Paddle Round The Pier, the world’s biggest free charity beach festival, is back this July with quirky competitions and water-themed fun.
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.
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.
There will be a packed program of water and land events over the weekend, including a ‘Paddle Village’ full of stalls, exhibitions and entertainment stages, all based on Hove Lawns.
The main event, the Paddle Round The Pier, will take place on the Sunday at 3pm. But other crowd pleasing events will include the Paddle Dogs at 11.55am and the Paddle Something Unusual event at 1pm.
For the Paddle Something Unusual 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.
Paddle Dogs will attempt a World Record for the most dogs and owners on paddleboards.
Other sporting events taking place this year include SUP (stand up paddle board) Races, Kite Surfing and open water swimming events.
Back on dry land there will be two stages of entertainment including live music and dance performances. There will also be a bar, kids activities, skate demos, beach tennis, marine conservation, inflatables, a dive tank and a have-a-go paddle pool.
The event raises money for good causes such as Cycling Without Age, Sail4Cancer, the Wave Project and Brighton Surf Life Saving Club.
When: 6th & 7th July 2019
Where: Hove Lawns, Brighton & Hove
£: Free to watch (donations welcome)
More info: www.paddleroundthepier.com
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