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750 people "have a go" at White Air 2006

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Isle of Wight Extreme sports businesses received a huge boost this weekend, as more than 750 people tried out adventure sports at White Air and 1000’s more turned up to watch.

Local instructors are expecting around a 20% take up on courses following the free taster sessions (based on last years experience) which would mean around 150 new customers from this year’s event.

The event itself and the taster sessions also encouraged new visitors to the Bay area, giving the perfect kick start for the regeneration of the area as a modern beach resort where people can take part in active sports in beautiful surroundings.

The “Have a Go” sessions at White Air were sponsored by the Isle of Wight through the IWEP’s Inspire project to help raise the profile of the Island as a place to do business, invest and have a great lifestyle, therefore supporting local businesses and boosting the economy.

Local adventure sports instructors offered free or cut price taster sessions in a huge range of extreme and adventure sports including surfing, mountain boarding, paragliding, wind surfing, mountain biking, dinghy sailing, land yachting, kite surfing, parkour ( free running), mountain biking, skateboarding, thundercats, WindDisc and even graffiti art to visitors to the White Air Festival.

Nigel Howell, organiser of White Air, Europe’s largest extreme sports festival says, “we put these sessions on to get people involved with the sports, rather than just sit and watch. The Isle of Wight is a fantastic place to try out adventure sports, the instructors here are brilliant, the weather conditions are usually very good and it’s just such a beautiful place”.

He continued” it’s really important that we get local people involved early on so they become the next generation of champions – we already have some of the top sports people in the world – Ross Williams the current European Windsurfing Champion has grown up and learnt his skills here on the Island”

The White Air festival this year attracted around 500 competitors from across Europe and the UK, and brought in 20,000 spectators, locals and visitors.

Mike King, Managing Director of the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership says, “This is a fantastic event, it shows off the Island’s natural assets, the amazing surroundings, the lifestyle and the opportunities that exist here.”

As the organisation co-ordinating the Bay regeneration project with the Isle of Wight Council, IWEP are keen that local businesses capitalise on the opportunities provided by White Air and that it is a catalyst for new investment.

“Through White Air we reach a different audience of active people who value the natural beauty of the Island and can help bring a new prosperity to the area.” says Mike King, Managing Director of Isle of Wight Economic Partnership.