This August, eight Maldivian surfers will make waves alongside six ex-world champions in the world’s most luxurious surfing event. Hotly anticipated to be the country’s biggest ever showcase of Maldivian surfing, the inaugural Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy will be held at Four Seasons Resort Kuda Huraa from August 27 to September 2, 2012, alongside Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, a showdown between six ex-world champions. Organized by luxury surf pioneers Tropicsurf, Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy will be run from Four Seasons Explorer catamaran. The domestic competition will see local surfers competing under the same world-class standards as the adjoining world champions’ event, with equal commentary, computer scoring and ASP judging criteria.

“We’re delighted to be given the opportunity to showcase our best local talent alongside living legends such as Tom Curren, Mark Occhilupo and Martin Potter,” commented Ismail Haleem of the Maldivian Surfing Association. “The Maldives is fast gaining a reputation as one of the world’s best surfing destinations and we’re looking forward to showing the world that we’ve got surfing talent to match.” The Maldivian surfers will be selected by the Maldivian Surfing Association prior to the event via a local competition. Each will then compete in four-man event heats to qualify for the final – a MVR 25,000 showdown for the title of Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy 2012.

The domestic final will place immediately prior to the Surfing Champions Trophy final on the last day of competition, in a move aimed to give equal billing to local stars. The only difference in the two competitions lies in board selection: local surfers will compete on conventional thruster boards, whereas the world champions will tackle three boards ranging from retro single-fins to contemporary triple-fins. Despite not featuring in last year’s inaugural event, Maldivian surfers were still very much front of mind. The 2011 victor, Mark “Occy” Occhilupo (Australia), dedicated his win to the late Tony Hussein Hinde – considered to be “the father of surfing in the Maldives” – who looked after Occhilupo on his first visit to the country more than a decade ago.

Occy will be returning to this year’s Surfing Champions Trophy event to defend his crown. Joining him will be Tom Curren (USA) – three-time world champion and true soul surfer; Martin "Potz" Potter (South Africa) – world champion, aerial-pioneer and all-round Mr Cool; longboard master Phil Rajzman, the only Brazilian in history to become world champion of the elite ASP World Tour; Damien Hardman (Australia) – two-time world champion; and 2005 Women’s World Champion, Chelsea Hedges (Australia) . Guests booking Kuda Huraa’s all-inclusive four or seven-night Champions Trophy package – available from August 27 to September 2 only – can get right on top of the action with competition day passes aboard the vessel plus three half-day surfing passes with Tropicsurf. Back on land, they’ll also get to rub shoulders with their surfing heroes and experience a level of intimacy and camaraderie unique in competition surfing.

 

The London 2012 Festival has been one of the most successful elements of the London 2012 Olympic Games – and some of the most ambitious and exciting commissions are still to come. The festival has so far been enjoyed by more than 12 million people in events ranging from a bouncy-castle version of Stonehenge to the World Shakespeare Festival. The fun continues for another three and a half weeks until 9 September with events all over Britain.

Through the festival the nation has been transformed into a canvas for innovative and unique events. Those coming up over the next two weeks are among the most extraordinary. Walking sees a stretch of North Norfolk’s wild coastline transformed by sculptural installations and outdoor theatre. The stunning landscape, which many people will have already admired on screen as the setting for the final scene of Shakespeare in Love, will become the stage for an extraordinary outdoor adventure. Set over a three mile stretch of the Holkham estate in Norfolk – some sections of which are not usually open to the public – this is part walk and part theatrical experience, punctuated by gigantic architectural installations along the way.

Flags is internationally renowned German artist Hans Peter Kuhn’s new installation artwork set against the backdrop of the spectacular Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. The work stretches along the length of the bay, just beyond the stones, and features a series of randomly positioned flags along the trail and the banks of the cliff face. The flags, red on one side and yellow on the other, will rotate in the wind creating a flickering pattern against the dramatic landscape.

Mittwoch aus Licht is the world premiere performance of German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen’s monumental opera cycle Licht/Light, directed by Graham Vick and staged by Birmingham Opera Company. For the first time, all six parts of this opera will be staged, featuring two choirs, flying solo instrumentalists, live electronic and acoustic music and a string quartet streamed live from four flying helicopters. YesYesNo - Connecting Light is a new art installation along the line of Hadrian's Wall, designed by New York based digital arts collective YesYesNo. Using a series of weather balloons lit by internal LED lights, the installation will become a line of pulsating colours as 'messages' are sent along the Wall. The installation will be visible in the evening and accessible to visitors at several locations, creating a unique way to experience one of Britain’s most popular UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Africa Express is the train to take. The concept is simple: take some of the best African and Western musicians, put them in a train and send them around Britain to entertain the nation with fantastic music. The train leaves London on 2 September and travels through England, Scotland and Wales. There are scheduled concerts in Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol & London as well as pop-up performances at railway stations, schools, factories, offices, shopping centres and homes. Michael Clark – Barrowlands Project. Iconic Scottish dancer, choreographer and artist Michael Clark will take over the celebrated Glasgow Barrowlands, now a legendary rock music venue and with a history as Glasgow’s premier dance hall to create a powerful dance event with local people, who have been invited to perform alongside company dancers to create a communal dance experience.