The women’s wakeboard elimination rounds were completed this morning and in heat one, Dallas Friday set the tone for this afternoon’s finals followed by Amber Wing and newcomer Shelby Kantar. In heat two, Raimi Merritt made her second appearance at the Masters but this time as a pro claiming top seed followed by defending champion Emily Copeland Durham and Laura Lohrmann.

In the finals, Friday was last off the dock and she earned the Masters Women’s Wakeboard Champion title with a score of 62.33 edging out first year pro Merritt by less then 3 points who earned second and Wing placed third.   

It’s definitely true what they say about third time is a charm and Rusty Malinoski proved it today in the men’s wakeboard finals. Malinoski has finished the last two years in second place has finally earned his first Masters Men’s Wakeboard Champion title and also won the $1000 Big Air Double Up by Roswell with a backside 720 crushing last year’s defending champion Phillip Soven who was last off the dock and just missed retaining his title by less then four points followed by Andrew Adkison finishing third.

The 49th Masters is produced by Nautiques by Correct Craft and officially sponsored by Acme Propellers, Callaway Gardens, Clarion, Mona Vie, PCM Marine Engines, Polk Audio, Trailer Boats and Zero Off. An invitation to compete in the annual Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament is universally considered an acknowledgement of achievement for reaching the pinnacle in a given watersports discipline – only the world’s most elite athletes compete at the Masters. This tournament is IWSF/USA Water Ski and WWA sanctioned. Prize monies, trophies, rings and special event awards total well over $135,000. To view the results, visit www.masterswaterski.com <http://www.masterswaterski.com/> .

Men Wakeboarding Finals
 
     1.   Rusty Malinoski                        CAN    80.67

     2.   Phillip Soven                             USA   77.00
      3.   Andrew Adkison                      USA   74.33
      4.   Trevor Hansen                          USA   65.33
      5.   Jeff Weatherall                          NZL    58.67

     6.   J.D. Webb                               USA   52.33

Women Wakeboard Finals

1.   Dallas Friday                            USA   62.33
2.   Raimi Merritt                            USA    59.67
3.   Amber Wing                             AUS   55.11
4.   Shelby Kantar                          USA    42.22
5.   Laura Lohrmann                       USA   29.00 
7.   Emily Copeland Durham          USA   24.33