A local man is going to attempt to Kite Surf the English Channel from Alderney to Poole.

Andrew Ward, 33, will take on the challenge, which is expected to take eight hours or more, in September.

Andrew lives in Poole and has been kite surfing for three years. During this time he has thoroughly come to love the sport. He said:

“I’ve got a busy job at Poole Hospital running the operating theatres, so it’s nice to have a sport that you can just go and do. There’s nothing more exhilarating than leaving a busy job to go out and unwind on the water. It de-stresses  and unwinds me, and it’s also great because my girlfriend has been taught to kite surf now so it’s something we can do together.”

Kite Surfing is a water sport that uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small surf board. The distance that Andrew will cover is over 70 nautical miles, which makes it the longest channel crossing ever attempted for charity using a kite and board. To his knowledge this particular crossing has never been attempted by a Kite Surfer before.

Andrew is taking on the challenge to raise money for the Special Boat Service Association

 Charity. He said:

“I’ve got family connections that work for the charity so I was asked by them for any ideas I had that could raise money. I thought it would be great to combine some sort of charity challenge with something I enjoy doing and that I’ve got a lot of time for.”
Kite Surfer Andy Ward

Kite Surfer Andy Ward

The crossing will be an enormous challenge, with a lot of its success depending on the weather conditions, but Andrew is looking forward to it. He told us:

“I’m apprehensive, nervous and excited. I’m confident as long as nature behaves itself and I’m confident in regards to my endurance.”