Pro Divisions Takeover the 2011 Nautique WWA Nationals
Minneapolis, Minn. – The largest water-sport contest in the United States continued today in downtown Minneapolis, as the 2011 Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink hosted preliminary rounds for its pro divisions. Riders in the Pro Men, Pro Women and Pro Wakeskate categories spent the day battling it out on the Mississippi River for the few remaining spots in tomorrow’s final rounds of action.
First off the dock today was the Pro Wakeskate division, where eight competitors squared off in two heats of four during today’s semifinal round. Among the eight competing pros was the division’s 2010 runner-up Grant Roberts, who posted a 76.67 to win his heat and advance to tomorrow’s finals.
“I got lucky; the water was super rollie and it took a lot of people down,” Roberts joked about his heat today. “The water has been pretty rough to everyone, but I managed to land a couple of 3’s and a Big Spin today, and made it through to the finals.”
Roberts hopes his luck won’t run out during tomorrow’s finals, as he’ll be competing against Brian Grubb, Stuart Shinn and Reed Hansen – all former national champions.
“The final heat is going to be crazy,” said Roberts. “All these guys are really talented. I just hope the water conditions help level the playing field.”
The 21-year-old Discovery Bay, Calif. native will look to win his first Pro Wakeskate national title during tomorrow’s finals, scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
In the Pro Men’s division, local rider Colin Ryan turned heads today, when the St. Paul, Minn. resident placed third in his six-man quarterfinal heat – good enough to advance to tomorrow’s semifinals. The part-time pro wakeboarder and full-time anesthesiology certification student credits his success today to his approach.
“I have a lot of respect for these guys; they’re the best in the world,” said Ryan. “But since I just wakeboard part time, I really have nothing to lose. I just lay it all on the line, go big and see what happens.”
Ryan’s family and friends will be on site tomorrow to watch him compete in the Pro Men semifinals, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Should Ryan win the national title tomorrow, he will become the first Minnesota native to win the Pro Men’s division national title.
In the Pro Women’s division, all eyes were on Alexa Score to see if the Spicer, Minn. native could advance to the final round of the competition in her home state. But the rough water conditions that have plagued the competition took Score down early, eliminating her from the finals.
“The water conditions were pretty rough and I just don’t have the experience yet to handle that, like some of the other girls do,” said Score, who turned pro earlier this year. “But I had a lot of local support and I hope even more people come out to watch the rest of the competition tomorrow.”
The Nautique WWA Nationals will conclude tomorrow, July 31, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m.
The 2011 Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is free to the public during all five days of competition. For those who cannot attend the event in person, just “like” the King of Wake’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kingofwake) to watch all the live streaming footage.
The 2011 Nautique WWA Nationals will also air on the VERSUS television network at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
For more information on the Nautique WWA Nationals, visit www.kingofwake.com.
The Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Peavey, MonaVie, FOX, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, Sayiwon’t and YOUR MOM magazine.
About Nautique
The Nautique by Correct Craft is the exclusive tow boat of the WWA Nationals. Celebrating 86 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft Inc. is the producer of the Nautique line of boats. The manufacturer of Nautique is known for delivering superior quality product, cutting-edge technology and exceptional service experiences.
About Rockstar Energy Drink
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 eighteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, Roasted Light Vanilla, Cola, Recovery Lemonade, Recovery Orange, Recovery Grape, Pink, and 2X. 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, Greece, Mexico, the Philippines and throughout the United Kingdom. Go to www.rockstar69.com or www.facebook.com/rockstar for athlete and event updates, videos, profiles, and product information.
About WWA
The WWA Wakeboard National Championships is the solely owned property of the World Wakeboard Association (WWA). The WWA also owns and operates the WWA Wakeboard World Championships, WWA Wakeboard World Series, WWA Wake Park World Series, WWA Wake Park Triple Crown and WWA Wake Park Nationals. With 27 affiliate countries worldwide, the WWA is the global leader in the sport of wake. The 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. For more information on the WWA and its events, check out www.thewwa.com .
About King of Wake
The King of Wake is the world’s elite pro wakeboarding series, attracting the sport’s top athletes from across the globe. Over the course of a season, athletes compete for the ultimate wakeboarding crown in a series points race of eight events throughout the United States to see who rules the wake. The 2011 series consists of the Wake Games, the WWA National Championships, the WWA 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.
Saturday, July 30 – Day 4 of 5 Results:
Boys Beginner Division
Final Round – Heat #1
1 Mitch Allen 73.33
2 Bryson Hancock 56.67
3 Michael Buss 43.33
Jr. Women Division
Final Round – Heat #1
1 Tori Koch 76.67
2 Katelyn Fenner 66.67
3 Gianna Dinatale 53.33
4 Rachel Orgill 31.67
Pro Women Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #1
1 Melissa Marquardt 71.67
2 Hayley Smith 56.67
3 Shawna Hoffman 45.00
4 Emily Durham 33.33
Pro Women Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #2
1 Nicola Butler 78.33
2 Raimi Merritt 66.67
3 Meagan Ethell 53.33
4 Alexa Score 38.33
Pro Women Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #3
1 Amber Wing 75.00
2 Anna Hajek 63.33
3 Tarah Mikacich 43.33
Pro Wakeskate Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #1
1 Grant Roberts 76.67
2 Stuart Shinn 65.00
3 Danny Hampson 50.00
4 Brandon Thomas 30.00
Pro Wakeskate Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #2
1 Brian Grubb 73.33
2 Reed Hansen 53.33
3 George Daniels 51.67
4 Matt Hayden 36.67
Boys Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #1
1 Zach Brown 80.00
2 Nicholas Brown 61.67
3 Tyler Higham 43.33
4 Jamie McCauley 20.00
Boys Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #2
1 Mac Schramm 71.67
2 Jason Soven 66.83
3 James Loisel 63.33
4 Merrett Fay 48.33
Boys Division
Semifinal Round – Heat #1
1 Landon Kasey 75.00
2 Mitch Kappler 58.33
3 Ben Watts 40.00
Pro Men Division
Quarterfinal Round – Heat #1
1 Aaron Rathy 78.33
2 J.D. Webb 68.33
3 Kyle Rattray 63.33
4 Steel Lafferty 59.83
5 Shawn Watson 55.00
6 Adam Wensink 41.67
Pro Men Division
Quarterfinal Round – Heat #2
1 Jimmy LaRiche 63.33
2 Rusty Malinoski 57.50
3 Colin Ryan 52.50
4 Shaun Murray 51.67
5 Erik Ruck 40.00
6 Nick Jones 26.67
Pro Men Division
Quarterfinal Round – Heat #3
1 Bob Soven 91.67
2 Olivier Derome 80.00
3 Tony Carroll 71.67
4 Andrew Shearer 60.00
5 Phillip Aslinger 50.00
6 Jason Bannatyne 36.67
Pro Men Division
Quarterfinal Round – Heat #4
1 Harley Clifford 87.67
2 Andrew Adkison 71.67
3 Austin Hair 65.00
4 Kirby Liesmann 58.33
5 Clayton Underwood 41.67
6 Jimmy Trask 33.33
Pro Men Division
Quarterfinal Round – Heat #5
1 Phillip Soven 86.67
2 Dean Smith 76.67
3 Joey Bradley 70.00
4 Danny Thollander 63.33
5 Adam Errington 59.00