youngsters McDaid and Cambell up against local Fanad surfers Daly and Gilmour. All four contestants caught a high number of waves and all scored highly, but the day went to young Gearoid McDaid who took 1st place with Oisin Cambell 2nd, Iain Gilmour 3rd, and Luke Daly 4th. o The finalists

Lu lo th lo

Iain Gilmour

North West Surf Club

Luke Daly

The North West Surf Club was formed in May 2007 for the increasing numbers of surfers in the Derry/ North Donegal area. The club has run many events for its members over the past three years including movie nights, sponsored paddles and of course surf contests. The club has become well known for well run competitions and has attracted some of the country’s top surfers to its comps over the past few years. To join the NWSC email nwsurfclub@gmail.com or check out the website www.nwsurfclub.blogspot.com

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052-055 Rock climbs in Mournes V03.qxp

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mountaineering

Men

of the

Mournes When we heard a new edition of ‘Rock Climbs in the Mournes’ had three hit the shelves we went on a quest to find out more about the men behind the words and pictures…

Craig Hiller AGE: 29 LIVES: Belfast INTERESTS: Rock climbing, photography DAY JOB: Rope Access Technician HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO CLIMBING? A good friend of mine from school introduced me to the sport. He worked in an outdoor retail shop at the time and encouraged me to try it. He took me into the mountains and threw me in the deep end. WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN YOU DISCOVERED THE SPORT? I was roughly 22 at the time. WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN PRODUCING THE GUIDEBOOK? I was the photographer and coordinator for the guidebook. My job was to take all the crag photos and capture as many climbing shots as I could. I also contributed my own mountain images from my website. (www.hillerscapes.co.uk) WHERE DO YOU MOST ENJOY CLIMBING? I have a soft spot for the Mournes as I began walking and photographing these hills before I started rock climbing. No matter where I go in the world I always look forward to coming back to the Mournes. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE IRISH CLIMB? I don’t know if I have a single favourite. One of my favourites is a route called Satanic Majesty at Slieve Beg in the Mournes. It is a long leaning corner graded E2 5b and has a brilliant exposed top out leading to the summit of Beg.

WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO CLIMB IN THE FUTURE? I have wanted to climb in the Lofoten Islands of Norway for some time now and have bought a new guidebook for the area. It looks amazing though it is quite expensive to travel there and the weather can be as fickle as Ireland. As it is north of the Arctic Circle the summer months bring midnight sun which has always fascinated me. It is also a photographers dream. WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU LOVE THIS SPORT MORE THAN ANY OTHER? I love the solitary aspect to it, the natural beauty of the environment surrounding you and leaving your troubles behind. Even though you climb with a partner when you are leading up a route it is your own thought process and sole ability that gets you to the top (or not). HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ‘ROCK CLIMBS IN THE MOURNES’ COME ABOUT? Over the last ten years I have been exploring and photographing the Mournes at great length which enabled me to produce a large stock of landscape and rock climbing images. It was common knowledge amongst local climbers that an updated guide for the area was long overdue so when Mountaineering Ireland put out a tender it was something I felt passionate about doing. DID YOU ENJOY THE PROJECT ? I thoroughly enjoyed the project. I obviously enjoyed walking in the mountains and photographing the crags and working along side Ricky and Simon. It was exciting to see my images put into design and see the guidebook come together. The only dislike I can think of was the weather getting in the way of the photography. o

CRAIG’S FAVOURITE MOURNE CLIMB:

SLIEVE BEG My favourite crag has to be Slieve Beg. The reason being it is quite remote and has a large concentration of good quality routes (***) with long pitches. The approach takes over an hour which puts off the lazy climbers but it is a mountain crag after all and takes a bit of effort to get there. The introduction from the guidebook says it all. ‘This is perhaps the best mountain crag in the Mournes, situated in a commanding position at the head of the Annalong Valley. It has previously had a lot of neglect with a lack of traffic resulting in overgrowing routes. Though recent efforts have seen some of the best new lines being established and a renewed interest in existing routes. It has a remote, big adventurous feel for the Mournes and combined with the long but reasonable approach it should be much more popular.’

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mountaineering Craig likes to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; out in the Mournes

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Simon Moore AGE: 28 LIVES: San Francisco, CA INTERESTS: Techno/Music Production/Surfing/Snowboarding DAY JOB: Business (of sorts)

Simon Moore soloing above the sea in the Burren, Ireland photograph: Craig Hiller

HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO CLIMBING? My Dad took me out into the mountains at a young age. His passion for adventure was very quickly passed on to me. WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN YOU DISCOVERED THE SPORT? I first actually climbed around the age of 9 or 10 but it was when I was 15 that I really focused on the sport on my own.

SIMON’S FAVOURITE MOURNE CLIMB:

BINNIAN NORTH TORR

WHAT TYPE OF CLIMBER ARE YOU? I have dabbled in all aspects of climbing from alpine to sport but I spent most time trad climbing, big wall climbing and for the last 5 or 6 years bouldering. I suppose I am an all-rounder. WHERE DO MOST ENJOY CLIMBING? I really like anywhere where there aren’t many people. More remote places. Some of my favourite places are Bishop and Yosemite, which is the one of the reasons that I moved to California. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING CLIMB TO DATE? I don’t really have a climb that was more challenging than others. I had a season in Colorado a few years back that stands out as a time of greatest effort. It wasn’t really just one climb though. It was a selection of boulder problems up high at altitude that I really had to work hard to complete. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE IRISH CLIMB? One of the routes on Binnian Tors in the Mournes. WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO CLIMB IN THE FUTURE? I will probably make it to South Africa in the next year or so to boulder. I may get back into some Alpine stuff also. I would also like to climb some things in Patagonia. I will spend the winters in CA though bouldering in Bishop and Yosemite! WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU LOVE THIS SPORT MORE THAN ANY OTHER? You get into some pretty crazy mind bending situations. I really like the sudden realization of reality. This happens on many levels in the sport of climbing, from latching the hold on a move you have been trying for thousands of attempts, to pausing for a second to absorb the surroundings on a huge sea of granite halfway up El Capitan.

HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ‘ROCK CLIMBS IN THE MOURNES’ COME ABOUT? I don’t think anyone else was up for it…….To write this particular guide in 2009 keeping up with world standards, required a certain combination of drive, knowledge and appreciation of the area. None of us alone had these requirements. It really also came down to Craig’s photography. Craig’s knowledge and love for the area is second to none and his range of images is simply quite astonishing. DID YOU ENJOY THE PROJECT - WHAT PARTS OF CREATING THE BOOK DID YOU MOST ENJOY/DISLIKE? I really enjoyed working with Craig and Ricky throughout the entire project. I made some small design errors early on in the project that cost quite some time. Apart from that we just made it up as we went along. Problems arose and we fixed them. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BOOK DELIVERS FOR THE READER? We really decided very early on that the guide had to have a traditional style, just like the area. The Mournes are a region of outstanding unique natural beauty. The climbing is varied and specific in style. The purpose of the guide is primarily to describe the climbing history in the area, offering detailed notes on where climbs are located, how difficult they are and who climbed them first. Secondly we hope that it will attract other climbers to visit the region, enjoy the established climbs and possibly develop the area some more for future editions. o

I love all the crags on Slieve Binnian, especially Buzzards Roost and Binnian North Tor. North Tor will always feel like home as I spent a lot of time climbing new routes there at a time when no one else was really developing much in the Mournes. I love the bold nature of the rock and the clean perfect lines. This is really important for me in climbing. I only put time into routes that are amazing lines. I have no interest in climbing nonlines just for the sake of it or for the climbing alone. Binnian North Tor has serious lines with at least five amazing projects left in the E8-E11 range. It will be interesting to see the next generation of climbers that lay siege on this area. I think it may be a few years though as bold climbing is drifting out of fashion once again. The North Tor also offers some of the highest climbing in the region, elevation wise. The views are awesome and the feeling is very remote. It’s rare to see other people up there with only the occasional hiker passing through the gap in the summer afternoons. The long walk to North Tor is something of a necessary evil - with a gruelling one and a half hour push up steep heathered terrain. I have grown to love it - but the first few times is somewhat of a shock on the system!

