Shiver me timbers!

East wind brings surf into Torbay and the coast is dotted with surfers paddling out against the rolling sea. But the water is cold and the wind even colder having started life in the frozen winter heartland of Europe.

BUT the technology today takes the sting out of splashing through the waves. Winter wetsuits offer protection, flexibility and style. A decent hood is a guard against the shocking ice cream head, gloves save icicle shaped fingers and toes remain toasty in split toe boots.

Get out there and live the life……oh-ahrrrrrr

Coralie. The Hotel and English Riviera TV

Sometimes those moments of silliness can produce outstanding results. Take the other morning for example. Coralie Blanc (19) started a three week work placement, via The Training Partnership, at Harbour Sports Paignton.

At the same time John Reynolds of English Riviera TV happened to be filming around the harbour. If you have not logged on to http://www.englishriviera.tv/ then I suggest you do since they have been tracking the stars of the Channel 4 Sunday evening series called The Hotel.

The Hotel is a reality TV series of eight programmes based at Torquay’s Grosvenor Hotel in Belgrave Road. It’s very funny and very over the top. Mr Tickle tickled me! What a free publicity boost for Torbay and the English Riviera!

So John happened past the shop and stopped for a chat. He had a camera and I had Coralie! Suddenly Coralie was answering my silly questions about Harbour Sports in a sort of slapstick few minutes of madness in front of the camera.

The video that resulted is listed ended up all over the place and made people laugh. Sometimes the most amusing things pop up unexpectedly and bring a smile. I guess it is all about living the life!

You can see the video on English Riviera tv!

frank

Channel 4 Fat Fighters Episode One....

You have to laugh! No sooner had went sent out our last blog saying how much fun sit on kayaks cans be and what a great way to keep fit when CHANNEL 4 broadcast the first episode FAT FIGHTERS last night.

This hour long programme featured local Torquay girl Sharon and the day she came kayaking at Harbour Sports with personal trainer Dan 'Action Man' Corbett!

Great shots of our shop and excellent on the water stuff which really shows how much fun it all is. Harbour Sports kayaker Ali Glenning provided safety cover although we don't get to see him because Channel 4 kept him out of camera! Moment of glory lost for Ali!

One thing that is very clear in the programme is how easy it is to put on weight by simply stuffing junk food and taking too little exercise.

Come on, get out there and paddle!

You can watch the episode on 4oD........

2012...get up and do something for goodness sake

Well here we are in 2012 scratching and sucking after the Christmas and New Year festivities! As the world bumps from wall to wall you have to wonder what the future holds for all of us. But pointlessly staring into space isn't the answer at all.

Our little Harbour Sports strap line is LIVE THE LIFE! Like so many these days that isn't quite so easy as it used to be, but we can all make a difference. It really is simply a question as to whether we really want to make the effort or just sit in a hopeless heap letting image after image pass before us as we surf the web in a sort of voyeuristic stupor.

How about starting the year on a kayak? Take the little Bic Ouassou for example. This fun boat will let you drift around the coast, ride waves on the beach or keep you company as you belt down river white water. 2012 and a super way to keep fit. If you can walk in a straight line then you can use one of these fun kayaks. Our prices are good and the Harbour Sports folk will help you to get the very best out for your craft with a mass of local knowledge. Yes that's right local knowledge! Free local delivery also! How good is that? If you are worried about whether this is the kayak for you then come to Paignton and try one. But you will need your wetsuit at this time of year.

By the way, talking about wetuits we now have a stack of really cheap Gul sample suits in all three shops (Plymouth, Paignton and Exeter). Come on, make the effort and LIVE THE LIFE WITH HARBOUR SPORTS IN 2012!!f

£10 for free!!!

Less than two weeks till Christmas... time to get shopping! Spend £50 on one present and get a free £10 voucher to put towards another!!

Get your skates on and visit the harbour sports Christmas grotto.

All you need to do is pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest... Then go past the sea of twirly, swirly gumdrops (Paignton Harbour) and then whats that shining beacon of light? Yes Harbour Sports at last...

written by elf (AKA Al)

Has Santa Clause visited Harbour Sports early this Year...

With Brand New Blazer and Saltrock scooters, accessories, DC clothes, shoes and ski wear arriving at Harbour Sports you would be asking 'has Santa Clause visited us early this year?' Well YES! With Christmas only a few weeks away Santa's little helpers at the Harbour sports shops have been busy making sure all Santa's gifts are hear for you to pick up and wrap this Christmas.

We have everything you need from them little stocking fillers to that special gift! Winter 2011 needn't be so chilly with a whole load of DC clothing and shoes for Youth and Adults.

Save the endless searching for that perfect gift when everything you need for gift ideas are right here. We think you would be hard pressed to find more variety in scooters and accessories anywhere this Christmas time. Not to mention with all this ice and snow on the way ensure you have your bum sled and all your protective gear to save any tears this Christmas.

So why not come down and visit us here at the Harbour Sports christmas groto and turn dreaded Christmas shopping into a magical sleigh ride!


Written by Ali G aka Santa's Little Helper....

Torbay - taste the sea air....

Too often, in our increasingly virtual world, we simply miss the taste of adventure. Oh yes, there is a thrill in twiddling both thumbs rapidly and apparently jumping and pumping from a Black Hawk helicopter whilst unfriendly natives narrowly miss your camouflaged head with an assortment of nasty missiles! But in reality you are still slumped in the chair in a darkened room all alone covered in sweat.

The other evening if you happened to be looking out over Torbay from the lounge at the Redcliffe hotel as darkness started to spread across the water, you will have noticed two Harbour Sports paddlers quietly making their way along the shore in a bright yellow Bic Tobago kayak! Through an open window you would have been able to hear the gentle splash of water as they cut through the silky sea.

What you will not have known is that one of the two had been part of a Channel 4 filming session the day before and was still living the life.

But stand back you harbingers of doom already crying out “Kayaking in the dark! Are they mad?”, or “Goodness me that sounds very dangerous! What happens if they get into trouble?”

Well there you have it. It is the taste for adventure that too often is missing these days and we try to make everything super safe. Oh yes, care must be taken but the joy of paddling along a beautiful as dusk falls, the sparkling strings of light burst into life and the glorious smell of freshly cooked food drifts out across the sea.

Live the life.