EXTREME SPORTS GUIDE TO BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
The county of Buckinghamshire is enriched with many claims to fame inside the UK, stretching across the first ‘real’ snow slope, the first Indoor Skydiving centre and the most successful Olympian to ever walk Blighty’s soil; Sir Steve Redgrave.
The South East County is similar to its bordering county of Berkshire and its neighbour Surrey in that it falls easy on the eye with a dense population of woodland and countryside, and is also situated around 45 minutes away from Central London. The picturesque county has a wide range of activities and unique experiences to make a weekend visit out of, including those taken on water – as the county encompasses two of the three largest rivers in the UK.
Having produced the UK’s finest ever athlete, Buckinghamshire is well equipped when it comes to Water Sports and the many varieties in which to a have a bash in the splash! One supplier situated between Marlow & Bourne End on the Thames Valley specialises in providing a wide range of aquatic activities to induce the adrenaline gauge a bit. A popular choice on any large stretch of water is the twist and go sport of Jet Skiing, and with 20 acres of the wet stuff to play with here; is naturally a great choice. If Jet Skiing is not quite the choice for you, perhaps a spot of ‘behind the boat action’ would be more appealing. The same supplier offers experiences in Wakeboarding & Waterskiing on the giant lake, which are both available for pre-booking and both provide an excellent day on the water.
Indoor Skiing & Snowboarding on Snow
The UK is characteristically restricted with its snow sport activities, but Milton Keynes is one of only a few lucky locations in the UK that can boast actually using real snow! Skiers and Snowboarders can pre-book lessons or practice time on the giant indoor slopes and enjoy a day away, inside a realm that feels like a different country. All equipment is available to hire for the beginners, along with the popular professional lessons that are also available and take place everyday. The chilled centre is set inside a shopping centre that has an abundance of facilities including fast food restaurants, bars and another nature defying experience…
As seen with the indoor skiing slope on real snow, geography and physics can’t deter the UK’s burning desire for extreme sports. Continuing to ignore the natural restrictions is one of only two Indoor Skydiving centres in the UK. Turning a wind tunnel on its side to blast air upwards; ‘bodyflyers’ step into the flow about half way up and float as if jumping from a plane! Using the shape of your body to dictate the flight, one outstretched leg or un-arched back will massively change the floating experience. This amazing representation of the No.1 Extreme Activity offers 3x the normal freefall time of a tandem skydive and is used to great effect by the serious skydivers aiming to perfect techniques and synchronised routines.The centre has also teamed up with another of the UK’s most popular ventures into the extreme; Sphereing. The result is an unforgettable combination known as Air Sphereing and it is as crazy as it sounds. Indoor skydiving… inside a Zorb!
If you’re not one for modified experiences and feel more of an organic rush would suit your preference; Buckinghamshire is a great location for actual Skydiving. The once in a lifetime experience combines a mixture of adrenaline and excitement with unbridled scenery anywhere across the world, so when the landscape below consists of the UK’s two largest rivers and well over 40 million trees; a fantastic freefall is nigh on guaranteed. Jumpers can pre-book Tandem Skydives for the most unforgettable descent back to Earth, at 160mph – safely strapped to an experienced professional who does all of the work while you enjoy what’s going on around you.
If the thought of such intense winds dictating the shape of your face for 3 minutes isn’t quite the cup of tea you’d dropped in for, maybe a gentle float back down inside the safety of a hard shell would be more suited. The same views can be achieved sat in the solo driving seat of a glider plane, and of course last much longer. With single flight trial lessons, intro & intensive courses readily available; a glide with this historic club may be the perfect option. The Marlow based gliding school has over 16 Gliders that include training aircrafts, two seaters and many more varieties for you to choose the perfect flight.
Staying with the solo nature of controlling your extreme machine alone; Motocross has established itself as one of the finest and most enjoyable ways to tackle the off road down at land level. One Amersham based centre offers experiences for ages 4 and upwards, providing lessons and singular experiences on three different skill-based courses. The centre is packed full of jumps, dips and ‘whoops’ (sets of small jumps packed together to practice control), making it an attainable option for novice riders through to seasoned pros.
If you are at an advanced level and are more involved in motocross, one Whaddon based centre offers a very reasonable flat day rate for riders and 4×4 drivers to turn up in their own vehicles and use the purpose built premises. First aid is always on site along with food & drink supplies to accompany the challenging track and courses.
With a number of the UK’s firsts on the extreme sports front, Buckinghamshire has excelled in offering a wide range of activities and nature defying alternatives. In amongst the picturesque countryside and immense tree population lies a haven of experiences and courses to suit most thrill and weekend getaway seekers, including those mentioned.
Check out our other great extreme sports guides available including:
Extreme Sports Guide To Surrey
Extreme Sports Guide To East Sussex
Extreme Sports Guide To West Sussex
Extreme Sports Guide To Berkshire
Extreme Sports Guide To Cornwall
