Welcome to the event report page for 2007 White Air Extreme Sports Festival

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Overall Report for White Air 2007

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White Air 2007 was a massive success with pros competing across 15 different extreme sports. Thousands of spectators flocked to the event, and were kept entertained with a whole host of competitions running throughout the week. Thanks to the warm and sunny weather, everyone was in top spirits and the atmosphere was vibrant throughout the event. White Air would not have been possible without sponsors including the RAF, who were delighted to be part of such a reputable, successful event promoting a range of sports. Other sponsors included Corona, Merrell, Wightlink, and the IWEP and the Isle of Wight Council, who all deserve a massive thank you for their support.

On the water, windsurfers took part in the World Windsurf Grand Prix Formula Racing Championships and the UKWA Freestyle Championships. Windier conditions towards the end of the week meant the windsurfers could battle it out on the water at Yaverland. Gonzalo Costa Hoevel took the champion title in the World Windsurf Grand Prix Formula Racing Championships. Following in second place was Jesper Vosterstrom, and Steve Allen in third. In the youth category, Richard Jones took first place. The UKWA Freestyle Championships was won by Andy Chambers, followed by Simon Hurry and Colin Dixon. Richard Jones took the title in the youth category, and Ben Harwood in the juniors.

The kitesurfers made the most of the windy conditions on Sunday in the White Air BKSA Big Trick Championship. The riders were judged on the height of their tricks, and technical ability. Taking first place was Neil Hilder, followed by Murray and Chris Burke. The event was a real stunner to watch.

The mighty Thundercats held demos and have-a-go sessions throughout the week, which were massively popular. The UK Thundercats Championships were held at the weekend, with driver Sean Fisher and navigator Brad Bosman winning the title. In second place was driver Mike Hatting and navigator Candice Pretorius, followed by driver Scott Wilson and navigator Kevin Elford in third. Spectators were treated to some expert racing from the beach at Yaverland.

The YSBC Open Handicap Sailing Race was held on Monday, with 11 boats competing in the race. Completing three laps, in first place were Ian Lawrie and Doug Wright, followed by Darren and Terrisa Jones in second and Paul Grattage and Chris Budgen in third.

Also on the water were the jetski ‘Pierats’ in the final leg of their Freestyle Tour. Randi Martin, Mad Butcher and Radical Tan were showing onlookers how it’s done, performing a range of tricks including barrel rolls, bulldogs and flares. Kayaking events were also held this weekend, at Compton Bay. Although conditions were not very choppy, the freestyle pros still managed to get out on the water.

Meanwhile, in the main festival site, the huge ramp was put to good use by mountain bikers, skaters, mountain boarders, parkour, and in-line skaters. The weekend saw pros from all disciplines take part in a ‘composition competition’ where professional photographers snapped the best composition shot of pros putting on an excellent display together.

The weekend was also host to the MBS European Cup Freestyle Championships. The comp saw Swiss rider Marco Dalher (MBS Dakine) take first place, followed by Arno VDV from Belgium in second (MBS Alpstein Event), and Hill 62 rider Ollie Morrison in third. The mountainboarders were joined on the park by professional mountain bikers Blake and Raymond Samson and Ricky Crompton pulling a number of tricks including no foot cans and superman cans.

Also on the main festival site were parkour pros who ran displays throughout the week, with experts from as far as Bulgaria on the White Air Team. Spectators saw some huge precision jumps between the table top to the lip of the kicker in the skate park. The team were jumping over 6 foot high ramps, stretching across 10 feet! Have-a-go sessions were also immensely popular with festival-goers.

Professional Freestyle Frisbee Champions were also enjoying the festival and putting on displays throughout the week. There was plenty have-a-go action on the beach, in the main festival site, and on the hill overlooking the extreme playground. The champions displayed their flair for wind disc, freestyle frisbee and disc golf.

The Wight Offroad Challenge also took place this year, with over twenty mountain bikers heading out from Yaverland on Sunday on either a 30K or 60K race. In the 60K race, in joint first place were Andrew Barrett and Barry Daniels. In the 30K race, in joint first place again, were Bevin Karlow and Colin White.

Making sure the festival was vibrant and colourful, top graffiti artists spent the week painting a variety of muriels around the festival, including the back of the huge skate ramp. Writers from Team 101, Somnio and Monorex impressed spectators with their artistic ability.

As well as action in the day, the evenings kicked off in true White Air style, with The Bees headlining on Wednesday night. Aaron Fletcher from The Bees said: “ The gig was unbelievable, we never thought we’d be playing at an event at Yaverland. We’re always happy to support events on the island, and White Air was definitely worth it.” The band played at the festival site, and really knew how to pull in the crowds. They are heading to the Bestival next weekend, and then End of the Road festival. Brett Lawrence kicked the parties off on Friday and Saturday night, together with loads of bands and DJ’s playing throughout the week.

