Intel takes Technology to the extreme at the 2004 Goldcoast Oceanfest

This year’s GoldCoast Oceanfest sees a new face on the UK outdoor sports scene in the shape of title sponsor Intel. The world’s largest chip maker has signed up to the annual freesports, sports and music extravaganza, held in North Devon.
Traditionally held on the midsummer weekend, and part of the North Devon festival (this year on the 18-20 June 2004),  the Intel® GoldCoast Oceanfest is focused on the influential lifestyle and freesports market, and highlights some of the fastest growing and exciting extreme sports to attract competitors, spectators and media.

Intel’s involvement with the 2004 event will bring exciting technology for both indoor and outdoor use to the festival – such as Intel® Centrino® mobile technology, which enables wireless Internet access. Laptops that are based around the technology have longer battery life, fast processing power and allow wireless connection to the growing number of Internet hotspots. Event marshals and judges at the Intel GoldCoast Oceanfest will be using Intel® Centrino® mobile technology to communicate between different areas of the large event site without wires – from recording music on the main stage to judging the watersports from the beach.*

The Intel Goldcoast Oceanfest production showcases surfing, longboarding, beach volleyball, beach football, board & surf ski paddle racing, Australian surf boats, kitesurfing, BMX trials, mountain boarding and skateboarding. And it also has the added enjoyment of a live music stage and big screen alongside a trade village incorporating licensed bars and restaurants, demos, adrenalin zones, exhibitions, sampling, simulators and corporate hospitality, all overlooking the beautiful Croyde Bay.

Tim Hatch of Intel said: “This is a real opportunity to show what Intel’s technology can do in the fabulous setting of Croyde. For the first time the festival will be run using wireless mobile technology – and we’re looking forward to Intel surfing the waves as well as the Internet! It’s also a chance for spectators to experience all the great fun applications available through Intel technology - from playing the latest extreme PC games and listening to MP3s to editing videos and pictures directly from the event.”

Intel GoldCoast Oceanfest Director, Warren Latham added: "One of the major aims of the GoldCoast Oceanfest is to grow the ocean sports industry, create awareness for ocean related causes and encourage corporate participation in these endeavours. The sponsorship that we have secured with Intel brings high profile technological and communication assets to the arena, and the marketing muscle the whole Oceanfest promotional strategy deserves."

The GoldCoast Oceanfest was initiated in 1998 as a vehicle for the global and influential lifestyle and freesports industry, to influence the direction of freesports events taking place on the shores of the UK, whilst showing the way in event-led tourism, in the South West of England.

Since its inception, the breathtaking venues in North Devon have provided a wonderful backdrop for spectators and competitors to enjoy this unique format of lifestyle events. The evolving design, production and marketing of the GoldCoast Oceanfest has led to the event becoming one of the most successful ocean sports events in Europe and is testimony to the vision, hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes by a small and vastly talented team.