Phillip Soven, Nicola Butler Continue Winning Ways in Twin Cities

The domination of the Pro Wakeboard Tour by Phillip Soven and Nicola Butler continued to today as the two teenagers won their third consecutive events to start off the tour.  Soven’s win marked the first time in the tour’s 17-year history that someone had started off the tour with three wins.  And Butler was the first woman ever to win three straight stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour.

Soven dominated the finals, scoring a 97.25 to second-place finalist Andrew Adkison’s 87.75.  Former world champ Dallas Friday finished a distant second to Butler, scoring an 85.00 to Butler’s 96.50.

Butler also scored a best trick win for a front lip 270 front board to fackie over the Billabong Rooftop.  Former wakeboard world champion Erik Ruck won the best trick for the men with a mute back-mobe off the Air Force Kicker.

The tour continues with the fourth out of five stops in Phoenix on June 28-29.

Teens Set Record with Wins at Twin Cities Contest

Twin Cities, Minn. – Two of the youngest and most dominating riders on the 2008 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, set new records today with wins at the Twin Cities contest.

Phillip Soven, 19, of Longwood, Fla. and Nicola Butler, 16, Cape Town, South Africa not only claimed the top spot in their respective division during today’s finals, but both riders set new Tour records as well.

By capturing the Twin Cities win today in the Pro Men’s Division, Phillip Soven became the first rider in the Tour’s 17-year history to start a season off with three consecutive tour stop wins. Soven continues to dominate the Pro Men’s Division, as the Florida native now leads the Tour’s Indmar Performance Standings with 300-points.

With his third win of the season, Phillip Soven, the reigning Tour champion, appears to be well on his way to winning his second straight Tour title.

Nicola Butler also set a record today after claiming the top spot in the Pro Women’s Division. The win today is not only Butler’s third consecutive tour victory as well, but also marks the first time ever a female rider has captured three straight wins on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. Butler now paces the Pro Women’s Division with 300-points in the Indmar Performance Standings.

Nicola Butler’s success continued in the Twin Cities today, as the second-year pro ripper claimed the MONA VIE Best Trick Award. The award is a $250 bonus for the female rider landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a front lip 270 front board to fackie over the Billabong Rooftop.

Although former wakeboard world champion Erik Ruck didn’t take home the win in the Twin Cities today, the Wisconsin native did pick-up some extra cash thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink. Ruck was named the winner of the Rockstar Best Trick Award, a $1,000 cash bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a mute back-mobe off the Air Force Kicker.

Wakeboarding’s future stars took to the water today for the Jr. Men’s Division semifinals, where 10 of the most talented, young rippers, ages 14-18, competed in two heats of five for a spot in the finals. Only the top-two semifinalists from each heat advanced onto the finals, sending more than half the competitors home packing.

Harley Clifford (AUS), Jimmy LaRiche (USA), Stephen Cahail (USA) and Ryan King battled it out on the water during the finals with LaRiche ultimately taking the top spot with a score of 95.00.

The Twin Cities contest marked the third of five stops on the 2008 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. The Tour will now head out west to its newest stop, Phoenix, Ariz.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is a season-long points chase toward the tour title and the Indmar Performance Award, a $10,000 cash bonus to the top points earner in the Pro Men’s Division and a $5,000 prize for the Pro Women’s Division winner.

To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to Fuel TV. For exact air dates, visit www.prowakeboardtour.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.

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.

Rockstar is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Developed to increase the recovery time of those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles, Rockstar Energy Drink is available in 10 flavors — Original, Sugar Free, Juiced, Zero Carb, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Vanilla Light and Roasted Latte — at convenience stores and retail grocery outlets across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom.

WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. WakeBoarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Gator Boards, Ronix, Oakley, Reef, Cire, wakeworld.com and theliquidcircus.com.

Sunday, June 8 – Final Results:

                        Pro Men
Finals               Heat #:   01
1  Phillip Soven                   USA   97.25
2  Andrew Adkison              USA   87.75
3  Rusty Malinoski               CAN   77.75
4  JD Webb                           USA   77.25

                     Pro Women
Finals               Heat #:   01
1  Nicola Butler                     UK     96.50
2  Dallas Friday                   USA   85.00
3  Melissa Marquardt          USA   78.75
4  Shelby Kantar                  USA   69.50
5  Amber Wing                     AUS   60.25
5  Laura Lohrmann             USA   60.00

              Junior Men (14-18)
Finals               Heat #:   01
1  Jimmy LaRiche              USA   95.00
2  Harley Clifford                  AUS   93.00
3  Ryan King                         USA   82.00
4  Stephen Cahail               USA   70.00

              Junior Men (14-18)
Semifinals          Heat #:   01
1  Harley Clifford                 ASU   95.75
2  Ryan King                         USA   90.00
3  Robert Soven                   AUS   81.25
4  Kirby Liesmann               USA   73.00
5  AJ Racinelli                      USA   60.00

              Junior Men (14-18)
Semifinals          Heat #:   02
1  Jimmy LaRiche              USA   97.75
2  Stephen Cahail               USA   82.00
3  Steel Lafferty                    AUS   79.50
4  Phillip Aslinger                USA   72.25
5  Julian Cohen                   USA   68.50

                        Pro Men
Semifinals          Heat #:   01
1  Rusty Malinoski              CAN   93.50
2  JD Webb                          USA   86.75
3  Shawn Watson                USA   81.50
4  Aaron Rathy                     CAN   71.50
4  Shane Bonifay                 USA   66.55

                        Pro Men
Semifinals          Heat #:   02
1  Phillip Soven                    SCT   96.50
2  Andrew                             CAN   90.50
3  er                                        USA   83.00
4  ruck                                    CAN   67.75
4  albert                                 CAN   62.25

                        Pro Men
Quarterfinals        Heat #:   01
1  Andrew Adkison            USA   97.00
2  Shawn Watson               USA   90.00
3  Austin Hair                       USA   78.50
4  Chris O’Shea                   AUS   74.50

                        Pro Men
Quarterfinals        Heat #:   02
1  Adam Errington              SCT   92.50
2  Aaron Rathy                    CAN   92.00
3  Adam Fields                    USA   83.25
4  Kyle Rattray                      CAN   72.25

                        Pro Men
Quarterfinals        Heat #:   03
1  Rusty Malinoski              CAN   98.50
2  Shane Bonifay                USA   87.25
3  Danny Thollander           USA   78.50
4  Bradley Smeele               NZL   75.75

                        Pro Men
Quarterfinals        Heat #:   04
1  JD Webb                          USA   93.00
2  Erik Ruck                         USA   90.75
3  Chad Sharpe                   CAN   86.25
4  Shaun Murray                  USA   24.50

                        Pro Men
Quarterfinals        Heat #:   05
1  Philip Soven                    USA   97.00
2  Kyle Alberts                     USA   88.00
3  Jimmy Trask                    USA   78.75
4  Olivier Derome                CAN   76.25