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Ricky Bell AGE: 26 LIVES: Belfast INTERESTS: People... DAY JOB: I am chief executive and managing director of my own employment. 95 % of the time I’m a rope access technician. I work on the ropes for Vertical World Ltd (UK). It’s perfect for me. Everyday is a laugh and never feels like hard work. In the winter when the access work is not so busy, I do a little climbing coaching and the odd slideshow. I really enjoy both these things. I’m always late for work... HOW WERE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED TO CLIMBING? My parents climbed. Family holidays were spent taking the mighty trailer tent to some of the UK’s best climbing venues. I’m lucky to have got a young apprenticeship on rock.

project on Buzzard’s Roost and another project on the Rathlin Wall at Fair Head. They’re both exactly what I’m looking for in climbing at the minute. Long, hard and trad climbings, in wild situations. WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO CLIMB IN THE FUTURE? Climbing plans for the future involve El Capitan.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU LOVE THIS SPORT MORE THAN ANY OTHER? I learn a lot through climbing. But the one thing is the movement. HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ‘ROCK CLIMBS IN THE MOURNES’ COME ABOUT? I’ve been climbing in the Mournes since I began climbing. It was a privilege to be involved in updating the guidebook. DID YOU ENJOY THE PROJECT? There was a lot of work to be done. The thing I enjoyed the most was talking with the old boys about the routes. It’s great to share your experiences of the routes. There’s always some cool story to find out. o

Ricky doing what he does best...

WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN YOU DISCOVERED THE SPORT? First lead Crooked Chimney HS age 11. WHAT TYPE OF CLIMBER ARE YOU? A happy one. WHERE DO YOU MOST ENJOY CLIMBING? I’ve visited lots of places in Europe and the States, some of the best climbing venues in the world. Places that stand out and that I’ll always return to are Yosemite, Ceuse, Gogarth and Majorca. I love to travel and climbing is perfect for this. I love climbing in Ireland. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING CLIMB TO DATE? It’s hard to say because it always feels like the ‘next project’ is going to be the most challenging. Probably The Big Skin E8 6c at Fair Head. It feels really long and insecure. Mentally it’s pretty taxing... WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE IRISH CLIMB? There are lots, it depends on the occasion. Most recently I’ve been climbing on my

RICKY’S FAVOURITE MOURNE CLIMB:

BUZZARD’S ROOST It’s got the best rock quality in the Mournes. It stays dry when a lot of the other crags are wet and it’s very meaty...

COMPETITION: Win a copy of Rock Climbs in the Mourne Mountains

“ by Simon Moore, Craig Hiller, Ricky Bell. Published by Mountaineering Ireland (2010)

”

HOW TO WIN: To enter the prize draw to win this book visit www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk and follow the competition link. Good luck! Rock Climbs in the Mourne Mountains is available for €25 from leading outdoor stores and direct from Mountaineering Ireland, www.mountaineering.ie Competition closing date is Friday 7th January 2011. Full terms and conditions online.

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For all your airsoft and skirmish requirements: Airsoft Replicas (Gas + Electric) • Combat Gear • Consumables Accessories • Xmas Gift Vouchers Available in Store CALL IN AND SEE OUR FULLY STOCKED SHOP - NEW STOCK ARRIVING DAILY... Opening times: Sunday & Monday - Closed Tue & Wed 10am-6pm • Fri & Sat 10am-6pm Thursday 10am-8pm LATE NIGHT OPENING

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Find out who’s making a big bang in combat sport circles...

PLAY WITH TOY SOLDIER AIRSOFT

NEW AIRSOFT STORE OPENS IN ARMAGH

OPERATED by Phil and Darren, two experienced airsofters, Toy Soldier Airsoft began trading from a small outlet at Battlefiled Sports but quickly out grew the space and in 2010 this specialist airsoft store moved to new, stand alone premises on the Sandown Road in Belfast. Nine months on and business is brisk as the stores reputation for offering sound advice and selling quality kit at online prices keeps the customers coming. The product range is impressive and includes pro and sport guns from leading names ICS and G&G, together with a dedicated second hand gun section. An ordering service is also available with most equipment and accessory requests being delivered in just a few days. Technical backup and support is provided by the enthusiastic staff who are happy to talk airsoft novices through the rules of the game and advise on any equipment needs - from kitting out a beginner to specialist bespoke creations. Servicing is also available. Contact Toy Soldiers Airsoft on tel: 028 9029 7398, email: info@tsairsoft.com

BOBBY MCCARTNEY, owner of Green Zone Combat, a leading outdoor airsoft site, has opened a new store dedicated to airsoft in Armagh. The shop offers airsoft fans a unique opportunity to view and test a range of quality guns and kit themselves out with the latest airsoft apparel. Talking about his new venture Bobby said: “I have always been interested in military themed ideas and actually started off selling apparel before opening the site, so I’ve come full circle so to speak.” With limited time and space available at the popular Green Zone Combat site for the sale of airsoft equipment Bobby sought out a new venue for his store in Scotch Street, Armagh. “I was looking for somewhere centrally located with a professional frontage that would attract customers from the local towns and further afield. The idea was to open somewhere that airsofters could come and see the very latest weapons on the market and the addition of a firing range on the premises means they are able to test all the equipment before they buy which is essential.” The shop sells a complete range of ICS guns, one of the leading brands in airsoft machinery. “ICS offer a very innovative range,” says Bobby. “They are developing new models all the time, including exciting one-off designs such as the CXP model and designs with new split gear boxes. There is also a great selection of plastic guns in the range for customers on a budget.” In addition Bobby is stocking the full range of newly revamped pistol designs by Taiwanese company WE and will be offering a weapon repair and upgrade service. For opening times and details please contact Bobby on 07772 919 974 or email info@greenzonecombat.com. Further details can be found on www.greenzonecombat.com The addition of a firing range on the premises means they are able to test all the equipment before they buy which is essential

The dedicated second hand gun section

The product range is impressive and includes pro and sport guns together with a dedicated second hand gun section... www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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NEW SHOP IN ARMAGH CITY Green Zone Combat stock the best kit and have the largest display of airsoft guns in Northern Ireland AEG's/GBB pistols always in stock || Airsoft Airsoft accesories accesories and and Magazines Magazines BB's, Gas and Tactical clothing | Repairs and upgrades

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combat paddle sports

Custom Airsoft Weapons:

An Insight talks überdog’s combat reporter Graeme Livingstone gets technical and om… tools of the trade with weapon customisation experts 328 Cust

n this article I will be taking an in-depth look at the guns, accessories and upgrades used in airsoft. This may stretch slightly over the head of someone who has never encountered the sport before, but for those of you who are keen to start playing then this should help with getting to grips with the weapons and upgrades available in the sport. When it comes to playing airsoft, I would say I know my stuff pretty well. But when it comes to customising guns and kit even I need help from the real experts. For me, there is nobody better to talk to than the boys at ‘328 Custom‘. Their company may be new but these guys are no strangers to the airsoft world. Pete Bate and Scott Telford, both players and referees at Battlefield Sports, have decided that the airsoft community needs a dedicated team to help new (and old) players with personalising and customising their weaponry. To get a proper insight into what the guys do at 328 I decided to ask them for some advice and have a go at talking them into sharing a few of their crazy ideas. First off, a short introduction to who we’re dealing with at 328 Custom:

Scott Telford

Pete Bate

GAME PLAY

AKA: ‘Bate’ - Pete has been carrying out gun repairs and upgrades for Battlefield Sports for the last few years and lends a hand if needed with refereeing games. STARTED PLAYING: 2005 CURRENT LOAD OUT: OD (olive drab) Green plate carrier/ Chicon vest (from Vietnam). U.S. Woodland/MarPat (Marine Pattern) camouflage. Mask for indoors and mesh goggles for outdoors. CURRENT WEAPONS: • Systema PTW M4, • AK47 Spetsnaz, • Hi-Cappa extreme 4.3” (converted to single shot) • Hi-Cappa Dragon 7” • VSR sniper rifle (modified shorter barrel) • HK 416 FAVOURITE THING ABOUT AIRSOFT: Working with Scott…

If money was no object, what dream customisation guns would the guys be playing? I asked them a few key questions to find out… Q: Ok, to get the ball rolling, what base model would you start off with? Pete: That’s too hard a question (he laughs) … Probably an M4 style, PTW, because you can change it a lot. I would have lots of different uppers (upper sections of the body of the gun, which, on a PTW can be easily removed and swapped) so I can be ready for any situation. Q: What about specific add-ons for indoor play? Pete: An EoTech holographic sight, Flash light, laser… and probably a fore grip. Also a CTR stock on the back. On the front, CQB

there are lots of ways of modifying your gun, However you don’t need to go nuts to get a decent piece... Scott and Pete - a dedicated team to help new (and old) players with personalising and customising their weaponry

