Wakestock Makes A Splash
4- 6 Mar, Al Sahil beach, Corniche
Developed from a combination of waterskiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques, wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over water. World Pro Tour Water Sports organizers around the world will be looking to Abu Dhabi to set the tone for this year’s inaugural WWA Wakeboard World Series as Abu Dhabi Municipality in partnership wih Abu Dhabi Beaches and Flash bring you Wakestock Abu Dhabi: a free wakeboarding and music festival, the likes of which you have never seen! The world’s top 16 riders (that’s what they are called, seriously!) have already confirmed their participation.
In addition to the world’s best wakeboarders battling it out for a $50,000 prize purse (the largest one yet for the sport!), live music from the some of the hottest international and regional acts will entertain audiences over the wakestock weekend starting from 1 pm everyday till late. For details flip over to our music feature: The Beat with Aich.
NEWS:
Latest News: Sixteen year old Harley Clifford was today crowned the first ever Wakestock Abu Dhabi Champion beating three of the sport’s best riders in a world class wakeboarding final at Wakestock Abu Dhabi held at Al Sahil beach on Abu Dhabi Corniche. Dallas Friday won the women’s competition while JD Webb was victorious on the rails as Pool Gap winner.
And after the sun went down, Wakestock Abu Dhabi closed with a bang as hip hop legends De La Soul entertained thousands with their unique quirky lyrics and funky beats including some of their greatest hits ‘Stakes is High’, ‘Me Myself and I’ and ‘Breakadawn’. The free three day festival has seen jaw dropping wakeboarding action on the first stop of this year’s World Wakeboarding Association’s ‘World Wake Series’ and the evenings filled with live music from local, regional and international stars.
The results of the main wakeboarding competition:
· In first place is the youngest competitor and 2009 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour title holder, Harley Clifford from Australia. Harley rode to victory with the competition’s only toeside frontside 900.
· In second place came Canadian Rusty Malinosky, known as the "Bone-Crusher" for his sheer power and brute strength.
· American Phillip Soven, the "Iceman", twice winner of world championships, the King of Wake, and the Pro Tour Wakestock Abu Dhabi Pro Finals came in third place.
· In fourth place came Canadian Aaron Rathy, 2009 King of Wake.
John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment said:
“Wakestock Abu Dhabi has been another fantastic beachfront event, adding to the diversity of the entertainment options Abu Dhabi has to offer. The combination of gravity-defying wakeboarding tricks and a wide variety of live music acts has really resonated with people of all ages and backgrounds, and over the weekend we have seen more than 110,000 residents who have come to enjoy the event on Al Sahil Beach.”
Mark Durston, Founder and CEO of Wakestock, said:
“The atmosphere here on the Corniche has been incredible. Abu Dhabi has provided the perfect setting for Wakestock, and we have seen some first class wakeboarding here on the beautiful waters of the Arabian Gulf. It has been great to find so much local support for the sport, and I can see Abu Dhabi becoming a top wakeboarding destination in the near future.”
Earlier News: Wakestock Abu Dhabi Pro Jam winners announced
- Prize pot of US $750 shared by Adam Errington, JD Webb, and Padiwat Jaemjan
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 5th March, 2010: Wakestock Abu Dhabi visitors today were today treated to an unscheduled competition using the System 2.0 cable, as high winds put the riders’ abilities to the test.
Using the same heat groupings set out for the qualifying rounds of the boat contest, riders were now competing for a cash prize put up for the three best tricks of the day. The 20 riders, in five heats of four, were aiming for the biggest manoeuvre with a tidy $250 lined up for 3 riders each to win.
Adam Errington launched the biggest air of the day with a super smooth Double S-Bend to Blind in choppy conditions. JD Webb not only landed a Pete Rose for the first time but also took away some spending money for his troubles and the one and only Thai rider at the event, Padiwat Jaemjan showed some true cable skills and style with his Tail Grab Front Flip to Blind.
The crowds were kept entertained by the repertoire of tricks that were on offer and this was just a taster of what to look forward to on the final day of the festival. The main competition will start at 10am on Saturday, when all of the riders will be gathered down on Al Sahil Beach to battle it out for the title of Wakestock Abu Dhabi 2010 Champion.
The action is followed by a full line up of local, regional and international artists performing on the stage, including local favourites Nikotin, Arabic rock star Fadi Andraos, preppy punk rockers Sandwash, and internationally renowned Maximo Park.
Mid-day Update: World's best Wakeboarders gather on Abu Dhabi Corniche ahead of final stages of Wakestock Abu Dhabi competition
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 5 March, 2010: Many of the world’s best wakeboarders gathered on Al Sahil Beach at Abu Dhabi Corniche today ahead of the final stages of competition at Wakestock Abu Dhabi which take place this weekend. Among them were Aaron Rathy, the World Boat Champion, Dan Nott, four time winner of Wakestock in the UK and Dallas Friday, the most successful female wakeboarder in the world
Wakestock Abu Dhabi is an action-packed free three-day beachfront event of wakeboarding and music which runs until tomorrow (Saturday 6 March). It is presented by Abu Dhabi Beaches, organised by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City and produced by Flash Entertainment, the Abu Dhabi-based live events company. The event is the first stop of the World Wakeboarding Association’s ‘World Wake Series.
