Archive for March, 2012

The Olympics are almost upon us and one of our best hopes for a gold medal could be from windsurfing ace, Bryony Shaw. In the build up to the big event Bryony is making a series of video training diaries to document the training & preparation she will go through to get herself ready for Olympic Gold. Here at Poole Windsurfing – Top Tips & Latest News, we have been offered exclusive access to Bryony’s video diaries before her sponsors release them to the public.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is proud to be sponsoring the bright new hope of British windsurfing, Bryony Shaw. As the sport’s first ever British woman contender, she raced to Bronze in Beijing in 2008. And as London 2012 fast approaches, she’s aiming even higher, for gold.

Of course, with rigorous training well under way for her Olympic success, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles supplied her a Transporter kombi to help ferry her and all her gear around. This first video follows her on a training day ahead of her busy summer schedule…

Why not get yourself into windsurfing this summer?
The best place to start is with one of our beginners windsurfing lessons. With lessons & training, one day it could be you going for gold and driving around in a nice Transporter kombi!

Top 5 Things To Do In Poole

1. Take Windsurfing Lessons at UK’s No1 Spot with the Poole Windsurfing School

When looking for things to do in Poole, holiday makers and locals often forget that they can take windsurfing lessons and learn how to windsurf at the UK’s No1 spot, Poole Harbour. It is just around the corner from the popular tourist destination of Bournemouth and being the second largest natural harbour in the world, with a designated area for watersports, it really is the UK’s No1 Spot to learn to windsurf.

Check out this clip from beginners windsurfing lessons taken at the Poole Windsurfing School to see what you could be getting up to during your stay in Poole:

2. Take a trip out to Brownsea Island

The Brownsea Island Scout camp is recognised as being the world’s first Scout camp, the event being regarded as the real origin of the worldwide Scout movement.

Described by presenter, Bill Oddie as “the best place for seeing wildlife in Dorset”. You can see Sika deer, wading birds and the elusive red squirrel. There is lots for the kids with ‘wildlife tracker packs’, trails, and a range of exciting events and activities. Find out more on the National Trust Brownsea Island webpage

Escape the hustle and bustle of Poole & Bournemouth, wandering through the woodland, heathland, wetland and shoreline of Brownsea Island. Many special events are on offer throughout the year including the popular Open Air Theatre, activity weekends and guided walks.

Boat Services are available from Poole Quay and Sandbanks Jetty, boat trips also run from Bournemouth Pier. The Island is open daily to the public from 24th March – 4th November 2012.

3. Hire a traditional beach hut

Take to the beach in style by hiring a beach hut in Poole and be a part of a great British tradition. You can’t get a more traditional thing to do in Poole!

The latest news is that Poole Borough Council have recently built 22 brand new beach huts at Branksome Chine. They have stunning views across Poole’s award winning beaches and are available to hire on a weekly basis between April and September.

4. Find something for everyone at the Tower Park Complex

For those days where the whole family just needs a bit of entertainment, Tower Park has it all. Attractions include a 10 screen multiplex cinema to bingo, bowling and a water park with 12 of the UK’s craziest indoor and outdoor rides.

5. Stroll through Compton Acres – the South’s Finest Privately Owned Historic Gardens

Built in 1924, Compton Acres is a wonderful example of a historic garden in the UK. It is of late Victorian Mixed Style design with seven distinct gardens to wander around and enjoy, including the famous Italian and Japanese Gardens. Having undergone extensive refurbishment over the past 8 years, Compton Acres is now highly regarded as one of the most important historic gardens in England.

As well as its beautiful ten acres of gardens, there are two cafes, shops and a specialist Plant Centre. Special events such as pony rides and an Easter egg hunt are also held throughout the year.


As an addition or backup to the above we have also compiled a list from our insider local knowledge of the top 5 free things to do in Poole! Incorporate some or all of the following free Poole tourist activities and you can justify one or two of the great paid for experiences, such as windsurfing lessons at the Poole Windsurfing School.

Top 5 Free Things To Do In Poole

1. Walk around the famous Sandbanks Peninsular

Walk around Poole Harbour and the world famous Sandbanks peninsular, taking in both the natural scenery and a sneaky peak at the 4th most expensive property in the world. Many of the rich and famous have houses on the Sandbanks peninsular and a leisurely walk is the best way to get a glimpse of how the other half live!

You can stop off at Sandbanks beach for on-route refreshments and a dip in the sea to cool your feet.

2. Spend a day or an evening at Poole Quay

Spending some time at Poole Quay is a great free activity to do during your visit to Poole. You can sit in one of the many restaurants or bars and watch the yachts come and go in the marina and Poole Harbour. Poole Quay is also home to the most famous super yacht manufacturer in the world, Sunseeker. You can see the latest luxury and performance super yachts been fitted out and prepared for delivery around the world!

