SIMON HUTCHINSON tries his hand at Wakeboarding

"I'M STRAIGHT, I'm straight, I'm straight," words I haven't shouted at another man since I was at a Girls Aloud gig at G-A-Y in London.

This time though I wasn't working for a television company (in case you were wondering), it was to help me become a wakeboarding god!!!

I say god, I actually mean a rather shaky person strapped to an ironing board flying around a lake in Box End on a rather dull July evening.

Box End Park occupies 100 acres of rural Bedfordshire and is the region' newest and most exciting water sport and leisure facility.

Based around two purpose-made lakes they offer traditional boat waterskiing and the chance to ski without a boat on the brand new cable tow. For my colleague James and I, this was to be our destiny.

The cable tow is basically a massive ski lift that runs around the perimeter of the lake and pulls the 'extreme' sport fanatics along at 30mph.

It certainly looks simple enough.

Not so, as I learnt within five seconds of trying out kneeboarding.

After receiving my wetsuit (I was generously given a medium size by our instructor) and life jacket we were straight out to the lake and strapped to a small board that, theoretically, you kneel on all the way around.

On my first attempt I was pulled head first into the lake and soon realised why staying out of the water was a better option.

James, on the other hand took to it like a duck to water and was whizzing around the lake mocking me (my revenge came later on). Second attempt and you would have thought I'd been doing it for years.

After a few laps our instructor - and the parks manager - Russell Hanford, pulled us in and told us that we were ready to step up to the real business of wakeboarding.

The lesson for wakeboarding is simple - be relaxed, keep your legs bent and let the rope take you around.

All well and good but no one told the rope it was that simple - it certainly took us though; head first, feet first, sideways, backwards - anywhere it wanted really.

That's when the advice started coming from the pro. South African instructor Justin was quick to point out that the reason I was falling face first was because my arms weren't straight.

For my next attempt I had to keep shouting "I'm straight, I'm straight, I'm straight" and low-and-behold it worked. I was upright and gliding across the lake like a swan coming in to land.

Unfortunately the exhilaration of achievement meant that I forgot that there was a bend coming up and seconds later I was splashing chest first into the lake once more.

Soon I was up on every attempt and just about making it around the first two bends before swimming out and walking back to the start.

The great thing about wakeboarding is that it is a challenge. On every attempt you find yourself doing better than before and you find yourself being enthusiastic about succeeding.

The staff at Box End Park are fantastic and no matter how quickly (me) or slowly (James) you take to the sport they will coach and encourage you all the way through it.

One thing you should note though is that this is a highly active sport and your arms will feel it the next day...and the day after...and the day after that...and possibly another day after that one as well.

Visit www.boxendpark.com or call 07922 824678 for more information.