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Landscape of Action Sports Changes With Alli: Maloof Money Cup, King of Wake and AMA Moto Join Forces With the Dew Tour

Greg — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:18:48 +0000

Yesterday, the Action Sports Tour (AST) was a big deal, with the five-stop summer Dew Tour and the three-stop Winter Dew Tour getting ready to launch. Today, it’s world got a whole lot bigger as it has partnered with the Maloof Money Cup, King of Wake series and the AMA Motocross Championship to have a monster offering of seven action sports tours comprising more than 25 individual pro events and more than 75 total events (including the amateur Free Flow tour). It’s name? ALLI: The Alliance of Action Sports. It’s co-owned by NBC Sports and MTV, and shows that Viacom/MTV is serious about this action sports thing.

Watch out ESPN, there’s a new big dog in town.

Read on for all the details.

NBC SPORTS AND MTV ANNOUNCE THE CREATION OF ALLI, THE ALLIANCE OF ACTION SPORTS

Alli to include seven national & international action sports properties, adding new partnerships with Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship & King of Wake series to popular Dew Tour franchise

NEW YORK – December 1, 2008 – NBC Sports and MTV, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), announced today the creation of Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports™. Alli is a global business that joins the former Action Sports Tour properties (AST) with Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship and King of Wake series to create the most diverse and robust action-sports offering in the world. The new umbrella brand, which will continue to be co-owned by NBC Sports and MTV, will offer a schedule of seven national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia content and production, a digital hub and consumer-facing lifestyle brand.

Building on the successful foundation of AST, Alli will serve as the owner and operator of the Dew Tour and Winter Dew Tour, Free Flow Tour, and the China Invitational. In addition, Alli has formed partnerships with industry leaders and premier properties: Maloof Money Cup, the AMA Motocross Championships, and the King of Wake series. Alli partners will continue to manage their respective events with the added benefit of television programming on NBC Sports and MTV, global media content distribution, sponsorship sales, and marketing and promotion across all platforms. A soon-to-be-launched digital hub will also serve as the online destination for all Alli properties and a leading source of all action sports content and news.

This announcement comes six months after the groundbreaking joint venture between NBC and MTV around the AST and its related businesses. This wide-ranging, strategic partnership expanded the business across NBC and MTV’s multiple screens, including action sports competition and youth-focused lifestyle programming, cross-promotion, multi-platform content and distribution, consumer products licensing and an enhanced digital offering. Moving forward under the Alli brand, the partnership will include over 80 hours of original programming offered annually across NBC, USA Network, MTV and MTV2

“Alli’s mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports by showcasing both the competition and lifestyle aspect of these sports. We believe these are the sports of a new generation and Alli will bring together the best properties, athletes, and brands globally for the fans of action sports,” says Wade Martin, President of Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports.

“When NBC Sports launched the Dew Tour we knew there would be an opportunity to expand into other action sports. We are excited to bring the best programming across the entire action sports genre on multiple media distribution platforms to our audience,” says Kevin Monaghan, Senior Vice President, Business Development, NBC Sports & Olympics.

Added Jeff Yapp, Executive Vice President of Program Enterprises for MTV Networks Music & Logo Group, “This is a major step in building the business we imagined when we first partnered with NBC Sports. Building our online platform, creating a lifestyle brand, and expanding original content will positively impact the network of partners, athletes, fans and the action sports industry as a whole, which is everything that the alliance represents”.

An overview of the Alli properties is as follows:

Maloof Money Cup

Held for the first time in 2008, the Maloof Money Cup, owned and operated by the Maloof family, has quickly become the premier skateboarding event within the community and attracts every top athlete. Including three professional competitions – Men’s and Women’s Pro Street, and Men’s Pro Vert – and the Amateur Championships, it boasts the largest single event purse in skateboarding with over $450,000 in prize money.

