2008 Wakestock UK

Wakestock UK 2008

By Julia Haley

 

 

The Setup

 

After the extreme Wakestock 2007 experience, I think it’s fair to say that most people were left a little disappointed.  With memories of being soaked through from the non-stop rain, the festival being cancelled, and the wakeboard presentation being held on a dodgy fire escape, it was hard to imagine how things would ever be the same again.  We were all wrong though, and in 2008 Wakestock came back bigger and better then ever; playing host to two festivals in both England and Wales.  The first took place in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, a beautiful country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.  With an amazing lake at our disposal and the festival and camp site just a few minutes walk away, the location was perfect.  The stunning Cardigan Bay in North Wales played host to the second Wakestock, and it seemed that last year’s set-backs had only led to the festival being bigger then ever.  The grass had had a chance to grow back, the car park re-located, and a new shuttle bus service introduced to keep the roads clear.  Of course the riders camping left a little to be desired, with the usual disorganised gridlock of tents, vans and cars.  Nevertheless, it was great to have a place to ourselves!  All in all, last years Wakestock was the best yet, and here are my top reasons why! 

 

Music

It was clear that things had really stepped up a notch, and for me, Pendulum really stole the show.  With a great vibe and awesome sound, they had the whole crowd going crazy, myself included!  I managed to blag a shoulder ride from a random guy, so had an awesome view of the whole show; the poor guy must have been in so much pain!  A festival wouldn’t be a festival without a good bit of mosh-pit action, and in 2008 this came in the form of Funeral For A Friend.  With Freddie Carter’s black eye, and James Hooper getting his teeth knocked out, it was clear that this was not for kids.  I can’t say I participated in much moshing myself, but from what I hear there was a lot of fun had by all and FFAF put on an awesome show!  Another highlight for many was seeing well known Brighton based band ‘Ikoma’ on one of the main stages at Blenheim. Ikoma have been associated with wakeboarding for years, with music featuring in films such as ‘1Fifty1’ and ‘360 days’.  Ikoma put on a really great show and it was great to see them getting some of the exposure they deserve.

 

Pool Gap

As in years previous, the ‘Vans Rococo Rail Tour’ was taking place on the festival site, providing a great way to get wakeboarding and wakeskating out to the public.  In true form, the pool gap was amazing, with two huge pools playing host to three gnarly looking rails.  With a head-to-head contest running over both days as well as free-ride practise sessions, there were plenty of opportunities to watch and get involved in the action.  I was stoked to see how many girls were showing they weren’t scared and getting amongst the boys in some serious rail action.  It’s an understatement to say that the pool gap got the better of a few riders.  On the wakeboards, highlights were Gary Stelfox who pretty much sliced his cheek off on the end of the rail, and Jonty Green who took a nasty fall doing a nose press up the step-up rail!  The wakeskating delivered more carnage then ever before, with Andrew ‘Eddy’ Eddy and Martyn ‘Tino’ Shaw taking ritual spankings all weekend.  It wasn’t all crashes however, with all these guys and many more putting on some great shows across both weekends.  Stand out riders included Lee Debuse and Rob Moyle, doing some insane gap combinations from rail to rail, young Louis Floyd bringing his awesome rail skills out for the weekend, and of course the Americans who took it on the day, but by no means without challenge!

 

VIP

I can’t write this article without giving a mention to the amazing ‘Relentless’ rider areas at both events.  With self-pour beer on tap as well as ice cold Jegameister, it was certain that no-one would go thirsty!  The huge bean bags and cushions provided a place to chill out, fruit was provide to help with the hangovers, and fridges full of Relentless ensured that we were fully awake and ready to ride!  It was clear that the pool gap riders were enjoying the provided hot tub a little too much when they loaded about ten guys into it at one time; I think it must have nearly broken down due to so much testosterone oozing though the filters!  The rider area got pretty lively in the evenings also, and it was great to have everyone in one place at the same time.  With some great music and a lot of free alcohol, the dance floor was definitely being put to good use; Nick Carter showing us that he truly is the godfather of modern dance!  Big thanks to all the organisers and sponsors for treating us so well and giving us more then we could have asked for.

