The 4th annual Boardshorts, Bulls and Bikini’s wakeboard rail jam, presented by Malibu Boats and Monster Energy Drink, took place in Dallas, Texas last Saturday night and it was arguably the best one to date! It was definitely the best weather conditions yet for this Texas style winter wakeboard party as temperatures were in the mid to high 60’s.  With an impressive line-up of top local and pro riders, the packed house was treated to some exciting rail jam action, rowdy mechanical bull riding, a smoking hot bikini contest and great live music from Fort Worth based psychedelic rockers – Spoonfed Tribe.
The event took place at the world famous Gilley’s honky-tonk, just south of downtown Dallas.

The action kicked of at 8:30pm as seventeen riders prepared to battle it out for cash and one of two coveted Boardshorts, Bulls and Bikini’s custom silver belt buckles that were up for grabs. The set-up provided by Orlando based Step Up Productions featured a 40-foot rooftop rail, a cheese wedge kicker to fun box and a massive big air kicker. Riders were split into three heats with the top two from each heat advancing to the rail jam finals. Each rider would get three attempts to lay down their best trick.

Heat #1 featured Andrew Dyrhood, returning champion Shane Bonifay and his Liquid Force teammate Aaron Reed, Ronix pro Clay Fletcher and Hyperlites high-flying Kyle Alberts. Fletcher won the round with a clean transfer 180 to nose press and would advance along with Kyle Alberts whose massive bat wing off the kicker had the crowd going crazy. Alberts narrowly edged out Bonifay’s stylish transfer to back board.

Heat #2 featured Tony Carroll, Billy Garcia, Company Wake pro Tino Santori, Brady Webb, Lucas Snyder and 2008 King of Wake champion and Malibu Boats/Liquid Force pro Phillip Soven.  Soven had three clean hits to take the round and Tony Carroll followed Kyle Alberts lead launching off the kicker with a huge tail glide to advance to the six-man final.

 The third and final heat featured 2008 WWA Wake Park Champion Tom Fooshee, his regional LF teammate Ryan Anderson, wakeskate shredder Bret Little, Jo Jo Lemberg, CWB pro Gabe Lucas and Brian Sasser. Gabe Lucas advanced with a super clean back board 270 out and would be joined in the finals by his San Marcos, Texas neighbor Bret Little. Little, one of only two wakeskaters in the competition stomped a flawless front board shuv off the fun box.

The party was in full swing by the time the finals got started around 10:00pm. The viewing balconies at Gilley’s were packed and the Monster Energy Drinks were flowing as the crowd prepared for the final showdown. Each rider would get four attempts to throw down their best trick for a piece of the $2000 purse. 

They all attacked the course with reckless abandon, but when the dust settled, it was the technical precision of Malibu/Liquid Force pro Phillip Soven that secured the win. The trick that did it was a super clean switch 270 to front board on with 270 transfer to switch front board 90 out.  For the win, Soven took home the Monster check for $1000 and the first of two custom silver BBB belt buckles that would be given out that evening. It was Soven’s first ever rail jam win and he was stoked to get it at an event presented by his boat sponsor – Malibu Boats! Soven narrowly edged out the always-innovative Gabe Lucas who took second place and a check for $500 for his switch toe side transfer to front board. Third place went to Kyle Alberts whose aerial antics had the crowd on their feet all night. Alberts boosted a HUGE indy tantrum off the kicker and landed clean to lock up third place and a check for $250.

After the rail jam wrapped up, the six finalists, along with defending champion Shane Bonifay, headed over to the bull-riding arena for a shot at the second custom silver belt buckle. Gabe Lucas looked like he had it won with a ride of 20 seconds, out-lasting his friend Bret Little by a couple tenths of a second. But then the final rider of the evening…defending bull-riding champion Shane Bonifay…stepped into the ring. After a couple of laps around the arena high-fiving the cheering crowd…Bonifay mounted the mechanical bull and proceeded to win an unprecedented third buckle with a ride of 27 seconds.
The crowd then headed inside The Loft at Gilley’s for the awards ceremony followed by the Hot Bod Bikini Contest and a live music from Spoonfed Tribe. It was a great way to wrap up to a great evening and insured that Boardshorts, Bulls and Bikini’s will return to Gilley’s in 2010!

In addition to Malibu Boats and Monster Energy Drink, this event was made possible with support from Liquid Force Wakeboards, Spy Optic, Woly Board Company, Straight Line, Skull Candy, Gilley’s-Dallas and local Malibu Dealer Waterski America. Media partners included Alliance Wakeboard Magazine, Wakeboarding Magazine, Texas Boating Magazine, Dallas Wakeboarding.com, Wakeboarder.com, Wakeworld.com and local rock radio station – 97.1 The Eagle.

Special thanks to all of the riders who participated, fans who attended, judges, crew and to announcer extraordinaire – Dano the Mano – who kept the party rolling all night long!

Rail Jam Round-by-Round Results
Heat #1 (Top 2 advance to finals)
1.    Clay Fletcher
2.    Kyle Alberts
3.    Shane Bonifay
4.    Aaron Reed
5.    Andrew Dyrhood

Heat #2 (Top 2 advance to finals)
1.    Phillip Soven
2.    Tony Carroll
3.    Tino Santori
4.    Lucas Snyder
5.    Brady Webb
6.    Billy Garcia

Heat #3 (Top 2 advance to finals)
1.    Gabe Lucas
2.    Bret Little
3.    Brian Sasser
4.    Jo Jo Lemberg
5.    Tom Fooshee
6.    Ryan Anderson

Finals
1.    Phillip Soven
2.    Gabe Lucas
3.    Kyle Alberts
4.    Bret Little
5.    Clay Fletcher
6.    Tony Carroll