AMA Motocross Championship

AMA Motocross Championship is the top outdoor series in motocross and draws elite rider talent from all around the world. The MX Sports-organized series, which began in 1972, spans 12 races across the U.S., and at the end of each year, the AMA National Motocross Championship titles are awarded based on the riders’ performances over the entire series.

King of Wake

As the elite pro wakeboarding circuit, the King of Wake series has attracted the sport’s top riders from throughout the globe. With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season, riders compete over the course of the year to be named the “King of Wake” – an award based on points accumulated at each stop of the series. Events include Wake Games, Pro Wakeboard Tour (5 events), WWA National Championships, and WWA World Championships. The King of Wake is organized by World Sports & Marketing – the leading wake event producers since 1988.

Dew Tour

The Dew Tour, the premier season-long series in action sports, consists of five major, multi-sport events, featuring skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert, and dirt), and FMX. Dew Tour is the most watched and attended action sports property in the world with over 250k spectators, 41 million total viewers and reaches over 100 countries worldwide. The events extend across the country, have a cumulative points system, and a $3.5 million competitive purse. The Dew Tour has been the cornerstone property of AST over the last four years, and its success has now enabled the formation of Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports. It crowns year-end champions including past Dew Cup winners Ryan Sheckler, Shaun White, Bucky Lasek, Jamie Bestwick, and Nate Adams.

Winter Dew Tour

The Winter Dew Tour is launching in December of ’08, and will expand Alli’s footprint into the winter action sports. It consists of three major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, and a $1.5 million competitive purse. The tour will feature 29 hours of original television programming. Each event features men and women’s snowboard (superpipe and slopestyle), and men’s freeskiing (superpipe and slopestyle). Top athletes, Shaun White, Hannah Teter, Travis Rice, Simon Dumont, and Danny Kass, are already planning to compete.

Free Flow Tour

The Free Flow Tour, the Dew Tour’s official amateur series, provides amateur athletes the opportunity to earn a chance to compete against the pros in the Dew Tour. The Free Flow Tour consists of 50 events across 26 cities in the U.S., featuring skateboarding and BMX. The winners of the Free Flow Tour Finals compete against the pros at the Dew Tour’s PlayStation Pro in Orlando, Fla. Past Free Flow Tour winners include Chaz Ortiz (2007 Dew Cup Winner, Skate Park) and Mike Spinner (2008 Dew Tour Second Place, BMX Park).

China Invitational

The China Invitational is Alli’s first international expansion initiative. The inaugural China Invitational was held in April 2008 in Beijing, China and featured the top skateboarders competing in vert and park disciplines before a capacity crowd.

Win a Trip to Winter X 2010

Greg — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:21:30 +0000

Not everyone can get to Aspen to check out the X Games in person or as an athlete, but now’s your chance to get a free ride in 2010 for you and three of your friends.

Totino’s Pizza Rolls has a contest where you can enter a video on YouTube showing how you “bring the energy of the X Games to your favorite activity” and be entered to win the prize. So that means it’s not limited to just what you see at the Summer and Winter X Game (Skating, BMX, snowboarding, etc.). Pretty much everything you can do with a board (wake, skim, kite, etc.) and beyond is fair game and just show in the video how much style and flair you have — like you were doing it in your very own X Games competition.

After you upload your video, judges from Totino’s will pick the top three by Dec. 26 (you have until Dec. 10 to enter). After that, YouTube users will get to pick the winner, who will be announced by ESPN on Jan. 25 during the ’09 Winter X Games.

The grand prize winner gets a fully-paid trip to Aspen with three friends in 2010 (plus $4K in spending cash). The first finalist gets $5k in cash, and the 2nd finalist gets a year’s supply of Totino’s Pizza Rolls (52 boxes, to be exact).

Full disclosure — Totino’s advertises on Lat34, but we’d like this contest regardless.

