Day 2 of the Red Bull Wake Open went down in a big way in downtown Tampa because all day long the riders were going nowhere but up. The big air aspect of the Wake Open brought out some unbelievable progression from some of the best riders in the world. Put it this way, there were ten guys in the event who could all throw variations of double flips (and all landed them in practice leading up to the event). Riders are using the System 2.0 and kickers to push their riding to new heights. Red Bull bottled that in the big air event and with the shore around the Tampa Convention Center filled with spectators, the show was one heck of a spectacle. Lots of big air, some big falls, and some insane maneuvering.

Raph doubling down on his way to 1st place

In the end Raph Derome took home the title, putting himself firmly in first place for the overall title headed into the third and final event – wake park. Raph threw down is signature smooth mute double half cab roll throughout the event, but his unbelievably stomped heelside 1080 put him over the top for the win. Brenton Priestley and Aaron Rathy took home second and third place respectively with their own insane versions of mute double half cab rolls. Fourth place went to the 14-year-old phenom from Thailand Daniel Grant, whose mind boggling rewind spin variations had spectators and riders shaking their heads in disbelief.

Needless to say the Wake Open is setting a new standard for wakeboarding events and the riders are stepping up to the plate. If you want to catch the final event, head to Tampa and get ready for a treat.