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24° World Festival On The Beach
PALERMO – Italy  16-24  Maggio 2009

ALWAYS THE SAME BUT ALWAYS DIFFERENT
THE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO SICILY. WINDSURFING, SAILING, BEACH VOLLEY, KITESURFING, SURF, GOLF, A WEEK OF SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT WITH THE RSX TEAM RACE EUROPEAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

The scenery of Palermo’s valley and its cradle, Mondello, are the expressions of the Sicilian essence at its best and the ideal stage where each year the “World Festival On The Beach” punctually takes place.

The 24th edition of the World Festival on the Beach will open its doors once again in May, welcoming even more enthusiastic surfers and tourists who are attracted to Mondello by the various events held, for its particular characteristics that are able to bring together Sicily’s historical and natural environments. The Albaria Club as always is organising the event along with the local council and the Sicilian regional tourism department.

From day to night in the Mondello Bay thousands of keen surf fans are to be found, this great Sicilian Festival brings together different events that transforms this little town outside Palermo into a tourist village unique in its kind.

Valdesi Square strictly becomes a pedestrian zone surrounded by its well-cared gardens and opens the gates of Mondello and its festival among palm trees and colourful flowers. Elegant, welcoming, busy and full of colours but most of all free, the public village becomes the heart of all the events of the World Festival on the Beach. There are no tickets to pay and no queues to line up in. It’s a large area open to everyone in which its general aspect is that of a huge living room in the middle of town.

The organizers behind it all have once again been able to get together and make this mission impossible into something real, along with the guarantee towards the public of a great event that sets of the beginning of the summer season in Mondello.

Mondello is where the event is to be held, a lovely golden beach with the sea water and its tropical colours. All of this is only seven kilometres away from Palermo, and only a few hours away from many treasures in which Sicily is full off.

The event wouldn’t be complete without the windsurfing, there will be the European Team Race “open” Championships for teams who compete in the RS:X Olympic Class. The teams will be made up of two men and one woman, they will battle out against each other in a race that will be a kind of America’s Cup themed race. The Sicily Grand Prix will also be held during the event and other races for the various kinds of surf boards.

The weekend will be dedicated to the classical tall ship race from Palermo to Mondello. There will also be the sailing/golf combination again this year, with a skin game contest on the green and a spectacular Driving Contest.
Not to be missed is the beach volley tournament with matches of two against two in the arena set up on Mondello’s beach. From the 18th to the 24th of May the international beach volley tournament will take place after the students tournament, the last two editions had a good success with more than 450 students from in and around Palermo taking part.
To give even more adrenalin to the festival on Mondello’s beach there will be shows from parachute jumpers and paragliding.
There will be a step back in time with the 3° edition of Fencing on the Beach, this is the third time that a fencing match will take place, fencing took place in Mondello as far back as the early 1900’s, with battles being held in the 20’s.

In the evening people can enjoy a peaceful walk along the beach without having to worry about cars and smog, they may want to assist at the many shows that will be held each evening, as every year at the festival are held, such as the jazz concerts, classical and pop music from artists known in the music world and who are all waiting to experience another fantastic edition of the Festival.

The great sports and music events from a “surprise” program make up the formula that has been appointed along with the quality of its contents, the success of the “World Festival on the Beach” will soon celebrate its 24st birthday.

www.wwfestival.com – Tel.+39 91 6844483  Fax+39 91 6843785 – E-mail: albariapress@albaria.com
Sede mare:Viale Regina Elena, 89 – 90149 Mondello-Palermo – Tel./Fax +39 91 453595