sport
FLYING ON THE HANDLE
Heather Arnold straps on a harness,
climbs the podium and gets swinging
in NoFit State’s trapeze class.
AFTER a very quick demonstration from
our friendly and relaxed instructor, Adie,
on the correct ways to hold the trapeze
and move your legs so that you get a good
swing, she wasted no time and got us
trying it for ourselves very quickly. Adie
was disturbingly nonchalant for someone
who would soon be talking all of us into
throwing ourselves off a platform.
One by one we walked up the ladder. In
hindsight, the platform wasn’t very high,
and there was plenty of crash mat around
to cushion your fall, but that natural
instinct that tells you it’s stupid to jump
off something remains.
After you’ve climbed the ladder and
fastened yourself into the harness, it’s
time to count down to the jump. Three...
you hold on to the trapeze with one hand
whilst it is secured by two people either
side of you; two... position your feet with
your toes terrifyingly hanging over the
edge; one... launch yourself off and try and
move your legs at the right time, so that
you get a good swing without coming back
and hitting the very platform you
just jumped from.
I may not have had the most graceful of
movements (we filmed it all for Buzz TV
so you can see for yourself), but I was
happy to learn that people with all sorts
of fitness levels were here having a go and
that didn’t stop me from throwing myself
into it.
It also added to the friendly, enthusiastic
and supportive atmosphere that made the
taster so enjoyable. Although I left the
class a little achy all over, without a fancy
trick under my belt, I did feel that I had
improved and achieved something small
in those two hours. I could have spent my
Friday night in the pub but, for just £10 for
the taster session, I was able to spend the
night flying instead.
I didn’t float through the air with the
greatest of ease, I’m not a daring young
man on the flying trapeze, my actions
weren’t graceful and no girls did I please –
but I had a damn good time anyway.
Info: www.nofitstate.org
BARRY PLAYS BALL
As the Barry Island Weekenders hits off with the
Beach Volleyball Championships Heather Arnold
finds out what the weekends will deliver
CAN you dig it? Barry Island can as it sees the
return of the Beach Volleyball Championships.
Players from all around the world will be
descending on the sandy shores of Barry Island to
compete in the Welsh International Open Beach
Volleyball Championships. Teams will be pitted
against each other in an Olympic sized court over
two days in July. Spectators are free to come along
and watch the players dive, hit and bump pass
their way through the competition.
The end of the volleyball won’t be the end of the
fun, however, as it’s just the first of many Barry
Island Weekenders. Things will fire up on Sat 19
and Sun 20 July with the Isle Of Fire weekender
in which Barry’s beach will be turned into a
beautiful lit up landscape as it is deco