Orlando, Fla. – The world’s premier pro wakeboarding series, the King of Wake, is set to kick off the 2009 season in Orlando, Fla. with its first event of the year, the Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR. The four-day-long event held at the Orlando Watersports Complex, April 23-26, is the first of eight stops throughout the United States on the 2009 tour.
 
With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season, athletes compete during the course of the year to be named the “King of Wake” – an award based on points accumulated at each stop of the series. In 2009, the series points race begins with the Wake Games, where the sport’s top pro athletes will look to set the tone for the rest of the season by winning the first event of the year.
 
Last year, the “Bone-Crusher,” Rusty Malinoski took first place in the Pro Men’s division at the 2008 Wake Games by edging out current King of Wake champ Phillip Soven by a single point. Soven, who was the previous Wake Games winner, will look to reclaim his title from Malinoski in the ongoing heavyweight saga of Malinoski vs. Soven. However, both heavyweights will have their work cut out for them, as the Wake Games has attracted the world’s best riders, who all want to capture the title for themselves and get an early lead in the King of Wake standings.
 
The Pro Women will also be vying for points at Wake Games towards their five-event series, the Queen of Wake. Current Queen of Wake champion Nicola Butler captured her first-ever pro win at the 2008 Wake Games, and plans to defend her title against some of the top female rippers on the planet. One rider in particular, Dallas Friday, an Orlando native, will be gunning for Butler, as Friday looks to win her first-ever Wake Games title in front of a hometown crowd.
 
In addition to being part of the contest series, the Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR is also a unique competition that teams pro riders with local amateur wake athletes in a pro-am team challenge format.
 
Ten preselected pro riders will serve as team captains and host a public draft to field a squad of male and female, pro and amateur wake athletes. Athletes will not only go for the win in their respective divisions, but also contribute points to a team score based on their final placement in the contest. The team with the highest overall score will take home the 2009 team title and prize money.
 
Last year, captain Shaun Murray and his crew took home the team title at the 2008 Wake Games. As the winning captain, Murray automatically returns to the ’09 Wake Games as a captain, where he will look to draft another winning team. Phillip Soven, Rusty Malinoski, Aaron Rathy, JD Webb, Andrew Adkison, Shawn Watson, Adam Errington, Trevor Hansen and Bryan Hutton will also serve as team captains at this year’s event, as they each finished in the top nine, respectively, in the 2008 King of Wake series.
 
Each of the ten captains will draft nine other wake athletes to assemble their ten-man team. Each team includes: a team captain, two pro male wakeboarders, two female wakeboarders (amateur or pro), two wakeskaters (pro, women or amateur), and three amateur male wakeboarders.
 
The Wake Games Draft will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
 
The Air Nautique Wake Games presented by ROCKSTAR is a four-day carnival of water-sports action. But not all of the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons great food and music, athlete autograph signings, chances to win freebies, and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores offering water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.
 
The Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Wake Games have the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Fox, the U.S. Air Force, Central Florida Toyota, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Oakley, Reef, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.
 

The Air Nautique by Correct Craft is the exclusive tow boat of the Wake Games. Celebrating 84 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft Inc. is the producer of the Nautique line of boats. The manufacturer of Nautique is known for delivering superior quality product, cutting-edge technology and exceptional service experiences.

 
ROCKSTAR is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in eleven amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla. ROCKSTAR ENERGY SHOTS are available in Wild Berry and Tropical Punch flavors. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, and throughout the United Kingdom.
 
Media Partners
To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the King of Wake series, tune in to FUEL TV – the official television partner of the King of Wake. WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the King of Wake series. Read about all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and news.
 
King of Wake
Viewed as the world’s elite pro wakeboarding circuit, the King of Wake series has attracted the sport’s top athletes from throughout the globe. With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season, athletes compete during the course of the year to be named the “King of Wake” – an award based on points accumulated at each stop of the series. Events include the Wake Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard World Championships and all five stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour. The King of Wake is organized by World Sports & Marketing – the leading wake events producer since 1988.