The sport is likened to snowboarding behind a boat

The Wakestock festival combines the extreme sports of wakeboarding with performances by big name bands and DJs such as Wheatus and Judge Jules.

In the four years it has existed, the O'Shea sponsored event has made its name as Europe's biggest wakeboarding and music festival.

The two-day event which opened with a gig on Friday night, centred around fierce competition on the wakeboarding decks - a sport similar to snowboarding on water.

The atmosphere is special, the sport great to watch and gives a different angle to a music festival Bethan Elfyn, Radio One

A 10,000 capacity crowd was expected to gather over two nights in three arenas overlooking Cardigan Bay to watch bands such as InMe, Wheatus, Athlete and Mint Royale.

Although the festival started in the small seaside village of Abersoch, two more sites at Penrhos and Pwllheli have now been added.

Now in its fourth year, O'Shea's Wakestock says it has doubled its numbers for every year and attracts a strong wakeboarding contingent from both the UK and abroad and has had bookings from as far afield as Russia this year

Organisers say the music festival "strongly focuses around the healthy, active lifestyle that is associated with wakeboarding".

Bethan Elfyn, co-presenter of Session in Wales on BBC Radio One, says the programme has covered the event since the beginning and describes it as "unique".

The crowds gather at Pwllheli promenade to watch the spectacle

"The atmosphere is special, the sport great to watch and gives a different angle to a music festival," she says.

"The people are friendly and the weather has been really scorching every time I've been there!

"I'd never heard of wakeboarding before the festival and it still amazes me how athletic they are in the water.

"It's like snowboarding behind a boat, over ramps and waves.

"The bands get bigger and bigger every year, and the crowd goes completely nuts, jumping up and down screaming their heads off no matter who's playing.

Spectators

"The promoters regularly have a mixture of big names and new names on stage, but the response is always the same. I don't know what's in the water in Abersoch!"

The presenter deejayed on Saturday evening and presented bands which also included Welsh singer Gwenno and Anglesey band Bootnic, which beat off stiff local competition to win a place in the line-up.

The event is advertised as one of Europe's fastest growing festivals

Spectators watched the action on the water from an 800m promenade which lines the course in Pwllheli's inner marina.

In past events the winners have come from Australia and the UK - the current male and female title holders are Dan Nott and Louise Moore.