Air Nautique Wake Games Wraps-Up Pro Qualifiers

Orlando, Fla. – The top wake athletes from throughout the globe hit the waters of the Orlando Watersports Complex in Orlando, Fla. today for the opening rounds of the 2010 Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR. The four-day pro-am contest kicked off today with qualifying rounds for the Pro Men, Pro Women and Pro Wakeskate divisions.

Those advancing past the opening rounds today earned an invitation to the Team Draft and will move on to the next round of the contest within their respective division.

At the Draft on Friday, 10 preselected captains will select qualifying athletes to field a team. Athletes will contribute points toward a team score based on their individual placement within their respective division. The team with the highest total score will take home the team title.

Nearly 50 wakeboarders competed today in the Pro Men’s division qualifiers. Only the top-two riders from each of the 10 heats qualified through to the Draft and on to Saturday’s quarterfinals. Rookie sensation, Bob Soven posted the high score of the day with a 78.33.

The Pro Women’s division featured four heats of four, with only the top-two riders from each heat advancing. Raimi Merrit, Amber Wing, Nicola Butler, and the defending Wake Games titlist, Dallas Friday, each led their respective heat today.

The Pro Wakeskate division had 10 shredders qualify through today. All ten wakeskaters will head to the Draft tomorrow evening and Brian Grubb is still on the hunt to pull the five-peat at the Air Nautique Wake Games.

The Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR will continue tomorrow, April 29 with 15 amateur divisions hitting the water before the Team Draft later that evening.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the 2010 Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR on television, tune in to FUEL TV on June 29 at 8 p.m. EST.

The Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. and has the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Fox, Oakley, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, PCM Marine Engines, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.

About Air Nautique
The Air Nautique by Correct Craft is the exclusive tow boat of the Wake Games. Celebrating 85 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.

About ROCKSTAR
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 thirteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, Roasted Light Vanilla, Cola, and Recovery. 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, Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout the United Kingdom.

About FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the action sports lifestyle network for skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, motocross, and wakeboarding. Through its original and commissioned series and specials, short-form content, films, and prestigious event coverage, the channel features action sports athletes, emerging musicians, celebrities, and breaking news. FUEL TV was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 30 million U.S. homes. FUEL TV has networks in Australia (FUEL TV Australia) and Portugal (FUEL TV Portugal) and its content is viewed in more than 50 countries around the world.

About King of Wake
The King of Wake is the world’s elite pro wakeboarding series, attracting the sport’s top athletes from throughout the globe. Over the course of a season, athletes compete for the ultimate wakeboarding crown in a series points race of eight events throughout the United States to see who rules the wake. The 2010 series consists of 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.

Thursday, April 29 Results:

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #01
1    Kyle Rattray         70.00
2    Jefferson Langley 61.67
3    Erik Ruck                56.67
4    Jason Bannatyne      50.00

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #02
1    Ben Greenwood     68.33
2    Marcelo Giardi      53.33
3    Shaun Murray          45.00
4    Nick Weinacker      35.00

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #03
1    Kyle Alberts          66.67
2    Sam Carne             58.33
3    Sam Thomson          53.33
4    Scott Stewart           46.67
5    Brad Spencer          36.67

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #04
1    Robby Carter        68.33
2    Danny Thollander 63.33
3    Collin Harrington      58.33
4    Jeff McKee             43.33
5.   Travis Cook            31.67

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #05
1    Chad Sharpe          66.67
2    Josh Palma            60.00
3    Kevin Henshaw       58.33
4    Tony Carroll            40.00
5.   Glenn Valentine        33.33

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #06
1    JD Webb                71.67
2    James Hines          58.33
3    Paul Hernaez           51.67
4    Gavin Hicks             40.00

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #07
1    Nick Jones             61.67
2    Austin Hair            55.00
3    Danny Burnstein       53.33
4    Kirby Liesmann       45.00
5.   Erik Nikstad            38.33

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #08
1    Phillip Aslinger      61.67
2    Bryan Hutton         60.00
3    Adam Wensink        50.00
4    Derek Grasman       41.67
5    Andy Milovanovic    30.00

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #09
1    Bob Soven             78.33
2    Keith Lyman          68.33
3    Shawn Watson        60.00
4    Andrew Shearer      51.67
5    Fletcher, Clay          41.67

PRO MEN
Qualifying — Heat #10
1    Dean Smith            66.67
2    Anthony Hollick    55.00
3    Dylan Miller             51.67
4    Jimmy Trask            43.33
5    Matt Dettman          21.67

PRO WOMEN
Qualifying — Heat #01
1    Raimi Merritt        61.67
2    Ann Hajek             43.33
3    Miku Asai                41.67
4    Melissa Marquardt   30.00

PRO WOMEN
Qualifying — Heat #02
1    Amber Wing          73.33
2    Hayley Smith         61.67
3    Bec Gange               53.33
4    Barrett Perlman        48.33

PRO WOMEN
Qualifying — Heat #03
1    Nicola Butler         73.33
2    Meagan Ethell       58.33
3    Corrie Dyer             48.33
4    Caroline Djupsjo      35.00

PRO WOMEN
Qualifying — Heat #04
1    Dallas Friday         66.67
2    Emylee Wright      51.67
3    Tarah Mikacich        41.67
4    Ashley Leugner        40.00

PRO WAKESKATE
Qualifying — Heat #01
1    Reed Hansen         73.33
2    Andrew Fortenberry        61.67
3    Brandon Thomas   56.67
4    Steven Campbell   40.00
5    Chris Kallas           30.00

PRO WAKESKATE
Qualifying — Heat #02
1    Stuart Shinn           65.00
2    Brian Grubb           63.33
3    James Balzer         53.33
4    George Daniels     43.33
5    Matt Hayden         33.33

PRO WOMEN’S WAKESKATE
Semifinals — Heat #01
1    Jen GilanFarr        63.33

AMATEUR WAKESKATE
Semifinals — Heat #01
1    Jim Branton           60.00
2    Ben Pierce             56.67
3    Forrest Risner       46.67
4    Travis Sitzberger      40.00