Saturday, 10 July 2010

Loch Earn's Official Wakeboarding Event

Loch Earn’s official wakeboarding event, is preparing for its biggest year yet. Organisers of WakeScot, now in its 3rd year and the longest running wakeboarding event in Scotland, are delighted with initial enquiries.

Barry McGrandles, Outdoor Activities Director for Active Scotland, explained, ‘It’s always hard to start up an event and keep it going so I think people can see what we are trying to do and that we have a genuine interest in developing the sport. It’s made even clearer by the fact that we are seen by governing body Waterski Scotland as an event that can be used as a platform for all levels of rider who wish to compete in competition in Scotland.’

The event on Loch Earn is supported by both governing bodies in Britain and by local and national companies who share the brothers drive to develop grass roots sports in the area.  Barry’s brother Matt, who organises the event says, ‘It takes time to get the message across that our event is all about the riders and gaining support is not easy especially in this current climate. We dedicate a lot of time and finance to making this event happen but it takes more than just our business to make it work. Just speak to anyone that organises events and they will appreciate what kind of dynamics it takes to actually get something like this off the ground.’

Matt has been organising events for many years. One of his first was the International Festival of Youth Rugby in 97 where he managed 6000 players, staff and games throughout Scotland . WakeScot is not at this level yet but the brothers have a long term view. They aim to turn WakeScot into a  leading wakeboarding festival in Scotland.

WakeScot kicks off on Saturday 14th August 2010 with a coaching clinic at 9am. If you are looking for a weekend break or day away with friends and family then check out this event as it promises to be as spectacular as last years. Further details can be found at http://www.wakescot.com/

LETI: In addition to wakeboarding and water sports, Active Scotland  offers a number of activities including quad biking, archery and mountain bike hire. The office and shop are located at the front of the Clachan Cottage Hotel in Lochearnhead on the A85 overlooking Loch Earn.