To enter and for more information, check out the YouTube contest page at http://www.youtube.com/RollIntoTheXGames.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVOg0SU3L4

Kite Boarding Across The Pacific

Mike — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:17:22 +0000

About a year ago, I read an article on ESPN about some 26-year-old dude named Jason Lewis from the U.K. who decided it would be a great idea to sail around the world on sailboat he made himself. He and his first mate estimated the trip would take only a few months to complete. Well after having both his legs broken, an attack from a hungry crocodile, his blood getting poisoned which nearly killed him, serving jail time for suspected espionage, and 46,505 miles later, this young man who was no longer young complete his trip around the world. Jason was 40 years old when he completed his mission. Yup! Nearly it took him nearly 14 years to go around the world in his dinky sail boat. If that isn’t extreme I don’t know what is.

Well this woman from France just might be. Anne Quemere, 42, is planning to take a solo trip across the Pacific Ocean on; you guessed it, a Kite Board. Now the only difference with Anne and 26-year-old Jason Lewis, is that Anne actually know what she’s doing. She had already complete the amazing feat of crossing the Atlantic. What more in the nice warm, sunny, shark and possibly pirate infested waters of the Pacific. I just hope that her arms are conditioned to take on such a challenge or she might end up like this guy. Read more about her amazing stunt below and maybe you will be inspired to do something so meaningful with your life. Like do the Running Man all the way to Alaska.

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — A French adventurer will set sail from San Francisco on Thursday in a bid to become the first person to kite surf across the Pacific Ocean.
Anne Quemere, 42, the only woman to have rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in both directions without assistance, will use Pacific winds to propel her in a 5.5-meter (18 feet) craft some 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) to French Polynesia. The voyage is expected to take around three months.

Quemere, who successfully completed a similar kite surf voyage cross the Atlantic in 2006, told AFP she had originally planned to leave on Friday but weather conditions forced her to bring forward her departure date by 24 hours.

“I’m leaving Thursday, departing from the wharf at around 11am (1800 GMT),” she told AFP.

“We had planned for Friday but the weather is going to be more favorable on Thursday so we wanted to take advantage of that window,” she said.

In 2002, Quemere set a new record after traversing the South Atlantic in 56 days in a rowing boat. Two years later she took 87 days to row across the North Atlantic.

Oakley’s Uniquely Campaign Becomes New Film

Greg — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:47:28 +0000

Last year Oakley started a campaign for women called “Uniquely” featuring some of its athletes in photo shoots/advertisements and videos. Now that campaign has kicked into high gear with the release of a new HD film featuring most of the top-flight Oakley women in a “cultural journey” around the globe.

Among the featured athletes are snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler, Marie-France Roy, Elena Hight and Chanelle Sladics, surfers Karina Petroni and Layne Beachley, skiers Kristi Leskinen and Grete Eliassen and wakeboarder Amber Wing, among others.

The film will be distributed in the US via Foam magazine and through Oakley retailers, and an online release is probably an option down the line. There will also be a five-city/three country tour in October starting in Colorado and ending in London (check out the release at the end of this story for more on that).

For more about the film you can check out Oakley and watch the trailer. And if you’re interested, the music is MGMT “Time to Pretend.” Pretty sweet, eh?

Here’s the full release about the film.

Oakley Announces Women’s Action Sports Film Entitled, “Uniquely”
1242 Productions Releases Fifth Film

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Oct. 1, 2008 – Oakley, Inc., in conjunction with 1242 Productions, announced today the upcoming release of “Uniquely,” a 35-minute travel inspired women’s action sports film shot exclusively in High-Definition (HD).

“’Uniquely’ showcases the diverse personalities, lifestyles and athletic talents of the Oakley women’s team,” said Liesl Holtz, “Uniquely” Executive Producer. “The film exposes the joys and challenges of being a professional athlete while inspiring us all to create our own adventures.”

“Uniquely” takes viewers on a cultural journey through Japan, Russia, Colorado, California, Indonesia, Australia and beyond. Explore the remote corners of the earth with the women of Oakley, as they search for perfect conditions while building lasting memories and lifelong friendships.

