RENO, Nev. — The best pro riders from around the globe took to the waters of Sparks Marina today for their opening-rounds of competition for the Rockstar WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra.
 
Among the world’s best riders were Dallas Friday and Andrew Adkison, both of whom advanced to tomorrow’s contest and are looking to capture back-to-back world titles.
 
Friday, 20, emerged on the professional wakeboarding scene at an early age and has since proven to be the most accomplished female rider in the history of the sport. The 2004 ESPN ESPY winner has claimed five consecutive national titles, four X Games gold medals and countless victories on the Pro Wakeboard Tour, and she is seeking her fourth straight world title.
 
Should Orlando native Friday capture the win at Worlds, she will tie Andrea Gayton’s record of four for the most consecutive world championship wins and become the first American rider to do so.
 
Adkison, 25, is a fifth-year pro rider and has established himself as one of the sport’s premier athletes. In his five-year career, Adkison has won two world championships and two WWA World Series Japan titles, has captured the top spot at the 2006 Wake Games and was named Rookie of the Year in 2002.
 
If the Tennessee native wins the 2007 championships, he will tie Shaun Murray’s record for the most world championship titles in the pro men’s division.
 
Both Friday and Adkison will take to the water tomorrow for the fourth and final day of competition.
 
The Pro Wakeskate Division met today for their semifinals. Reed Hansen (Groveland, FL), 17, continues to show why he is the current U.S. national wakeskate champion, as he again led his division with a score of 68.33.
 
The Boys Division hit the water today for their semifinals with Harley Clifford (Medowie, Australia), 13, pacing the division on the day with a score of 73.33.  
 
Noah Flegel (Lighthouse Point, FL), 9, led the Jr. Boys Division today during the semifinal round of competition with a score of 54.44.
 
To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to Fuel TV on Mondays at 9:30 p.m. For exact air dates, go to www.kingofwake.com.
 
Fuel TV is a 24/7 action-sports lifestyle network for wakeboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX and freestyle motocross. A unit of Fox Cable Networks, Fuel TV was launched July 1, 2003, and is seen in 24 million U.S. homes. To subscribe to Fuel TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit fuel.tv.