Beach motorbike race made 'as extreme as possible'

A thousand motorbike riders from all around the world have battled it out on the sands of the North Somerset coast.

This year's Weston Beach Race, featuring motorbike and quad-bike events over massive sand dunes, attracted a record 70,000 spectators on the beach at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday and Sunday.

Conrad Mewse from Somerset was victorious in the main race, denying eight-times world champion Billy Bolt his first win at Weston.

Gareth Hockey, race director, said: "We make everything as extreme as we can for the riders, they want the challenge."

The event started in 1983 and today has youth events and races featuring quadbikes and side cars.

"We've got kids who came at seven and eight now starting in the main race," Hockey said.

"When a fan comes once, because it's so different and extreme, they get hooked and come back again and again.

"You don't have to be into motorbikes to enjoy this spectacle," he said.

Most spectators are local but riders come from all around the world, Hockey said, as the event is often on a rider's bucket list.

"We like to make it as tough as we can," he said, adding the 20m-high sand dune returned this year for the first time in a while.

Hockey said the event, which is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, was also "important for the economy of the town and the wider area".

"We try to work with North Somerset Council and the locals so the money comes into the town - that's what the event has always been about."

Harry, one of the riders, said: "It's great for spectators to get the entertainment.

"I think it's great that people are getting out and racing and pushing the boundaries," he said.

"I do always say 'life begins at the edge of your comfort zone', so for me that's where I am now and that's why I'm doing it today."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.