by Eeva Kaun
04.05.2009
It's gone from being a contest with a party in a car park for 800 people to being Europe's biggest wakeboarding festival, complete with international bands and DJs. This July, Wakestock, which takes place in Cardigan Bay, North Wales, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a huge beach party.
The festival began in 2000 for wakeboarders to compete either towed behind a boat or by an overhead cable system. The highlight of the festival is the Rococo Rail Tour which brings the best riders and hardest tricks just metres from the crowd. This monstrous structure – like two huge swimming pools built in the middle of the music arena – holds over 200,000 gallons of water between two split-level tanks, with three 40-foot rails separating them.
Nick Carter, UK Cablewakeboard committee member, explained that Wakestock is predominantly a boat wakeboard competition, but in the pool gap it is mainly the cable riders that do better. “Nowadays all the boat riders will ride cable at some time,” he said. “It is a good way of getting time on the water, and a lot cheaper than boat time.”
Wakestock runs from July 11 to 13. www.wakestock.co.uk. For more information, see wakeboard.co.uk and http://ukcablewakeboard.wordpress.com
Competing under the Irish flag, Glen Hall claims top spot
Victoria Young wins BA award
Competitors limber up for the AXL/DOH
The only man to reach the bottom of the sea
Forget the pubs and quaint villages for just a second: Ireland is a surfing mecca
Meet the UKs brightest waveriders
Weird shoes for serious action
Waterproof speaker case for your Nano
Keeps your gear bone dry
Want to make your photos look even better than your memories? We asked an expert to show you exactly how
With these basics you'll be amped and ready to carve up the beach break in no time. But don't forget, this doesn't preclude the need for a lesson
It's like surfing, only with oars
Comments (0)
View all | Add comment