AKA: ‘Sk8r’ - Scott is a referee at Battlefield Sports and has been there ever since the business started. STARTED PLAYING: late 2006 CURRENT LOAD OUT: Black plate carrier, DPM (British Army colours) or MarPat (Marine Pattern) camouflage. Oakley glasses for outdoor and mask for indoor. CURRENT WEAPONS: • Systema PW5 (MP5) • CQB M4 (referred to as the ‘mongrel’ as it was put together from random gun parts) • 2x Hi-Cappa 4.3” (one black, one silver) • Glock 17 custom • MP5K (which, believe it or not is painted in pink and purple camouflage) FAVOURITE THING ABOUT AIRSOFT: The pain…

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combat sports

barrel with 9” rails and XTM rail covers. Pretty much my old gun which I sold to go travelling (he laughs again). Q: What about outdoor or long range play? Would you stick with your M4 or move up a size to the M16? Pete: No, I really like the L119, the UK special forces weapon, with an ACOG sight. Q: What about ultimate upgrades internally? Gears, barrel, motor, that sort of thing? Pete: There are literally endless possibilities. I put a high torque motor in, with super high speed gears and bearings, which wont give you an amazing rate of fire but does give you a great trigger response as I am much more of a single shot player. Q: What if you wanted to up the rate of fire? Pete: You would need a shortened spring, bearing spring guide, also modify the angle of engagement on the piston and if you really want to go super high speed you would replace the bearings with bushings as bearings are more likely to break at higher speeds. A high speed motor, bigger battery and silver wiring (16awg). Seriously you could talk for hours on this sort of thing. You could spend £1000’s on upgrades but you really don’t need to. For a normal skirmisher, pretty much all you need is to have an advantage over your bog standard, stock guns. Be that with rate of fire, accuracy, range… any of these things can be upgraded reasonably easily.

a lot tighter now and maybe they can’t afford to go all out? Pete: If you are going to buy a new gun and modify it I would say any Chinese clone model would do the job. Personally, if I was going to start again and buy a new gun to modify it would be an A&K M4. Mainly because, externally they are very solid, and they are very accurate out of the box. However, they are loud and their internals aren’t great but I would switch the gears over and put a decent motor in it, then adjust it all so it’s nice and tight. That would be you set with all you really need, probably costing you around £250.

Q: Please explain what a sniper MP5 is, because I am at a complete loss with this one! Scott: (laughing) Well its just a normal MP5 but with a humongous barrel. Something along the lines of an AK47 barrel. I wouldn’t need that much ammo either so the small, 30 round low cap mags would be better for it. They are also quieter. It would need to have a custom, one-off front end. Smooth and solid like the front end on the MP5 SD6 but thinner, along the same width as the body of the gun itself. For the stock I would just keep the solid MP5 stock. And to top it off with a big, magnified, rifle scope.

Q: Ok so, Scott, we have covered what Pete would do with his unlimited budget, what about you? Scott: Well, I’m a bit more of a ‘blingy’ player, I like to mix things up a bit… My next project involves a Systema Revolution gear box…

Q: Would you want a side arm with that? Scott: Yeah, I would go for an MP5K, simply because it shares mags, plenty of ammo and no need for gas. I would have it in a large holster with the front grip removed for easy use with one hand, and you need a custom paint job. In the event of running out of MP5 mags all together I would have a back up side arm in the form of Glock 26C which is the mini one. o

Q: In what gun exactly? Scott: I’m torn, I don’t know, maybe an MP5 but probably an M4 because, like Pete says they are the easiest guns to change parts on. I like short guns so it would have to be a CQB. Obviously with a sliding stock, the new Magpul ACS stock is nice, it’s different. I like to try different things. For the front end I would like to do some custom rails, have the inset section polished up and chrome, also with the outer barrel in chrome. For indoor I would put on a reflex sight too. Q: What about for outdoor? Scott: You’re going to think I’m a bit crazy… but I want a sniper MP5.

For range, a decent tight bore barrel, which helps accuracy along with a new hop rubber (this effects the spin on the pellet making it fly straighter). For rate of fire, a decent motor and high speed gears, even just a bigger battery but this makes everything go faster and increases wear… you just need to be prepared to spend that extra bit of money to gain the advantage. Q: What if you were on a budget? People’s pockets are 328’s custom SR25

Scott’s two Hi-Cappa 4.3”

Graeme’s Round Up If there is one thing I have learned from talking to Pete and Scott, it’s that every single airsofter is different in the way they play and the way they would describe their perfect set up for a weapon. As Pete says, there are lots of ways of modifying your gun and there is the possibility of spending £1000’s on getting just what you want. However, you don’t need to go nuts to have a decent gun. As I have found in my five years of airsoft, you modify your gun to best suit your own playing style. Give yourself a little time to settle into the sport before spending vast amounts on the new ‘must have’ kit and don’t just go for what everyone else is buying. In saying this though, if you do wish to upgrade, make sure you talk to the real experts and get their advice too. You may find out that certain modifications wont give you what you are after. If you are a seasoned skirmisher and want to upgrade or modify your weapons then my advice would be to make sure you look around before you buy. Have a look at what others have done and then adapt it to fit your own style. Most of all, don’t be afraid to dream a little. There is usually a way of making something crazy work, as the guys at 328 Custom have shown me. At the end of the day, there is no harm in asking! For more information on any of the kit or upgrades mentioned, or if you have any questions about upgrading your weapon please feel free to email me on g.livingstone@live.com o

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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Armed for dinner - now where’s that rabbit?

splurge:

Multi Purpose pocket Knives...

WENGER EVOWOOD 14 Not only does this Swiss Army Knife look fantastic, the touch of the walnut wood in the palm of your hand delivers a rustic ‘at one with nature’ feel that makes you want to get out and use it! Gadget lovers will be in heaven here as there are enough tools packed into the Evowood14 to keep you amused for hours. A truly quality tool, each knife is coloured in a rich dark stain which enhances the unique wood grain patterns in each piece and because the wood is sourced from waste material generated from other production processes, you don’t need to feel guilty about enjoying it. A tool to treasure, this little beauty is top of our Christmas wish list. HOW MUCH: £39.95 WHERE TO GET IT: Leading outdoor stores. Visit www.wenger.ch for details.

save: THE LEATHERMAN STYLE Small and light enough to attach to a key ring, the über stylish Leatherman Style is possibly the dinkiest tool on the market. Costing just £19.95 this is a great entry level Leatherman with all the essential features packed into one nifty little gadget including a knife, scissors, file, flat Philips screwdriver and tweezers. Available in red, black, blue or pink, you’ll never be unprepared again! HOW MUCH: You’ve got change from £20 WHERE TO GET IT: Leading outdoor stores. Visit www.leatherman.co.uk or call 01539 721032 for stockists.

an essential tool - if you, like us, love your rip ties

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just incase you break a nail in combat

you’ll never know when you need to cut those bondage ties

crashing into hedges means thorns - lots of thorns

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nvented in 1999 in New Zealand as a wind sport that would be fun, fast and compact, blokarting reached Ireland’s shores just a few years ago. Similar to a yacht on land, a Blokart is a 3-wheeled kart that sits just a few inches off the ground. Powered by a sail similar to those found on a small dinghy, it has the ability to reach land speeds of up to an incredible 63 mph (current world record speed). This light, wind powered kart moves like a go-kart with wings and provides a thrilling experience when you catch the wind in your sails and zoom along the beach. Of course, where there’s speed, there’s the option to race and Blokart racing adds an exciting new element to this recreational sport.