White Air 2007 was even bigger and better than last year, and its reputation has grown as a result. In its 12th year, it can only get better, here’s to White Air 2008!!

Sunday 2nd September

All eyes were on the water for the final fantastic day of White Air 2007. A whole host of extreme sports took place, with pros going head to head in a variety of events.

The windsurfers headed out from Yaverland beach this morning for the World Cup Windsurfing long distance event. The keen windsurfers ran into the water and jumped on their boards to get a head start in the two mile race. Dan Simpson took first place in the pro men’s category, Xavier Ferlet came first in the masters category, and Liam Round won the junior category.

The UK Freestyle Windsurfing Championships also took place this afternoon, with experienced windsurfers judging the event. The competitors are judged on their fluidity and performance, including whether they finish the trick. The 15 windsurfers were displaying a number of tricks including spocks, flackers, and willy skippers. In the pro mens category, Andy Chambers took first place, followed by Simon Hurry and Colin Dixon. In the youth category, Richard Jones came first, followed by Sam Neil and Ryan Humphrey. The junior category saw Ben Harwood take first place, Glen Sullivan in second, and Rupert Kilburn in third.

Also on the water today was a paddle boarding challenge. Seven teams of three or four raced from the beach at Yaverland to a buoy just off the shore. Pros from a whole range of sports including mountain boarding and skating took part, as did the RAF Recruiting Team, who won the competition! There were even some fully clothed competitors, who managed to stay on the board without falling off which was impressive considering the choppy waters.

The ‘Pierat’ jet skiers were also on the water, performing the final two displays of their Freestyle tour. The sea conditions let the pros show off their best moves including barrel rolls, bull dogs and flares. Their moves really illustrated the raw talent these guys have for jetski freestyle moves.

After a session on the water this morning, the kite surfers started their UK Freestyle and Big Air competition. The windy conditions made for some excellent kite surfing, with the four competitors pulling some massive air. The event was judged by the kite surfers’ girlfriends who judged the technical performance, and height of the tricks. Neil Hilder came in first place, followed by Murray and Chris Burke.

The mighty Thundercats displayed yet more action on the water today, with 5 races and one final. The slight breeze caught the boats as they headed out from the shore at Yaverland. By the last race, the conditions were really rough, making it a challenge for the final race on the final day of the festival! In first place was driver Mike Hatting and navigator Candice Pretorius, followed by driver Sean Fisher and navigator Brad Bosman in second place. In third was driver Darryn Harrison and navigator Sam Lane. Sam said: “The racing was excellent, and I’ve really enjoyed the festival this year. I hope I get an invite for 2008!”

The Thundercats have been racing throughout the weekend, and the final results saw driver Sean fisher and navigator Brad Bosman in first place. Storming through in second place was driver Mike Hatting and navigator Candice Pretorius. Following in third was driver Scott Wilson and navigator Kevin Elford. The racing has been excellent this weekend, with spectators really making the most of the action from the beach at White Air.

Meanwhile, on dry land, the Wight Offroad Challenge started this morning, with over twenty riders taking part in the 30K and 60K events. The mountain bikers headed from the festival at Yaverland to St Martins Down, Stenbury Down, St Catherines Down, Rams down, St George’s and Brading before racing back to Yaverland. In the 60K race, in joint first place were Andrew Barrett and Barry Daniels. In the 30K race, in joint first place again, were Bevin Karlow and Colin White.

There was yet more fun to be had in the main festival arena, with graffiti pros painting the back of the big ramps, the graffiti cube, and the main graffiti canvas by the music stage. Writers including the Greek 101 team impressed onlookers with their artistic talent. Mountain board and bike pros also ran demos throughout the day on the massive ramps, pulling yet more tricks out of the bag!

The final day was a huge success, and thanks to sponsors including the RAF, Merrell, Corona, and Wight Link, everybody had a truly fantastic time. The festival has expanded in size and reputation yet again this year, and lets hope next year just gets better! Here’s to White Air 2007.

Saturday 1st September

Today has been an absolute blinder with loads happening on the water, on the land, and in the sky! Spectators were treated to an expert 23minute display from the Red Arrows, together with pro comps across a range of extreme sports.

Tim Wills, pro trials rider, drew the crowds in on his mountain bike, performing tricks and stunts on his scaffold and stage constructed park. Tim was jumping onto 7 foot high platforms, and bouncing down to lower platforms in huge precision jumps. Tim’s technical ability to put on these displays is outstanding, managing to land in exactly any spot he wants, whether it is in between somebody’s legs, or directly on top of a coffee cup.

