THE MASSIVE CLEAROUT SALE

News Update:


HARBOUR SPORTS IS OPEN AGAIN !!

Now on - a HUGE CLEAROUT SALE at the Paignton shop.

30% off original prices all surfboards, kayaks & skateboards.

Everything else is HALF ORIGINAL PRICE – yes, 50% off

Cash only, sorry.

Opening hours weekdays 11.30 - 5.30 Saturdays 09.30 – 5.30 Sundays 10 – 4

See you soon – it’s selling out fast

Tel 01803 550180
info@harbour.co.uk


Harbour Sports is now a firm owned by JR & SM Smith and FJ & LM Sobey

For any enquiries about the old company please contact:

Harbour Sports Limited has ceased trading.

All enquiries to: MB Insolvency, Wessex House, Teign Road, Newton Abbot

TQ12 4AA. T: 01803 220 366 F: 01803 231 167

www.mb-i.co.uk
information@mb-i.co.uk

Harbour Sports - the end of an era....

This was the official press release this week that told the world Harbour Sports had fallen over. It’s all very sad and a reflection, perhaps, of the new order of things. There is more to say, but now is not the time.

frank

“Press Information

20.00hrs 11th Sept 2012

For immediate release

The directors of Harbour Sports Ltd announce that the company ceased trading on Monday 10th September 2012 . A statement was issued as follows.

We very much regret that a combination of adverse factors has led to this outcome. We would like to thank our customers over the 35 years it has taken to build up this local family business, and particularly our staff for all their support and hard work. Our shops in Exeter and the Barbican, Plymouth have closed permanently. Our base at Paignton Harbour will re-open with some changes in the future and details of this will be released later.

Harbour Sports was founded in the 1970s by Julian Smith and Frank Sobey, together with their wives Sue and Lyndy. As well as retailing watersports clothing and equipment it ran a popular windsurfing school for 20 years and was well known in the 1980s for speedboat trips and aquasausage rides in Torbay . These were featured in a number of national TV programmes.

Expansion saw surfing, bodyboarding and skateboarding included after the opening of the Barbican branch. Yacht charter based in Dartmouth and the arrival of the Exeter shop followed in the 1990s. Lifestyle clothing and accessories were then included in the product range, with many major brands in stock.”

 

 

The Old Sea Dog Goes Kayaking

It’s a bit like rubbing salt in the wound today. After a summer that left us all soggy, going rusty and warping up pops a gloriously sunny day. Of course when you think about it the past five summers have been too dismally soggy which when you are a child of the sun tends to leave the psyche in tatters.

But today is wall to wall sunshine and ideal for bobbing about on a kayak to which Harbour Sports quickly respond by offering a juicy 30% discount for aspirant kayakers. But that isn’t enough and so if you really want to walk the walk then pick up a pair of trendy shorts and stylish flip-flops at a whopping 50% off!

The thing is that too often we find reasons for not going out to play and on a day like today you really need the zing factor. Or in the case of one Harbour Sports kayaker, the Ziggy factor!

Tempted? Of course you are. Come on, live the life……..

Nappy Man Makes a Splash!

What a stunning warm summer evening for The annual Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim which really is an all singing and dancing community event. Thirty-five intrepid swimmers including the return of ‘Mankini Man’ Ali Sular, who this year was dressed as a nappy clad baby complete with dummy. He even brought a little friend with him also in a loose fitting nappy! There were super fit competition swimmers, recreational swimmers, swimmers in rubber rings and I think that one even had a rubber duck! What is also brilliant is the age range which spanned over sixty years! How good is that!

Someone asked me the distance to which I simply had to say “’Tis out to the end and all the way back.” Needless to say that all thirty-five were counted out and all thirty-five were counted back in ably supervised by Harbour Sports Kerrie Waller (aka Sister Agnes).  Kayaks and safety boats from the 6^th Torbay (Britannia) Scout Group kept a watchful eye on the splashing swimmers, Lifeguards Claire Moran and Sophie from the Redcliffe Hotel Spa kept a very sharp eye from the beach. Paignton Sailing Club’s Liz Rayner wrapped shivering swimmers in space blankets before sending them off for a hot drink provided by Deputy Mayor Dave Thomas.

Paignton Regatta is a wonderful event and despite biblical downpours during the week it has brought a smile to many. Regatta committee member, Guy Henderson, presented the Regatta Swim cups to Adam Carter who splashed home in first place and to first lady home Catherine Taylor. The first three men and the first three ladies home also received Paignton Regatta medals plus some rather nice prizes. A medal was also presented to Nappy Man Ali Sular who braved the cold to raise money for the child charity Sparks.