The film stars snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler, Marie-France Roy, Elena Hight, Anne-Flore Marxer, Chanelle Sladics and Etsuko Tominaga; skateboarders Lauren Perkins and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins; surfers Karina Petroni, Leilani Gryde, Layne Beachley and Claudia Goncalves; skiers Kristi Leskinen, Grete Eliassen and Angeli VanLaanen and wakeboarder Amber Wing.

“To me, ‘Uniquely’ is a reunion of passionate girls who want to share their passion for their sport,” said Oakley snowboarder Marie-France Roy. “It’s a mix of adventures and portraits that show how beautiful life can be when you find what you really love and you sacrifice everything for it.”

The film was shot, directed and edited by John Roderick, who used HD and RED cameras to capture progressive action while creating a vivid picture of the world.

“Uniquely” will be distributed by Foam magazine in the United States, Cooler magazine in Europe, Yen magazine in Australia and Transworld Snowboarding magazine in Japan.

The film is also available at participating Oakley retailers.

“Uniquely” Film Tour:

October 3, Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, CO
October 8, Henry Afrikas, Manly, Australia
October 8, Hotel Ipanema Plaza, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
October 23, Oakley Headquarters, Foothill Ranch, CA
October TBD, London, UK

About Oakley, Inc.

The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.

Malinoski, Butler Win Wakeboarding Crown

Greg — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:19:14 +0000

Phillip Soven may have dominated most of the wakeboarding season but he couldn’t keep it up Sunday as Canadian Rusty Malinoski edged Soven and fellow countryman Aaron Rathy in the finals.

For the women, 16-year-old Nicola Butler didn’t have trouble continuing her dominance as she took out three-time world champ Dallas Friday in the finals.

Read about all the action in the official release below…

New World Champs are Crowned

Oklahoma City, Okla. — Fans packed the shorelines of the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City today to witness the final rounds of the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra.

As expected, the defending world champ Phillip Soven, 19, of Longwood, Fla. reached the Pro Men’s division finals today and as the top-seeded rider. But the pressure of retaining his title got the best of Soven, as the Florida native posted a score of 82.00, landing him in third-place.

Taking the top spot in the six-man final and claiming the 2008 world title was Rusty Malinoski, 24, of Humboldt, Sask., who became the first Canadian rider to win the world title since Jeremy Kovak claimed it in 1997. Fellow Canadian rider Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C. finished the contest in second-place.

Although JD Webb did not make it to the finals today, the 2004 Rookie of the Year did manage to ride away with some extra cash, thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink. Webb was named the winner of the Rockstar Energy Drink Best Trick Award, a $1,000 cash bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a switch frontside 270 to backlip nosepress on the Billabong Rooftop.

With the defending women’s world champ Amber Wing, 25, of Sydney, Australia out of the contest with a knee injury, all eyes were on three-time world champ Dallas Friday, 22, of Orlando, Fla., as she seemed the likely winner. But British standout, Nicola Butler, 16, of Bournemouth, England threw down an impressive run to take the top spot in the finals to claim her first-ever world title. Butler stands as the only UK native to win a wakeboard world title. Friday finished in second-place and California’s Melissa Marquardt took third.

The top four shredders in the world battled it out on the water today in the Pro Wakeskate division finals. Former world champ Brian Grubb, current U.S. national champ Stuart Shinn and two-time Canadian national champ James Balzer all looked to leave the defending world titlist Reed Hansen in their wake and claim the ’08 world title for themselves.

But Hansen was unbeatable on the water today, as the defending champ retained his title, beating his next closest competitor, Grubb, by nearly 20 points. With today’s win, Hansen becomes the first pro wakeskater ever to win consecutive world titles.

