Skateboarders take on Amsterdam charity challenge
@PushingforPurposeTwo lifelong friends are attempting to skateboard 500km (310 miles) from the UK to the Netherlands for a charity fundraising challenge.
Charlie Hutchings-Sait and Dan Lee set off from central London on Friday, travelled through Kent and northern France, reaching Ostend in Belgium on Tuesday afternoon.
The pair, from New Milton, Hampshire and Southbourne have raised almost £2,000 for the Alzheimer's Society, MacMillan Cancer Support and road safety charity Brake.
Lee said, so far, it had been a "memory we'll never forget".
As part of their Pushing for Purpose challenge, they are planning to take 10 days to reach the Dutch capital, camping as they go.
Now both aged 30, the pair have known each other since the age of two and now run their own marine components manufacturing business in Sway, Hampshire.
They are aiming to clock up 30-35 miles a day in a bid to reach Amsterdam by the weekend.
@PushingforPurposeThe friends have been skateboarding since the age of eight, but Hutchings-Sait admitted "Our bodies are aching" after five days of constant pushing.
"It's more akin to running and we're doing more than a marathon each day.
"It certainly takes its toll, but it's a small price to pay. We wanted to help those charities who have touched people close to us and help people's quality of life.
The pair admitted being on the "flat and smooth" cycle path surfaces in France and Belgium have been a lot earlier than the "difficult terrain" of the North Downs in Kent.
They are posting updates on social media of their progress.
"We've met some great people - some are a bit shocked and we've got some funny looks," Hutchings-Sait added.
