By Bonnie Friend
Motorcycle road racer Bruce Anstey’s record-breaking lap at the Isle of Man TT this year (17 minutes and 6.682 seconds for those who didn’t know) was one of those experiences when the collective internal monologues of Dream, Honda, and presumably Anstey himself, jumped up and down shrieking ‘yesssssssssss’ at the top of their lungs. However, for those of us who are not (quite) record-breaking road racers, this summer there are seriously speedy ‘yesssssssssss’ moments across the UK that we can all enjoy, as long as you know where to find them …
1) Go fly a kite: kite surfing
Not your usual adrenaline pumping activity, but attach yourself to a really, really big kite, stand on something similar to a surfboard, and head out to areas of open water in winds between 8-50 knots, and the chances are it will take your breath away. If you’re a real pro and being dragged through the surf isn’t enough for you, then have a go at learning to jump or master a host of other tricks to add another dimension to your kite surfing.
Where to go: Wild Diamond on the Isle of Tiree, Scotland.
Time taken: For seasoned pros; however long you fancy. For the uninitiated; however long it takes you to fall over … which is pretty likely to be less than 17 minutes.
2) Learn to fly: hang gliding
Actually a remarkably peaceful experience allowing you to survey the world below, and yet the idea of flying without being surrounded by the sturdy confines of a plane is somewhat counter intuitive. Hang gliding (which can be done with a plus one), will see you get as close as possible to being Superman/woman with a little help (thankfully) from an instructor. You can even take a film or photo of the experience home with you; we are sure the look on your face will be priceless.
Where to go: Learn-to-fly, Essex.
Time taken: Around 15 minutes of sky-high peace and quiet.
Hang gliding – your chance to be Superman/woman for 15 minutes
3) Take a scenic walk: coasteering
No really, stay with us on this one … as you are no doubt aware, going for a walk along the coast is always a pleasant experience – awe-inspiring views, fresh air etc etc – it’s a ready made sense of completion courtesy of the good old British landscape. Throw in a spot of coasteering, however, and it’s all taken to new heights – literally. A high-octane exploration of the UK’s most rugged coastlines, coasteering sees you climb cliffs, swim into caves and leap from on high.
Where to go: Cornish Rock Tors, Cornwall.
Time taken: Ok, so the full experience is typically three hours, but every leap and plunge constitutes a heart-in-throat moment in its own right. You are totally going to deserve your obligatory seaside fish and chips at the end of the day.
4) Take a flying jump: tandem skydiving
What would your other half say if you proposed jumping out of a plane together? Try tandem skydiving this summer, with a little help from the Army Parachute Association (a good moment to know you are in safe nylon) in Netheravon. Survey (albeit briefly) a surreal patchwork of Wiltshire countryside below and it’s romance at its finest, or at least, speediest.
Where to go: Extreme Element Netheravon, Wiltshire.
Time taken: 45 seconds to fall 5000ft at 120mph … what’s not to like?
5) Drive a really REALLY fast lawnmower
Well, you can’t actually drive this, but you can watch this video and that’s practically the same thing. Honda and Team Dynamics created the world’s fastest lawnmower (because they can) which reaches speeds of around 130mph and 0-60 in just four seconds. We’re fairly certain that is the meaning of life right there.
Time taken: Two minutes and 11 seconds.
Where to go: You’re already in the right place, but if you are heading out into the garden this weekend it’s also worth taking a look at Honda’s collection of lawnmowers and garden gadgets.
