Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival Brings Top Athletes And Family Fun To Hayling Island
Thu 16th Jun, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
Mark your calendar, the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival will go off on Hayling Island over the weekend of June 17 through 19, 2016. The festival will offer something for everyone, including a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title attempt, live music, DJ’s, family beach events, kiteboarding clinics, and much more! Learn all about the upcoming festival, below.
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival is a unique kitesurfing festival being held on Hayling Island over the weekend of the 17-19 June, raising funds for local youth and rescue charities.
The festival is the biggest kitesurfing event in the UK and looks set to be a great weekend of kitesurfing, a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title attempt, music and family friendly on-shore activities. It is also proving to be a positive event for the local community with the chance for hundreds of local school children to experience the sport.
Dan Charlish from the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada said: “The festival is now in its fourth year and it’s fantastic to see the event going from strength to strength – kitesurfers and festival-goers love coming to Hayling! It’s a beautiful island, has great kitesurfing conditions and most importantly a great community.”
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada on Hayling Island will delight attendees with heaps of action, both on the beach and on the water.
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival opens at 11am on Friday 17 June and that afternoon will see around 250 Year 6 and 7 children from local schools receiving a talk about kitesurfing, wind energy and general health and fitness from pro-kitesurfer Lewis Crathern. The children will then take a look at all the kitesurfing equipment on show and have the chance to get out on the beach for a practical introduction to the sport. On Sunday the children and their families are invited back to the Festival for more kitesurfing taster sessions, totally free of charge.
Assistant Head Teacher of Mengham Junior School, Odele Davies said: “Our Year 6 pupils are really excited to be visiting such a huge event for Hayling Island. We see so much kitesurfing on Hayling, so it’s great to actually learn about this sport thanks to Dan and the team at the Festival. The children are enthused to be a part of the weekend and to be asked to be involved.”
Friday will also see members of the local business community, local councillors and the local mayor in attendance in a bid to highlight the positive effects of the festival on the local area.
Virgin founder and kitesurfing enthusiast Sir Richard Branson said: “I am absolutely delighted to see the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada continuing to go from strength-to-strength. This year it’s all set to be a fantastic weekend on Hayling Island, encapsulating that summer festival spirit with live music, camping, exhibitions and great food, while raising funds for some fantastic causes, including Virgin Unite and the Armada Trust.”
Over the course of the weekend the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival will feature all the best kitesurfing brands exhibiting the latest gear and talks from pro-kiters, including five-time World Champion Team Volvo rider Steph Bridge, plus industry experts. There will also be plenty of great entertainment on the shore with live music, DJs, a bar area, quality food stalls, a chill-out zone, a jumbo screen showing kitesurfing films and the Volvo Family Zone offering a range of family friendly activities. Entry to the shore-based attractions is free.
There will be plenty of kitesurfing activities going on over the course of the three days. Along with recreational kiting in the bay, big air competitions are planned, along with foiling clinics, a ‘Kite Something Unusual’ challenge and people of all ages kitesurfing, with those taking part ranging in age from 8-72 last year. There will also be a number of free, beginner taster sessions, so, if you’d love to give kitesurfing a go, this is your chance!
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada Festival are also thrilled to be offering kitesurfers the chance to take part in a Guinness World Records™ attempt for the largest parade of kitesurfers over a one-mile course. The South African Virgin Kitesurfing Armada, with a total of 415 kiters, currently holds the record which was set in Cape Town earlier this year. If you would like to take part in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™attempt you can register here: kitesurfingarmada.com. Alternatively, you can watch on shore whilst enjoying the rest of the festival.
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada is supported by some fantastic brands including Virgin, Volvo, North Kitesurfing and WOO Sports – without which the success of the event couldn’t be achieved. All Armada events raise funds for local youth and rescue charities through the Armada Trust, with over £160,000 raised for good causes to date. Please come down and support the Festival and enjoy everything that the Kitesurfing Armada has to offer.
Head to the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada website to learn more!
