The free beach festival combines a host of family activities with two exciting beach sports competitions
featuring the UK’s top professional surfers and surf lifesavers. To round off a perfect day, the sound of
pounding waves will give way to live music in the Sunset Sessions: a mini music festival right on the
beach.
As well as a great day out, this year’s Surf Relief Festival will also raise money for the charity’s SurfAble
project which introduces youngsters with disabilities to surfing - an experience which for many proves to
be life-changing.
“The Surf Relief Festival raised over £30,000 for the charity last year, which was fantastic,” said Surf
Relief UK’s Chairman Dave Manley. “This money has allowed us to purchase specialised surfboards and
equipment, and guarantees funding for the SurfAble project for the next three years which will give more
than 1,200 disabled children and young people the chance to try surfing.
“We’ve got so much going on this year. The event has grown again and there really will be something
for everyone on the beach, whether it’s cheering on the next generation of surf lifesavers in the Nippers
Carnival or enjoying some of the region’s best new bands. And best of all, the event is completely free to
attend.”
Britain’s top pro surfers take to the water on Friday 17th July for two days of competition in round three of
the UK Pro Surf Tour. Surfers will compete in five divisions - Open, Women’s, Under 16 Boys, Under 16
Girls and Under 12 Open - with finals running on the afternoon of Saturday 18th July. The event invariably
attracts a high quality field of entrants: last year’s Open division was won by Britain’s best ever competitive
surfer, Russell Winter, a former member of the Association of Surfing Professionals’ elite world tour.
Joining the surfers on Friday 17th will be over 200 children from secondary schools in Cornwall, all taking
part in an Ocean and Beach Day. Working with the Cornwall Sports Partnership, fully qualified coaches
will run taster sessions of rugby, volleyball, surfing and lifeguard skills for both disabled and able-bodied
young people.
The Iron Men and Women of the future will be honing their skills on the morning of Saturday 18th in the
Nippers Carnival. This competition allows the youngest junior lifeguards the opportunity to compete
on the same patch as the pros, in team-based relay races. Clubs from Cornwall will be contacted by
organisers Legacy Events and invited to bring teams to compete.
Then it’s over to the experts for the Legacy Events Elite Ironman and
Diamond Lady competitions. This invitation-only event will feature the 24
best male and top 24 female competitors in the country. Fitness, stamina and
endurance are all crucial in this event, which sees the athletes complete a
swim, paddle board and surf ski leg - with a 400 metre run in between each - to qualify for the final.
Children’s events run throughout the day from 11.30am, including dance workshops and face painting for
younger children. Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium will hold a Rockpool Roadshow, bringing a selection of
giant lobsters, starfish and their amazing walnut-cracking crab to the beach.
Rounding the day off will be the Sunset Sessions, Watergate Bay’s own music festival on the beach.
Featuring a bill of four upcoming new bands, the Sunset Sessions will be the perfect end to a great day on
the beach.
More information about the 2009 Surf Relief Festival can be found on the event mini-site at www.
watergatebay.co.uk/surfrelief
Event Programme
Friday 17th July - Ocean and beach day
9.00 am UK Pro Surf Tour competition begins
All day Ocean and beach activities for local secondary school children
Saturday 18th July - Surf Relief Festival
9.00 am Nipper’s carnival registration
9.00 am UK Pro Surf Tour - Round 3 - First heats
10.30 am Nipper’s carnival
11.30 am Children’s beach events
1.00 pm Legacy Events Elite Ironman/Diamond Lady competition begins
2.15 pm Legacy Events Elite Ironman/Diamond Lady competition finals
2.30 pm Blue Reef Rockpool Road Show
3.00 pm UK Pro Surf Tour - Round 3 - Junior U16 final
3.20 pm UK Pro Surf Tour - Round 3 - Women’s final
3.40 pm UK Pro Surf Tour - Round 3 - Open final
4.15 pm Presentations: UK Pro Surf Tour and Legacy Events Elite Ironman/Diamond Lady
4.45 pm Sunset Sessions
9.00 pm Festival ends
(Times subject to change depending on weather conditions)
ENDS
This year’s battle takes on an extra dimension as online Watersports store
Kingofwatersports puts up ‘The King of the Wave’ competition.
One of the UKs biggest online Watersports retailers is riding high as they challenge this year riders to be the ‘King of the Wave’.
Kingofwatersports will be rolling out the red carpet for the highest individual male and female wave score of the competition to encourage surfers to push their abilities to the limits and be rewarded for extreme, progressive and innovative
surfing.
ImagesHigh resolution print-quality images can be downloaded from our online
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link).