VentnorBlog - absolutely essential reading for anyone who lives or has any interest in Ventnor. Amazing number of readers and contributors for such a small town. Democracy at its very best. - Bill Newman
As you probably already know, this year the White Air Extreme Sports Festival is moving from it’s regular slot of windy October to the warmer climes of August (27 Aug - 2 Sept).
Despite some local opposition to the date change, it has been approved and given the go-ahead. Which must be quite a relief for organiser Nigel Howell, who can now carry on pulling together the 11th festival that will host the biggest Windsurfing World Event ever held in the UK!
News reaches us that Streetstyle have organised yet another fundraiser for the renovation of the Ventnor Skate ramp and will be hosting Tequila Slammer, a night of Mexican food, Tequila shots, fancy dress and music by local DJs.
There will be a prize for the best Mexican fancy dress costume and it’ll only cost you £3 to get in. All proceeds go towards the refurbishment of Ventnor Skate Park.
Hunt out that old sombrero you brought back from Spain (or Mexico if you were lucky enough) and save a space for the fajitas.
It’ll be kicking off at the back room of The Central on Saturday 19th May from 9pm (closing 1am).
We’d recommend that you steer clear of the bald, fat one in the hat.
Last Friday the skate ramp was finally dismantled. A rather large, bright red crane arrived in Ventnor, very slowly weaving it’s way down the cascade.
We hear that it had to keep reversing to maneuver the sharp bends of the cascade, but managed to eventually reach it’s destination next to the Skate Park.
Now the debris has been taken away, the ground can be levelled, ramp repaired and returned with new equipment and the new surface installed.
Apparently some people thought that the ramp was gone for good. Fear not, the work is all part of the StreetStyle project to repair and improve the facilities at the Skate Park.
Although the project has received some funding, more cash is needed for continuing maintenance, insurance etc, so another fundraiser is being held this coming Saturday (5th May) at The Rose in Pier Street.
Two live bands will be playing for your pleasure. Funkaholic, a new band with Dick Taylor who’ll be doing funk and blues covers, and joining them will be Ventnor favourites, Jacuna.
Starts at 8.30 and carries on till late. £2 before 10pm, £3 after (no entry after 11pm)
We hear from Alison and Rob, that last Saturday there was a hive of activity down at the Ventnor skate ramp, as the much needed repairs kicked off with the dismantling of the ramp.
The StreetStyle project secured a £10,000 grant back in March and an overhaul to the skate ramp was one of the projects high on the list for immediate action.
Work will be carried out every Saturday and Sunday until it’s completed and new fencing will be arriving next Tuesday.
The area to the right of the ramp will be paved and there is much interest and excitement amongst the new members of the group as it looks like there could be a possibility of them being involved in the design of some of the sections.
With Island skating heroes such as John Cattle heavily involved in the project, the new Ventnor skate park, looks sure to become one of the coolest hangouts on the Island.
But it doesn’t stop there. Although the project does have the £10k in their coffers, they will need more cash to support the work, so those busy bees have organised another fundraiser.
Taking place on Saturday 5th May, The Rose on Pier Street will play host to Funkaholic, a new band with Dick Taylor who’ll be doing funk and blues covers, and joining them will be old favourites, Jacuna (well they’re young actually, but you know what I mean).
Starts at 8.30 and carries on till late. Only £2 before 10pm or £3 after. All ticket sales will go towards the skate ramp.
The date for the Youth Festival has been booked in for Saturday 11th August. More details to follow as they come to us.
It appears, one year on that news is repeating itself after we received a request to highlight this issue on the blog.
Two or three years ago young people from Niton raised money for the skate ramp in Niton Recreation Ground. The police supported it financially, to give skateboarders a safer alternative to riding on the road.
It has been very popular and well used by young people in the village. NOW due to complaints by a minority, there is a risk of it being removed. If you think it should be retained please write a letter before the close of Thursday 26th April.
Here is an excerpt from one of the supporters letters …
The arguments against the skate ramp have been that it is creates unsociable and intolerable noise for the neighbouring residents and attracts underage drinkers and trouble from outside the village (although supporters say there is no evidence of this).
With regard to the noise, as one supporter of the ramp pointed out, the noise of bored kids could be far worse.
