Sport

Earthwave lines up three world records

13 September 2012

Multiple world records will be challenged by the Cape Town surfing community at the fifth edition of the BOS Earthwave Beach Festival, which takes place at Muizenberg Beach on the weekend of 29 and 30 September.

While the highlight of the beach and watersport festival that promotes sustainable lifestyle choices remains the attempt to break the existing Guinness World Record of 110 surfers riding the same wave set at Earthwave 2009, the organisers of the festival have introduced two more records that could be set if the waves are not ideal.

The first will be to try to establish a new Guinness World Record for the "longest line of surfboards laid on a beach", which will take place at noon on the Saturday while the preliminaries of the New Balance WP Longboard Championships and the Surf Emporium WP Inter-Schools champs are being run.

Record

"A record of 180 surfboards stretching for approximately 515 metres has been set at La Jolla in California, but this has not been ratified by Guinness World Records," says Paul Botha from Kahuna Promotions, the organisers of the festival.

"We are inviting surfers to bring their longest boards to the beach on Saturday and lie them nose-to-tail on the beach to create a spectacular display of surfing equipment. Everyone will receive a certificate of participation and the nett proceeds will be donated to worthy causes."

The second record attempt will be for the "largest logo created by surfboards". The current record was set when 230 surfers paddled out and formed a peace sign in the ocean at Malibu in California in June last year to raise awareness about threats to ocean health.

The record will be challenged if the waves are too small to break the record for the "most surfers riding the same wave" on the Sunday at Earthwave.

New events

Other new events to be staged at the 2012 festival include the Similasan Tandem Surfing Challenge where a man and a woman perform acrobatic lifts and poses while riding the same surfboard; the Coreban SUP Classic that sees stand-up paddlers and surfskis race to Kalk Bay and back and the People's Post Touch Rugby tournament.

There will also be free iron and glucose testing at the Spatone First Aid Tent and skincare advice from Michael Game Plan for participants and spectators, the chance to try out the latest Land Paddling boards. The popular BOS Dig for Gold treasure hunt will again see dozens of kids combing the sand for valuable prizes.

The Shark Spotters will have a stand in the marquee tent where one can find out more about sharks and the Sunflower Fund will be raising awareness and funds for the great work they do for those with leukemia alongside talks and presentations on environmental issues and ideas on how to reduce one's impact on the planet.

Challenges and giveaways

In addition to the events and displays, spectators of all ages will be kept entertained with numerous challenges and give-aways, ranging from beach clean-ups to quizzes with prizes from local and international brands such as Fondle; DaKine; Zigzag Magazine; Billabong; Rafikis; Von Zipper; Derevko Wetsuits; Kauai; Sector 9; MichaelGamePlan; Palmers and more.

The Earthwave party atmosphere will be even better catered for this year with a party at Rafikis Restaurant in the city after the first world record attempt on the Saturday, as well as the customary shindig at the popular Brass Bell in Kalk Bay on the Sunday evening, featuring live music and comedian Mark Sampson, SA's funniest surfer, where the official results of the world record attempts will be announced.

For the latest information of the BOS Earthwave Beach Festival visit www.facebook.com/BOS.Earthwave or contact the organisers at kahunasurf@mweb.co.za for particulars on how to become part of this sustainable lifestyle initiative.

SAinfo reporter