Abu Dhabi: After the success of the Yasalam F1 series of activities and concerts in October 2009, the capital's Corniche was once again transformed into a sport and entertainment zone as Wakestock Abu Dhabi began on Thursday and ends today.
"We heard about the event in the media and came down to see what it was... the concerts are fun and the festival is a great way to bring people together. Abu Dhabi should keep having such events because they provide a nice alternative to have fun during the weekend," Renee Elienne, a British expatriate who teaches at the Emirates National School, said.
The event, which was organised by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City and Abu Dhabi Beaches, and produced by Flash Entertainment, gave visitors an opportunity to see top amateur athletes from all over the UAE and abroad gather for the first stage of the competition to compete in the first stop of the WWA World Wakeboard Series.
"The [wakeboard] competitions are amazing…I was impressed by the skills of the wakeboarders, especially since some of the tricks look difficult to do. It's made me become interested in trying to learn how to wakeboard but I don't know if there's a place here that offers lessons once this is over," Ahmad Tayyeb, an Egyptian expatriate who works as a sales executive, said.
For those who were not content to simply watch the action, the Beginner's Park offered them an opportunity to try out wakeboarding for themselves and see whether they can release their inner wakeboard champion.
"This is the first time I try out wakeboarding… it was a lot of fun. I fell down a few times before I got used to the cable system… the instructors were very helpful in explaining what wakeboarding is and what I should do to stay up. I would definitely try this again," Sarah Johnson, an Australian expatriate, said.
But even though the main action may have ended with the setting of the sun, visitors were still able to recapture a part of the excitement by watching wake boarders perform their signature stunts at the Pool Gap area, or watch a fascinating documentary about the sport before heading off to the free concerts that proved to be quite popular.
Music
People danced the night away with music provided not only by local bands and DJs such as The Brownies but also by regional and international superstars, including Carole Samaha and Maximo Park, who performed on Thursday and yesterday respectively, and Grammy Award winning RnB group De La Soul who are set to end the three day event with an unforgettable performance tonight.