If you wish to add your comments (before close of business tomorrow) , write to
Customer Information Team
Seaclose Offices
Fairlee Rd
Newport
IOW
I’m not keen on just sticking out press releases on the blog, I usually like to take the contents and write it up in my own style, but today I’m too busy, so here’s a press release from the Ventnor Community Projects. It’s great news and we wish them all the best with the StreetStyle project.
Brilliant news from Ventnor Community Projects who have been successful in being awarded £10K from The Youth Opportunity Fund for new skate park equipment as part of their StreetStyle project.
This represents half of the total needed to bring the park up to scratch, which needs repairs to the existing ramp, new fencing and a barrier wall to offer better protection from the sea. StreetStyle, which has been formed by a group of teenagers and young adults as part of a Trans European project in ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP called Grundtvig 2, is run by Ventnor Community Projects in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council’s Arts Unit. In the short time that the project has been running the group are well advanced with plans to hold a summer Youth Festival in Ventnor.
This will involve skate boarding displays and competitions, demonstrations of Parkour (for the uninitiated this is the art of forward movement, running up and jumping of walls and much more), plus, live MCing/DJing, Battle of the Bands, Street Art, and supporting events. They are organising workshops in support of the Youth festival and have started running workshops for Internet MySpace and will be setting up a web site IOW StreetStyle. To complete this ambitious programme they have started video filming their activities and aim to produce a DVD which will be distributed throughout Europe as part of project.
Chairman of Ventnor Community Projects, Rob Chuter, is delighted with the progress the project is making. He said “It has taken a lot of planning to bring the Grundtvig project to Ventnor”
“A big thanks must go to Alison Knapman from IOW Arts Unit who has dedicated so much effort in co-ordinating the project with our European partners.” Rob also said that, “As the UK representative for this Tran European project in Active Citizenship and with the publicity this will get, it can only be of future benefit for Ventnor, hopefully attracting more European vistors to our town.”
The StreetStyle group have already started raising funds, £97 from one evening viewing of skating and parkour videos toward the additional £10K needed for building materials. The teenagers and young adults will be actively involved in helping in the rebuilding of the skate park. However, their skills are limited and there is a need for experienced tradesmen that can volunteer some time, particularly for block & brick laying. Contact Rob Chuter on 853216 if you can offer any assistance.
Don’t forget that tonight there is a meeting at Community Projects to discuss the future of the Skate ramp on the esplanade.
If you have an interest in the future of the skate ramp, ideas of how to raise funds, can help out with repairs etc, get yourselves down to 1 Albert Street from 7.30pm onwards.
Looking back through the blog archives, it was around this time last year that the Ryde Skate Park was under threat.
In direct relation to the StreetStyle Project, Linda Gorman, Ventnor Youth and Community Centre Manager and Secretary of the Skateboard Park Club is putting a call out to anyone who might be interested in the future of the skate ramp. Whether you use it, your kids use it, or you think it is an important asset to Ventnor.
If you have walked along the seafront lately, then you will know that the skateboard park needs some repair work carried out urgently.
A meeting is to be held on Friday 16th February, 7.30pm, at Ventnor Community Projects, 1 Albert Street, Ventnor, to discuss the future of the skateboard park and how the community can help the young people of Ventnor.
The meeting is open to all so please come along and see how you can help – whether you are a skater yourself or someone interested in getting the skateboard park up and running again. If you miss the meeting, then you can still get involved – help will be needed with fundraising and with the actual repair work.
We’ve heard news this week about a really inspiring new youth project from Ventnor Community Projects and the IOW Council Arts Unit, which has just kicked off in Ventnor.
It’s called the StreetStyle Project and will be aiming to engage teenagers and young adults in active citizenship. Sounds like a fantastic idea and with the right support (which it seems to have) should be really successful.
Amongst those involved, will be John Cattle the professional skateboarder and film producer (mentioned yesterday on the blog) and Raff Raphael (who first appeared on the blog way back in October 05 when we covered the excellent Shopping Trolley event).
Expect a ton of initiatives to come out from the group, the first being news of a summer youth festival in Ventnor. Something along the lines of skateboard comps, parkour, live MC’ing/DJ’ing and street art.