2008 has proven to be Jimmy LaRiche’s year, as the Boca Raton, Fla. native won the ’08 Wake Games title, ’08 Pro Tour title, the ’08 U.S. national title, and now the ’08 world title, after taking the top spot in today’s Jr. Men’s division finals.

LaRiche faced off in a six-man final for the world title, beating out Canada’s Raphael Derome and Aussie Harley Clifford, who finished second and third-place, respectively.

Anna Hejak took the top spot in the Jr. Women’s division four-woman final. Holland Finely finished in second-place and Megan Blaschka placed third in the finals.

In the Boys division, six young rippers, ages 10-13, faced off in the finals for the division’s world title. Michael Dowdy threw down an impressive run to claim the division’s world title with Jess Polley and Cooper Swink rounding out the podium, respectively.

The youngest riders out on the water today, ages nine and under, faced off in a three-man final in the Jr. Boys division. Ben Watts took the top spot in the finals to claim the world title. Joe Martella and Ian Rabon finished in second and third, respectively.

To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to FUEL TV on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.

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 25 million U.S. homes. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.

Supra is the official tow boat of the WWA Wakeboard World Championships. Celebrating nearly 30 years of excellence in the marine industry, Supra pioneered rider-friendly boats that feature innovative hull designs, adjustable wakes and versatile seating with sleek and sexy styling. Supra kicks up the fattest wakes with a line of 10 tournament-quality Launch Series boats, each with the attitude and ability to help you find more altitude than ever before.

Rockstar is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Developed to improve 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 World Championships. WakeBoarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.

The WWA Wakeboard World Championships is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Championships has the support of the following: Rockstar Energy Drink, Supra boats, Indmar, the U.S. Air Force, Reef, Mona Vie, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Gator Boards, Oakley, World Wakeboard Association, Cire, Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, theliquidcircus.com, wakeboarder.com and wakeworld.com.

Sunday, September 7 – Final Results:

Pro Men

Finals                        Heat #01___
1.Rusty Malinoski   CDN 94.00
2.Aaron Rathy            CDN 85.50
3.Phillip Soven            USA 82.00
4.Olivier Derome        CDN 70.25
5.Shawn Watson        USA 68.25

Pro Women

Finals                            Heat #01
1.Nicola Butler         UK    95.25
2.Dallas Friday           USA 85.00
3.Melissa Marquardt   USA 72.25
4.Hayley Smith           AUS 60.25
5.Shelby Kantar          USA 68.50
6.Laura Lohrmann      USA 68.75

Pro Wakeskate

Finals                        Heat #01
1.Reed Hansen         USA 80.00
2.Brian Grubb             USA 61.67
3.Stuart Shinn             USA 50.00
4.James Balzer            CDN 36.67

Jr. Men (14-18)

Finals                        Heat #01
1.Jimmy LaRiche     USA 96.25
2.Raphael Derome      CDN 91.00
3.Harley Clifford         AUS 74.00
4.Robert Soven          USA 69.00
5.Jarrod Askew          AUS 61.75
6.Pierce Homsey        USA 58.00

Jr. Women (14-18)

Finals                        Heat #01
1.Anna Hajek           USA 55.00
2.Holland Finley          USA 44.22
3.Megan Blaschka      USA 37.00
4.Danni Petraitis          USA 22.00

Boys (10-13)

Finals                        Heat #01
1.Michael Dowdy     USA 75.00
2.Jess Polley               CDN 61.67
3.Cooper Swink         USA 57.11
4.Bradley Teunissen    AUS 49.56
5.Kyle Evans              USA 40.67
6.Tony Iacconi            AUS 31.33

Jr. Boys (9 and under)

Finals                        Heat #01
1.Ben Watts              USA 56.11
2.Joe Martella             USA 48.33
3.Ian Rabon                USA 36.67

Pro Men

Semifinals                 Heat #01___
1.Shawn Watson       USA 92.75
2.Andrew Adkison     USA 92.00
3. Dean Smith             AUS 80.25
4.Shane Bonifay          USA 76.50