On the main park, the Mountain Board European Championships wowed keen onlookers. Professional international riders from Switzerland, Belgium and the UK were chosen from yesterday’s qualifiers to take part in the comp. There were also two wild cards chosen to compete; Jamie 2 and island rider Will. Ten riders really made the most of impressing the crowds, with MBS rider Arno VDV pulling backside 180’s and rodeo’s over the hubba hubba, Trampa rider Tom Reece pulling backside 360’s, and the highlight of the whole comp, Swiss rider Marco Dalher managing a massive double backflip. The headwind tested the riders, but also meant there has been plenty of action on the water today!

The ‘Pierats’ were back on the beach at Yaverland with their jetskis bopping through the water. Randi Martin, Mad Butcher and Radical Tan were performing a whole host of stunts including barrel rolls, bulldogs, flares, tail stands and nose stabs. These guys really know how to jibe in the waves. The slightly choppier water today has meant better free riding rather than the routines they were performing yesterday.

The Thundercats have also been battling it out in four races held today. These powerboats are absolute stunners to watch, the power and adrenaline of these boats is fantastic.

The World Windsurfing Grand Prix Formula also took place today. The small but strong fleet managed to race twice, knocking the total number of races up to seven. The ‘sidewinder’ course was tactical as it was also much windier today than previous racing days. Gonzalo Costa Hoevel won both races, putting him in first place overall. In second place was Steve Allen and in third, Jesper Vesterstrom. Steve and Jesper both have 9 points, but Steve took second place as he discarded a 3rd position whereas Jesper discarded a 4th position. The results are proving to be very close; Alberto Menegatti took fourth place, and Hubert Mokrzycki took fifth, but both sailors have 21 points. There will be more racing tomorrow, along with the UK Freestyle Windsurfing Championships.

Friday 31st August

After four successful days of White Air 2007, today saw more battles both on the land and water.

Mountain bike pro’s have been running displays on the park today, with the Samson brothers, Ricky Crompton and Steve Knowlend pulling massive tracks including no foot cans, backflips and supermans. Raymond, Blake and Ricky ran for the best trick, with the crowd judging. Ricky was dropping in smooth backflips, Raymond was pulling superman seat grabs, and Blake was going for a 360 one footer. After a lot of crowd appreciation, Ricky’s massive backflip wowed the crowd and won him a prize. These guys ran two demo sessions throughout the day, and have also been warming up in the open park sessions.

Team White Air were warming up their parkour moves on the ramps again, with precision jumps and arm jumps impressing the crowds. Loads more have-a-go sessions have been running, with people young and old taking part. Also on the extreme playground, the pro mountain boarders have been playing more games. The riders warmed up, setting up the park for the qualifying round of the European Championships. Ten riders will be chosen to compete in the Championships, judged especially on their style and landing. Local riders Will and Sunny have been riding alongside Arno VDV, Rudy, Ollie Morrison, Twy, Marco and more. The guys were pulling lots of tricks out the bag, including backside 360’s, double grabs, and backflips.

Joining the festival today were the Eastbourne Skate team, putting on an impressive in-line skate show. Nick showed the crowd his freestyle slalom moves, showing off the scissor move and grape vine, dodging through cones on the table top in the main park. Then the aggressive in-line skate show started. Ashley Cottingham, Gary Crowhurst and Dan Hemsley from Eastbourne Skaters impressed the crowds with their flat spins, misty flips, bio flips and front flips. Their camera guy Dan Catt from Coast Bladers was filming their every move, along with more freelance photographers including Steve Hawkins.

Skate and BMX open park sessions also ran today, filling the gaps between the pro displays. Tim Wills was also performing his trials displays down by the front gate. Next door to him, the Eastbourne Skate team set up base, giving expert tuition to have-a-goers.

Out on the water, the Thundercats have been running displays and have-a-go sessions at Yaverland all day. Today was fully booked again, as the sport has proved one of the most popular have-a-go water sports.

The infamous ‘Pierat’ jetskiers put on two stunning displays at Yaverland today. Gary, Paul and Tan were bouncing, diving and gliding through the water on their jetski’s, showcasing barrel rolls and other tricks. Commentator Anton got the crowd excited as they watched the jetskiers jib on the water. White Air 2007 is the end of the road for the Pierats Freestyle Tour, but there will be more action from the champions this weekend.