What’ll be needed are repairs to the existing skate ramp and the introduction of some new kit that can be used by beginners and intermediate level skaters.
In the run up to the festival itself, workshops in MC’ing/DJ’ing, street art, and video filming to record their activities with the intent on producing a DVD are planned. We hear that they are also organising MySpace computer sessions, which we assume will cover how to set one up and maintain it.
We’ve not heard where they plan to hold the festival, but I’d assume the vicinity of the skate ramp would be the hub. It did cross my mind that if Cheetah Marine get approval to build in the public car park, then the whole area down there could potentially be blighted by a rather large building site.
Anyway, here’s where you can get involved. If you’re 16 or over and interested in what you’ve read or have some new ideas then go along on Tuesdays to the drop in sessions from 6pm at Ventnor Community Projects, 1, Albert Street.
For more information contact Alison Knapman on 823826, mob: 07976 009414.
We’re fully behind this one, anything that gets Ventnor youth involved in positive and inspiring projects get our backing. It’s also great to see people off their backsides and wanting to engage our teenagers rather than just moan about them.
Island Filmaker, John Cattle has been working very hard over the last four years and amongst all the other things that have been keeping him busy - such as having a family and starting a new business - he has completed the 5th instalment of Viewfinder#.
This latest issue of Viewfinder# features a plethora of Island skateboarders and musicians saving some space for other usual randomness from around the world.
And you lucky people have a chance to watch a public screening of the film on Thursday 8th February from 8pm at The Liquid Lounge, Union Street, Ryde.
If you’re washing your hair that night and can’t make it along, fear not, the double disk dvd is available from the Revolver Skate Shop, Ryde, Switch 45 and Quay Arts Centre, Newport.
Wholesalers should get in touch with Power Distribution, London (couldn’t find a website, but you might have more luck)
With record attendance and world class results in the races, this years 10th anniversary WhiteAir Extreme Sports Festival was the best yet, Nigel Howell told us at the end of the event.
With nine film crews (and VentnorBlog) there, it was certainly well covered in the media.
This year the RAF were the main sponsors and with their target logo splashed around everywhere, it could’ve been mistaken for a Mod convention – except sharp suits were most definitely replaced with baggy jeans and cool Ts.
The weather was pretty varied over the four days, with lots of swell early on, making things interesting for the Thundercat racing on Saturday, but Sunday’s blue skies and calm water had the racers wishing for more wind and larger waves.
Wandering around the site watching the amazing talents of the skaters and mountainboarders really inspired me to try it out, but at risk of injuring myself, I put it off yet another year.
However, more than 500 people signed up over the four days for the ‘Have A Go’ sessions, trying out surfing, kitesurfing, mountainboarding, skateboarding, parkour, thundercats and jetskis. It was the most successful so far and has hopefully given islanders a taste for the sports they sampled.
Our little one had a go at the skateboarding and now wants a board for Christmas, and Simon and Dave took mountainboards out up the hill (and down again) for an hour or so. They weren’t doing somersaults, but made it look pretty easy to pick up, attempting a couple of the ramps and manoeuvring themselves around oncoming pedestrians.
WightTrash and Moreys sponsored the half pipe and I spotted John Cattle filming on the Sunday, so expect to see some footage from the event sometime in the future.
Listen to a quick interview with David Webber (Thundercat Extraordinaire), by clicking on the right hand icon below.
Live music in the marquee starts at noon today (running through til 5pm) and at the same time there’ll be a Parkour free running demo in the freestyle park.
Between 1-2.30pm you can watch the Mountainboard European Championships on the White Air Ramps. Caught some of this on Thursday and it was amazing to watch.
The grafitti art jam continues at 3pm and depending on the weather the rest of the day will be filled with Windsurfing UK Finals, Windsurfing Slalom Finals, Kitesurfing, Kayak and Thundercats racing.
Tonight sees the White Air Party at Sandown Bay Holiday Centre with VentnorBlog friends, Cooly Haste, Max Brennan and Randy Bones and DJ Mewtant will be delivering the goods. Also playing are Deep and Vero (not sure who they are).
