Crowd-surfing in a mosh pit down the Astoria or Brixton Academy is the closest most in London can readily get to the waves and Waikiki lifestyle. That could be about to change: plans are afoot for a permanent outdoor surf machine in East London.
As we reported yesterday, big things are happening along London's riverside. Spelling-shy Venture Xtreme have gone for the ambitious: they've released pictures of a "unique surf centre and extreme sports complex" that they are hoping to build at the £1.5 billion Silvertown Quays development. The plans include what would be London's largest permanent outside beach, and a surf pool with "perfect waves all day every day" reaching a height of 1.8 metres. The pool will be set up to break both left and right from a central peak, and with ten waves per rider, the clash of limb against fiberglass - and the vitriolic recriminations about whose break it was that usually follow - should be less frequent.
As for the sports complex, the "extreme" activities currently planned include rock-climbing, a scuba dive tank, an indoor wave rider and an ice-climb wall. Hmm. Sounds fun, but is it really "EXXXXXXTRRRRRREME" enough? Maybe they can bring in a spot of extreme ironing to up the ante?
Image from AtatiwaBlog's Flickrstream
