The biggest water sports trade fair in the world is opening for the 50th time on 19. January, when water sports enthusiasts everywhere are invited to come to Düsseldorf. A thrilling event focussing on the motto “360° watersports experience” is taking place there on 220,000 square metres of stand space in sixteen different halls. No end of different options are being presented for spending leisure time in, on or by the water, ranging from sailing, motor boating, diving, surfing and paddling to simply relaxing by the water. We have summarised all the different activities for you here that will make your visit to boot Düsseldorf an unforgettable experience and an entertaining day out.
When boot 2019 starts, the place to go to directly is Hall 3, where the first activity is waiting for you. The Dive Center is designed in the style of a Pacific diving base. Both beginners and experienced divers will enjoy a varied stage programme here or can try diving for themselves in the pool.
The next stop is Hall 4 with the Water Pixel World. This is where divers and other water sports fans will find all the technology needed to record their exciting (under)water adventures. Then it is time to move on to Halls 4, 5 and 6, past the huge luxury yachts, stylish tenders and fast speedboats.
There is plenty of fun and action to choose from at the 1,400 m² and 65-metre-long pool, such as skimboarding, kitesurfing, stand-up paddling, wakeboarding, tow-in windsurfing or – a new addition – courses in SUP yoga. The boot highlight that guarantees an adrenaline rush is “THE WAVE” made by citywave® that is 9 metres wide and 1.50 m high. Thanks to the tricks and skills of the experiencedaction team, beginners can try surfing on “THE WAVE” for the first time too. Information about availability of the popular timeslots for the wave as well as about relaxation at the Beach World can be obtained at thewave.boot.de.
You can register for the SUP yoga courses on both weekends from 17:15 to 17:45 hours, during which experienced yoga instructors will demonstrate initial exercises to you that increase flexibility, balance and muscular strength, at “THE WAVE” information counter at 10:00 hours every day. There are now SUP courses for beginners from 16:45 to 17:15 hours each day for everyone who has always wanted to try stand-up paddling but has not dared to do so yet. Because although SUP is very simple, it is even more fun with the right technique and posture. The cool SUP instructors will give you tips and show you how to learn to paddle properly. You can register for these courses at “THE WAVE” counter too. The Beach World in Hall 8a combines all trendy sports under one roof and leaves nothing to be desired.
The youngest of the boot visitors can look forward to Kinderland, the section of boot devoted to children in Hall 12. An entertaining and exciting children’s programme has been prepared here, including fun on a big bouncy castle.
Hall 13 is the next stop. Children, teenagers and adults can go canoeing here on the 90-metre course in a fantastic ravine setting or can try out new casting techniques and the latest angling equipment on the indoor pool in the recreational fishing centre.
Anyone who is interested in experiencing wind and water in an Optimist will not want to miss the boot sailing school in Hall 14. Powerful ventilators by the sailing pool produce strong enough winds to drive sailors across the water. The guests will be looked after perfectly in this context by the experts from the Unterbacher Seesailing school.
The sailing school also has a varied programme and exciting activities for visitors to take part in who prefer to stay on dry land. Boats 1.20 metres long controlled remotely from by the side of the pool can be sailed across the pool every weekday at 14:15 hours. Any visitor can practice initial sailing techniques during the rigging contest organised by the Düsseldorf Yacht Club and the daily knotting session held by the Association of German Recreational Boating Schools.
Other interesting displays for the youngest visitors to boot: the “maritime classroom” and the “love your ocean” stand, both of which are also in Hall 14. This is where children can find out about ocean protection measures and ideas while acting as young research scientists too.
It goes without saying that e-gaming was introduced in recreational sailing as well a long time ago now. The “Virtual Regatta” platform for players from all over the world gives everyone an opportunity to test their own skills during the Vendee Globe, the Route du Rhum or Kiel Week. Visitors can qualify for this in short races on this established platform before and during boot. The winners and runners-up in the qualifying rounds then meet for the grand finale on the stage of the Sailing Center in Hall 15 on 27.January. Information about this can be found online at https://www.boot.de/eSailing-auf-der-boot.
Then an exciting and adventurous day at boot Düsseldorf slowly comes to an end. boot closes at 18:00 hours and looks forward to welcoming many new water sports enthusiasts, adventurers and research scientists the next day.
About boot Düsseldorf:
boot Düsseldorf is the biggest boat and water sports trade fair in the world and is the place where all of the industry meets in January every year. The exhibitors are presenting their interesting innovations, attractive new developments and maritime equipment from 19. to 27. January 2019. This means that the whole of the market will be coming to Düsseldorf to provide an exciting insight into the entire water sports world for the nine-day exhibition covering 220,000 square metres in sixteen different halls. There is something for every water sports enthusiast, with the main focus on boats and yachts, motors and engine technology, equipment and accessories, services, canoes / kayaks / rowing, water skiing, wakeboarding, wakeskating, skimboarding, jetskiing, diving, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, SUP, fishing, maritime art, marinas, water sportsfacilities, beach resorts and chartering. The trade fair is open from 10:00 to 18:00 hours every day. Admission tickets can be ordered online at www.boot.de and printed out conveniently at home. As an additional feature, they entitle ticketholders to use the Rhine-Ruhr public transport system free of charge.