Don’t forget you can ‘have a go’ at mountain boarding, thundercat powerboat racing, paragliding, winddisc, kitesurfing, street art graffiti, windsurfing or surfing. The ‘Have a Go’ options run until 5pm today and will be back tomorrow 10am-5pm.
The Youth Centre are planning a sponsored skate in order to raise cash for the £1,000 a year insurance (it was insurance which paid for repairs) which is up for renewal.
Loads of local skaters have already said they’d be involved and if you’d like to as well please get in touch via email at vycc@iow.gov.uk
Should be a rad event that we’ll definitely be covering on the blog.
As well as raising funds for the insurance, they also need to replace the fencing in front of the skatepark.This is where you might be able to help or know someone who can, cash donations, supplying materials or labour will all be greatly appreciated. It’s the plastic coated stuff they’re looking for.
It seems that there are knights in shining armour roaming the street of Ventnor.
A couple of weeks ago, we were walking past the skate park down on the esplanade and noticed a guy casing the joint. Simon made a quip about him looking like he couldn’t decide whether he was going to skate or not - although with all due respect, he didn’t really look the type (more likely his grandchildren).
Anyway, he explained that the skate park was looking for donations in order to carry out much needed repairs to the ramps. One quote had already come in at £3,000, so he decided to take a look at what needed to be done and rather than give cash, he’d send a couple of his lads down to do the work.
As we carried on our walk we both agreed that this was a brilliant way to make a contribution. In a place where money isn’t always available for such projects, it goes to show that a difference can be made without it.
I haven’t been passed since then, so don’t know whether the work has started yet, but if anyone has more info on this and the name of the guy who has volunteered his workers for the job, please let us know.
As many of you will know, up until a year ago, I lived in London - infact I was born there, grew up there, worked there, met my gorgeous husband there and gave birth to my daughter there.
A few people (this is the exception rather than the rule) have expressed disgust at me … a Londoner … who has decided to make Ventnor my home, ‘How dare I?�
I can understand how people from the Isle of Wight want to keep it to themselves - many of those reasons are why people are attracted here - but the reality is this planet belongs to no-one and everyone. Just as I believe that people from the world over should be able to travel to the UK and decide to live here if they want (and vice versa), I believe that I should be able to find somewhere that I love and make my life there. Regardless of where I was born.
This is particularly apt considering I was actually born in a bus stop on the Western Avenue. Somehow, I can’t imagine setting up home there! Might be a tad uncomfortable (not to mention a bit noisy).
Anyway, enough of the personal details. Being a Londoner, every so often I like to see what’s going on in my home town and was gutted to see that this weekend I missed Clapham Common being turned into a skateboarding, bmx and breakdancing arena.
Sponsored by Sprite (corporate sponsorship is everywhere these days - although an ice cold lemonade does go down well in 33 degrees), there was all sorts of stuff going on, including a £40k prize for the most talented!
Any of you who’ve visited MySpace will know of my love of breakdancing and might have taken the time to watch this totally amazing and inspiring video.
Back in March, I stuck up a video of a skateboarding dog, (video has since been deleted) asking for anyone to come forward if they knew of similarly talented canines in Ventnor.
Sadly, no-one came forward but as you’ll see on the front cover of this weeks County Press, Shanklin are able to boast their own surfing dog.
A two year old labrador called Sherrie has been surfing since she was six months old and practises every day down on Dunroamin Beach.
So are we going to let Shanklin top us? If you have a pet who can perform an unsual feat, get in touch and we’ll cover it on the blog.
boni face, has reported to the VentnorBlog forum about the meeting last night at Niton about the concerns on many sides about the skatepark. While we really regret not being able to get down there, it’s great to see such a balanced report coming from one of VentnorBlog readers/contributors.
good on everyone who turned up to lend support and put across ideas:
The guys living down allotment road, that backs onto the rec, have had a really raw deal with trouble. it doesn’t appear to be locals at all but their view was that the skate ramp attracts people outside the village that turn up and cause damage and noise during the day and late at night (we’re talking fires, smashed bottles, vandalism, driving cars and bikes on the skate ramps … the list goes on). understandably they have had enough and feel that if the ramp is removed and they get pc plod on the scene they’ll move on elsewhere …
the trouble is whilst this would work short term it would deprive all the guys that have worked hard to build and maintain the skate ramp … and gives them nowhere to skate other than the roads … plus it simply moves the real trouble makers onto to some other poor innocent village ….