INVESTIGATE: Despite being just a few years old, blokarting as a sport is catching on at a rapid rate, largely because of is accessibility. It's the ultimate thrill but it's also designed so that ease of use and safety are paramount. It doesn’t take long to pick up the basics as the blokart is extremely easy to maneuver, making it an extreme sport experience for all ages and abilities. You’ll find plenty of information on the sport on the internet (see the contacts at the end of this article) and there are some fun and inspiring videos on YouTube too. As you investigate the sport you’ll discover the distributor for Blokart in Ireland is Mechanical Technologies Training based at Nuttscorner Business Park, Crumlin, Co Antrim. The Blokart division is more commonly known as Mectec Blokart where they have a range of new and second hand Blokarts for sale. They carry a wide range of Blokart spares and accessories and provide lessons ranging from taster sessions (£10) to full courses. The governing body for Blokart in the UK and Ireland is the British Land Speedsail Association (BLSA) to which Blokart Club Ireland is affiliated. BLSA provides all its members with a Code of Conduct and included in the membership which is currently £40 per year is £5 million of 3rd party liability insurance. Mectec Blokart are the only BLSA Coaching Centre in Ireland to run courses for Instructors wanting to provide the activity to clubs, outdoor groups and the general public.

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If you want to feel the wind in your sails, so to speak, but would prefer to stay on dry land, then blokarting could be the adrenaline sport for you… 63

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Blokarting

Guide to Investigate, spectate & participate Mectec staff are qualified BLSA Instructors and their senior instructor Pat Letters won the Blokart British Championships in 2009 and 2010 and finished 9th in the World Blokart Championships in Belguim in 2010. Mectec also support the Activity Providers already set up in Ireland and welcome new providers with a very well structured package. To find out more and keep up to date visit their website at www.mectectraining.com/blokart

SPECTATE: Blokarts can be used anywhere from beaches to car parks, sports and recreation areas, tennis courts and even on ice (when fitted with ice blades), but beaches are the preferred choice. Benone Beach in Limavady, Co Derry, Tyrella Beach in Co. Down and Narin Beach in Donegal are among the best beaches to see the karts in action.

PARTICIPATE: As with any sport, rather than rushing in and buying all the kit, it’s best to take a few taster lessons first just to be sure this is the right sport for you.

LESSONS: One of the great things about blokarting is that it’s really easy to pick up the basics. 2011 will see a couple of new blokarting activity providers opening in Ireland but at present Mectec Blokart are the leaders in the field, offering a number of all inclusive courses and packages - from 20 minute taster sessions (only £10) to group and corporate sessions. Fast track courses in blokarting are also run by Mectec Blokart and it takes only three two hour sessions to take you from the basics of Blokart sailing through to a competition race ready standard, for just £180. TECHNIQUE: A short briefing session on the beach and away you go! Once you’re seated into the kart the controls are explained and it becomes easy to see why the sport is so quickly mastered by 8 to 80 year olds! The Blokart is controlled using the hands only, meaning that a person’s size and mobility isn’t an issue. The steering wheel (a t-bar) allows the driver complete control over direction, whilst the sheet rope, attached to the sail, controls the speed. Pull on the rope to adjust the speed of your kart with one hand and turn the handle bar to steer with the other. What could be simpler? The only point to remember is that the karts don’t have breaks so you need

SALES & TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Available from: Mechanical Technologies Training Nutts Corner Training Centre | 17 Dundrod Road | Crumlin | BT29 4SR telephone: 028 9082 5352 email: info@mectectraining.com

web: www.mectectraining.com/blokarts/

to turn into the wind to stop the momentum of the kart. Another winning feature of blokarting is that you don’t need to be particularly fit or strong to be good at it. In fact because it’s so light to maneuver and it uses the wind for power, you can blokart all day long and you won’t get exhausted. SPEED: Basically the stronger the wind - the faster you'll go, but there are other variables that will affect the speeds you reach including size of sail, tyre pressure, surface type and body weight. Roughly10 knots of wind will get an 80kg adult going at 12mph, and a 20kg child at 16mph. And while 20 knots is loads of fun for an adult, it will be too powerful for a child using a standard sail. The British speed record so far is 59 mph and the world record is 63 mph. It’s just a question of how fast you want to go! SAFETY: Blokarts are very safe, providing the right protection measures are worn. A helmet, goggles and gloves should be worn at all times and always remember to fasten the seatbelt as the karts have a tendency to flip over if you take a corner too sharply. If you feel the kart veering up on two wheels you can try and shift your body weight to redress the balance, but if a tip is inevitable, keep your arms and legs inside the kart and let the seatbelt take your weight.

RULES OF THE ROAD n ALWAYS wear a protective helmet and sturdy, toe-enclosed shoes n ALWAYS fasten the seatbelt, as it will stop you from getting thrown out of the Blokart if it flips over n LOOK out for other blokarters and give way to traffic on your right n KEEP your hands and feet inside the Blokart at all times n START off in light winds, progressing to stronger winds as your skills develop n ONLY use your Blokart in areas where you have plenty of room to slow down and stop n ENSURE the ground is firm, flat, and free of obstacles, potholes and people! n ALWAYS get permission before using your Blokart on an area you are not familiar with.

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It’s important to remember that the wind is a very, very powerful force and as a result blokarting can be dangerous in high winds. Only go out in stronger winds when you feel ready.

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THE KIT: If you decide you’d like to Blokart on a regular basis then you’ll need to invest in the necessary equipment, the biggest part of which is the kart itself. A Blokart is a three-wheeled wind powered go-kart made from a mix of light and extremely durable steel and fiberglass. The chassis is available in either high strength steel or in stainless steel (stainless steel being more expensive). The mast comes in four parts and is made from flexible fiberglass. Weighing in at only 27kg in total the Blokart is portable enough to fit in the boot of most cars,

and can be assembled from its unique carry bag in less than five minutes with no tools required. Blokarts have a ‘one design concept’ meaning every model has the same performance ability. There is however a number of different sail sizes available to further the wind range you can use Blokarts in. Complete Blokarts for beginners start from £1,600 with prices going up to £2,300 for performance class models. Second hand models do come onto the market - ask your local distributor for details. o

Where there’s speed, there’s the option to race and Blokart racing adds an exciting new element to this recreational sport

USEFUL CONTACTS: If you would like to have a go at blokarting in Ireland please contact your nearest official Blokart Activity Provider. In Northern Ireland this is: MECTEC BLOKART telephone: 028 90 825352 mobile: 077 0320 9989 web: www.mectectraining.com/blokart In Ireland contact: FREEDOM SURF SCHOOL AND ADVENTURE, Tramore, Waterford web: www.freedomsurfschool.com

FURTHER INFORMATION: For local events, fun days and race dates in Ireland contact: BLOKART CLUB IRELAND web: www.blokartclubireland.com BRITISH LAND SPEEDSAIL ASSOCIATION the official governing body for blokarting in the UK and Ireland web: www.theblsa.com BEGINNINGS For more information on the operation and history of Blokarts visit: web: www.blokart.com

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n The busy assembly area

Dedicated adventure racer Michael Regan shares is experience of the challenging new 10km Stormont Estate course, the first race in the 26 Extreme Winter Series... THURSDAY 4th November and I arrived at the already busy car park at Stormont Estate at 7pm. There was a great atmosphere and it was great to see a lot of new faces from last years series. The 26extreme team had everything set up and ready. Registration was a fast process and once I'd got my chip and number it was off for a quick warm up before the race briefing. Ian welcomed everyone to the 2nd 26extreme Winter Series Race 1 and talked us through the course, a clockwise lap of the trails around Stormont Estate. The loop was 5km and we would do this twice. The trails were mainly hard packed gravel through trees with one section on the tarmac road running down the hill. I was around the front and sat with the lead group as we left the start line. We crossed the road at the main gates to Stormont and into the trees at the other side. The trail was very wet with puddles dotted around the flatter sections. This section was proper dark but everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head torches lit the place up well. The trail took us along the left side of the grounds climbing all the time with a few sharp hills opening up the pack. I eased up a bit here and started to run my own race and let the lead group go ahead. Lets be honest, I was never going to sit with them for the whole race let alone this lap! Crossing the road at the side entrance we rejoined the trail and headed up to the top bridge. Finally a good descent to get the breathing back on track and open the legs up a bit. We followed the trail down to the road turning left onto the tarmac where Rowan from 26extreme was standing on the sidelines cheering us all on. Then it was a short climb to the roundabout and a right turn down the main road. The pace picked up again on the down hill. Good light and the descent made this section fast for most. We crossed the road and joined the trail again heading into the right of the grounds. This took us out along side the football pitches and back through another dark wooded section to the start finish. One Lap complete 00:20:59mins. Ian from 26extreme was also cheering everyone at the halfway point and taking photos as we passed the chip timing station. I got a few words of encouragement from a mate who had come down to see the race which helped me pick up the pace again. I pushed on feeling o.k. apart from my breathing. My legs felt o.k. and wasn't tired yet, although second time round the hill did feel a lot longer! Rounding the bridge for the second time I knew I had to make up some lost ground so I got my head back, sucked in as much air as I could and took off down the hill. I had my eyes closed as the light from the head torch reflected off the moisture from my breath making it really hard to see. I knew the path was straight and just kept going taking the odd look to see if I was still on course. Thankfully I had a clear run coming out of the trees and onto the road section. I even managed to pass a few people that had passed me on the climb and kept a steady pace going into the last wooded section. Rounding the last corner three abreast we took off for the line. One passed me and I managed to stay ahead of the other guy. Second lap was a much slower 00:23:35mins with a total time of 00:44:34mins. A fair bit of my PB for 10km but a tougher course than I had anticipated. The new course was good and as always the organisation was top class. Thanks to Rowan and Ian at 26extreme for another excellent event and to Surf Mountain for the discount vouchers. For more race blogs from Michael, visit http://causewaymarathon.blogspot.com/ and www.26extreme.com

