Pure Magic’s Battle for the Lake – 10th Anniversary – 27-29th of September 2019
Tue 3rd Sep, 2019 @ 12:00 pm
Ireland’s most anticipated watersports & music festival, Battle For the Lake, takes place in September! The most hotly anticipated action sports festival on the Emerald Isle, Pure Magic’s Battle for the Lake, is back for their 10th edition.
The event, which will encompass kitesurfing, windsurfing, SUPing, surfing, live music acts, and plenty of other festivities, will take place on the windswept shores of Achill Island, County Mayo, from the 27-29th of September 2019.
The competition has rapidly been gaining popularity as spectator numbers soar into the thousands and social media explodes with talk of the groundbreaking format – not to mention the support it’s garnered from some of the kitesurfing industry’s biggest and best athletes. This year the likes of Kevin Langeree, Nick Jacobsen, Angely Bouillot, Lasse Walker, Steven Akkersdijk, Sean Murphy, and Antonin Rangin will all be in attendance – to name just a few!
Combining surf culture, music, and plenty of craic, the festival will play host to Mayo Mayhem, an IWA Wavesailing Competition; the Irish SUP Wave Classic; the Achill Surf Open; and The WOW Show, an invitation-only extreme kiteboarding event.
The Wow Show, arguably the highlight of the Battle for the Lake weekend, will see 10 of the kite world’s most renowned pro riders taking to Achill’s frigid waters to battle it out in 10 unique heats. The concept was born last year and commemorated on social media with that selfie of pro rider Kevin Langeree jumping over an exhilarated crowd. This year, attendees will have categories like big air, mega stylish mega loops, and the rather curious ‘sheep attack’ all to look forward to.
Thanks to Achill’s amphitheatre-like beach, riders can bring the action right up close to spectators on the shore, where they pull the wildest tricks possible to wow the crowd. The event breaks away from the standard kite competition formats – that of traditional course racing, freestyle, or downwind slalom – in favour of off-the-wall heats that encourage riders to express their creativity, style, skill, and personality.
Off the water, the event will see some of Ireland’s most celebrated music acts take to the stage for a full weekend of music, from electric tunes to trad. This year’s lineup includes Mundy, Daithí, Attention Bebe, Junior Brother, Lypton Village, Tommy McGovern, Graham Sweeny, Swiftie, Faraway Martin, and many more still to be announced. There will also be stand-up comedy acts, bouncy castles, DJs, funfair rides, kids’ kite workshops, a kiddies’ disco, and Saturday night’s highly anticipated ‘Burning of the Lake’ show featuring fire dancers, fireworks, and more.
The location of the event, Achill Island, sits along the heralded Wild Atlantic Way and has earned itself a spot on this year’s list of 50 best beaches in the world. But unlike many of the other entries on the list, Achill is home to the fierce wind and water conditions brought on by frequent Atlantic squalls – which may not be to everyone’s taste, but to a kitesurfer, it’s an absolute dream come true.
Battle for the Lake is hosted by Pure Magic Kitesurfing, whose team is comprised of brothers Francois and Chris Colussi alongside Catherine Etienne. Tickets for the Battle for the Lake event are on sale now at EventBrite.com. Details, accommodation and prices are as follows:
Price
- Weekend Pass: €45
- Night Pass (Friday or Saturday): €30
- At the door: Weekend pass: €50. Night pass: €35
*Free for kids under 12 years old
Times
- Friday: 6pm-12:30am
- Saturday: 10am-12: 30 am (free from 10 am to 5 pm)- After Party at Wavecrest until 2:30 am (free shuttle from the lake to the wave crest)Sunday: 10am-5pm (Free entry)
Accommodation
Camping Available for €6/person/night with our partner Sandybanks Keel Caravan Park (caravan or campervan with two people and electric connection 22 euro). Check-in on arrival, no pre-booking needed. You can also book a BnB or little cottage on the island.
See the 2018 Battle for the Lake event video for more!
