26th March 2022. Members of the National Coastwatch Institution at Hengistbury Head have taken part in a sponsored zip wire challenge at Bournemouth pier.
NCI Hengistbury Head has been nominated by Westbourne Rotary Club as one of their good causes for this year. Chris Colledge, president of Westbourne Rotary Club, is a volunteer Watchkeeper with NCI Hengistbury Head and somehow managed to persuade the Station Manager, Peter, the PR/Media Officer Caroline and Watchkeeper Tim to join several Rotary Club members on the PierZip at Bournemouth.
The PierZip is the world’s first pier to shore zip wire, with a 250-metre zip wire. Launching from the Zip Tower platform 25 meters above the sea, you “zip surf” 250 meters over the top of the waves to land on the beach.
Caroline said “Saturday was the perfect day for the event (if there can be such a thing!). We were met with warm spring sunshine and a gentle breeze (at ground level), together with a surprising number of shorts and tee shirt-clad tourists.
Once we’d signed our lives away on the necessary waiver forms, ditched all our watches, jewellery, wallets etc, donned safety hats and harnesses, we were ready to ascend the spiral stairs to the launch platform. As we climbed towards the platform it became quite chilly with a noticeable freshening of the breeze (read that as we all started to moan about how windy and cold it was!) and we were glad not to have to wait too long once at the top. Standing at the top it looks both high and quite a way from the beach. but on the count of three you’re supposed to trust the two ropes that you’re holding and that are holding you, throw yourself off the platform into thin air and whizz calmly and gracefully towards your friends/family and colleagues who all have their cameras trained on you - waiting to catch the whites of your eyes and the mouth set in a scream! Some of us loved it, some of us didn’t but we were all grateful for the opportunity to have tried it and NCI Hengistbury Head are truly appreciative of all those who supported us on the day and have sponsored us for this event. The total figure raised isn’t yet known but we do know that it is several hundred pounds and will be confirmed as soon as it’s available”.