Scarborough Extreme festival launches day of sports, music and dance activities

The brand new venture is a further aspect of the year-round programme of arts, heritage and sporting events made possible by the UK Government’s Town Deals funding.

Scarborough Extreme, intended initially as a pilot scheme and a primary showcase for proposed larger-scale events in the future, concentrates specifically on promoting community engagement in a range of sports, music and outdoor activities.

Held at numerous locations across both the town centre and the wider Scarborough area, the inaugural day will comprise demonstrations, workshops and information sessions from the surfing, coasteering, skateboarding, basketball, BMX, martial arts, cycling, wall-climbing, kayaking and paddle boarding communities plus music and dance performances.

Amongst the highlights of the day, Team Extreme will be featuring a pro-BMX, skateboarder, scooter rider and inline skater demonstrating their skills and tips on a purpose-built mini-ramp.

Festival director Julian Caddy said: “There are many local providers of what you could call extreme sports and activities and so far, there isn’t a network to connect them up.

“What we have here is an opportunity of a platform for them to spread the word more effectively”.

Aimed at an inclusive wider-aged audience, although essentially targeted at younger people, the festival day comprises of a series of activity hubs based centrally (Brunswick Centre, Westborough, Aberdeen Walk, North Street and at The Street), in the South Bay and Cayton Bay for marine-based activities, Coventry University Scarborough campus, North Bay (Dexters Surf shop), Dissent Skate shop in Manor Road, Scarborough Footgolf in Cayton and Newby and Scalby Community Hall for a Live and Loud afterparty, courtesy of Beckview Studios.

Mr. Caddy is keen to emphasise that although this year is planned as the basis for more ambitious approach in the future, the aim is to also maintain and further encourage local community involvement.

He said: “Scarborough EXTREME forms the basis of an event to take place next year and in years to come which will be more of a ticketed event with bands and top sports people.

“There is also the grass roots element that we have created which I want to retain, because the platform, which is effectively a fringe platform, is whoever wants to be in it, can be in it.

“We need to be as inclusive as we can for as many different sports and abilities.”

A key objective for the festival organisers is to encourage participation and membership and to provoke interest in the townspeople to explore new activities for the first time.

“The big thing really is an opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone and it is always a good thing to try something new,” Mr Caddy said.

Later this year, the Scarborough Fair programme features the second incarnation of Scarborough Lights festival.

Incorporating free and affordable light shows, installations, community activities throughout the town with both indoor and outdoor artworks and projections, scheduled to be held in the pre-Christmas period of November and December.

Scarborough EXTREME will take place at various locations across the town from 11am-4pm on Saturday October 5.

A comprehensive list of activities and venues and further information can be found on the Scarborough Fair Festivals website at scarboroughfair.uk/events.