Abu Dhabi, UAE – With three days of wakeboarding and music, the first stop of the World Wakeboarding Association’s “World Wake Series” comes to Abu Dhabi March 4-6. Taking place at the Corniche, Wakestock Abu Dhabi will feature the UAE’s finest wakeboard talent battling it out, as well as a free-riding session in the 200,000-gallon Pool Gap – two pools linked together by a series of rails and ramps. Flash Entertainment and city of Abu Dhabi are producing the three-day beachfront event.
More than 90 people participated in the setup and design of the event, which features a 700-meter shoreline course for the main pro event, the Pool Gap structure, a beginner park and the beach-side open-air stage for three nights of outstanding music entertainment.
As night falls on the Corniche, home-grown talent The Brownies will warm up the crowd with a blend of jazz, acoustic rock and funky groove, followed by international DJ extraordinaire, Goldierocks. Lebanese superstar Carole Samaha will headline the evening, followed by local DJ Danny Neville, who will keep the party going into the early hours.
The second day of the festival will open with the main qualifiers of the pro wake competition, where the world’s top athletes will be split into four heats, with two riders from each heat qualifying for Saturday’s semi-finals. The opening round of the Pool Gap contest will then begin with the top sixteen from Thursday’s free-riding sessions competing in eight heats, battling to impress the judges based on the variety, technicality and originality of rail tricks.
That night, local favorite Nikotin starts the night off with melodic guitar music, followed by Arabic rock star Fadi Andraos, preppy punk rockers Sandwash, internationally renowned Maximo Park, and local DJ Da Funkt Live.
Saturday starts with adrenaline-fueled action as the best riders vie for honors in the pro men’s and women’s finals. The top two riders will progress to the finals, which will be judged based on five categories of D.R.I.V.E – difficulty, risk in run, intensity, variety and execution – for $50,000 in prize money. Following the finals, the Pool Gap competition will commence and a winner will be chosen.
After, local hip hop heroes The Recipe unleash fresh beats before the grand finale, where legendary quirky rappers De La Soul bring the weekend – and the festival – to an unforgettable end.
“There is tremendous excitement and anticipation ahead of Wakestock Abu Dhabi 2010 and we can’t wait to see some of the world’s best wakeboarding athletes in action along with a host of fantastic international and regional artists performing at night,” said John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment. “This will be a superb day out and the best part is it’s free to the whole community to come down, relax and enjoy some world-class entertainment.”
“With a fine selection of awesome artists and the perfect setting on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, Wakestock Abu Dhabi 2010 will be an unforgettable way to launch the event and start the 2010 Wakeboard World Series,” said Mark Durston, Wakestock Founder and CEO. “It has everything you could ever wish for to host the festival and the people of Abu Dhabi are in for a real treat. I’m looking forward to a fantastic weekend of world class entertainment both on and off the warm waters of the Corniche.”
Wakeboarding documentaries shown on big screens on the beach will bridge the daytime sporting action with the evening entertainment. Visitors to the event can also expect rider signings, DJs and live broadcasts from throughout the festival.
Together with Etihad Airways, Flash is also offering the public the chance to win the opportunity to visit Wakestock UK. VIP tickets and flights are included in the grand prize. To enter, visit wakestock.ae
