Island hosts 'ultimate' skateboarding contest

The second round of the 2025 championship was held in Turkey

About 30 "fearless competitors" from around the world are set to take on the extreme sport of downhill skateboarding on a Manx road for the first time.

The third round of the 2025 World Downhill Skateboarding Championship will see participants compete on a 0.8 mile (1.3km) course on the A14 Tholt-y-Will Road near Sulby Reservoir.

Riders reach speeds of up to 80mph (129km/h) in the series, which has seen rounds held in Austria and Turkey, with events in the USA and El Salvador still to come.

Promoter Selim Kemahli said bringing the contest to the home of the TT races from 4 to 6 July was "very exciting" as the island was "synonymous with speed and adrenaline".

Luge and skateboarding competitions will be taking place on the Isle of Man

The Manx route has an average incline of 8.5% but reaches 22% at its steepest.

The course starts at a cattle grid and features a fast straight with two hairpin turns shortly before the finish.

The skateboarding category sees racers donned in leather suits, crash helmets, gloves take to the course standing on their boards.

The luge contest sees riders lie on their backs on the boards, using their feet to steer and brake.

The Isle of Man round of the championship will be streamed live

Qualifying runs for the two leagues of competition will take place on Friday and Saturday, with racing planned for Sunday.

Mr Kemahli confirmed the "ultimate" contest for the sport was governed by a strict set of rules, with a raft of safety measures, kit inspections and insurance requirements.

He encouraged Manx residents to turn out and watch along the course as "we know that the island has a culture of spectating on crazy stuff".

Spectating at the event was "like watching the TT without the engines", he said.

"This year we're dipping our toes, if its a success we hope to come back year after year using the Gooseneck section of the Mountain Course down into Ramsey," he added.

A section of the A14, from next to the Sulby Reservoir to the Tholt y Will Glen, will be closed between 09:00 BST and 18:30 daily for the event.

Organisers expect the road will be opened for brief periods throughout the duration.