Rafts come in all shapes and sizes.
When: 7th & 8th July 2018
Where: Hove Lawns, Brighton & Hove
£: Free to watch (donations most welcome)
What is it?
Paddle Round The Pier, the world’s biggest free charity beach festival, is back on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July with quirky competitions and water-themed fun.
The first event was held back in 1996, organised by a group of local surfers wanting to raise funds and awareness for the charity Surfers Against Sewage, and is now a full beach festival weekend.
The Paddle Round The Pier is a mass sponsored paddle, with people taking to the water in every type of craft from surfboards, windsurf-boards, bodyboards and kitesurf-boards, to canoes, kayaks, swim fins, and lilos.
There will be a packed program of water and land events over the weekend, including a ‘Paddle Village’ full of retail, exhibitions and entertainment stages, all based on Hove Lawns.
Paddling pirates.
The main event, the Paddle Round The Pier, will take place on the Sunday at 2pm, but another popular crowd pleaser will be the Paddle Something Unusual event at 12pm.
For this event, teams will attempt to paddle the most ridiculous thing they can think of, around the remains of the West Pier. In the past, brave (or crazy) teams have attempted to paddle beds, sheds and aeroplanes across the water.
Other sporting events taking place this year include SUP (stand up paddle board) Races, Kayak Races, Kite Surfing Races and open water swimming events.
Back on dry land there will be two stages of entertainment including live music and talks from the University of Brighton. There will also be a bar, kids activities, skateboarding, beach volleyball, parkour, assault courses and a have-a-go paddle pool.
The event raises money for good causes such as the RNLI, The Wave Project and BSLSC (Brighton Surf Life Saving Club).
More info: www.paddleroundthepier.com and www.facebook.com/PaddleRoundThePier