Developed from a combination of waterskiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques, wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over water. The three-day Wakestock event mixed an array of riding, including pool gap, System 2.0 and boat comps, with performances from big-name music acts during the evenings.
The record crowd watched as the sport's top 16 athletes competed against each other for a share of a $50,000 prize and the title of Wakestock Abu Dhabi Champion 2010. The three-day beachfront event was produced by Flash Entertainment and the City of Abu Dhabi.
Lighting designer Andrew Strachan used 28 Alpha Spot 1200 HPE fixtures and 28 Alpha Wash 1200 fixtures in the main stage rig to compliment the diverse acts throughout the evenings. The open-air stage design featured a series of curved truss acting as a canopy over the artists and the fixtures were placed to allow maximum visibility to the thousands of spectators.
Strachan stated that the Clay Paky fixtures were chosen "quite simply for the great looks. We wanted to keep the shape of the 18m orbit and attract as many people as possible. They definitely did that." Lighting was controlled by Strachan with a grandMA full size with some pre-programming done in wysiwyg, also by Strachan. Lighting was supplied by Gearhouse Staging Connections in Dubai.
Night one featured home-grown talent The Brownies playing a blend of jazz, acoustic rock and funky groove, followed by international DJ Goldierocks. Lebanese superstar Carole Samaha headlined the first evening, followed by local DJ Danny Neville. The second evening showcased local favourite Nikotin, followed by Arabic rock star Fadi Andraos, preppy punk rockers Sandwash, internationally renowned post-punk rockers Maximo Park, and local DJ Da Funkt Live.
"With a fine selection of awesome artists and the perfect setting on Abu Dhabi's Corniche, Wakestock Abu Dhabi 2010 was an unforgettable way to launch the event and start the 2010 Wakeboard World Series," said Mark Durston, Wakestock Founder and CEO.
(Jim Evans)
