Whilst high winds and storms caused the Oban to Lochboisdale ferry to be cancelled on Tuesday 25th September, it was a kitesurfers paradise in Oban.
A team of international and British kitesurfers made use of the windy conditions and took to the waters in Oban. With a colourful array of kites filling the air, American Pro kitesurfers Patrick Rebstock and James Ropner, 5 x British Senior Kitesurf Champion, Pete Whiteley, British Amateur Champion, Danielle Durrant, Dutch kitesurfer, Thijs Vunderink, and British riders, Alex Bird and Dave Robertson put on a spectacular display drawing attention from locals and visitors alike.
The group were expecting to be boarding the ferry on their way to North Uist to take part in the North Uist Kitesurf Project. The project which is being coordinated by extreme sports media & PR company
ExPix, in conjunction with the North Uist Development Company (NUDC), is aimed at increasing tourism on the island, particularly during the shoulder months.
Jo Edmondson, head of marketing and PR for ExPix said, “The plan was to spend the night in Oban and to use the time prior to the ferry departure the following morning to show the group around the town. Oban is a beautiful place with spectacular scenery and excellent watersports facilities. Thanks to Elaine Cameron of Victorian Villas at Holidays in Oban, who kindly supported the project by providing accommodation for the group, we were able to do more than use the town as a ‘gateway’ and just ‘pass through’.
We had talked about the possibility of kitesurfing in Oban, but weren’t really sure we would have the time to do it and whilst the group were disappointed not to be travelling to Uist, that disappointment soon lifted once they hit the water.”
Dave Robertson who won a competition to join the group said; “There is a lot of fascinating history in Oban and it was good to be able to get the chance to explore the town and see things for ourselves; fitting in a kiting session as well was the icing on the cake.”