Also battling it out on the water at Yaverland were the windsurfers. The pro & amateur fleet set sail at around six o’clock. The two races were very tight again, with Steve Allen swiping first place, followed by Jesper Vesterstrom and Gonzalo Costa Hoevel. Gonzalo said: “The conditions were windier than the racing earlier in the week, and the offshore wind meant the racing was tactical. It was a tight fight right up until the last stretch”. There were two races, the first saw Jesper in the lead, followed by Gonzalo and Steve, but the second race was really tight, with Jesper and Steve in first tide, and Steve racing to the finish in the last down wind.

The Graffiti team were painting the fence panel display in the top field. Epok, Poer, Fors, Toxic, Doze, Pars, Senza, Ren, Ronik, Zer, Meek, Gek, Pik, Zadok and D-Bug were all painting huge muriels today, with the plain boards being turned into an array of fantastic coloured designs. There will be more battles from the Monorex and Somnio team this weekend.

The first White Air party is being held tonight, with Brett Lawrence amongst the dj’s providing tonight’s entertainment at Sandown Holiday park. The weekend is set to be even busier, with the thundercats, kayakers, and kitesurfers hoping to battle it out on the water.

Tuesday 28th August

Day two of White Air 2007 got off to a flying start with the warm and sunny August weather keeping the atmosphere lively. The day was a huge success, with focus pushed towards the land-based sports as the calm weather slowed down the action on the water.

The main park was put to some good use, with open park sessions and displays running throughout the day. Keen mountain bike riders including Raymond Samson, and Ricky Crompton were riding again today on the park. They were joined by local riders including Gareth Brailsford; an island rider who is new to White Air. Gareth was displaying his favourite and best tricks; 360’s and flips. Spirits were high, with everyone enjoying a jib on the park and making the most of the sunshine.

Mountain board pro’s also joined in the antics, showing off their freestyle skills to keen onlookers. There was much fun to be had on the huge ramps today, with mountain boarders donning Corona hot pants as they dropped the roll in. The crowd loved it as the riders got more and more egged on to pull the most comical stunt.

The Trampa team were coaching have-a-goers up on the hill, but joined the riders in the main park for some action later in the day. Tom Reece and Steve Cowny (Under 18’s Freestyle Champion) were amongst the riders pulling semi naked flips and crazy jumps in hot pants. The crowd were really supportive, and loved the tricks being pulled out the bag.

Also on the park, skaters were jibbing on the midi-ramp and dropping the huge roll in. Although none have landed the massive ramp yet, with more open park sessions throughout the week, one of the pros is sure to. Riders both from the mainland and the island were showing off their tricks on the park, with some huge flips and ollie’s. ‘Cliff’ also entertained the crowds with some crazy MCing whilst pro riders were pulling out some sick tricks.

Pro windsurfers headed down to the shore at Yaverland this afternoon. With a 2pm race start, the pro’s headed out on the water but were forced back to land due to poor wind conditions. After a still afternoon, the wind started to pick up again by about 4.30, so the team headed out for a second attempt, only to be forced back once again. Spirits remained optimistic, with more favourable wind conditions set for tomorrow. The windsurfers will be heading out early in the morning in the hope of some better wind conditions.

Back in the extreme playground, Team Traceur were joined by personal trainer and parkour coach ‘Ninja’ who was plucked at random from the crowd yesterday. Ninja joined the team in a massive display which really knocked everyone for six. The team were performing huge precision jumps, between the table top and the lip of the ramp. As these guys were jumping over 6ft high ramps, stretching across 10 ft, the crowd were watching in awe as these guys pushed each other even further.

Pupils from Medina High School were performing acrobatic stunts this afternoon. Using the grass by the main stage as their forum, the extreme gymnasts really wowed the crowd, giving their sport the extreme credit it deserves. With live bands in the background, spectators were really enjoying the new extreme sport to White Air 2007.

The graffiti team hit the bare walls once again in a paintwork extravaganza. Doze, Whoner, Toxic, and Phor were writing on the huge white boards next to the main music stage. Meanwhile, the Somnio team; Kai1 and Pars, were covering a big board in their creative artwork near the front gate of the festival. More graffiti artists are expected before the weekend, with a 20-minute session at the end of the day when the writers battle it out head to head in a bid to out-do each other.

There was plenty more have-a-go action today, both on the land and in the water. The Thundercats were taking eager spectators out for a cut of the action, whilst the Camtrike team were showing the crowd how to make the most of their trikes. Expect even more action from the pro’s tomorrow!

Monday 27th August

Day one of the festival kicked off in true White Air style, with competitors and spectators ready to take a slice of the action. Thanks to sponsors including Corona, Merrell, Wightlink, Isle of Wight Council, and the RAF, the extreme playground burst into action with the sunny weather keeping everyone in high spirits.

