2nd March 2007
The Extreme Academy announce a packed calendar of events for spring and summer at Watergate Bay.
The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay have revealed their 2007 events calendar to set the Cornish beach buzzing with energy and activity this spring and summer.
With eight events already confirmed and several more in the final stages of planning, the 2007 calendar reinforces The Extreme Academy’s status as the premier venue for beach sports events in the country.
“We’re really excited about the range of events we have lined up at the Extreme Academy this year,” said Will Ashworth, managing director of The Hotel and Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay. “Every year we want to offer something different, and I think our 2007 calendar is the most wide-ranging and exciting yet.”
“We have two classic surfing contests - the English Surfing Championships and the British Longboard Union Midsummer Classic - and we are thrilled to have the first round of the British Kitesurfing Association championships here again. We will also have surf rowing boat racing for the first time at Watergate Bay, and in autumn Zapcat Racing will be holding a new six-round race series at the beach.
“We are also particularly pleased to host the White Stuff Surf Relief Day for the first time. This one-day beach festival will combine top level surfing with an evening of live music and is set to be one of the highlights of the summer.”
One of the best and most consistent surfing beaches in the country, Watergate Bay has been a favourite venue for top-level surfing competitions since the 1960s. And at low tide, a massive expanse of sand is revealed, making the beach ideal for a huge range of beach sports.
The action begins in March when professional and amateur kitesurfers compete in round one of the British Kitesurfing Association’s (BKSA) Freestyle Championships. Last year’s BKSA contest at Watergate Bay has gone down as the stuff of legend in the kiting world, thanks to perfect conditions and the renowned Extreme Academy hospitality.
“We’re really looking forward to kicking off the BKSA’s 2007 championships at The Extreme Academy,” said BKSA Chairman Richard Gowers. “Watergate Bay is a two mile stretch of kiting paradise, and last year was one of the best events of the championships; the Atlantic kindly served us with a more than generous swell and three days of constant 20-30 knot winds to really challenge the riders.”
The May Bank Holiday can mean only one thing - the English Surfing Championships. National titles will be decided in over 20 disciplines in the event, which has been held at Watergate Bay since 2002. Then, just over a month later the country’s best longboard surfers come to The Extreme Academy for the BLU Oxbow Midsummer Classic.
The White Stuff Surf Relief Day 2007, a one-day beach festival in support of the charity Surf Relief UK, comes to Watergate Bay on Saturday 7th July.
During the day the beach will be buzzing with activity, with surfing competitions attracting many of the country’s top surfers; masses of family games and activities; sandcastle competitions; and beach football and ultimate frisbee tournaments. In the evening a free live music festival with four international and local bands will round off the day in style.
Surf Relief UK Chairman Dave Manley commented: “White Stuff has shown great commitment and support for our charity, and with their help the White Stuff Surf Relief Day 2007 will be one of the best events in Cornwall this summer. As well as being a great day on the beach, the event will raise significant funds for our “Surfable” project which introduces disabled and disadvantaged children to the sport of surfing.”
For one evening in July Watergate Bay will look more like Sydney’s Bondi Beach with an evening of non-stop surf rowing boat racing. Part of the UK Surf Rowers League summer series, the event will see crews race their 26 ft, 500 kg surf rescue rowing boats out from the beach, through the breaking waves and (hopefully) surf a wave back in before a dash up the beach to the finish line.
Then as the first big swells of autumn begin to pound the sand, the Zapcats return with a new stand-alone three-race series. The 50 mph powerboats were designed to be used in the surf, and with the same power-to-weight ratio as a Ferrari, spectacular racing is guaranteed.
Three more brand new events are also planned for the summer; an extreme tennis tournament; a beach cricket competition; and in what is believed to be a national first, 30 ponies and their riders will compete in a polo tournament on the beach. Details for these three events are still to be confirmed.
2007 events at The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay
Friday 30 March to Sunday 1 April
BKSA Kitesurf Freestyle Championships
Professional and amateur kitesurfers compete in round one of the BKSA Kitesurf Freestyle Championships.
Saturday 5 to Monday 7 May
English Surfing Championships
English national surfing champions will be decided in over 20 categories.
Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 June
BLU Oxbow Midsummer Classic
The UK’s best longboard surfers compete in round two of the British Longboard Union series.
Saturday 7 July
White Stuff Surf Relief Day 2007
Top level surfing contest, live music festival, and much more supporting the charity Surf Relief UK.
Friday 13 July
UK Surf Rowers League - Summer Series
The original surf rescue rowing boats will race in the third round of the UKSRL Summer Series. Racing starts at 7pm.
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 September
Zapcat King of the Surf – Rounds 1 & 2
The first two rounds of the surf powerboat race series.
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 October
Zapcat King of the Surf – Rounds 3 & 4
Friday 2 & Saturday 3 November
Zapcat King of the Surf – Rounds 5 & 6
The king of the surf will be decided in the final rounds of the surf powerboat race series.
ENDS
Notes For Editors
The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay is one of Britain’s leading venues for beach sports. Founded in 1999, the Extreme Academy comprises specialist schools for surfing, kitesurfing, waveski and mountainboarding; technical equipment hire; and the Extreme Store, stocking a wide range of clothing and technical equipment. The Beach Hut, located on the ground floor of The Extreme Academy, is well known as Cornwall’s coolest beach hangout, and a great place to eat.
The Hotel, Watergate Bay After an extensive programme of refurbishment and a merger with the Extreme Academy, The Hotel, Watergate Bay offers an unique contemporary beach lifestyle on the north coast of Cornwall. Still family owned and run, The Hotel features a fresh modern look, AA Rosette dining and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Facilities include 70 bedrooms, two restaurants, two pools and a tennis court. www.watergatebay.co.uk
White Stuff, the fashion lifestyle clothing label, was founded in 1985. They currently have 35 White Stuff shops and over 100 wholesale outlets throughout the UK as well as a website and mail order business. The brand is definitely fashion for lovers not victims – and this is reflected in the relaxed styling, lovely detailing and discreet branding on their quality clothing. White Stuff customers are 25-40 ‘something’s’ who know the fashion trends but have their own sense of style. White Stuff are sponsors of the Extreme Academy, and supply staff uniforms for The Hotel and Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay, and Fifteen Cornwall.
Media Contact - PR on behalf of The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay
For more information and images contact: Jim Michell at Barefoot Media.
Telephone: +44 (0)1208 895089 Email: jim@barefootmedia.co.uk |
