Europe's largest vert ramp assembled as Pitt St Skatepark gets ready for Wheatus headlined Send It 100 festival
Wheatus to headline at extreme sport and music festival
Europe’s largest vert ramp has been assembled ahead of an extreme sport and music festival in Portsmouth this weekend.
Pitt St. Skatepark on Commercial Road is hosting Send It 100 on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 with American pop-punk band Wheatus headlining the first day. The group, whose 2000 song ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ remains an enduring hit to this day, were late saviours after they stepped in when Scouting For Girls pulled out due to a scheduling issue.
They join a line-up that also includes Toploader, Dave McCabe, Wilkinson, Ardee and Serum. With the weekend approaching, the scene has been set for the other highlight of the weekend with wheeled sport competitions taking place throughout.
A number of international vert riders will be showcasing their skills and their stage has now been assembled. The vert ramp, a U-shaped ramp which is flat at the bottom and becomes completely vertical at the top, will see the likes of BMX rider Vince Byron, Inline skater Takeshi Yasutoko and skateboarders George O'Neill and Jake Anderson hurtling down it and performing tricks.
Alongside competitions there will also be kids' coaching sessions, roller discos and indoor street comps running across the two days. The skate competitions are open for application to a wide range of skill levels, ages and abilities with a prize pot of £10,000 over the weekend.
On announcing the late headline replacement, with Wheatus flying in especially for the festival, Bill Osborne, events promoter, said: "We're gutted to have lost Scouting for Girls this close to the event, they were a big part of what we'd built towards, and we know some people will be disappointed. But the show has to go on, and we think Wheatus are actually a better fit for a weekend built around skate and pop punk energy.
“We're honoured that the band is flying all the way from the US to perform just for us. Teenage Dirtbag is basically the unofficial anthem for every '00s teenager."
Tickets are available from £35 for adults and £10 for kids aged 6 to 17, with under 5s going free. Pitt St. Skatepark is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with every ticket sold going directly towards keeping the skatepark running.
For more details on the festival and how to buy tickets visit https://pittstskatepark.com/send-it-100/.