This weekend I found myself one of the very few people from north of the border not at Wakestock. Determined not to spend the weekend wallowing in my own self pity I rounded up a few other lost compadres and headed through to Loch Lomond to ensure that riding in the top of the country carried on regardless! Fortunately another one unable to make it to Abersoch was Raymondo, who was diligently holding down the LLWB fort. Also left behind were long time riding buddy Guy, as well as my brother Nick who’d travelled 400 miles in the opposite direction to the legendary festival to visit home on a rare weekend off.

Unfortunately when we got there the weather was….well, pish. However after a bit of loitering and some heavy weather table tennis we climbed into wetsuits and fired up the winch for a very wavy rail sesh. A while later Ray returned with the boat (full of riders!) and we set off for a bumpy but high energy session. All smiles we headed back to the dock happy that we’d taken the gamble to ride in the chop. All in, you can’t go wrong at Loch Lomond; there’s always somewhere flat enough to ride, it’s always beautiful whatever the weather, and Raymond’s always there to make it worth the trip.

I’ll make Wakestock next year…

I literally had no idea what to expect as I got close to Sallochy Bay on the east coast of Loch Lomond. I was heading over to join some of the usual suspects and some other new friends at the new Loch Lomond Wakeboard site for their first weekend of business. All I knew about the place so far was that it had a pretty sweet jetty and…  well that was about it- the guy’s had been so secretive about it I was dying to go check it out.

As I drove out the other side of Balmaha things started to feel a little bit more remote, and the wee bays more and more tranquil. I spotted the LLWB van from the road and pulled down the dirt track to be greeted by a rustic boathouse overlooking a glassy Loch, and Raymondo firing up yet another epic barbeque.

Not long after I arrived Scottish Stu turned up to join Dave Knight and the family, Tom Lomax, Kenny O, budding filmer Snowie and a handful of others, all enjoying the slow pace of life that the idyllic loch-side haven seems to make impossible to avoid. The boat went in an out as folk dropped in to ride, and a pretty competitive ping-pong tournament got underway on the salvaged table!

After a fine LLWB barbeque a monster campfire came to life down on the beach drawing everyone around and went on into the night with chatting, guitar playing, plenty of Tennents and even a speech from land owner and proud LLWB advocate Kevin.

I emerged from the van the next morning to discover the keen kids were already out making the most of the buttery loch. I grabbed a coffee and a chat with Raymond before heading out in the new Mastercraft skate/beginner boat with Dave and Duffy. An excited Raymond shotgunned first set in order to christen his new boat! And what a boat it is- crisp but forgiving wakes that still have enough pop to for DK to throw his super smooth W2W 180’s; I miss skating behind the old jetski but this boat more than makes up!

After a  spot of winching, and a 10 man mission to move a 30 foot static caravan the full length of a waterlogged field, sadly it was time to leave. I put my watch back on and time sped up to its normal pace as I headed back to the city, already planning my next trip over. I can only imagine what this place will be like when it’s fully set up- it’s already far more than just a wakeboard camp, it’s an escape, even if you’re only there for a few hours.

The guys are putting on some pretty sweet deals all the way through April to give you an excuse to get up there so give Raymond a shout on 07545561360 or check out www.LochLomondWakeboard.com for more info. And don’t forget Loch Stock will be there on 1^st and 2^nd May.

Happy days…