The sleepy little seaside village of East End will become a whole lot less sleepy when the East End Surf Challenge hits the water this month.
It’s jet-ski action, and the competition has never been hotter than at the 2011 East End Surf Challenge, held on Heroes Weekend, 21 to 24 January.
It’s a cool event that turns up the heat both on land and sea and brings everyone together in an atmosphere of conviviality and friendship. And it’s not just about racing. The landlubbers in the crowd will undoubtedly want to take in the Total Togetherness Kick Off party on 21 January at the LI Nightclub. This spectacular warm-up party begins at 9pm until 2am, with rider introductions as well as give-aways. Local and international DJs will show their talent on the decks, with such powerhouses as such as Selecta Renegade, DJ Von and a host of other local DJs. This call to action stations lasts until the small hours of Saturday morning, and serves to whet your appetite during this mother of all weekends.
Come Saturday and Sunday 22 and 23 January the action shifts from the dance floor to the powdery-white sands of the beach next to Miss Vivine’s Kitchen in Gun Bay in direct view of the Wreck of the Ten Sails, for the two day Captain Leroy Watson Sailing Regatta. Yes, the tiny village has produced some of the most respected seafarers, one of them being Captain Leroy, in whose honour the event is named.
The regatta is a true depiction of how the village of East End used to be when schooners and catboats were used for fishing and transport between the islands.
Then, when the sun sets at the end of the day with all its blazing glory in the west and the sailors are left to dry out from their day’s pounding efforts on the seas, they will settle on the beach and talk sailing stories as friends, because for all its passion amidst the red-hot cauldron of competition, it’s still a game.
The main event, which will test man with his guile and muscle against the sea and his opponents, is just over the horizon.
Man and machine meet the waves on Monday, 24 January, Heroes Day, and every racer is out to prove that he is worthy of this moniker, pushing mind, body and soul to the limit in the quest to win. Racers have said it’s the course of choice on the Island as it combines the best of off-shore and circuit racing. Now it’s their turn to prove who’s the best. The gates open at 10am at the new venue, Colliers Public Beach in East End. The action really revs up at high noon – this is jet-ski racing at its best and it’s no place for the faint of heart. Before the sun has set on this day, dreams will have been equally broken and realised, spectators by the thousands will have gotten their fill (attendance has grown each successive year) and in between the heat of battle for honours in the Super Stock, Modified and Novice classes, some culture can be sampled.
The great Fish Tea Cook Off will take place on race day as well, featuring cooks from the various districts of Grand Cayman preparing their mouth-watering brews that, according to local lore, can add years to your life or even do what the spam e-mail can only promise.
Think of fish tea as a potpourri of all things fishy with a bright-red kick. However, an even better bit of advice will be to sample it, and then let the results speak for themselves.
Fish tea will not be the only thing raising the temperature on Heroes Day either.
Local dancers are sure to make you sweat as they demonstrate the latest dance moves to the hottest tunes; if you feel especially brave then the organisers don’t want you to feel left out so they’ve arranged for a talent competition.
Then, just when you think things can’t get any hotter, it’s time for the models, with the 2Frenzied girls from Honduras, Jamaica and Cayman get their opportunity to showcase their talents, to say nothing of the clothing as the East End Surf Challenge rolls on.
Sadly for some and fortunately for others, the day eventually comes to an end and it will be time to reflect and look forward to next year’s edition.
All this enjoyment is made possible by a number of generous sponsors such as; What’s Hot, Vision Marketing, Red Bull, Flowers Bottled Water, Cayman Screen Print, First Impression, Maedac Supply, Massive Equipment Rental and Naya Wear.