The first day saw action both on the land and water. Top mountain bike pro’s as well as new and local riders took to the ramps to prove their flair for the sport and encourage more riders to the island. For these guys, White Air is part of a huge attempt to get mountain bikers to the island and get more people involved in the sport. After a warm up session on the park, the guys showed off their skills in the first Mountain Bike Freestyle display.

Returning after last year’s festival, DLR Bikes rider Blake Samson wowed the crowds displaying some of his finest tricks including the infamous 360 and no foot can and superman no foot can. His brother Raymond, sponsored by White Mountain Bike Shop, was adding to the tricks with huge Indian air sea grabs and no foot cans.

Also on the ramps, Ricky Crompton, sponsored by Black Market Bikes, Masters of Dirt Clothing and Atom Lab, showed off his best tricks including 360’s, tailwhips and non-handed backflips. New to the scene and taken under the wing of these pro riders, local rider Steve Knowlend was pulling old schools and no foot cans out the bag. These guys are dirt jumpers at heart, but don’t miss a chance to ride parks too, with White Air providing the perfect opportunity.

Mountain boarders also took to the ramps today, with an array of riders warming up in the park. Pro riders displayed their flair for the sport in this afternoon’s Mountain Board Freestyle. Riders including the likes of Tom Reece (Trampa), Mike Paine (Trampa), Lester Shrimpton and Chris McCarthy were all pulling tricks out the bag; Lester especially impressing the crowd with some massive jumps. Have-a-go sessions have been running all day, with eager spectators wanting to get involved. Thanks to the Trampa team, 2 hour sessions ran throughout the day, with up to 20 people giving it a go on the hill overlooking the main park.

Also hitting the park throughout the day were skaters from across the island. Toby Booth, Sam Gryzb, Jamie Sawyer, ‘Baron’ and ‘Munk’ were just some of the skaters on the park. These guys have been pulling tricks out of the bag all day, riding both on the mini-ramp and the main park. The day saw a whole host of different technical tricks including huge ollie’s and big front side grabs. Open park sessions have also been running throughout the day, with skaters and BMX riders hitting the park.

Out on the water, 11 boats took part in the YSBC Open Handicap Sailing Race. Heading out this morning, the catamarans started from a buoy just off the shore at Yaverland, heading north towards Red Cliff, before racing back round to the pier. The boats completed 3 laps, with Ian Lawrie and Doug Wright from Gurnard Sailing Club taking first place in an F18, followed by Darren and Terrisa Jones from YSBC in second place, also in an F18. Paul Grattage and Chris Budgen from Stokes Bay Sailing Club came in third place in a Dart 18.

Back on dry land, the graffiti park kicked into action this morning, with writers from the Midlands starting their graffiti jam. Spectators also joined in the fun, trying their hand at writing on the huge white walls. The graffiti jam will be expanding to the top field overlooking the festival, with 19 bare fence panels ready and waiting for top graffiti artists to show off their talent. Have-a-go sessions will be running until Friday, with the weekend seeing the talent of writers from around the world, including the 101 crew from Greece.

Team Traceur set the Parkour in motion today, with have-a-go sessions as well as a display on the main ramps in the park. Parkour is all about moving through your environment with precision. The team plucked eager volunteer ‘Ninja’ from the crowd, who had a go at Parkour on the ramps, performing precision jumps between the ramps.

There was plenty more have-a-go action at the festival today, including speedminton. Combining the best of badminton, tennis and squash, the speedminton enthusiasts have been showing off this easy to learn sport on the beach. Have-a-go sessions ran throughout the day, with spectators trying out this new sport.

Yet another new sport to join the festival is aquaskipping, with riders bouncing on the water to pick up speed. Have-a-go sessions have been running today, and will be available all week. They are running in half hourly sessions until Sunday from the slipway at Yaverland.

Running from tomorrow until Thursday, the landyachters will be showing spectators the ropes on the beach, wind dependant. These guys will also be running demo’s on the dirt surfer this week. Wind disc pro’s have also been showing the have-a-goers how it’s done, both on the beach and the grass overlooking the park.

New to festival and the UK is Camtriking. This sport originated in the States, and only hit the UK 6 months ago. Spectators have been trying out the trikes on the flat park today, which is similar to skiing on dry land. With a range of different sized trikes, this low impact all over body workout is popular with people of all ages. Camtrike are drawing a raffle each day, with a £100 trike up for grabs.

The first day got off to a great start, with the sunny weather keeping everyone in top summer spirits. Live bands performed throughout the day keeping the crowds entertained, together with a whole host of have-a-go sports and pro’s showcasing their talent. Be prepared for more action right through till Sunday!!