Pros Hit the Water at Wakeboard World Championships
Orlando, Fla. — The waters of the Orlando Watersports Complex served as the world stage today for the top pro wake athletes on the planet, as the 2009 ROCKSTAR WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra hosted its third day of action in Orlando, Fla.
The 2009 Worlds, which kicked off Thursday and runs through Sunday, August 30, is a four-day-long event featuring pro and amateur wakeboarders and wakeskaters from throughout the globe, vying for world titles in 20 different divisions, separated by age and skill level.
Orlando’s own Dallas Friday is looking to make waves this weekend on her hometown water and win her first world title since 2006. Friday is the top-seeded rider in the contest and paced her heat today in the Pro Women’s division semifinals, with the highest score of the day 94.50. Should Friday take first place in tomorrow’s six-woman final, she will claim her fourth world title.
The Pro Men’s division took to the water today for their qualifying rounds, where 40 riders battled it out in ten heats of four, with only the top two riders in each heat advancing on to tomorrow’s quarterfinals. Among the 20 quarterfinalists is 15-year-old Australian rookie phenom Harley Clifford, who posted a perfect score of 100 points during his run today.
The Pro Wakeskate division hit the water today for their semifinal round, with Groveland, Fla. native Reed Hansen posting the high score of the day with 70.00 points to pace his heat. Hansen will be joined by Brandon Thomas, Brian Grubb, Stuart Shinn and Canadian shredder James Balzer in tomorrow’s finals. Should Hansen top the competition in the finals, he will claim his third consecutive world title, the most won by any pro wakeskater.
The event will wrap-up tomorrow, Sunday, August 30, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to all the action of the water, on land, fans will experience tons of great music and food, 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.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate on event dates for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).
For daily schedules, results, standings, photos, videos, athlete bios and more, please visit http://www.allisports.com/ .
The Wakeboard World Championships is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Worlds has the support of the following sponsors: Rockstar Energy Drink, Supra boats, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Oakley, WWA, Ride the Wake, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.
The World Wakeboard Association (WWA) is a rider formed organization dedicated to promoting and growing wake sports worldwide. It is the leading source for riders, event organizers and competitive standards.
Supra is the official tow boat of the WWA Wakeboard World Championships. Celebrating 30 years of excellence in the marine industry, Supra pioneered rider-friendly boats that feature innovative hull designs, adjustable wakes and versatile seating with sleek and sexy styling.
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, Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, 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.
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. More information can be found at www.allisports.com <http://www.allisports.com/> .
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 – DAY 3 RESULTS:
Pro Men – Qualifier #1
1. Dean Smith AUS 96.00
2. Josh Sanders AUS 88.25
3. Adam Errington SCT 85.75
4. Tony Carroll USA 70.00
Pro Men – Qualifier #2
1. Shawn Watson USA 96.50
2. Olivier Derome CAN 91.25
3. Paul Hernaez FRA 82.25
4. Randall Harris USA NS
Pro Men – Qualifier #3
1. Jim LaRiche USA 94.50
2. Bryan Hutton USA 89.25
3. Keith Lyman USA 80.00
4. AJ Racinelli USA 76.25
Pro Men – Qualifier #4
1. Trevor Hansen USA 93.75
2. JD Webb USA 93.25
3. Anthony Hollick USA 65.00
4. Scotty Broome AUS 35.00
Pro Men – Qualifier #5
1. Danny Harf USA 95.50
2. Shane Bonifay USA 83.75
3. Adam Wensink USA 80.50
4. Alex Brown USA 80.25
Pro Men – Qualifier #6
1. Andrew Adkison USA 96.25
2. Chad Sharpe CAN 89.25
3. Kasen Suyderhood USA 81.75
4. Joey Bradley USA 72.75
Pro Men – Qualifier #7
1. Harley Clifford AUS 100.00
2. Danny Thollander USA 81.50
3. James Hindes USA 79.50
4. Marcelo Giardi BRZ 79.00
Pro Men – Qualifier #8
1. Shaun Murray USA 95.75
2. Rusty Malinoski CAN 94.25
3. JoJo Lemburg USA 74.25
4. Nick Weinacker USA 56.50
Pro Men – Qualifier #9
1. Aaron Rathy CAN 97.25
2. Kyle Rattray CAN 89.00
3. Josh Palma USA 83.75
4. Brandon Ellis NZL 70.00
Pro Men – Qualifier #10
1. Phillip Soven USA 98.50
2. Erik Ruck USA 85.00
3. Robby Carter USA 84.25
4. Sun Jung Park KOR 72.25
Pro Women – Semifinal #1
1. Amber Wing AUS 93.50
2. Raimi Merritt USA 87.50
3. Tarah Mikacich USA 67.00
4. Barrett Perlman USA 51.50
Pro Women – Semifinal #2
1. Melissa Marquardt USA 93.25
2. Nicola Butler GBR 92.25
3. Yuka Oehara JPN 62.75
4. Danni Petraitis USA 61.75
Pro Women – Semifinal #3
1. Dallas Friday USA 94.50
2. Meagan Ethell USA 91.25
3. Hayley Smith AUS 66.25
Pro Wakeskate – Semifinal #1
1. Reed Hansen USA 70.00
2. Stuart Shinn USA 60.00
3. Brain Grubb USA 53.33
4. Brandon Thomas USA 46.67
5. James Balzer CAN 33.33
Pro Veterans – Semifinal #1
1. Ricky Gonzalez USA 76.67
2. Glen Fletcher USA 63.33
3. Chad Reese USA 26.67
Women Wakeskate – Semifinal #1
1. Jen GilanFarr USA 69.67
2. Michaela de Waern SWE 59.33
3. Bethany HendersonUSA 47.00
4. Brittany Fletcher USA 42.33
5. Hahn Williams USA 28.33
Masters – Semifinal #1
1. Mike Vanpatten USA 76.67
2. Kurt Robertson NZL 71.67
3. Jason Neagle USA 66.67
4. Jeff Barton USA 53.33
5. Yoshihiro Tochigi JPN 51.67
6. Nariyuki Takehata JPN 33.33
Masters – Semifinal #2
1. Billy Garcia USA 76.67
2. Jeremy Baker USA 66.67
3. Tol Swindell USA 48.33
4. Kevin Michael USA 40.00
5. Brent Anderson USA 26.67
Masters – Semifinal #3
1. Mario Manzoli BRZ 73.33
2. Anthony Monaco USA 50.56
3. Chris Full USA 42.22
4. Steve Jones USA 36.67
5. German Brito MEX 27.78