The HydroGarden Weston Beach Race course build is certainly no easy task. Headed up by RHL Activities’ director, Gareth Hockey, the construction began this year on the 29th of September, some 10 days before the event, where they create the obstacles for the hundreds of racers to negotiate, some that are as big as a small house.
It’s a huge effort with a big team of passionate and committed people behind the scenes that turn the Weston-Super-Mare seafront into the notoriously mad racetrack everyone loves.
This year the track build has been accelerated thanks to the involvement of Keyway Plant Hire, Hitachi, Lynch Plant Hire, Keen Attachments and UK Plant Operators, all of whom have made a massive contribution to the process of moving and then shaping 200,000 tons of sand into the infamous Weston course.
This year the course will be bigger and tougher than ever, providing a challenge for the riders and a real spectacle for the 100,000 strong crowd that is expected to turn out and watch at the event, which takes place this weekend.
But the build team isn't just involved with moving sand. Keyway will also be responsible for building the trials arena, using two 13-ton Hitachi swing excavators and some clever ramps designed and built by Keen Attachments. The challenging layout will be used by 12 times World trial Champion Dougie Lampkin and the Zero Gravity team throughout the course of the Weston weekend.
“I just love doing the HydroGarden Weston Beach Race. For me the best bit is when we get onto the beach and start building the course. A lot of people think we turn up and it just happens, then on the Monday after it all disappears, but in fact there’s a lot more to it and a big team behind it," explained Gareth Hockey, Director of RHL Activities.
"This year we've had help from Keyway Plant Hire, who supplied caterpillar bulldozers and loading shovels, while Lynch Plant Hire are providing the operators, and excavator all the fuel and a bowser to transport it around the site. We've also received help from Caterpillar, who supplied a loading shovel and are demonstrating their new skid steer here during the track build. Without the help of these companies the track build would be a much more daunting prospect," concluded Hockey.
For more information please visit
www.westonbeachrace.com