WakeRide will hit the shores of Sicamous this summer.
A professional wakeboard competition, held in previous years on the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, will make its inaugural run in on Shuswap Lake this year.
The event is scheduled for July 28 and 29, and will take place in Old Town Bay.
Michelle Wolff, the Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce’s former executive director, and current manager of the visitor information centre, said the idea to hold the event in town got off the ground when she met one of the organizers during last year’s Ladies Ride event put on by the Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club.
“We just started having a conversation and he shared what he used to do and we just started talking and connecting all the players,” said Wolff. “We had hoped we’d have something little last year, but they do it big. Like… selling a few thousand tickets is the plan. It’s going to be a big event.”
Wolff said the organizers are working with the chamber, which is helping to co-ordinate the effort with the District of Sicamous, Twin Anchors and others to get the event on the water.
“Everybody’s working together on it – I think it will be a huge benefit for us,” said Wolff, noting a music festival and other family friendly activities will take place on the shore as the wakeboarders do their stuff on the water.
“There’s a lot that they want to put together, so there’s a lot of co-ordination yet, and we’ll be looking for probably 100 volunteers.”
