Glass Butter Beach 2011.

Billed as being “all about good times, healthy lifestyle, chilled beach culture and a cool festival vibe”, Glass Butter Beach is the newest festival on the extreme sports scene, so naturally ExPix just had to get involved. Taking place in Llanbedrog, North Wales the festival was based at the secluded end of the stunning Llanbedrog beach. With the site on the beach side of the road in the Crugan Farm fields, campers were able to enjoy some of the most stunning festival scenery with views over Cardigan Bay across to Snowdonia.

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Whilst Glass Butter has previously existed as a wakeboarding rail jam competition, the inspiration behind the festival came from none other than Wakestock founded Mark Durston, whose idea to create an all-inclusive multi-action sport, music and beach culture festival certainly paid off. It was good to see a festival where the sport was most definitely at the core of the event and where all other activities were an added bonus and something to do when the sport stopped. And it seemed that no detail had been over looked in making this new Welsh festival suitable for sports lovers of all ages without it losing the ‘cool factor’.

Friday morning and we headed down to the beach to catch the action from the first of the festival competitions, the Glass Beach Wake Classic. The sun was shining as the ‘mini festival site’ on the beach took shape; with the Sunkist Beach Stage, bar and food stalls we just knew that we were in for a good day!

First up on the water was the Open Wake Comp where there was categories for amateur riders from as young as seven to adult. Despite this being an amateur competition there was some good riding as the wakeboarders were towed behind the awesome Nautique boat, courtesy of the guys from Loch Lomond Wakeboard. Next up was the pro wake comp where riders, Scotty Broome, Sam Carne, Jonty Greene, Dan Jordan, Matt Crowhurst, Jack Hammersley and Kurt Graham took to the water for a rider jam style competition. With a small swell the conditions were not ideal yet the guys pulled out all the stops. With a little professional banter (or heckling if you like) from a certain pro the pressure mounted on each rider to perform.

Back on the beach and there was a laid back atmosphere as the crowds chilled out, basking under the September sun whilst listening to the sounds from Alex K and Izzy Lawrence on the Sunkist Beach Stage. Making a return to the Lleyn Peninsula, DJ Goldierocks took over and with help from Scotty Broome, Charlie Young and a few hula hoops, space hoppers and water pistols, created her own take on Bombora fun!

At the festival site the action was hotting up as the team from Grit Scooters hit the 8ft King Ramps Midi Pipe. With a revival like no other, scooters are the latest craze, where even the youngest of riders can be seen throwing down some sick moves at skate parks all over the country. Throughout the day there had also been BMX and skateboard demos and have a go sessions on the ramps.

In the Glass Stage dance tent, Abersoch favourite and legendry DJ, Tim Lyall was joined by Niko on the decks as they whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their amazing set. The Prize Giving for the Amateurs and Juniors took place on the open air Butter Stage before the night got riotous as the Cuban Brothers took to the stage with their own ‘special’ brand of entertainment. Front man Miguel was as always on top form, leaving some of the younger crowd open mouthed as he performed his usual antics!

Saturday morning and the weather was horrendous with heavy rain and wind. Undeterred the Glass Butter Beach crew had set up camp on Hell’s Mouth Beach ready for the first ever Butter Beach Pro surf comp. Getting in on the action was Professional Free Surfer Karlee-Anne Mackie from Australia so too were professional wakeboarders Scotty Broome, Matt Crowhurst and Sam Carne who were entering their first surf comps. But the guys who really stole the show were the Welsh riders whose local knowledge of the conditions proved advantageous. There was also good local support for the amateur section too.

With the rain and wind set for the day we headed to Glasfryn Wake Park in the afternoon to complete the wakeboard comp on the System 2.0 set up and despite the conditions there was a good turnout of spectators. In addition to the pros there was action from the junior riders who had ‘won’ the rights to ride with the pros in the Junior competition the previous day. With the rain pouring down it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the young riders eager for another session. With tips being dished out by the pro's youngsters all learnt something new with a toeside 180 off the kicker being rightly claimed by one rather pleased rider.

Back at the festival site and there was Prize Giving on the open air Butter Stage with Scotty Broome taking first place in the rider judged boat comp and Matt Crowhurst taking first place in the rail comp.

As if by magic the rain stopped as Piff the Magic Dragon came on stage. On the back of his stand out show at Edinburgh Festival, Piff wowed the crowd with his zany magical comedy show; such lines as “it’s funny because it’s wrong” in reference to his Michael Jackson dancing Chihuahua will stay with us forever! 

Next up were the Rizzle Kicks who shimmied and wriggled across the stage with more energy than most of us who had spent a long day in the rain could possibly muster, finishing the set off with their hit single ‘Down with the Trumpets’.

But reggae legends Aswad showed that even after twenty years in the business they still had what it takes, gyrating in time to their reggae rhythms.

Finishing the night off, headliner Goldierocks, fresh from Leeds Festival and Creamfields, took the crowds to another level as she cranked up the base, pumping out some seriously sick beats. With the crowds calling for more Goldie slipped into the pit to say hello to a few very happy festival goers. 

So as the event drew to a close we can honestly say that thanks to the efforts of Mark and his Abersoch based team, the Glass Butter Beach festival certainly lived up to expectations. Unpretentious, the event had a fantastic vibe, totally laid back and chilled out; it was one amazing weekend spent with a brilliant crowd of extreme sports enthusiasts.