THE world of extreme sports regularly sees its top athletes travel to some of the most unusual or exotic locations in order to carry out death-defying feats.

Elliot Furniss

THE world of extreme sports regularly sees its top athletes travel to some of the most unusual or exotic locations in order to carry out death-defying feats.

But never before have a group of international star skateboarders taken to the high seas as they did recently off the Essex coast.

The daredevils descended on the controversial “micronation” of Sealand, a former wartime fortress located six miles off Harwich.

After being winched onto the weather-beaten outpost, the skaters performed a series of stunts that took them to the very edge of the platform, more than 100ft up in the air.

Chris Harrington, who manages the events at Sealand, said it had taken a year to plan the skateboarding extravaganza, but all the hard work had been worthwhile.

He said there were two safety boats patrolling the area around Sealand just in case there were any mishaps with the boarders.

“In the event, we only lost one board,” he said. “They are amazing guys. I know they don't have the concept of the word fear.

“I saw them doing it from one of the boats below and I just wanted to look away - but I had to keep watching.”

The challenge to the skaters and their crew was to find a window of time when the platform was dry and there was little wind in the air.

Mr Harrington said: “Sealand is a pretty extreme place - but that's the idea; the most extreme people in the most extreme place they could find.”

Sealand was built as one of a series of Maunsell Forts in 1942 to protect the British coast but was decommissioned in the 1950s.

It was established as a principality by former radio broadcaster British Army Major Paddy Roy Bates in 1967 but the site has been beset by problems ever since.

In 1968 residents skirmished with the Royal navy and 10 years later there was an attempted coup. In 2006 a major fire broke out that caused extensive damage to the structure.

Mr Harrington agreed to take on the renovation work under the condition that he be allowed to stage events at Sealand, now ruled by Prince Michael, and the skating session is the biggest yet by far.