the answer isn’t easy and is certainly not going to happen overnight …
some good views that were put across suggested we all try to communicate more with each other - build bridges - perhaps organise a few free bbq’s up the rec - show a bit of love (and there’s plenty of that in niton) - show respect for one another- even invite the ‘outsiders’ along … and by building a loving community this will have a knock on effect in general…
like i say it won’t happen overnight and it will require a lot of effort on all sides.
the skate ramp won’t be taken down for the time being - but we’ve all got to pull together on this one - because if things don’t start improving, councillors are going to be swayed towards the short term solutions and we’ll be in danger of losing the ramp….
Thanks to ‘Boni Face’ for bringing this issue to our attention on the forum last week …. given the arguments heard so far I would urge anyone in support of the skate ramp to go along to a meeting being held tonight at Niton Primary School at 7.20pm.
.. i don’t know the full story .. but this is what i’ve heard so far ..
just to fill you in … the ‘rec’ is a recreational ground - a place of community - it is mainly a cricket pitch with club house (and a large one at that) - it is on a rather impratical slope - but great in the summer - loads of cricket matches, teas and serves as an excellent gathering place for the community.
at the base of the rec is a skate ramp built a few years ago - by money raised by kids in the village - it’s tucked neatly into the corner of the rec. There used to be a playground as well - but much of that has already been removed (all down to insurance etc.) and there is opposition in having that replaced too.
i must point out that the ramp is no hinderance to the cricket pitch.
a couple of (older) residents living on the road that runs close to it have complained about the noise from the skate ramp… and a couple of councillers have joined in with them.
This is why it is important that people come to this meeting - to put both sides across and see who really supports it and who is against it and the real reasons why.
personally i’m really sad that the village want to take something away that had so much effort put into it. The village is for everyone … young and old and in between…..
For the purpose of balance and to avoid being accused of scapegoating (yeah, thanks for that) here’s another view of the situation from a ‘Guest’ on the forum
so what if a few local councillers want to take it down and replace it with a cricket ground- good on them, and there isn’t need to scapegoat these people by placing a front page article on a blog.
definately a sport that will benefit the local community (look at Ventnor Cricket Club). i’m sure after sensible dialogue between the two parties, relocation of the skate park can be agreed.
Hopefully balanced and constructive discussions will result in an agreeable solution where everyone will be happy. If you need transport to Niton, feel free to use the forum to find car shares.
After the protest, David Knowles, Vice Chairman of Ryde Town Forum and IW Councillor promised that the IW Council would make all efforts to secure funding to keep the skate park open.
Let’s hope the Council sticks to the promise they made and it doesn’t end with just efforts, but real results that will keep the skate park open.
Following the story last week of the imminent closure of Ryde Skate Park, I heard part of a report on IW Radio today. Didn’t catch it all so if you know more, stick up a comment and let us know.
So, who’d be on the radio but John Cattle, talking about how members of the (forgotten proper name) “iow skate people getting together to cut some shapes forum”, have all joined forces in order to make repairs to the skate park so it passes safety rules.
Excellent news, so what happened about the insurance? Has someone else covered that also?
Thanks to Simon for this news he heard on IW Radio today …
Ryde Skate Park ’set to be dismantled’ The future of Ryde Skate Park is looking uncertain. The facility - which is behind LA Bowl - is currently locked as it’s deemed unsafe because many ramps are loose. The annual insurance is also about to expire. Ryde’s Development Trust and the Skate Park Users Group met on Tuesday night to see if a solution could be drawn up to save the park. But members acknowledged they cannot pay for the £2,000 a year insurance and it’s likely the ramps will be removed by the end of the month.
Surely IW council should be stepping in here to save the skate park? Every time I’ve been past, it is always busy there. Where will the skaters go if it’s closed … up and down the esplanade?
Places like skate parks keep the kids off the streets and doing something constructive, with rumours of funding for youth clubs being cut, this looks likely to be another nail in the coffin for the youth of the island. Maybe someone from the youth council might be able to lobby the council on this.
Let VentnorBlog know if you have more news on this issue or feel free to comment on the forum.
