With the advent of the new Millennium, we are seeing the world of sports undergo momentous change before our very eyes. For although conventional sports remain the most heavily covered and publicized sporting events, the new field of Extreme Sports entices the and captivates the not-so-young.

Some of these sports evolved from pushing the envelop or direction of an established sport, which created a new discipline. Board riding, particularly windsurfing, which has always been cutting edge, brings extreme elements to the table as well.

In this field, young athletes push the limits in search for the natural high. The common element is danger and walking the tightrope between being in control and losing control. Some of these extreme challenges can lead to serious injury or even death. Yet the rush of completing a risky maneuver or conquering a massive wave brings ultimate satisfaction to these maverick riders.

Board riding sports like surfing, windsurfing, snow boarding,kite surfing, skim boarding and even skateboarding, all have related elements. And even though they have different subcultures, they belong to the same family.

Now, a new technological development unites all board riding sports and brings their respective leading personalities together in competition and sportsmanship. The new technology is the world's first transportable artificial wave, the Wave Loch. The manufacturers of this artificial wave have created what appears to be a perfect stationary tubing wave. It looks like a wave, but rides like a mountain. Its wave like shape allows riders on specially designed boards to slide down, carve a turn and ride up the simulated wave surface; half surfing, half snow boarding, with aerial tricks derived from skate boarding and windsurfing.

This new technology is seen in the Swatch Wave Tour, which travels to Munich, Germany, Florence, Italy and other European countries as well as the United States.

The Swatch Wave Tour in 1999 brought together some of the biggest board riding sports names, like Kelly Slater, six-time World Champion surfer, Tony Hawk, one of the most innovative skateboarders of all time, Bill Bryan, a seven-time skim boarding World Champion, Ueli Kestenholz, snow boarding bronze medalist in the 1996 Winter Olympics, and a few of us windsurfers.

It was a privilege to be invited to join the Swatch 1999 Wave Tour and to be in the fine windsurfing company of Canadian Jason Prior and Hawaiian Rush Randle.

Though the wave is artificial, it's one of the most addictive sports I've ever tried. Let me take you there. Imagine riding a perfect barreling wave with the historic city of Florence as a backdrop. As I pull on my wetsuit and protective shoulder pads, I can hear the buzz of the crowd and the live reggae band pumping through the sound system. My heart is pounding and I can feel the adrenaline starting to rush through my veins. As the announcer calls out my name, I stand on the edge of the pool, ready to slide into the wave.

It looks easy, but if you don't control your entry, you could end up getting sucked into the barrel, then flushed out the back. It's not a pleasant experience.

I slide into the wave and start to place myself in the barrel. Walls of water surround me. My field of vision is limited to the small opening at the end of the barrel. I feel detached from my surroundings, the noise from the crowd and the band is muted, and I am relaxing in the wave. Now that I am in control of my movements, I decide to leave the safety of the barrel and start carving the wave, releasing large sprays of water. I now set myself up for an Aerial 'Irie Man flip' (a 360 rotation with a twist), a radical maneuver in which timing is everything.

If I fail, I will land on the surface of the wave with a big thud, then get sucked into the curling barrel. Disoriented, somersaulting through the wave, I would then get pitched over the wall of water and slammed onto the bottom of the pool.

I pump off the bottom of the wave and the water catapults me into the air. I'm twisting and twirling, but still focusing on my landing. Suddenly, I find myself back on the wave, and from the roar of the crowd, I realize that I've made it---I completed a perfect landing. My head spins, my veins throb with the adrenaline rush. I feel like I'm on top of the world. That ride placed me 10th over all in Florence, Italy.

So far this year, the Swatch Wave Tour visited Los Angeles, California, where I finished 7^th. Other Year 2000 venues include Bo, Norway, San Diego, California (USA), Dubai (UAE) and Japan.

Besides competing across the globe in the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) world tour in the wave and freestyle disciplines, my business is sports tourism. Through the numerous stories about Barbados for the print and electronic media, I've been able to generate enormous exposure for Barbados.

Now, the artificial standing wave has moved Extreme Sports to another level. The media coverage and interconnection with the spectators I've experienced on the Swatch Wave Tour opened up a new gateway of promotional opportunities for Barbados and myself. Serious action!!

See a Video of Brian on the Wave This is a large file

THE SWATCH ATTITUDE

Swatch carefully selects its 'pro team' based on certain principles that apply particularly in the field of 'trend sports'. As Swatch puts it, "The Swatch Pro Team is a selection of extraordinary athletes who are not only world class in their ability but also live life and perform with a colorful style that separates them from the crowd. The athletes come from a variety of sports that exemplify the Swatch message, sports that are at the cutting edge of our time. Swatch has a history of being involved in the discovery and development of these young emerging sports that shout out with a passion and energy."

QUICK WAVELOCH FACTS:

THE SWATCH TOUR

The Swatch Wave Tour began in August 1998 when the firm brought together 12 of the world's best board athletes for the Swatch Fusion Event in Bo, Norway. There, they competed on the Waveloch installation. Swatch says, "The event was an overwhelming success among the athletes and the media, and resulted in a cooperative effort by Swatch and Waveloch to pursue the idea of a mobile installation."

THE WAVELOCH

The wave was built in Texas, USA and consists of nine containers bolted together to make the ride machine. Up to 20 tractor trailer trucks are needed to transport the wave. The Swatch Wave Tour provides its own power, sound and lights. All it needs is a local water supply. The wave holds approx. 550,000 litres of water and the weight of the wave is about 1,000 tons.

Up to 100 staff members set up and run the event. Thirty two tons of cable are used in the operation of an event.