Rookie Clifford Wins Fort Worth PWT and Butler Repeats
Fort Worth, Tex. – Fans packed the shores of Texas MasterCraft today for the final rounds of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Fort Worth, Tex. Riders in the Pro Men, Women and Jr. Pro Men divisions, threwdown their best runs of the contest to try to win the first Tour stop of the 2009 season.
The one reoccurring theme throughout this weekend’s contest in the Pro Men’s division was upsets created by rookie riders, and today was no different. Harley Clifford of Thornlands, Australia, shocked everyone in Fort Worth today, when the 15-year-old rookie was called to the top of the Pro Men’s podium. Clifford, posting a 94.75 in his final run, beat out Olivier Derome, Aaron Rathy and two-time wakeboard world champion, Andrew Adkison for the top spot.
“I’m just stoked… there are no other words,” said Clifford. “Making it to the Finals was huge for me, but winning my first U.S. Pro Tour stop is just unreal.”
As unreal as it may seem to Clifford, the rookie rider now sits at the top of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour standings list, making him the top-seeded rider in the next contest.
Incidentally, another rookie rider, England’s Nick Davies, claimed the ROCKSTAR Best Trick Award with his massive Toe-9 off of the U.S. Air Force kicker. The Award is a $1,000 cash prize.
Continuing her success from 2008, England’s Nicola Butler took first-place today in the Pro Women’s division Finals. Butler, 17, who captured the win in Fort Worth last year, faced off in a stacked six-woman Final. Former wakeboard world champ Amber Wing and four-time X Games gold medalist Dallas Friday rounded out the women’s podium, respectively.
The top amateur riders in the Jr. Pro Men’s division hit the water today for their four-man Final. The heat was tight between most of the riders, but Bob Soven (Longwood, Fla.) stood out from the competition to take the first Tour stop win of the season with nearly a 15-point differential from his next closest competitor. Phillip Alsinger, Mitch Langfield and Steel Lafferty rounded the Final, respectively.
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will make its next stop of the season in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., on June 19-21.
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is a three-day-long carnival of water-sports action. But not all of the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons of great food and music; athlete autograph signings; chances to win freebies; and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores for water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Pro Tour has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Oakley, Ride the Wake, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.
MasterCraft is the exclusive tow boat for the Pro Wakeboard Tour, as it has been since the tour’s wakeboarding events began in 1992. Indmar Marine engines will provide the power for MasterCraft’s X Series line of competition tow boats.
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SUNDAY, MAY 31 – PWT FINAL RESULTS:
Pro Men: Finals – Heat 1
1. Harley Clifford AUS 94.75
2. Aaron Rathy CDN 89.50
3. Andrew Adkison USA 79.25
4. Olivier Derome CDN 76.50
Pro Women: Finals – Heat 1
1. Nicola Butler UK 98.50
2. Amber Wing AUS 84.75
3. Dallas Friday USA 79.00
4. Raimi Merritt USA 72.25
5. Meagan Ethell USA 60.50
6. Raequel Hoffman USA 55.00
Jr. Pro Men: Finals – Heat 1
1. Bob Soven USA 96.50
2. Phillip Aslinger USA 81.75
3. Mitch Langfield AUS 81.50
4. Steel Lafferty USA 80.25
Pro Men: Semifinals – Heat 1
1. Andrew Adkison USA 89.75
2. Olivier Derome CDN 82.75
3. Adam Errington SCT 79.75
4. Nick Davies GBR 75.00
5. Rusty Malinoski CDN 72.75
Pro Men: Semifinals – Heat 2
1. Harley Clifford AUS 90.25
2. Aaron Rathy CDN 89.25
3. Phillip Soven USA 86.00
4. Kyle Alberts USA 68.75
5. Austin Hair USA 65.75
Jr. Pro Men: Semifinals – Heat 1
1. Steel Lafferty USA 90.00
2. Phillip Aslinger USA 88.50
3. Jarrod Askew AUS 84.50
4. Danny Burnstein USA 73.25
5. Johnny Tobaben USA 63.75
Jr. Pro Men: Semifinals – Heat 2
1. Bob Soven USA 93.75
2. Mitch Langfield AUS 92.75
3. Raphael Derome CDN 83.50
4. Daniel Powers USA 70.00
5. Pierce Homsey USA 46.50
Pro Men: Quarterfinals – Heat 1
1. Aaron Rathy CDN 98.00
2. Olivier Derome CDN 88.25
3. Dean Smith AUS 81.75
4. Danny Thollander USA 72.00
Pro Men: Quarterfinals – Heat 2
1. Andrew Adkison USA 96.00
2. Austin Hair USA 86.25
3. Danny Harf USA 83.25
4. Bryan Hutton USA 74.50
Pro Men: Quarterfinals – Heat 3
1. Adam Errington SCT 97.75
2. Kyle Alberts USA 86.50
3. Josh Palma USA 82.75
4. Dylan Miller CDN 53.75
Pro Men: Quarterfinals – Heat 4
1. Harley Clifford AUS 94.25
2. Rusty Malinoski CDN 89.00
3. Trevor Hansen USA 86.75
4. Jimmy LaRiche USA 70.00
Pro Men: Quarterfinals – Heat 5
1. Phillip Soven USA 96.25
2. Nick Davies GBR 87.00
3. Tino Santori USA 82.75
4. Kirby Liesmann USA 74.00