n 7pm, Thursday 4th November, Stormont Estate - and the 2010/11 26 Extreme Winter Series is go...

n Mark Cassidy (224) and Eimear King (205) at the start of the 10k

n Steve Cooke

n Joe Gavin

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n Scott Nelson (225) and Robin Alexander (199)

n Michael Regan

n Paul Duffy

n First place man home Geoff Smyth (212) in a time of 35:44

n Stephen Farr (223) and Kathryn Bell (222)

n Daniel Young

n First place woman home was Hazel McLaughlin (42) in a time of 44:42

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THE 2010 British Supercross series kicked off to a full house and the best line up of riders probably ever seen in the UK. Newtownard’s man and defending champ Gordon Crockard led the local charge in the comfort of NI’s premier indoor venue. But it was going to be Ballyclare man Martin Barr's night as he took victory in the opening round of the British

n During this entanglement in the “Dash for Cash” race it was this photographer who nearly came off worst!

Open Championship. From the very first race (off which there were 20 plus the infamous 'Dash for Cash') the 7,000 baying fans certainly got their money's worth. In the all British championship race, the recently crowned Red Bull Pro Nationals champion Martin Barr (riding a Suzuki for one race until his KTM contract begins) roared to an impressive victory in a field full of top British championship riders. In the main competition, current British MX1 champion Evgeny Bobryshev took the top prize. Much respect also to Bobryshev who won the “dash for cash”. The Russian certainly earned his bucket of money winning this high octane, one on one, eliminator style race. For more information on the British Supercross Championships please visit www.fwsx.com or www.britsx.net

n Ballyclare man Martin Barr winning the opening round of the British Open championship

n All the thrills of motorsport in the comfort of NI’s premier indoor arena

n Current British MX1 champion Evgeny Bobryshev

n Stuart Edmunds

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n Tom Church

n Evgeny Bobryshev number one on the night

n Local favourite Gordon Crockard back on home turf

n Supercross made a welcome return to Belfastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Odyssey Arena

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n Jonny Kelly fastest quad on the night

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Height of Success wall, The National Lead Climbing Competition took place at Play-at-Height ut of Dingle, on Saturday 16th October. This year saw a bigger turno pictures: Rob Davies competitors than last and a great standard of entries…

Beatriz Baselga on the Women's Final Route

all the competitors either topped, or were within a hold of the top on the first route... Rachel Cooper Senior and Junior Champion

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climbing Louis Mulloy 1st senior male

Andrew Colligan 1st Junior Male

Neal McQuaid 2nd Senior Male

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Duke of Ed

ArranAdventure of With motivation and inspiration in mind, Mike McClure takes a group trip Northern Irish silver-level Duke of Edinburgh students on a memorable to the Isle of Arran in Scotland…

ost silver level Duke of Edinburgh groups in Northern Ireland choose to carry out their expedition in the Mournes or the Antrim Hills but my Newcastle group were made of more adventurous stuff. As they all live beside the Mournes and had done all their training there, the aim was to push the limits a bit and go somewhere more exciting. Arran seemed an obvious choice, providing a remote setting that was accessible and affordable. The Isle of Arran in Scotland is extremely accessible. A quick ferry journey to Troon from Larne, then 20 miles up the coast followed by the “Calmac” experience (for the un-initiated Caledonian MacBrayne - the Scottish ferry company to the islands) and you’re on the island. It’s a great and relatively inexpensive venue for an expedition or even a climbing trip. Our trip cost £120 per head for five days away. Arran is often described as Scotland in miniature, the Northern end of the island

having the A’Chir ridge which can rival Glen Coe and the southern end being similar to the Galloway hills of Southern Scotland with its rolling, forested hills. So it was with great excitement that 16 young people from Newcastle in Co. Down boarded the 7am ferry to Troon. Anticipation, nervousness, excitement, tiredness (it had been an early start) all mingled in the minds and stomachs of the team. Three groups were organised- a boys group, a girls group and the mixed group. On arrival we stayed the first night in the fantastic Lochranza campsite and organised tents, gear and food. The groups were aiming to study the wildlife of Arran as the purpose of their expedition. If you’ve never been to Lochranza it is an amazing place where red deer, which are very common on the island, freely wander through the campsite day and night. The groups’ expeditions involved walking round the north end of the Island (the Cock of

Arran) on day one with days two and three spent right into the centre of the hills via Glen Catacol and Glen Easan Biorach. Arran proved to be a fantastic area for an nature expedition. There were hardly any people around - the three groups met no more than a dozen people between them all over the few days! However the lack of people was more than made up for by the numerous varieties of wildlife encountered. The groups had plenty of sightings of deer and lizards, two groups saw eagles and one group saw a snake. The groups had a true wilderness experience and a number were truly inspired by the scenery, the mountains and the stillness. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is meant to inspire young people to be excited about wild areas as well as giving them a boost of selfconfidence and an opportunity to build essential team working skills. All too often I see groups in the Mournes who are having a miserable time and aren’t up to the challenge they are undertaking. Whilst being a great believer in the scheme I feel strongly that we who are leaders of DofE programmes need to push the boat out more and inspire our young people to become mountaineers and canoeists through positive and exciting experiences. Next year I hope to travel even further afield with my Duke of Edinburgh group and there are plans already afoot for a possible a trip to Canada or the Pyrenees. o

MIKE McCLURE is the Countryside Recreation Development Officer for Sport Northern Ireland and is based at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre near Bryansford. In his spare time he also runs a Duke of Edinburgh group through the Newcastle Presbyterian Church Youth Council.

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Where the e r a s g n i h t d l wi with a difference The Barker family enjoy a holiday Island Bothy… t when they go back to basics at Sal

n early August, Andy Baker his wife Vicky and four year old son George set off on a very different type of summer holiday. Some friends had told them about an old cottage on a deserted island in Strangford Lough which has now been totally refurbished and is used as bothy accommodation for paddlers on Strangford Lough. This area of outstanding natural beauty has drawn British and Irish canoeists for decades, however, with the launch of the Strangford Lough Canoe Trail in July 2008 this paddler’s paradise is being etched into more and more canoeist’s diaries and is fast becoming a real ‘must-do’ destination. Having canoed in the past Andy couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to take his young family on a paddle holiday to Britain’s largest Sea Lough and experience the Salt Island Bothy for himself.

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Here’s how they got on… CanoeNI caught up with Andy after his trip to find out how he and his family got on.

Is this a typical holiday for you? No, not at all, in the past we have gone abroad on holiday but with George now slightly older we thought this would be a great opportunity to stay in the UK and go on more of an activity break. Vicky and I have always enjoyed canoeing. A number of years ago we actually built our own open canoe at home and we do try to get out paddling a couple of times a year. When we toyed with the idea of going on a summer canoeing trip we really wanted an adventure and when we heard about hiring the bothy on Salt Island, a trip over to Strangford Lough ticked all the right boxes.

Did you bring your own canoe? No we were visiting friends in other parts of Northern Ireland so we decided to rent the canoe for the two days plus all the gear. This worked out really well. We rented the equipment from a local activity centre who provided everything we would need for the trip and also give us some useful safety information for paddling across to Salt Island.