Mankini Man at Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim

On Saturday evening (18th August) Ali Sular aka Mankini Man once again takes to the water off Paignton Pier for the annual Paignton Regatta Round the Pier Swim. Many people will remember his spectacular unveiling last summer as hundreds of onlookers gasped when he galloped off into the sea.

Ali very generously offered to do this to help Linda Vaus raise funds for Sparks (www.sparks.org.uk). Linda ran the London Marathon in April this year in 4hrs 34 mins, which was a huge personal achievement. Her target was £2,000, and due to her husband's ill health she has not had much time to fund raise. Go for it Mankini Man!

Paignton Regatta of course raises many thousands of pounds for local charities including the RNLI and committee members will be circulating around the start line at 5.30pm (the start is at 6pm). Swimmers swim out to sea, around the end of Paignton Pier and then back to the beach. 6th Torbay Scout safety boats and kayaks will be keeping a watchful eye of out intrepid swimmers.

It really is great fun and tends to attract a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters. There are still a few places available and entry forms can be collected from Harbour Sports on Paignton Harbour.

Summer fun......

The Olympic two weeks somehow made the sun come out and for a short while summer sunshine  brought a smile to drooping faces. Sunshine is such a tonic for all of us and splashing about on the beach in a pair of surf shorts sends a tingle and tends to reach long dead extremities!

It's August 11th today and the start of the annual PAIGNTON REGATTA which means the annual Harbour Sports Round the Pier swim is only a week away. The start is at 18.00hrs on the 18th August and you can find an entry form on the web cam page of the Harbour Sports website.

Curious how a little sunshine seems to be the starting signal for barbecue action and how popular the OLD GUYS RULE  apron and Smokin tee range is. If you are going to barbecue then look like you mean it! You can be the living legend on your own mind!!

As I writing this on a Saturday afternoon I am also flicking between the various tills and can see that this fine weather has lots of people buying wetsuits which means that the watching is over and action is in the air.

There's a good wave crashing up the beach in Torbay with loads of folk enjoying the thrill of wave hopping, surfing and simply playing. How good is that?

Come and play..................................

Live the life....f

Paola takes the cake!

One of the joys of being part of the Harbour Sports team is meeting new and exciting folk from other countries who come to work here as business interns. They bring a special energy to each day and also enjoy birthday celebrations as the picture shows. Kerrie is sharing her borthday cake with Paola! Happy birthday Kerrie and welcome Paola. Paola's placement has been arranged by The Training Partnership in Torquay. But rather than leave it at that we've asked Paola to say a few words!

"I am Paola Marin; I come from Baone, a little village near Padua, in the North-East of Italy. I like doing sports very much; my favourites are skiing and athletic, which I practice 3 times a week. I also like watching matches, especially basketball, so I often go to the gym to watch my friends playing it. I really love almost every kind of music, so I like going to parties or concerts during the weekend. I also love going out with my friends and travelling.

I am 17 and I am attending the 4th year at scientific high school. Now I am working in Paignton at Harbour Sports for 4 weeks. I came here with a group of friends from Padua and I am staying in a host family. I get on well with them because they are very kind and they really like joking and laughing. I like Paignton, I think it is a wonderful place because of the sea and the beach, so I often walk around it and every morning I go running on the beach.

I am sure that my work placement is the best of all my friends`, because the stuff is very beautiful and there are many young people working here."

"Sono paola, vivo a Baone, un paesino vicino a Padova, nel Nord est dell` Italia. Mi piace molto fare sport, soprattutto sci e atletica, che faccio 3 volte a settimana. Mi piace anche guardare gare e partite, soprattutto di basket, quindi vado spesso in palestra per vedere I miei amici. Adoro quasi tutti I tipi di musica, per questo nel weekend vado spesso a feste o concerti. Mi piace uscire con amici e viaggiare. Ho 17 anni e ho finito la Quarta al liceo scientifico. Ora sto lavorando all` Harbour Sport a Paignton per un mese. Sono venuta qui con un gruppo di amici di Padova e vivo in famiglia. Vado veramente d`accordo con la famiglia che mi ospita perche sono persone allegre, a cui piace ridere e scherzare. Mi piace Paignton, soprattutto per il mare e la spiaggia, infatti mi piace passeggiare per la citta eogni mattina vado a correre sulla spiaggia. Sono convinta che il mio posto di lavoro sia il migliore tra quelli dei miei amici, sia perche mi piace la merce che vendiamo e sia perche ci sono molti ragazzi che lavorano con me."