Budding outdoor activity instructors from across the country descended on Lusty Glaze Beach in Newquay last week to ‘try out’ for coveted jobs at The Adventure Centre.

In a rugged, outdoorsy version of the X-Factor, some 64 hopefuls were put through their paces on a testing Staff Selection Day at the beach.

It was the largest field of potential recruits ever screened by The Adventure Centre for jobs as instructors for a range of activities including climbing, surfing and coasteering.

Tracey Griffiths, head of centre, commented: “We were overwhelmed by the response to the call for new recruits. People travelled from far and wide to attend the selection day.

“We do something similar every year but this is by far the biggest response we’ve ever had. Luckily for the recruits we have more positions to fill this year due to booming demand for adventure sports in Cornwall.”

As one of the largest activity providers in the country, The Adventure Centre employs a large team of instructors who provide fun and safe adventures for visitors. This year the centre needs to recruit a further 40 people to help teach visitors over the summer season and beyond.

During the selection day, the hopefuls were set a series of challenges designed to assess their suitability for roles at the busy beachside centre operated in partnership with Cornwall College.

Managers at The Adventure Centre are currently reviewing applicants for the instructor positions. Many of the potential recruits are already qualified instructors, but some are novices hoping to kickstart careers in the outdoors.

Tracey Griffiths added: “The standard of applicants this year was extremely high, so selecting the final 40 is going to be a challenge. But once it is in place, the 2008 team looks set to be particularly strong.”

Regardless of their experience, all the successful candidates will be put through a rigorous training programme to ensure they meet the centre’s high safety and customer service standards.

But it’s not just activity instructors who have the opportunity to work at this unique leisure and education complex. The Training Centre, which is also based at the beach, is looking for qualified beach lifeguard instructors and first aid teachers. Anyone wishing to apply for these positions at the beachside complex should call the centre on 01637 87244 or email info@adventure-centre.org