Another amazing year for Boardmasters Festival which has come to close with some epic memories that this year celebrated thirty years of surfing at Newquay, Cornwall.
An action packed week of pro surfing competition at the awe-inspiring Fistral Beach and two full on days of music and good times at the stunning clifftop site of Watergate Bay which played host to some of the best dance, indie, grime, grunge, nu –wave and acoustic acts around, playing to daily packed out crowds overlooking breathtaking views of beautiful Cornish sea and vast stretches of pristine golden Watergate Bay sand.
Two days of bulging line ups included performances from the likes of Fat Boy Slim bringing the crowd to a frenzy as he unveiled some exclusive new visuals and pyrotechnic tricks in his superb two hour set, whilst Bombay Bicycle Club delighted the crowds with their eclectic signature sounds. Klaxons worked the chanting crowd into an energetic mosh pit and Eliza Doolittle brought her beachside bags of charm to entertain the masses, as did Willy Mason and Ben Howard with Lethal Bizzle, Zane Lowe, DJ Yoda, Breakage, Qemists and Gentlemen’s Dub Club keeping the party going into the early hours.
The Vans Off The Wall Stage played host to the finest grunge and bad boy indie rock with the likes of Skindred, Twin Atlantic, The King Blues and Lower Than Atlantis and the Tuaca Point arena kicked off nightly with electrifying sets from Jaguar Skills, Krafty Kuts, Crazy P and Stanton Warriors and many more.
Boardmasters famously intimate Beach Sessions gigs were ignited this year by glowing seaside performances from headliners Newton Faulkner – with support from Charlie Simpson who showcased his new solo album – alongside We Are The Ocean and party starters The Dub Pistols.
Fistral Beach played host to Radio 1 and 1Xtra who both broadcast live from the beach, and Channel 4 got amongst the action with interviews and gossip from all of the festival’s top artists and daily surf side action. Look out for the show due to be aired on 5th and 6th September.
The final and main day of sport kicked off with great waves while the sun was shining for the Men’s 6 star World Tour surf final. The top international surfers, who were whittled down from 144 to the top 8 over the week, had a huge crowd on the beach to witness the quarter and semi finals. Frenchman Romain Cloitre ended up taking the glory, and the $20,000 prize money, in the epic surf final.
The Vans Summer Session skate competition was fierce in the late afternoon, with top athletes from around the world competing on the huge 12 foot Vert Ramp. The final heats had competitors ranging in age from their teens to their 40’s, with some big tricks being cheered on from the sidelines. English-born Paul-Luc Ronchetti took the top honours in the Vert and took home a handy £3,500 prize money.
The BMX midi ramp had a huge crowd to watch the finals take place up on the hill in the new Headland Village area. Top UK athletes battled it out in the final heats, stepping up the level of riding and pulling out never-seen-before tricks for the cheering crowd. Jersey athlete Alex Colebourn had a phenomenal session and took the winning place, along with £1,000 prize money.
Andrew Topham, event director said: “we are absolutely delighted with the festival this year. The 15,000 music festival tickets sold out and we were treated to amazing headline shows from the Klaxons and Fatboy Slim. Down at Fistral Beach we crowned two European surf champions with two locals Ben Skinner and Adam Griffiths qualifying for the world championship tour. The beach was always packed and the final today was really well attended in sunny weather and good surf conditions. A great end to the events for the 30th anniversary. Roll on 2012. See you next year!”
Published on 16 August 2011 by Wayne Feltham
