Rugby stars take to the skies at Oakwood!
11 July, 2011
Rugby greats James Hook, Jonathan Thomas and Ashley Beck took to the skies at Oakwood Theme Park over the weekend.
The three rugby stars braved the skydiver-designed extreme flight experience Vertigo during a visit to the popular Pembrokeshire park.
Twenty-eight- year-old Welsh international and Ospreys flanker Thomas is a local lad having been born in Pembroke.
The 6ft 5ins giant was joined by fellow Ospreys star Ashley Beck, 20, and former team-mate and British Lions’ star James Hook, who now plays his rugby with the French side Perpignan also took to the air.
Vertigo Siie Controller, Richard Mason, who trained the boys for their freefall flight said: “All three of them were on really good form and seemed to thoroughly enjoy their day with us.
“It was quite a sight to see a trio of rugby players zooming across the park at speed in excess of 100 kmh and it certainly proved to be quite a showstopper for visitors who couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing!”
Vertigo is a 160 foot high sky coaster. Combining a bungee-style jump with a freefall swing, riders reach speeds of up to 128 kph in just 1.5 seconds with a force of up to three Gs.
One, two or three flyers are suited in a nylon harness and then attached to a cable that pulls them (Superman-style) to the top of the launch tower.
From 160 feet above ground, riders release themselves with a parachute like ripcord… then free-fall at more than 75 mph!