So how did your young family take to the waters of Strangford Lough? Brilliantly. The sun was out, we had blue skies and the three of us were buzzing with excitement. We set off from Killyleagh and weaved through the moored boats out to open water, sharing the space with Black Guillemots, Tern, Heron and Curlew. As we

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canoed out past Green Island we saw beached Grey Seals. The paddle over to Salt Island only took us 45 minutes but this stretch of water was completely packed with stunning wildlife.

What were your first impressions of Salt Island Bothy? We arrived at the jetty on the south side of the island. We were a tad early which meant we had a bit of a mud haul to beach the canoe but we were soon carrying the kit inside the stone-walls of the bothy. As we unlocked the door and opened up the window shutters, light flooded in and exposed our home for the night. The nature of the bothy is basic accommodation on a deserted island so we weren’t expecting five star luxury. It’s spacious with adequate loos, kitchen area, running water, sleeping space for up to 12 people, a wood burning stove and a great library of local natural history books. Despite all these welcome facilities, undeniably, the real delight of the bothy is it’s untouched location. There must be few other places where you can take your family in the UK quite like this.

After you got settled in how was your evening in the Bothy? We used the evening to explore Salt Island (sadly, no Otter spraints or tracks), bird watch

the real delight of the bothy is it’s untouched location, There must be few other places where you can take your family quite like this...

and cook an excellent camp-fire/barbeque dinner and breakfast. We then wallowed in the luxury of a wilderness landscape and a true family adventure. Watching the tide coming in was hypnotic and crabbing and fishing with George, on the rocky shores was a real delight.

How would you sum up your overall experience paddling on Strangford Lough and staying in Salt Island Bothy? It was a delight; a family adventure and a privilege to be in such an unspoilt location and it encouraged us to switch off and take in our surroundings. It truly suited us as a family, albeit with a four and a half year old son. There are options as to how you want to stay, and I could see George with his mates, in a few years, wanting to camp outside the Bothy walls for his own adventure. Folk need to be aware that exclusivity is a privilege, not a right. There is the option to solely book the bothy otherwise you may be sharing with other paddlers. o MANAGED by The National Trust, Salt Island Bothy is the first of it’s kind in Northern Ireland and provides basic accommodation for paddlers on the Strangford Lough Canoe Trail. Developed by the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) and The National Trust, this trail was launched in July 08 and covers 80 square nautical miles of paddling playground. With 11 official access points the Strangford Lough Canoe Trail is fully signed and provides unique canoeing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. To download a detailed guide including route information, images, maps and information on canoe rental visit www.canoeni.com For more information on Salt Island Bothy or to enquire about bookings contact The National Trust at Castle Ward on 0044 (0)28 4488 1204.

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? e in z a g a m e th d e y jo n E Want to see more? r o f e it s b e w r u o it is V some doggy treats...

head cam video footage

Join of Team aWo fan of Become 端berdog on

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past issues as interactive flippy versions

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the latest local outdoor and extreme sports news

exclusive event pictures

Free to enter competitions with great prizes

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GOING TO EXTREMES guy, The Med may offer sea and sunshine, but it you’re a get-up and go kinda Here you may want to travel a little further afield for your holiday high. are our top destinations for extreme holiday fun… Mountain biking in Tibet, The Roof of the World Experience the world's longest mountain bike descent from Tibet into Nepal and bike across the Pang La with unrestricted views of the Himalayas. Pioneered by KE Adventure Travel in 1994, this classic mountain biking holiday from Lhasa to Kathmandu is a long and demanding cycle ride on sometimes rough and ever changing roads across Tibet to Nepal. The route navigates six major passes and through the unforgettable monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar. Detouring from the main highway, you’ll climb the hairpin bends to reach the Pang La and enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Everest, before continuing to camp in the Rongbuk Valley, beneath Everest's north face. Finally, as you reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau you’ll be faced with a mind-blowing descent of 4600 metres (15,000ft) via the border town of Zangmu into Nepal. This is one of the toughest and most rewarding biking journeys on earth! DATES: 18 September 2010 & 9 April, 30 April 2011. PRICE: Land-only price £2,295 for 21 days. Flights from the UK will be an additional £750. HOW TO BOOK: Contact KE Adventure Travel, www.keadventuretravel.com

Kayaking in Antarctica Imagine bumping through the ice, gliding across a glassy bay with the mountains and glaciers reflected in the water, or dodging a raft of porpoising penguins…these are just a few of the experiences you can expect to enjoy on a sea kayaking trip in Antartica. The program is designed for people with an adventurous spirit and basic paddling skills with sea kayak excursions being tailored to your ability. All specialist kayaking equipment is provided, you just need to bring your suncream and sunglasses. DATES: Various trips from Nov 2010 – March 2011 COST: Sea kayaking is an optional activity while enjoying a One Ocean Expeditions Cruise. Cruises start from $5590 pp with the sea kayaking costing and additional $750 pp. HOW TO BOOK: For more details and to book visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

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paddle travel sports

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Camel Trekking in South Australia Camel trekking is an exciting alternative touring option for exploring South Australia’s magnificent Flinders Ranges. One of the most experienced operators in the region is Pichi Richi Camel Tours run by a fourth generation family of cameleers, the Cannards offer camel safaris, tours and rides ranging from a half hour camel riding experience to a four-day camel safari through some of the oldest landscapes on earth. DATES: Bookings to be arranged in advance PRICE: Prices vary depending on the package booked. A two-day camel safari including two camel rides per day, a gourmet 3-course meal and an overnight stay in a native bush camp costs from AUD$550 (approx £332) per person but you can enjoy a one-hour ride for as little as AUD$35 (approx £21). Flights additional. HOW TO BOOK: Visit www.pichirichicameltours.com for booking details

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Diary Dates

The festive season’s not all about partying, you can play too. Here are some of the best outdoor events being held in December and January… Saturday 11 December

Sunday 5 December

Milestone 4 Malawi

Greenway Santa Cycle

T13, Titanic Quarter, Belfast

Titanic Quarter, Belfast

Expect Milestone Session 1 but bigger and better; more ramps & park to ride, more prizes, more demos & more energy. The 2nd Milestone Session promises to be mega with profits going to the Make a Difference Worldwide charity. The T13 team are raising money to send a container full of clothes, shoes and equipment to children in Malawi and if they arise enough, they hope to send a team out there to do some work. If you would like more information email: milestone@squarepit.com

Sunday 26 and Monday 27 December

Dromara New Year MTB Trailquest Seaforde, Co Down Burn off the Christmas dinner and join in the fun. Start point is Brennan's Garage, Seaforde. For more information contact Trevor Annett, m: 07714 382158

The second annual Greenway Santa Cycle in aid of Bowel Cancer UK is expected to attract 500 cycling Santa’s of all ages and abilities. So dust off the Santa suit, oil up your bikes and put the date in your diary. To register for this year’s event contact the Connswater Community Greenway team on 90467925 or email: greenway@eastbelfastpartnership.org

26 Extreme Winter Series Thursday 2 December Castlewellan Thursday 9 December Rostrevor 20 January 2011 Stormont 27 January 2010 Rostrevor 26 Extreme invites you to banish your winter blues and take part in the 2010 / 2011 Winter Race Series. Don your head torch and join fellow racers lighting up the trails through the forests in these unique events. For event dates visit www.26extreme.com

Sunday 9 January 2011

Irish CX Championships Lurgan Park, Co Armagh Three Ulster clubs are coming together to host the Irish National Cyclo-Cross Championships and you’re invited! A great winter sport, cyclo-cross races consist of a series of laps across varied terrain, but be warned, courses are designed to be only 90% rideable so riders are forced to dismount and carry their bike over at least one obstacle before remounting and getting back into the race. For more details contact race organiser Stephen Prentice, m: 07835880772

Causeway Coast Adventure Races Saturday 4 December Bangor Saturday 8 January Castleward Saturday 5 February Derry City Be part of the adventure - grab a few mates who aren’t afraid to try a bit of running, cycling and kayaking and sign up for one of these challenging events. For more details visit www.causewaycoastar.co.uk

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the

y r o t c e dir

d the north of Irelan ss ro ac es ss ne si oor bu your guide to outd Bike Shops Chain Reaction Cycles Kilbride Road, Doagh Ballyclare BT39 0QA tel: 028 9334 5515 email: shop@chainreactioncycles.com web: www.chainreactioncycles.com

m Chain Reaction Cycles offer the widest

selection of products from the industries leading brands in all cycling disciplines. To compliment the service they provide to their on-line customers they also have a state of the art showroom and shopping facility where they showcase the ultimate products in the world of cycling ranging from high tech DH mountain bikes to featherweight road race bikes that are at the cutting edge of cycling technology and design which feature exotic materials and manufacturing processes combined with the very latest components.

