What is this reborn Z-GAMES! 

What is this reborn Z-GAMES!  The weather on the day of departure seemed to shout, “Take a coat and boots with you, and do not forget of a hat with earflaps”. We certainly decided to listen to our common sense and took some warm clothes, but still the hope for getting a full portion of the summer still remained. We decided to go by Z-transfer, as all friends suddenly went somewhere, and Bla bla car hasn’t provided any good options. But we were right with the Z-bus, for as experience has shown, it was a handful of joy, fun, and loudness 🙂

The first day of the festival was the most fussy, gray, and weird one. We did not know what to expect, as we remember the best moments of previous Z-Games. Art objects, installations, trappings, and other structures both on the festival territory and beyond it, were very reminiscent of Z-objects of the old Kazantip, which people always were so fond of! It was a new challenge – to like and accept the new location of the festival, because it wasn’t worse than the former one at all. Visitors have to give a head start to the festival organizers, because this time guys did everything from scratch. That is to say, the first part of the second season, entitled Rebirth! Besides, the constant Hello, are you here, too? kept creating the warm atmosphere…

It seemed that everyone around is familiar. During the whole day, the organizers were bringing products, tables and chairs, prepared ramps, and filled up the mini-pool for skimboarding with the sea water. Guests formed the queues for attaining a visa, arranged their tents in camping (or settled in the rooms), and examined the food court (we’ll tell about that small food festival later).

There were, surprisingly, really a lot of people. And every day, until the last one, the camping grew bigger, and the lines became longer. Musical beat helped the fussy residents of the metropolis to switch to the rest mode.

Hard wind was blowing, so any swimming or sunbathing was impossible; however, the first days of inclement weather provided the great opportunities for kiters. The evening was slowly changed with the night, and at the sounds of DJ sets, we really broke into the night 🙂

The second day has finally activated all sports grounds and the anticipated action-sports have begun! As soon as people woke up, the kiteboarding competitions started, prizes were assigned, and by the way, the second place was taken by a guy with patriotic yellow and blue parachute kite.

Skateboarding in a special shallow pool (Skimboard competition) is nice summer sport both for beginners and professionals, which hasn’t left the best performers without presents.

Skateboarding didn’t lose to other types of Z-sports considering its entertainment: complex feints, talented boys and girls, and my desire to learn a new extreme sport. The start of durt rolling marked the steep forthcoming official competitions that were scheduled on the 4th day. At the Black Sea coast, the rope-walkers showed wonder on a highline stretched overhead. Everyone could learn how to go in for slacklining, and I was no exception, at a low altitude of course 🙂

I lost my voice at the break-dance battle Battle School. 85 amazing participants had blown away the minds of both fans of this complex sport and simple onlookers passing by.

The evening was rich in intellectual music: Вагоновожатые (Vagonovozhatyie) encored twice. Ukrainian high-quality music was represented by Sinoptik and Fontanliza. My Playlist replenished considerably!

Energy was barely left for continuing the fun: the choice between 4 dance floors, including the famous Kyiv club Atlas (which settled at Z-platform under the three petals). Despite slight yawning, the legs kept moving, and hands kept shaking to the beat and sound of the sea and lush electro.

Day three: Z-games in full swing! Every few minutes new visitors appeared at the festival. It is becoming hotter, despite the changeable weather! More Z-people appear on the beach, the weather is pretty summer. Sportsmen working out, pretty girl in a bikini pleasing the eye. Last night, that didn’t leave anyone alive, and this morning, garnished with fresh faces)) How is it possible at all? 🙂

Sports line-up was included BMX-Street rolling, Freerun, Trampoline, and Freesbe competitions. Slackline, Trickline, Skateboarding, and all the same Z-Kite were even more active.

At sunset, already so familiar Z-stage band O.Torvald and newcomers BRUTTO rocked the people. By the way, the band leader Sergei Mikhalok wasn’t lining-up Z-Games for the first time either: before, he performed as part of my favorite group Lyapis Trubetskoy. This time, together with his new team he played new songs in BRUTTO style and good old hits by Lyapis (in new arrangement, of course). In general, I thought it would be worse. The new Mikhalok’s project was pleasantly surprising.

At 11 p.m. the crowd went mad when XZIBIT with his Dj appeared on the stage. And they were as awesome as everyone expected: the greatest hits and live communication with the public in: F*ck you Xzibit style (from the Xzibit)… All this in the style of a guy who is remembered most due to the Pimp My Ride show.

In general, the day was long and eventful, and I had to make a huge effort forcing myself to leave for the tent. Everything the way I like – the energy comes from every event, every musician, and every person.

Oh, I almost forgot: before the start of musical line-up, Miss Bikini competition took place on the main stage. It became hot not just for the boys! Hosts (in person of Oleksandr Pedan, Sasha Borysenko, and Ruslan Zarbaliiev), picked the girls not only by their beauty but also the manner to behave, charisma, talent, and yes – the intellect! P.S. Later, talking to the winner, I was pleasantly surprised: she was a girl with higher education and unrestrained desire to preserve the environment. According to her, she knew that her husband does not approve of everything that happens, but she is already on the stage, smeared with honey, in the top three, the audience warms up the desire to win, and there’s no turning back.

On the fourth day, with new forces, we were riding on the balance boards, jumping on a trampoline, walking the tightrope, and playing beach games. Someone were playing rugby, the others simply sunbathing (sun was pitiless that day), however, it was a lot to do there, and it was really impossible to get everywhere.

Now, I’ll tell you about the food court. The selection of goodies was huge: from big burgers (50 UAH) and green hot dogs (40 UAH) to Thai cuisine (from 40 UAH) and vegetarian sweets (from 10 UAH). The assortment of drinks was equally impressive: cool ale, cider, something stronger, the ocean of ​​beer at affordable prices (from UAH 15), lots of Redbull, and great selection of teas. Everyone seemed cheerful, and in the evening drunken heads appeared on every corner 🙂

After lunch, the cheerleading championship took place, where girls demonstrated their beautiful bodies, bright costumes, and excellent stretch. The worthy ones became the winners. By the end of the day, almost all the final competitions of extreme sports and awarding ceremonies were finished.

Reggae, folk, punk-rock, and lounge: and those aren’t all styles of music that were presented by CHEROKEY, SECRET-AVENUE, and TESLA BOY.

The fifth and the final festival day determined the best in the following kinds of sports: Z-Rollerbading, Z-Kite, Z-Parkour, and Z-Workout.

People tried to see and try everything, to go everywhere, and the great part of visitors was leaving in the evening.

Packing, last swimming in the sea, farewells, and, oddly enough, no sadness. This is all Z-Games is about: no one leaving sad, constant sounds of Z-partying playing in your head, wonderful memories for a couple of weeks on arrival, image processing begins, and endless new Z-friends, the ones we will certainly meet in same place next year!