Blue Peter – World record

BBC Blue Peter prescenter – Helen Skelton has just achieved a new Kite- skiing World record in Antarctica.

During the summer 2010 British Freestyle Champion & BKSA Senior Instructor- Ned Taylor took it upon himself to teach Helen to kitesurf. A pretty challenging task considering the small weather window and that instruction was to be carried out while filming, interviewing & very often not getting on with the real learning to be done. Assisted also by ‘Team Bridge & under the watchful eye of BKSA Examiner – Eric Bridge of Edgewatersports, the Blue Peter team were based in Exmouth & mostly filmed from the Rib within the river. Helen picked things up very quickly and the flat shallow water of the River Exe provided the ideal learning conditions to grasp the kite skills she would be needing to do this current adventure.

As we write Helen is close to finishing the 500 miles to reach the South Pole and during her trip she has already set a world record for the fastest time ever for 100 kilometres covered by kite-ski. Guinness World Records officials confirmed that, based on GPS data sent via satellite from the Antarctic, a new world record has been achieved.They said that Helen Skelton completed a 100-km kite ski in 7 hours and 28 minutes. Officials will verify footage of the world record attempt at a later date.

Helen’s Polar Challenge for Sport Relief series starts on Monday 23^rd on BBC1 and BBC1 HD at 4.30pm. The episode with all the kitesurfing with Ned will be episode 3, which will go out on Monday 6^th February on BBC1 and BBC1 HD at 4.30pm.