Every Thursday in July on Poole Quay from 7pm check out the ‘Summer Breeze with Fireworks on the Quay‘ where you can enjoy live music, street entertainment, family activities, special themed nights and a fantastic fireworks finale at 10 pm. In August Summer Breeze on the Beach then takes place at Shore Road Beach, Sandbanks every Thursday. If you are visiting Poole between the months of May and August, Friday evenings herald the return of “Quay for my Car” on Poole Quay, kicking off at 6pm. There are shows for everything from VW Beetles to Porsches. The Poole View website has a list of ‘Quay for my Car’ dates and the type of cars that will be shown.

3. Cycle the famous 7 mile stretch of Poole & Bournemouth beaches

If you want to see the famous 7 miles of golden sand beaches then taking to 2 wheels is a smart way to get around. Cruise along the promenade towards the famous Sandbanks beach and if you are feeling adventurous, over the chain ferry and into the Purbecks. In the other direction you can go all the way to Hengistbury Head and even take a land train from there to Christchurch Harbour.

4. Browse Poole’s Weekly Farmers Market and Street Market

Every Thursday between 9am and 2pm Poole’s Farmers Market is held in Falkland Square. You will find the best local and free range products brought to you by the Farmers, Nurserymen, Bakers and Pie Makers who breed, grow and make their own produce. The Farmers Market is held in Falkland Square, outside the Dolphin Centre.

There is also Poole’s Weekly Street Market every Thursday & Saturday between approximately 9am and 5pm along Poole High Street from Lagland Street/North Street to Old Orchard. The market offers something for everyone at great prices.

5. Swim in the Sea at Sandbanks

Make the most of Poole’s natural wonderland by enjoying a relaxing swim at one of the five gently sheltered beaches, including Sandbanks – winner of more Blue Flags than any UK resort – with soft golden sands, raked and cleaned all year round.

“Under a blazing sun, Sandbanks, on it’s gradually sloping peninsula, felt more like Miami’s South Beach” Daily Express

Enjoy your stay – you certainly won’t run out of things to do in Poole!

Young windsurfing sensation, Philip Köster is firmly placed to become a great windsurfing legend. His amazing results in the PWA Wave Tour, winning every single event he entered in the past season, have won him the title of PWA World Champion and a place as one of our ‘windsurfing legends’

Growing up literally on the doorstep of world class windsurfing at Vargas in Gran Canaria, Spain, with his parents running a windsurfing school, you can see why he has become a windsurfing legend at such an early age. Learning from the age of 8, he would windsurf every day, already hitting the biggest waves he could find! This explains why he has become a master of windsurfing ‘airtime’ and the leading contender for mastering the triple forward loop.

He has an impressive list of sponsors including Starboard, Neil Pryde, Red Bull, Volkswagen, Dakine, Maui Ultra Fins. You can see more photos, videos on Philip Köster’s Neil Pryde profile or Starboard’s Dream Team International. For all his latest feedback from the world of windsurfing Follow Philip Köster on Twitter.

Windsurfing Legends РPhilip K̦ster

In an interview with Red Bull, Philip Köster had this to say about his early days competing with other seasoned pro windsurfers…
Red Bull – Being so young, did you find it hard to earn the respect from other pro windsurfers?
Philip Köster – “In my first year, when I was 12, it wasn’t easy at all. I could do things that none of the others could do but the other guys wouldn’t talk to me – some of them couldn’t even look at me. But now they accept me, we surf together and have fun.”

Philip hit the international windsurf scene in a big way when he won the Red Bull Big Day event in 2008 and was crowned PWA Pozo Wave Champion in 2009. In the same year he was also named Rookie of the Year and won the German Wave Championships. Ranking third overall in PWA Wave for 2010, he followed up by becoming the 2011 PWA Wave World Champion, all this while still just 17 years old!

In his final performance for the win as PWA World Wave Champion Philip Köster scored 12 points with one amazing ride that included a one-handed goiter, a taka, a wave 360 landing back in the wave and then flying into a huge double forward on the way out.

All in all Philip Köster is already a windsurfing legend with a massive future ahead of him.

Sneak preview of new Goya Windsurfing team member, Marcilio Browne ripping it up at Jaws, Hawaii.

Jaws short clip from marcilio browne on Vimeo.

Brawzinho, as he is known, decided to become a professional when he was 12, and since then, has done all he can do to be on top. He won his first world cup PWA event at the age of 16, at the Belgium Indoor Jump contest, and in that same year had a very good performance on the PWA wave event in Portugal, finishing 5th.

In 2007, at the age of 18 he won one of the biggest and most traditional events on the PWA, the Fuertventura Grand Slam , which was very important for his Freestyle World Title victory that year.

Now living on Maui, he is working closely with his new sponsors, Goya Windsurfing to develop their range of windsurf boards and sails. Goya Windsurfing are at the cutting edge of windsurf equipment design and you can try out all the latest boards and sails at the Poole Windsurfing School. Each year we take delivery of the latest windsurf boards and sails from Goya Windsurfing, for our students to use on everything from beginners windsurfing lessons through to advanced private windsurfing lessons. Maybe you just want to rent the best windsurfing equipment available, in which case you can try out all the brand new Goya Windsurfing boards and sails by taking your windsurf hire time with Poole Windsurfing.