A group of O'Neill wakeboarding champions are in Malta to perform during the Chilli Beach Festival, which kicks off today at noon and ends tomorrow at Mellieħa Bay.

The event is organised by the Għadira Sailing Centre.

The world champions in Malta are Duncan Zuur, Cyril Comaro and Yann Pegaz.

Wakeboarding is similar to water skiing. The wakeboarder is towed behind a boat, or a cable skiing lift, at a speed of 18-24 miles per hour. The main difference is that instead of skis, the boarder uses a single board (like a snowboard) with bindings. Wakeboards are shorter than snowboards and slightly wider.

The festival will include a combination of music and sports activities (Wakeboard Academy performances, volleyball tournaments, jet ski treasure hunts and windsurfing). Entry to the event is free of charge and will be featured around the world via www.oneilltv.com.

Deejays performing during the two-day event include Duncan F, Steve Caesar, David Taliana, Toby and Ruby.

For more information one can call 9946 8365 or 9940 5916.

www.visitmalta.com

Factbox - Wakeboarding

• There are over 3.1 million wakeboarders worldwide.
• Wakeboarding Unleashed, a wakeboarding video game, was released in 2003.
• Seventy-five per cent of wakeboarders are males aged 13-24.
• The average household income for wakeboarders is $95,400.
• Wakeboarding is part of the X-Games and Gravity Games.
• Wakeboarding is the fastest-growing water sport

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