COMPETITORS from across the Isle of Wight, the UK and overseas descended on Ryde's Appley Beach for the inaugural Wight Waves beach sports and live music festival.

Over two days, the event — the biggest of its kind ever staged on the Island — featured beach tennis, foot volley, and senior men’s and women’s and junior beach soccer.

There were also demonstrations and lifeguard support people of all ages and abilities tried paddle boarding, which was run by Tackt-Isle.

The men’s foot volley competition was won by dynamic Isle of Wight duo Jim Churches and Jacob Morley, who beat a Portsmouth pair in the final after they saw off Brighton in the semi-finals.

The men’s Isle of Wight Beach Soccer team were beaten in the final of the Men’s National Beach Soccer League by London’s Corinthian Casuals.

The mixed U12s youth beach soccer tournament was won by Brading Youth, who comfortably defeated the Wight Blues 6-0 in the final, to scoop the youth beach soccer double this season.

The Women’s National Beach Soccer League was won by Portsmouth Ladies, a team comprised of a number of England Ladies players.

The England players remained at Appley to watch and support Elite Soccer's U10s Girls Beach Soccer development squad, who played an exhibition match and, after being impressed so much by their performance, offered to travel back to Appley to run a training session for them.

Ryde mayor, Cllr Michael Lilley, joined organisers for the presentation ceremony for each event and spent the weekend watching the sports and meeting competitors.

The event was supported by Island musical acts, Born in a Barn and Joe Publik, who played throughout Saturday and into the evening at the beach barbecue and bar for the throngs enjoying the sports.