17 July 2015

BEIRUT: The fourth edition of the Lebanon Water Festival (lebWF) will kick off on July 26, with 25 Lebanese jet ski racers participating in the International Jet Ski Race at the Four Stars Resort in Ghazir Bay.

Among those competing are Tony Angelil, winner of the 2012 and 2014 lebWF jet ski competitions and Eddy Kheirallah, Lebanese jet ski champion from 1999 to 2002 (1,000 cc category). Elie Kanaan, Richard Bou Aoun, Rabih Hammam, Raffi Der Hagopian and Roudy Saleh will also take part in the race, which will consist of two rounds with an eight-gate circuit.

For the first time in Lebanon, a womens division will be competing. Tina Angelil, Jessy Abdo and Nesrine Zouein have already registered and will take part in the race.

Professional surfer and blogger for Eurosport Lee-Ann Curren will also be on site to cover the event.

Curren will be in Lebanon from July 25 to Aug. 2 to participate in the surfing competition in Jiyyeh and blog about the festival and Lebanons culture.

In addition to its competitive edge, the races mission is to raise awareness and educate people on safety measures when riding jet ski.

The race is organized in collaboration with the Lebanese Motorboat Club.

There are a lot of accidents involving jet skis. Fortunately, in the past eight years, we have seen an evolution thanks to the Lebanese authorities. People must now wear their vest and a helmet or they will get a fine, said Tino Angelil, owner of the Lebanese Motorboat Club and former Lebanese jet ski champion, according to a statement.

Riding a jet ski is one of the most thrilling things you can do on the water, but it can also be one of the most dangerous, explained Annette Khoury, co-founder of the festival.

The race is the perfect occasion to remind people of the importance of following safety precautions. People must wear a fitted lifejacket and a helmet, they must slow down when they reach 100 meters from the coast. The race, with its carefully designed circuit, also forces racers to use their technique instead of speed to win.

As part of the partnership between Exit to Nature, the paragliding leading school, and Lebanon Water Festival, which started in 2014, paragliders will fly over the Four Stars Resort in Ghazir Bay during the race.

We created this partnership because of the joint affinities: leisure, sport and safety. Just like jet skiing, paragliders need to follow strict safety rules in order for paragliding to remain a leisure sport, Khoury said.

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