The Town of Newquay, Cornwall, has played host to Boardmasters since 1981 – a festival that combines live music, surfing, and skateboarding over five days at the beginning of August. Cancelled in 2019 due to weather concerns and 2020 due to the pandemic, fans are looking forward to the festival’s return in 2021.
It would seem as though Kia is thrilled, too – they have just unveiled the Soul EV Boardmasters Edition, a one-off ‘recycled’ pre-production vehicle, saved from the crusher in order to mark the brand’s partnership with the festival.
In line with Boardmasters’ ethos of sustainability and lessening one’s impact on the environment, this Soul EV has been repurposed instead of being destroyed as is usually the case once pre-production vehicles have served their purpose. With its custom roof rack, chunky rally raid tyres, and bright white steel wheels, as well as dramatically raised ground clearance, it’s been ‘reimagined for surfers’. It also features bespoke modifications such as a roof-mounted LED spotlight, solar panel, and wooden decking where the rear seats used to be. Finishing touches include a swing-out arm to hang damp wetsuits, and a nifty beach bench fashioned from reclaimed wood – how beachy!
This interesting and utilitarian take on an EV will be on display at Boardmasters 2021 from the 11th to the 15th of August