Pro Men

Semifinals                 Heat #02___
1.Aaron Rathy          CDN 97.25
2.Erik Ruck                USA 86.75
3.Trevor Hansen         USA 80.25
4.Brad Smeele            NZL 75.75

Pro Men

Semifinals                 Heat #03___
1.Rusty Malinoski   CDN 92.50
2.Bryan Hutton           USA 89.75
3.Kyle Alberts            USA 80.25
4.Daniel Watkins        AUS 77.50

Pro Men

Semifinals                 Heat #04___
1.Olivier Derome     CDN 94.75
2.Shaun Murray          USA 90.50
3.JD Webb                 USA 84.75
4.Kyle Rattray            CDN 70.00

Pro Men

Semifinals                 Heat #05___
1.Phillip Soven          USA 100.00
2.Nick Weinacker      USA 82.50
3.Adam Errington       SCT 79.00
4.Josh Palma              USA 78.50

Soven, Butler in the Running For WWA Wakeboard World Championships

Greg — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:26:33 +0000

Phillip Soven and Nicola Butler dominated the Pro Wakeboarding Tour this season and are on the cusp of capturing their respective titles at the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink WWA Wakeboard World Championships.

Both will face heavy competition in the finals, with defending champ Amber Wing bowing out due to injury. Still competing against Butler are 11 of the world’s best, including Dallas Friday, Shelby Kantar and Melissa Marquardt.

Soven, who won the title last year, has 19 riders to face off against including Aaron Rathy and Rusty Malinoski, both of whom had scores of 100 in their quarterfinal matches. Danny Harf was among those to miss the cut.

If you can’t be there in person (which is most of us), you can watch the finals online at www.fuel.tv/wakeboardworlds. Read more about all the action from today below.

Pro Women’s Title Up for Grabs with Injured Wing Out
Soven Begins to Defend Pro Men’s Title

Oklahoma City, Okla. — Fans lined the shores of the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City today to catch the opening-rounds of the pro divisions at 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra.

After aggravating a knee injury prior to start of the contest, current women’s world champ Amber Wing shocked everyone by deciding to withdraw from the competition, leaving her title up for grabs to the top 12 pro female rippers in the world.

With the defending world champ out of the contest, the Pro Women’s division hit the water today for the semifinals, battling for one of six spots in tomorrow’s finals. All 12 rippers threw down some impressive runs, but in the end only the top-three riders from each heat advanced onto the finals, including former world champ Dallas Friday and Queen of Wake frontrunner Nicola Butler.

In the Pro Men’s division, 42 of the world’s top riders took to the water for the quarterfinals, competing in 10 heats. Only the top-two riders from each heat advanced onto tomorrow’s semifinals, sending more than half the competition home packing. Among the 20 rides to advance past the quarterfinals was the defending champ Phillip Soven, who will look to retain his title in tomorrow’s contest.

The top shredders in the world battled it out on the water today in the Pro Wakeskate division semifinals. Defending world champ Reed Hansen wanted to let his competition know that he is out to retain his title by throwing down an impressive run that not only earned him a ot in tomorrow’s finals, but also the highest score of the day with a 81.67.

Hansen will face off against former world champ Brian Grubb, current U.S. national champ Stuart Shinn and two-time Canadian national champ James Balzer in the finals for the world title.

In the Boys division, 10 young rippers, ages 10-13, faced off in the semifinals in two heats of five with only the top-three riders in each heat moving onto tomorrow’s finals. The six-man final features a Canadian rider, two Aussies and two U.S. riders, who will all look to capture their division’s world title.

The youngest riders out on the water today, ages nine and under, hit the water for the semifinals in the Jr. Boys division. Only the top-three riders in the five-man heat advanced to tomorrow’s finals, where one rider will be named the division’s world champion.

Wakeboarding action concludes tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 7 with the first heat hopping off the dock at 9:00 a.m.

