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Lakeside Paradise scores at BK Wakeboarding in Knokke-Heist

For water spectacle you had to be in Duinenwater this weekend. Lakeside Paradise organised the Belgian Championship Wakeboarding (cable) for the third time. 130 sportsmen and women defied wind and weather. A successful BK for Lakeside Paradise, both in terms of organisation and sport.

Knokke-Heistenaar Dries Desmidt is the sports coordinator of Lakeside Paradise and is organising the BK for the first time. After the cancellation of the International World Cup competition at the beginning of this year, the BK is more than welcome. The last time Lakeside organised the event was in 2016. "Arrangements are made every year with the other cable parks. The BK took place in Oudenaarde last year and in Charleroi before that."

"The BK is not only for wakeboarders, but also for wakeskaters. With wakeboarding you are pulled over the water on a cable. You can compare it with snowboarding, because your feet are fixed to the board. In wakeskating you stand loose on the board, like in skateboarding. 100 wakeboarders and 30 wakeskaters competed for the medals in 13 categories. There was a nice mix of young and old. The youngest participant is eight years old, the oldest 51. One third of them are members of Lakeside Paradise itself."

Belgian weather

Due to the large number of registrations, the qualifications started already on Friday evening. The final races had to be held on Sunday morning in difficult conditions. "We have ideal Belgian weather," laughs Dries. We've had bad weather at the BK for a number of years now. It has become a tradition to get out our winter jackets for the first time. It finally cleared up in the afternoon. Dries is not a water rat himself. "I like to be on the side of the organisation and make both riders and fans happy."

Lakeside Paradise was successful at the BK with so many participants at home. They captured 25 out of 42 medals. One of these was the title for Glenn Vandenberghe in the Wakeboard Open Men. The following members also took gold in wakeboarding: Louis Daems (U11 Mini Boys), Louis Eggerickx (U15 Boys), Maximilien Daelemans (U19 Junior Men), Pauline Appelmans (Open Ladies), Ken Van Accolyen (+30 Masters Men) and Christian Zwartjes (+40 Veteran Men). Louis Eggerickx (U15 Boys) and Jay Michel (U19 Junior Men) were on the top step of the podium in wakeskating.

 
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