White Air Extreme Sports Festival
World Champion WindSurfers head for the Isle of Wight Aug.27-Sept.2.
Aug 18, 2007
No sooner does Cowes Week end than the Isle of Wight in S.E. England is welcoming visitors to the White Air Extreme Sports Festival, which ruins from next Monday August 27th until Monday September 2nd.Over 500 competitors from 40 countries will be competing, some of them world champions in action sports, and there will be 18 “Have a Go” public sports for all.
Starting in 1997 as a Wind and Surf based event due to the Isle of Wight’s superb conditions for these sports, the event has rapidly expanded and is now one of the most prestigious International Festivals in the calendar.
Although its roots lie firmly in the watersport competitions, demand has meant that the events have expanded into land-based disciplines as well. The water- based sports cover windsurfing racing, frree-style windsurfing, kite surfing, surfing, thundercat powerboats, surf kayak racing and jet ski freestyle. Skateboarding, BMX, Mountain Boarding, Mountain Biking, Paragliding and Karkour add to the excitement on land. For 2007, Frisbee Freestyle and Speedminton displays have been added to the beach sports as well.
The great news this year is that Steve Allen from Australia, the current Formula Windsurfing World Champion, and Aaron Dagan from Israel, the Euro Cup Formula Champion, have already confirmed their entry to the White Air IOW Grand Prix, along with some 100 of the top racers from 40 countries which include Olympic champions. The Windsurfing Race will be the biggest ever held in the UK. An incredible 21 sports make up the Festival which is now one of the biggest multisport and music festivals in Europe.
Yaverland in Sandown Bay, with a wide and sandy beach, is the site for the events, is a natural arena for the various disciplines on and off the water, the competitors and spectators. It is suitable for learning windsurfing and yet It produces some great Wavesailing conditions being side shore in the prevailing SW winds and you can drift downwind quite safely for a mile or so at low tide.
All the day events and both live music evenings are held on site. Two night parties on Friday and Saturday are held just a hundred yards away at Sandown Bay Holiday Centre.
The variety of live music day and night and the great parties on the weekend are all part of this unique event and new this year is the Platform One stage with 50 groups playing live at the heart of the festival over 7 days and 2 late evenings! The policy has always been that whatever the weather there will be action either on the land, on the water, or both.
Park and ride the buses direct to and from the site and watch the action, including the World Championship Windsurfing Racing. See Mountain Boarders jumping from 25 feet ramps, and marvel at the Red Arrows display and the RAF Falcons World Parachute display.
The great news is that it is an event suitable for all ages. There are workshops for years 3 and upwards, bouncy castles, bungy runs, latest EA games, 14 “Have a Go” sports for 7 years and over, art and face painting, music mixing, food stalls, sports equipment stalls, displays, and public park sessions in skate and mountain board.
If you haven’t seen extreme sports before, you should make a bee-line for the Isle of Wight for the experience of a lifetime.
Further information from info@whiteair.co.uk TEL : 00 44 (01983) 760553 FAX : 0871 2773095 POST : River Cottage, Station Rd, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England. PO41 OQX