The Rockstar Energy Drink WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra is a four-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 music and food, athlete autograph signings, chances to win free giveaways, and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores offering water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

Tickets can be purchased on site Sept. 4-7 for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under). To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.kingofwake.com. General-admission tickets are buy one get one free online only until Sept. 5, 12 p.m. noon EST.

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

If you cannot make it to the 2008 Worlds, bring the Worlds to you. Catch the exciting action LIVE with FUEL TV’s webcast at www.fuel.tv/wakeboardworlds beginning Friday, Sept. 5 and wrapping up on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Saturday, September 6 – Day 3 Results:

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #01___
1.Josh Palma            USA 91.50
2.Nick Weinacker    USA 89.75
3.Chad Sharpe           CDN 88.75
4.Adam Fields            USA NS

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #02___
1.Bryan Hutton         USA 96.50
2.Olivier Derome     CDN 90.50
3.Alex Brown             USA 78.50
4.James Hindes           USA 74.50

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #03___
1.Trevor Hansen      USA 98.5
2.Daniel Watkins     AUS 88.50
3.Ben Greenwood      USA 78.75
4.Jimmy Trask            USA 74.25

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #04___
1.Shawn Watson       USA 90.75
2.Erik Ruck              USA 89.5
3.Marcelo Giardi        BRZ 84.25
4.Mikey Ennen           USA 75.75

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #05___
1.Kyle Rattray         CDN 94.50
2.Adam Errington     SCT 85.50
3.Danny Thollander     USA 80.00
4.Adam Wensink        USA 66.50

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #06___
1.Andrew Adkison    USA 98.50
2.Shane Bonifay       USA 89.25
3.Zane Schwenk         USA 82.25
4.AJ Racinelli              USA NS

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #07___
1.Aaron Rathy          CDN 100.00
2. Dean Smith           AUS 88.5
3.Tony Carroll            USA 79.25
4.Jeff Weatherall         NZL 72.25

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #08___
1.Rusty Malinoski   CDN 100.00
2.Brad Smeele          NZL 85.25
3.Danny Harf              USA 83.25
4.Luciano Rondi         BRZ 71.50

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #09___
1.JD Webb                USA 95.75
2.Kyle Alberts          USA 89.25
3.Brandon Ellis           NZL 68.75
4.Dustin O’Ferrall       CDN 58.50
5.Kevin Henshaw       CDN 42.00

Pro Men

Quarterfinals            Heat #10___
1.Phillip Soven          USA 94.75
2.Shaun Murray       USA 86.00
3.Corey Bradley         USA 82.50
4.Padiwat Jaemjam     THAI 68.75
5. Joseph Lemburg     USA 68.00

Pro Women

Semifinals                    Heat #01___
1.Melissa Marquardt USA 91.75
2.Dallas Friday            USA 86.00
3.Hayley Smith            AUS 80.00
4.Ashley Leugner           CDN 74.25
5.Raimi Merritt               USA 60.00
6.Emily Copeland Durham       USA      58.00

Pro Women

Semifinals                       Heat #02___
1.Nicola Butler         UK    89.50
2.Shelby Kantar       USA 86.25
3.Laura Lohrmann   USA 82.75
4.Miku Asai                JPN   77.50
5.Shawna Hoffman     USA 61.25
6.Barrett Perlman        USA 52.75

Pro Wakeskate

Semifinals                 Heat #01___
1.Brian Grubb           USA 71.67
2.James Balzer         CDN 67.67
3.Joe Phillips               USA 55.67
4.Darrin Wahl             USA 33.33

Pro Wakeskate

Semifinals                 Heat #02___
1.Reed Hansen         USA 81.67
2.Stuart Shinn           USA 66.67
3.Brandon Thomas     USA 50.00
4.Lance Duffet            USA 28.33

Boys (10-13)

