A brand new watersports festival and a northern BKC stop is coming to Skegness!
Images: ExPix
The UK’s top kitesurfers and BMX riders who are looking to compete in the 2020 Olympics are heading to Skegness in a major new beach and watersports festival.
The £30,000 event over the weekend of May 19-20 sees the return of the British Kitesports Association freestyle championships after 10 years.
Competitions are being run as part of the East Coast Beach and Watersports Festival, spearheaded by Russ Sparkes of the Grosvenor House Hotel, who is making a significant investment in bringing major watersports and beach events to the coast.
As well as the BKC Freestyle Championships, the weekend will include breathtaking displays by Team Extreme BMX riders who are currently looking to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. There will also be have-a-go sessions in powerkiting and paddleboarding.
On the Saturday night, Ministry of Sound DJ Gordon John will headline at the event party at the Grosvenor House Hotel and during the day there will be other live music from the stage at Skegness Pier’s new Beach Bar.
The Grosvenor House Hotel is the headline sponsor along with the Lincolnshire Coastal Bid, and owner Russ Sparks is enthusiastic about the upcoming event. “I am delighted to announce the return of the BKC Championships to Skegness, alongside breathtaking displays by the Team Extreme BMX riders”. He went on to add, “Since purchasing the Grosvenor House Hotel, I have done my best to promote the fine attractions we have in the area. But our greatest asset along the coast is the beach”.
“The return of the BKSA championships will be the first of an annual event along the coast which, having been held in Hunstanton for the past 10 years, offers an opportunity to showcase to the spectators what we have to offer.”
Andy Gratwick, chairman of the BKSA, who was a competitor in the last event organiseed by Skegness Surf and Kite Academy back in 2008, said, “The BKSA is delighted to be revisiting Skegness with the BKC national freestyle tour again”. He added, “We ran two large successful events here in the past and are looking forward to competing on the great beaches of the north east coast again.”