The final day of wakeboarding will start at 10am with the main qualifiers with four heats of five riders, with two riders from each heat qualifying for the semi-finals. The top two riders from the semi –finals will progress to the final, which will be split into two head to head heats resulting in a two man ‘super final’ chosen by the judges based on five categories of D.R.I.V.E (difficulty, risk in run, intensity, variety and execution) for the $50,000 prize money.
The Wakeboarding action will be followed musical entertainment on the main stage with local hip hop heroes, The Recipe, kicking it off at 8pm. Bringing the festival to an end will be legendary quirky rappers De La Soul
Old News: First evening of Wakestock Abu Dhabi thrills 10,000 people with Pool Gap free riding and live music - 200,000 gallon Pool Gap opens for action
Photos show:
• Wakeboarding professionals trying out the 200,000 gallon Pool Gap in a free-riding session on Abu Dhabi Corniche on the first day of Wakestock Abu Dhabi. The Pool Gap is two pools linked together by a series of rails and ramps.
• Lebanese superstar Carole Samaha headline the first night of Wakestock Abu Dhabi, performing hits such as “Rag’aalak” and “Ma Bakaf.”
• Ten thousand people enjoy the evening’s entertainment on the first night of the free festival.
ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE 2010
28 Mar –1 Apr, Liwa
Registration for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC) is signalling a bigger-than-ever competitor turnout with more than 100 challengers expected for the event which, for the second year running, will be totally staged across Abu Dhabi emirate.
The cross-country motor sport spectacular, organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), will run from March 28-April 1 and is the season-opening round of both the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship.
Entry to the 2010 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is open to cars and trucks complying with FIA T1, T2 and T4 technical regulations, as well as motorcyclists and quads running under FIM auspices.
Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium
25 Feb – 7 Apr, Zayed University, Salwa Zeidan Gallery and the Armed Forces Officers Club
What do artists from the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Bulgaria, Austria, Republic of Georgia, Japan, China, Korea, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt and Lebanon have in common?
Give up? 17 of these contemporary artists will be participating in the Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium. The program schedule includes a series of lectures at Zayed University campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai along with interactive onsite workshops.
“The artists taking part in this milestone event were carefully selected to create a multi-cultural atmosphere and were asked to present three proposals for sculptures that compliment the UAE, its culture and history,” states Symposium Director Salwa Zeidan, Director of the Salwa Zeidan Gallery.
The six-week Symposium will result in the unveiling of 17 large sculptures (six meters) which will be permanently placed in selected locations around the city of Abu Dhabi for your viewing pleasure. For more info on lecture and workshop timings, venues and artist biographies log on to their website www.abudhabitriatlon.com
2010 Abu Dhabi Festival
20 Mar – 7 Apr,
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, the Abu Dhabi Festival features symphonies from one of the grandmasters of the Romantic era which will captivate the hearts and minds of UAE residents. Established in April 2004, this classical arts festival never fails to attract high calibre regional and international artists to the capital annually. This year the primary focus of the event will be the the Festival of Bilad Al Khayr - where the Seven Emirates unite motivated by the legacy of the late H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Abu Dhabi Festival endeavours to bring together all nationalities and communities living in UAE by providing a platform where cultural minds meet and exchange ideas through public, life-long learning projects. For a complete list of the festival’s performing program visit their website: www.admaf.org
Royal Drive 2010
18 – 20 Mar, Yas Marina, Corniche and Dubai
A unique combination of supercars from the around the world and a super duper international performers is heading towards UAE. The Royal Drive 2010 will begin with a gala dinner at the Yas Marina Hotel, Abu Dhabi, on the evening of March 18. The following day, participants will be flooring accelerators on the Yas Marina circuit before following a pre-determined route along the length of Corniche Boulevard to enthral spectators and motor-sports enthusiasts. In Dubai, a 12-hour music festival named “Elements” will be unleashed on audiences featuring live acts from Grammy-winning virtual band Gorillaz and reggae-pop idol Sean Kingston, alongside numerous international DJs. Here’s a little something to entice the lads:
Cars participating in the event include Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini LP670 SuperVeloce and a Porsche Carrera GT Mirage.
Abu Dhabi Classics
5 Mar, Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain
Young British conductor Daniel Harding will lead the splendid Mahler Chamber Orchestra in a soul-stirring performance focusing on on three “New World” favourites: Bernstein’s Candide Overture, Gershwin’s jazzy Rhapsody in Blue, performed by the extraordinary Fazil Say, and Dvořák’s heart-breaking symphonic tribute to the music and people of America. Abu Dhabi Classics rises yet again to entertain music lovers with spell binding melodious evenings. Performance starts at 8 pm.