 

 

Wakeboarding

It was exciting to ride at a new location, and it seemed that everyone was in eager anticipation of what it would be like at Blenheim Palace.  It was a pleasure therefore when we arrived to see a stunning flat lake, not a ripple in sight!  With the amateur’s done and the pros ready to ride, it was a hard call to say who would take the title, with riders such as Dan Nott, Ben Hitch, James Young, Lee Debuse and the Carne brothers all riding strong this year.  Riding like a true professional, Dan Nott blew the crowd away, cramming loads of high-end tricks into his run whilst remaining controlled and stylish.  It was his clean tricks such as a KGB, Whirlybird and Batwing to blind that gave him the victory, just ahead of Swiss rider Cyril Cornaro and Wakestock regular, Sam Carne.  In the Pro Women’s division, the competition was tough between top riders, Kath Moore, Robbie Rendo and Jess Hilbery.   It was Robbie who took it on the day however, riding a stand up pass and stomping all her tricks including a stylish Indy Toeside Backroll.

 

In true Wakestock style, Abersoch’s water was choppy as hell, however the huge crowd made it all the more worthwhile and many riders were able to pull out the goods despite the bad conditions.  A prime example were the American riders, who proved that being able to ride all year round does pay off, dominating the podium with their riding.  Adam Errington wowed the crowd with his unreal tech and spinning ability; sticking a Toeside off-axis 720, Tantrum to blind and many other high-end tricks to take the gold.  Canadian Aaron Rathy followed close behind, styling it out with a huge Indy Roll to Blind to take the silver medal.  Whilst American Danny Thollander and Kiwi Brad Smeele took third and forth place, British riders Ben Hitch and Jonty Green both rode exceptionally well, putting up a strong fight on their home turf.   With six strong riders in the Pro Women’s division, it was a hard call on who would take the victory.  The wind was up and the water was choppy, but I managed to stick a huge Backroll as well as an impressive slide on the A-Frame.  I knew it would be close between myself and defending Wakestock champion Kath Moore, who threw down a strong run including a huge Tantrum and clean Backroll, however with sliding playing a big part on the way the contest was judged, it was me who took the victory; my first major title.

 

Rails

Any Wakestock regulars will know how gnarly the rails in Abersoch are each year.  2008 was no different, with a huge step up-step down rail dominating the course and making for some breathtaking slides from the guys.  In addition to this was a more low-key A Frame, something which provided a chance for the girls and amateurs to show off their sliding skills without being at risk of losing a limb!  Whilst this rail was a lot more basic that what we usually see at Wakestock, it allowed for some more technical slides, including Aaron Rathy’s back lip gap to back lip down.  It was clear that the course at Blenheim Palace is a lot more restrictive when it comes to putting in big rails, but it was great to see that the organisers had gone to the effort of sourcing a nice flat bar and kicker for the contest.  The simpler rail lead to a number of nice back-lips and front-boards, whilst the kicker provided a means for the boys to go big for the crowds; young Freddie Carter showing that age doesn’t mater, stomping a huge whirlybird.

 

Weather

There is no denying that after the previous year’s mud, people had definitely lost some faith in how the UK weather would turn out.  It was a pleasant surprise therefore, when the sun shone for near on the whole weekend at Blenheim, give or take a few showers of an evening.  Abersoch was a different story however, and let’s just say the latest Wakestock essential, wellies, were put to lots of use.  In what I was told to be typical North Wales weather, the rain was on and off all weekend, and the mud-bath potential was high!  Props must go to the hardcore riders who took on the big air kicker contest in the rain, whilst others opted to stay under the shelter of the Relentless rider’s area drinking free beer!

 

The Results

2008 saw some really great results throughout both weekends, and it was great to see myself and Dan Nott bringing it home for the Brits!  With the Americans throwing it down and Robbie Rendo taking her second Wakestock title, it was a successful weekend and great fun was had by all.

 

Blenheim

Pro Men
1.Dan Nott
2.Cyril Cornaro
3.Sam Carne

Pro Women
1.Robbie Rendo
2.Kath Moore
3.Jess Hilbery

 

Vans Rococo Rail Tour – Matt Crowhurst

 

Abersoch

Pro Men

1.Adam Errington
2.Aaron Rathy
3.Danny Thollander

 

Pro Women

1.Jules Haley
2.Kath Moore
3.Jess Hilbery

 

Vans Rococo Rail Tour – Aaron Rathy