Sidewalk Skateboarding

Founded in 2012, the first Wheels and Fins festival at Joss Bay Beach in Broadstairs, Kent was a resounding success, with great attendance and huge support from the local community. The event is built around live music and DJs, and also features stand up paddle board demos and a fun race, a beach volleyball tournament, an epic soapbox derby, plus a skateboard mini ramp competition and demos, and slalom and downhill races.

This free festival was the brainchild of Joss Bay Surf School’s Dave Lovett and Dave Melmoth, who organised the first edition with a group of their friends and friends of friends. There was a fantastic atmosphere over the weekend, with around 5,000 visitors to the site.

Lovett and Melmoth were joined in 2013 by the UK Skateboarding Association’s Nic Powley, when the event was bigger and even better before, with a pro/sponsored prize purse and a huge mini ramp supplied by King Ramps, much wider than the previous year. There was also a guest appearance from Santa Cruz legend Eric Dressen, who witnessed great skating from riders such as Trevor Johnson, Bailey, Dean Robertson, Dan Hill, Denis Lynn and Greg Nowick.

The 2014 Wheels and Fins festival will take place between 12th and 14th September and organisers are planning to provide even more activities, sports and live entertainment than before. It is hoped that around 15,000 people will attend over the three days, making it the biggest event of its kind in the area.