Hype Bike & Board Store 4 Nelson Trade Centre, Nelson Street, Belfast BT15 1BH tel: 028 90 245 241 email: enquiries@hypebmxstore.com web: www.hypebmxstore.com

m Following their relocation to a new, larger city centre location, Hype boast a full

showroom with all the latest BMXs, skateboards and mountainbikes on display along with a shoe and clothing section. Hype, Ireland’s No.1 urban core store, have the expertise to build up your bike or board with labour charges that are excellently priced. They can custom build you up a bike or board with whatever choice of parts you require. Complete bikes and boards are also available from the many brands stocked, or by special orders. Hype pride ourselves on a fast Mail Order service in the UK and Ireland and carry a large stock so all the latest parts are readily available.

OC Tuning Unit 3/49 K.C.R. Estate, Ravensdale Park, Kimmage, Dublin 6W tel: 00353 1492 9552 email: info@octuning.ie web: www.octuning.ie

m OC Tuning are your one-stop shop for all your fox suspension servicing and bicycle

repairs. Whether you need your Fox suspension sorted, hydraulic brakes fixed, custom wheels built or a bike frame built up. There is nothing we can't fix and most jobs are done on the day they are received. OC Tuning now carry service kits (bearings etc) for Santa Cruz V10, Ironhorse and most Giants bikes. Call us and let us know what you need. Our phone lines are open Monday to Sunday 9am-8pm so call us for all your MTB needs.

Bike it Cycles 74 Grand Parade Belfast Antrim BT5 5HH tel: 028 9079 7974 email: info@bikeitcycles.com web: www.bikeitcycles.com

m Bike It have the right bike to meet every need: from a child's first cycle, to the

enthusiasts looking for the latest and best cycles, not forgetting those people cycling to work or just pedalling for exercise and fun! Bike It cover all disciplines and areas including road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, BMX, clothing and accessories. Specialists in Trek /Merida/ Lapierre bikes and Endura and Madison Clothing. Open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

Revolution Bikestore 7a Loughway Business Park Greenbank Industrial Estate, Newry BT34 2TH tel: 028 30832829 email: info@revolutionbikestore.com web: www.revolutionbikestore.com

m At Revolution we are all about cycling. Whatever

you do on your bike, whether it be touring, racing, hucking or anywhere in between, it’s all good. In a world of product codes and order numbers we are getting back to basics and focusing on what we do best. At Revolution we try to keep stock that will suit everyone and our friendly, knowledgeable staff are here to help meet your needs. We have a world class DH racer, an XC/cyclo cross racer, a road racer, and a guy who’s toured across Canada while the rest of us just ride for fun. Between us we can help you get exactly what you’re looking for. And if we don’t have it we’ll get it..

Moycullen bike works Unit 2 Gairdin Mhaire Main Street, Moycullen County Galway tel: 00353 9155 6525 email: info@mbikeworks.ie web: www.mbikeworks.ie

m The one stop mountain bike shop in the West of Ireland is now famous for being a

one-of-a-kind shop. MBW offers you some of the best products from the best brands at the best prices possible. Only recently established, MBW has already made quite an impact on the local and national scene and is committed to clearing XC trails, building a pump track and running a successful DH team. So whatever bike you need make sure you come and visit us..

MTB Instruction

Adventure Racing

Dave Youngs Mountain Bike Instruction

26 Extreme

mob: 078 0942 6202 email: davidyoungs8831@yahoo.co.uk web: www.youngsmountainbikeinstruction.co.uk

109 Church Street Portadown Co Armagh BT62 3DB email: info@26extreme.com web: www.26extreme.com

m Dave Youngs has been involved in mountain biking for many years. During that time his proven method of instruction has been the key to his success. With a relaxed, but confident and friendly manner, he will get the best from your strengths and individual character. Always pushing the individual to achieve their aim but never beyond their limits.

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m 26 Extreme - Bringing unique outdoor

events to Ireland. Responsible for a large portfolio of events including the Mourne Way Marathon, Causeway Coast Marathon and Irelands Coast to Coast Multisport Race, 26 extreme is at the forefront of extreme off road running, mountain biking and endurance racing. Whether you are an avid mountain biker, ultra runner or just out to challenge yourself to the next level, 26 extreme have an event for you.

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Outdoor Shop Podium 4 Sport 40 Montgomery Road Belfast BT6 9HL tel: +44 (0) 28 9070 1444 email: info@podium4sport.com web: www.podium4sport.com m Open seven days a week, Podium 4 Sport’s new outdoor store adds an additional 4,000 sq ft to the existing sports store, making it one of Northern Ireland's leading independent sports retailers. The carefully selected outdoor product range includes Berghaus, Haglofs, Helly Hansen, Salomon and the Bear Grylls range for Craghoppers. The great selection of clothing for men, women and children is complimented by essential gear, gadgets and outdoor gizmos, with dedicated areas for camping, hiking, skiing and more.

Surf Mountain 12 Brunswick Street, Belfast BT2 7GE tel: 028 9024 8877 106 Main Street, Bangor BT20 4AG tel: 028 9145 3888 15 Castle Street, Lisburn BT27 4SP tel: 028 9266 7171 email: sales@surfmountain.com web: www.surfmountain.com

m Surf Mountain was founded in 1984. Selling our customers technical equipment and clothing was and still is the focus for Surf Mountain. Our staff are all active outdoor people involved in walking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding and all other activities that our products cater for. We are passionate about our sports and we are passionate about the items we sell; each product is carefully chosen to fulfil the end use required. Enjoy shopping with Surf Mountain, whether at one of our three stores, or online.

Paddle Sports Coast & Creek at Taggart & Co Ltd 38-44 Main Street Ballymoney BT53 6AP tel: 028 2766 2130 email: info@coastandcreek.com web: www.coastandcreek.com

m Coast and Creek are currently

loading information and products onto their website and hope to have a full array of top quality paddle products available to buy online very soon. Feel free to browse the site and check back regularly to see what's been added! They want this to be your paddling website as much as theirs. Please e-mail them with any suggestions for content or layout, or particular brands you're finding it hard to get hold of. In the meantime, feel free to visit their shop in Ballymoney and check out their stock of kayaks, sit-on-tops, paddles, kayak clothing and accessories.

Video & Photography Pro-motion Camera Systems Unit 31 North West Business Complex, Skeoge Industrial Estate, Derry BT48 8SE tel: 028 7135 7554 email: sales@promotioncams.com web: www.promotioncams.com

m Pro-motion camera systems supply the very latest quality helmet and mini-camera systems so you can capture the best onboard action whether it's on water, snow, air or land. We also offer a free after-sales advice service with any query you may have to ensure you’re getting the best footage possible..

Watersports The Edge Watersports Warehouse at Hanna Boats 233 Loughan Road, Coleraine County Antrim BT52 1UD tel: 028 27 668 999 email: enquiries@edgewatersports.co.uk web:www.edgewatersports.co.uk

m Established in 1996 by Rob & Joan Skelly The

Edge Watersports is now one of the premier retailers for water sports equipment in Ireland and the UK. We sell the top brands such as O'Neill, Liquid Force, O'Brien, Jobe, Circle One and RTM. Our staff are true waterbabies, with years of experience in all aspects of water sports. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced water sports enthusiast The Edge aims to offer you the best and most extensive online retail service of water sports gear in the UK and Ireland.

Mountainboarding Surfin’ Dirt Mountain Boarding Tullyree Road, Bryansford Down BT34 5LD mob: 077 3921 0119 email: info@surfindirt.co.uk web: www.surfindirt.co.uk web: www.gaspactionsports.com m Surfin’ Dirt is the one and only mountain board centres in Ireland, Located in the spectacular surroundings of the Mourne Mountains, Surfin’ Dirt mountain board centre provides an exciting venue for mountain boarders and mountain bikers of all skills and ages. Beginners have the opportunity to learn and develop skills on the nursery slope, while more advanced riders will enjoy the long carving runs, jumps and features on the main hill.

