Updated at 14.15
SOME OF THE world’s best wakeboarders descend upon Dublin city this weekend for what promises to be a terrific spectacle.
As part of the Waterways Ireland Docklands Summer Festival 2015, the capital plays host to top class demonstrations today and tomorrow alongside a family event which includes Rubber Ducky Races, a funfair, food markets and street performers.
The public will also be asked to vote for the best performance through the DockFest15 app with the results then posted on the big screen.
What exactly is wakeboarding? Picture a snowboarder on water being pulled by a rope. Traditionally, owning a boat would have been essential to participating in the sport, but the introduction of cable wakeboarding, in this case a two-tower zip line controlled by remote control, has made it more accessible and considerably easier for first-timers to get started.
I use the word “easier” loosely, as I was invited down to Wakedock for an introductory lesson this week. After receiving a crash course by Ireland’s most talented wakeboarder David O’Caoimh, we were given a short demonstration by the 21-year-old Dubliner — who has competing professionally around the world for the past year-and-a-half.
‘Lean back, keep your legs bent and your arms straight, and you’ll be on your feet’ was the instruction. Getting up turned out to be a doddle, it was the staying there that initially proved problematic…
After struggling to find my balance at first, there was noticeable improvement and by the end of the 20-minute lesson I could glide my way past the spectators who were enjoying their lunch on the nearby Hanover Quay without falling over.
Dublin isn’t exactly blessed with an abundance of outdoor activities, so Wakedock offers a rare opportunity to partake in water sports right in the heart of the city — with the Board Gais Grand Canal Theatre, the Marker Hotel and the Three Arena all within eyeshot.
There is also an added bonus in that wakeboarding isn’t dependent on Ireland’s famously unreliable weather this time of the year as the wetsuits provided do the trick. Interest in Ireland’s first wakeboard park has grown immensely since its opening two years ago and it is easy to see why.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, Docklands Summer Festival is free of charge. Click here for more information on Wakedock
Originally published at 07.00