After being rained on in the morning and having to take to bed for the afternoon, my dear husband went down to the Cascade to shoot some video of the crazy folk who are willing to risk rather nasty injuries in search for the buzz of extreme sporting.
He also managed to get an interview (listen here) with Nigel Howell, organiser of the event and upcoming WhiteAir Festival 27-30th October being held in Yaverland. If you haven’t got your tickets yet, jump to it. Four days of Kitesurfers, Windsurfers, Surfers, Skate, BMX, Mountain Boarding, Thundercat Racing, Mountain Bike Cross Country, Mountain Bike Trials, Duathlon, Parkour, Kayak Racing, and music by The Motion Pictures and The Bees Sound System!
The competitors, not ones to wimp out of anything extreme, made a run for the sea after event. Rather them than me I say.
Muchos Gracias to the guys from Sweetlife for the excellent T they gave to Alpha for her help in sweeping up. Check them out at the main festival, where you can buy limited edition festival t-shirts and other fine wares.
Set up’s now complete and trials are well under way. Road conditions dry …. but some finding it hard to get round the switchback without crashing or sliding into haystacks.
Just took a quick trip to the cascade and the Whiteairguys are now setting up and hope to start trials around 3ish. Check back later for pictures and vox pops.
There will be a prize for the best Mexican fancy dress costume and it’ll only cost you £3 to get in. All proceeds go towards the refurbishment of Ventnor Skate Park.
Last Friday the skate ramp was finally dismantled. A rather large, bright red crane arrived in Ventnor, very slowly weaving it’s way down the cascade.
Apparently some people thought that the ramp was gone for good. Fear not, the work is all part of the 
Two live bands will be playing for your pleasure. Funkaholic, a new band with Dick Taylor who’ll be doing funk and blues covers, and joining them will be Ventnor favourites, 
The 
But it doesn’t stop there. Although the project does have the £10k in their coffers, they will need more cash to support the work, so those busy bees have organised another fundraiser.
It was one year ago to the day that we last reported about the 
Brilliant news from Ventnor Community Projects who have been successful in being awarded £10K from The Youth Opportunity Fund for new skate park equipment as part of their StreetStyle project.
If you didn’t happen to make it along to the previous screenings in Ryde or Newport of John Cattle’s latest film, 
If you have an interest in the future of the skate ramp, ideas of how to raise funds, can help out with repairs etc, get yourselves down to 1 Albert Street from 7.30pm onwards.
Amongst those involved, will be 
This latest issue of Viewfinder# features a plethora of Island skateboarders and musicians saving some space for other usual randomness from around the world. 
This year the RAF were the main sponsors and with their target logo splashed around everywhere, it could’ve been mistaken for a Mod convention – except sharp suits were most definitely replaced with baggy jeans and cool Ts.
Our little one had a go at the skateboarding and now wants a board for Christmas, and Simon and Dave took mountainboards out up the hill (and down again) for an hour or so. They weren’t doing somersaults, but made it look pretty easy to pick up, attempting a couple of the ramps and manoeuvring themselves around oncoming pedestrians.
Tonight sees the White Air Party at Sandown Bay Holiday Centre with VentnorBlog friends, 
Loads of local skaters have already said they’d be involved and if you’d like to as well please get in touch via email at vycc@iow.gov.uk 
A couple of weeks ago, we were walking past the skate park down on the esplanade and noticed a guy casing the joint. Simon made a quip about him looking like he couldn’t decide whether he was going to skate or not - although with all due respect, he didn’t really look the type (more likely his grandchildren).
A few people (this is the exception rather than the rule) have expressed disgust at me … a Londoner … who has decided to make Ventnor my home, ‘How dare I?� 
Back in March, I stuck up a 
Citizen journalism Lives!
Great to see the community coming together last Saturday in Ryde, following the 
Ryde Skate Park ’set to be dismantled’
After being rained on in the morning and having to take to bed for the afternoon, my dear husband went down to the Cascade to shoot some video of the crazy folk who are willing to risk rather nasty injuries in search for the buzz of extreme sporting.
He also managed to get an 
The competitors, not ones to wimp out of anything extreme, made a run for the sea after event. Rather them than me I say.
