5th June 2008
Four spectacular events herald the start of summer at the Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay.
Summer arrives on the north Cornwall coast with four spectacular events hitting the water at the Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay in June and July.
Spray will fly in June as supercharged surf powerboats return for a weekend of Zapcat Racing (June 14/15), followed by an established favourite on the longboard surfing circuit, the Midsummer Classic (June 21/22).
Aussie-style surf boat racing will blend power and grace as the UK Surf Rowers League Summer Surfboat Series continues (July 12); then one of the biggest events ever to be held at Watergate Bay, the White Stuff Surf Relief Festival (July 26), combines pro surfing and surf lifesaving tournaments with family activities and a live music festival on the beach.
“We’ve got so much going on at Watergate Bay this summer, and we like to think we have put on a range of events that will appeal to everyone from families to dedicated surfers,” said Will Ashworth, Managing Director of The Hotel & Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay. “The two contrasting boat racing events will appeal equally to adrenaline junkies and traditionalists, while the Midsummer Classic always attracts the country’s best longboard surfers.”
In June, inflatable surf powerboats return to Watergate Bay for the first of two weekends racing in the Zapcat King of the Surf race series. The 14th and 15th June rounds will be the first time the Zapcats have raced at Watergate Bay in the summer months, and organisers are hoping that even more people will see this spectacular sport for the first time.
“Watergate Bay has established itself as the spiritual home of Zapcat surf racing,” said Event Manager Ali Ward of Zapcat Racing. “As a venue Watergate Bay is quite unique; spectators have every possible vantage point to take in the high-flying antics of Zapcat surf racing, while for the competitors the conditions are by far the most challenging of any of the venues we race at.
“This is the first time we’ve visited Watergate Bay in the height of the summer so this year’s Zapcat Racing is likely to be some of the best ever. The competitors really look forward to racing here, it’s the one the crews really want to win - so this year with two events split over summer and autumn the combination of sun and surf will be a winning formula.”
Many of the country’s top longboard surfers will compete in the event that is synonymous with summer on the beach, the Midsummer Classic, on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June.
The British longboard scene is bursting with talent at the moment, with Ben Skinner, Sam Bleakley and Adam Griffiths fresh from competing in the elite World Longboard Tour contest in France last month.
North Devon’s Ben Haworth, who won the recent Headworx English Nationals title at Watergate Bay, is going to be a serious threat to the more established surfers as he makes the transition from the Junior division to the Open. So too is Ben Howey, who was runner up to Ben Haworth in the English Nationals, and the strong South Wales contingent led by Dan Harris and Elliot Dudley can never be ruled out.
This year the contest is the second in the British Longboard Union’s series of five events. Four divisions will be contested (Open, Ladies, Juniors and Masters), sponsored by Dudes Surf Hairdressers, the Extreme Store, Rocky Point Jewellery and Skinners Brewery.
Inspired by the Australian tradition of racing surf rescue boats, over 20 crews from Cornwall, Devon, London and South Wales will take on the waves of Watergate Bay in the third round of the UK Surf Rowers League (UKSRL) Summer Surfboat Series on Saturday 12th July.
The races are short and intense, with the crews (made up of four rowers and a “sweep” standing at the stern) rowing 400 metres out to sea through the breaking waves, around a turning buoy, and then attempting to catch a wave back into the beach before one crew member sprints up the sand to complete the race.
According to Andy Cox, one of the sweeps for Perranporth SLSC , surf boat racing is not for the faint-hearted:
“They say if you want to pick a surfboat crew to line the candidates up against a wall and throw bricks at them - the ones that don’t duck are the ones you pick! Seriously, you need courage, commitment and dedication to get in a 180kg boat and to row out in sizeable surf, and if you’re a sweep you get plenty of swimming practice as well.
“It’s great fun, and it’s a great sport to watch; six crews race in each heat, and the boats never go out of sight so spectators can always see the racing. Going out through the surf can be exciting, but catching a wave on the way back is often where the race is won or lost. The sweep has to judge the timing of the sets and put the boat in the right place to catch the wave - too far in and the boat can be swamped.”
Racing will begin at 5.00 pm on Saturday 12th July, with each crew taking part in three qualifying races. The top six crews will then race in the final.
A 500 metre section of the beach will be closed to the public for the racing, which will be patrolled by RNLI beach lifeguards on jetskis. Surfers and other water users will still be free to use the rest of the beach.
Pro surfing, family activities, a surf lifesaving tournament and live music festival combine to make the White Stuff Surf Relief Festival on Saturday 26th July one of the biggest events ever to be held at Watergate Bay.
Raising funds for Surf Relief UK’s “Surfable” project, which provides subsidised surfing lessons for disabled young people, the White Stuff Surf Relief Festival will be a day of non-stop activity - on the beach and in the water - culminating in the Sunset Sessions, a live music festival on the beach headlined by the Stereo MCs.
Tickets for the event are £10 for adults and £5 for children and can be purchased from the Hall for Cornwall box office (www.hallforcornwall.co.uk or 01872 262466). More information can be found at www.whitestuff.com/surfrelief.
ENDS
Images
High resolution print-ready images can be downloaded here.
The Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay is one of Britain’s leading venues for beach sports and events. Founded in 1999, the Extreme Academy comprises specialist schools for surfing, kitesurfing, waveski, stand-up paddlesurf 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. www.watergatebay.co.uk
The Hotel, Watergate Bay has emerged from a £2 million programme of investment as a must-visit beach destination. With the public areas and bedrooms all refurbished in the past three years, the décor is beach house chic throughout. The contemporary modern look, award-winning dining and relaxed atmosphere are only topped by The Hotel’s unbeatable location right on the beach. www.watergatebay.co.uk
White Stuff, the fashion lifestyle clothing label, are sponsors of the Extreme Academy and supply staff uniforms for The Hotel & Extreme Academy, Watergate Bay, and Fifteen Cornwall. Founded in 1985, the company have 45 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. www.whitestuff.com
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 |
