Surf's up for pro surf tour in Snowdonia

By Rob Shelley

Anyone who surfs knows two things: one, you're going to have get used to getting up early and two, you're going to need to believe in the power of hope - because sometimes the waves just aren't there.

And then, Surf Snowdonia came and made both getting up early and hoping the forecast was right utterly irrelevant.

Today, it's not just the usual visitors - hundreds of people line the long walkway that runs alongside the massive wave machine that guarantees surf - and on a lake the size of 20 or so football pitches, some of Britain's best are climbing the waves and falling off along with everyone else.

Watch Rob Shelley's report:

Today is the ProSurf Challenge - basically, a bit like a date on the Formula One calendar, but with less pit lane and a lot more water. The challenge moves from location to location across Britain - this is the only one that can guarantee the right sort of wave without being weather dependent.

It's unique because surfing in the middle of a forest in Snowdonia is a pretty surreal experience. Luke Dillon, second on the tour at the moment, is having an equally surreal week - surfing's taken him from Costa Rica to Dolgarrog to Brazil - it's the ultimate commute. Luke told ITV News that it took a while to get used to surfing in a closed arena rather than the open sea.

For people who love water sports in Wales, it's a bit like having a test match pitch a few miles away or a Six Nations home tie played on the local rec. They are the surf gods of their sport, and you can stand on a rail and watch them from 10 yards away. On a Monday, in what, on the map, looks pretty much like the middle of nowhere yet has become a major destination.

Surf's up. And North Wales has proved up for it too.