Outdoor Activity Operators Mectec Blokarting Nutts Corner Training Centre 17 Dundrod Road Crumlin BT29 4SR tel: 028 9082 5352 email: info@mectectraining.com web: www.mectectraining.com/blokarts/

m Mectec Blokart are the distibutor for Blokart in Ireland and offer a range of new and

second hand Blokarts for sale. They carry a wide range of Blokart spares and accessories and provide lessons ranging from taster sessions (£10) to full courses. Mectec Blokart are also the only BLSA Coaching Centre in Ireland to run courses for instructors wanting to provide the activity to clubs, outdoor groups and the general public. Mectec also support the Activity Providers already set up in Ireland and welcome new providers with a very well structured package. To find out more visit their website at www.mectectraining.com/blokarts

Tollymore National Outdoor Centre Bryansford, Newcastle, Down BT33 0PT tel: 028 4372 5354 email: admin@tollymore.com web: www.tollymore.com

m There are two climbing walls at

Tollymore, one outdoors and one indoors. The outdoor wall was built in the early 1970s, and is a large granite boulder structure. It is used on many rockclimbing courses, and is ideal for learning to place gear, set up belays and learn basic ropework.The indoor wall opened in 2000. It is owned by the Mountaineering Council of Ireland and managed by Tollymore. It consists of a bouldering wall and a lead wall. There is a wide variety of routes on this wall, which are changed regularly. The wall is over 9 metres high, and generally has over 70 graded routes. The bouldering wall is 4 metres high and has vertical and overhanging sections.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE FROM AS LITTLE AS £25 PER MONTH Contact Andy today at email: andy@uberdogmagazine.co.uk telephone: 028 9065 5376 mobile: 077 0860 9872 80

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

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Surfing Fin McCools Surf School

Troggs Surf Shop 88 Main Street, Portrush, BT56 8BN tel: 028 7082 5476 email: shop@troggs.com web: www.troggssurfshop.co.uk web: www.troggssurfschool.com web: www.surfingireland.com

m Troggs have over 30 years of professional surfing experience, building a reputation

as a leading surf shop in the UK and Ireland. Our employees are passionate about surfing and help select the best quality products from hundreds of brands such as Alder, Quiksilver, Billabong, Animal, Oakley, Rip Curl, O’Neill and Reef to name a few. Check out our online store where we offer the best and most extensive online retail service of surfing and snow goods in Europe - catering for beginner to pro surfer alike.

Adventure One Surf School & Shop School: Ballyheirnan Bay, Fanad, Co Donegal Shop: Kerrykeel, Co. Donegal tel: 074 91 50262 mob: 086 1931 747 email: iain@adventureone.net web: www.adventureone.net

m Adventure One surf school is the leading Irish Surfing Association approved school on the north coast of donegal. The school is run by Iain Gilmour who has over 25 years surfing experience and has competed for most of that time placing in national finals both here in Ireland and in the Channel Islands. Being ISA approved means our instructors are fully qualified ISA coaches, RLSS beach lifeguards and are fully insured. This means that you the customer will be getting the best tuition in the funnest and safest way possible. The school caters for individuals, families, schools and corporate groups and is open from April to the end of October. Wetsuits and boards are provided.

Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal tel: 071 9859020/ 086 8049909 web: www.finmccoolsurfschool.com email: finmccools@gmail.com

m We are delighted to be able to

announce the arrival of the Fin McCool Surf Lodge. The new Lodge is located right next door to our current shop and offers comfortable 4 & 3 bed dorms or double rooms. There is beds for groups of up to 24 people and we are ideally suited right on the beach for those here for lessons or just up for the weekend. Prices start from €20 per night with discounts available for groups of 8 or more people.

Chasers Surf Tours Portrush, County Antrim tel: 07517 255 135 email: info@chaserssurftours.com web: www.chaserssurftours.com

m Chasers Surf Tours is

Irelands premiere surf tour operator. With over 20 years of surfing experience, Chasers will provide the ultimate experince. Our professionally trained drivers and guides will transport you from coast to coast searching for the best surf our island of Ireland can offer.

Combat Games The Jungle NI 60 Desertmartin Road, Moneymore, Magherafelt, BT45 7RB tel: 028 8674 8881 email: bookings@thejungleni.com web: www.thejungleni.com m The Jungle NI is an award-winning outdoor entertainment facility set in the heart of Northern Ireland (and just 45 minutes from Belfast). Activities include: Paintballing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Archery, Team Building, Zorbing and have recently introduced Irelands first Treetop high Wire Adventure Course! It comprises of over 40 challenging elements set at varying heights above the ground (in some areas you could be suspended 70ft up). You'll find yourself tackling fun obstacles such as rope bridges, scramble nets, zip wires, tarzan swings, and their very own King Louis Descent also know as a Powerfan Drop. The course is sure to bring out the Tarzan or Jane in you! Ideal for Stag/Hen do’s, Birthdays, Corporate Events, Youth Groups or just a few friends looking for a great day out!

Toy Soldiers Airsoft 3 Sandown Road Belfast BT5 6GT tel: 028 9029 7398 email: info@tsairsoft.com web: www.tsairsoft.com

m Trading since 2008, Toy Soldiers Airsoft (TSA) focus on delivering strong customer

satisfaction, meeting the needs of the beginner or professional airsoft player alike. With an impressive product range from top brands such as ICS and G&G, together with a dedicated second hand gun room, Toy Soldiers can supply you with the best in new and used guns. An order service is available in-shop with most equipment and accessory orders being delivered in just a few days. For customers who prefer to shop online, our website carries our full compliment of stock. Visit www.tsairsoft.com

Green Zone Combat

Predator Combat Games

36 Drumsavage Road Hamiltonsbawn Armagh BT60 1NE tel: 07772 919 974 email: info@greenzonecombat.com web: www.greenzonecombat.com

7A Dundrinne Rise, Castlewellan, BT31 9LY mobile: 07825 169631 tel: 028 4377 0566 email: sales@predatorcombat.com web: www.predatorcombat.com

m Airsoft specialists Green Zone Combat recently opened a shop in Armagh. Proud to have the largest display of airsoft guns in Northern Ireland, our customers can select from leading brands and test weaponry on our mini range before purchase. Green Zone Combat - the airsoft site - is staged on seven acres of land deep in the County Armagh countryside. The site is a mix of open and built up areas - some with an almost urban feel and makes for a varied and intense gaming experience. After a day's airsofting and you'll realise this isn't a sport - it's an obsession! Visit: www.greenzonecombat.com or ring 07772 919 974 for shop opening times, or to book a game on our site.

Trigger Happy 86 Parkgate Avenue, Belfast BT4 1JB tel: 07 561 561 331 web: www.triggerhappyfun.com m Northern Ireland’s latest indoor and outdoor airsoft site has opened its doors. Located in East Belfast, Trigger Happy has been developed by airsofters for airsofters to create a site that delivers maximum thrills. Covering a vast indoor and outdoor space, Trigger Happy uses the very latest technology, including infrared play, to inject chaos, disorientation and variety into every game. Made up of offices and street scapes, the site features lights, sounds and visual effects that will literally blow you away! There’s no such thing as boredom at Trigger Happy and customers are guaranteed the thrill of the unexpected every visit.

www.uberdogmagazine.co.uk

m Come visit us at Predator Combat Games,

for an adreline pumping, action packed day of air soft! Air soft is a fast moving combat game, and Predator pride ourselves in being one of the longest established and popular UKARA registered sites in Northern Ireland. Based near Drumaness in Co.Down, our 20 acre site has enough variety to keep new and aspiring players engaged all day long.

Todds Leap Activity Centre 30 Todds Leap Road, Ballymacilroy, Ballygawley, Tyrone BT70 2BW tel: 028 8556 7170 email: info@toddsleap.com web: www.toddsleap.com

m Toddsleap.com is the No 1 outdoor activity centre in Ireland. Based in Ballygawley,

Toddsleap.com specialise in producing superb corporate entertainment, teambuilding days and stag/hen events incorporating the very best in extreme off road driving, Paintballing, quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, archery and a variety of bespoke activities to suit every budget and group size. They aim to take you, your family, friends and colleagues to the edge and beyond. New activities every year, why not try the new super slide - over 200ft long. Coming soon: The longest Zip Line in Ireland and an all new ropes course.

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