Wakestock 2008

WAKESTOCK 2008
Abersoch, Cardigan Bay, North Wales
Fri 4 - Sun 6 June 2008

This summer sees the return of Wales’ hottest festival: Relentless Wakestock 2008. Coming into its eighth year, Wakestock is back and bigger than ever, ready to rock the socks off the normally tranquil Llyn Peninsular in North Wales. A whole host of bands and DJs will be playing out to the crowds at night, and you can forget the hangover because during the day there'll be more Wakeboarding to feast your eyes on than you can shake a wetsuit at.

Based around three locations; Abersoch beach, Pwllheli marina and the main festival site at Penrhos (with convenient shuttle buses between them), this festival really does have it all: beach, town and festival field. The line-up this year definitely looks set to impress, with Mark Ronson, Groove Armada, The Streets, Duffy, The Happy Mondays, Funeral For a Friend, The Hoosiers, Calvin Harris, The Futureheads, Pendulum, Elliot Minor, Hadouken, The Mystery Jets and Sam Sparro to name (well, more than) just a few. What with Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe taking to the decks, too, your ears won’t know what’s hit them.

Of course, the unique thing about Wakestock is the combination of music festival and sports event. Wakeboarding, the summer alternative to snowboarding, is the latest, greatest thing to hit watersport. Riders are towed behind a speed-boat at around 25mph and use the boat’s ‘wake’ to perform spectacular tricks and spins. The festival has embraced the increased use of rails in the sport, and boasts some of the first and finest outside of the USA for this Vans Rococo Tour. Pwllheli marina plays host to both the pro and amateur Wakeboarding competitions and the Wakestock rail course, where riders compete in front of 8,000 spectators not only to finish their run, but to perform outstanding moves.

And if the line-up and Wakeboarding aren’t quite enough, the spectacular views across Cardigan Bay and the peaks of Snowdonia in the distance are well-worth craning your neck for.

Admission: Weekend tickets £85-£110. Info: 01758 710000 / www.wakestock.co.uk

Sarah Pavey