Semifinals                 Heat #01___
1.Cooper Swink        USA 61.67
2.Tony Iacconi          AUS 50.33
3.Kyle Evans            USA 32.78
4.Paulie Koch             USA 30.00
5.Cody Prizer             USA 16.11

Boys (10-13)

Semifinals                 Heat #02___
1.Michael Dowdy     USA 80.00
2.Jess Polley             CDN 64.44
3.Bradley Teunissen      AUS 56.67
4.Freddie Wayne        USA 37.22
5.Noah Flegal             USA 28.89

Jr. Boys (9 and under)

Semifinals                 Heat #01___
1.Ben Watts              USA 53.33
2.Joe Martella          USA 47.22
3.Ian Rabon              USA 41.67
4.Nicholas Brown       USA 34.44
5.Andrew Starling       USA 20.00

Slamming Into A Wall Part Two

Mike — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:48:12 +0000

Yesterday we reported on a poor fella named Kevin Kearny who got slammed into the wall of a restaurant while kite boarding. I think he was trying to use the drive through. Actually it seemed more like he was trying to commit suicide because he was kite boarding during Florida’s major storm Hurricane Fay. Now that he’s out of the hospital and is recovering, I can now say that Kevin was probably on the dumb side. Stupid to be frank. But there’s more to the story than what was initially reported. The slam looked pretty bad.

Lifeguards had advised Kearney and other kite surfers to leave the beach because of threatening weather, and they were complying. Kearney came ashore south of Las Olas Boulevard and was preparing to take off his equipment when the wind suddenly kicked up.

“I don’t actually remember it happening,” said Kearney, 28, in a telephone interview this morning. Kearney was released from Broward General Medical Center Thursday.
He went on to say, “I got some stitches in my head and some body aches but otherwise feel okay, and lucky. I’m glad I don’t hurt that bad”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujwISf9tW08

Perfect Scores Rule the Day at WWA Wakeboard National Championships

Greg — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:54:52 +0000

Seven national titles are on the line at the 2008 Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships and some of the wakeboarding world’s top riders are battling it out in Kenosha to be the one left standing.

Saturday’s action included three riders scoring perfect 100s, including Rusty Malinoski and JD Webb. Amber Wing, Raimi Merrit and Dallas Friday lead the women, which will have a six-person final on Sunday.

Read the press release below for more…

Day Four Shapes-Up Final Heats at Air Nautique Nationals:
Three Pro Men Post Flawless Runs Despite Windy Conditions

Kenosha, Wis. – With seven national titles still up for grabs at the 2008 Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, the top riders in the United States hit the waters of Lake Andrea at Prairie Springs Park in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. today to vie for a spot in tomorrow’s finals.

In the Pro Men’s Division, 60 riders battled it out on the water in the quarterfinals, competing in 10 heats of six with only the top-two riders in each heat advancing onto tomorrow’s semifinals. Rusty Malinoski, JD Webb and Bryan Hutton all posted perfect scores of 100 points, despite strong winds and choppy water conditions, to lead their heats and move onto to the next round. The three flawless riders will be joined by the 17 other semifinalists tomorrow for the final day of the contest.

“It was just crazy riding conditions today, the wind kept picking-up and the water was just rugged,” said Webb. “I just laid down run and stuck my landings and the rest is history.”

The Pro Women’s Division took to the water today for their semifinals, where last year’s National titlist Amber Wing threw down a near perfect run, leading her heat with a score of 97.75, the highest score of the day in her division. Barrett Perlman of Stuart, Fla. and 2007 Pro Tour champ Shelby Kantar of Sacramento, Calif. rounded out the top-three riders, respectively in Wing’s heat, claiming three of the six spots in tomorrow’s finals.

In the other Pro Women’s Division heat, Queen of Wake Rookie of the Year frontrunner Raimi Merritt of Lantana, Fla. upset top-ranked rider and five-time national champ Dallas Friday of Orlando, Fla. for the top spot in her heat. Merritt, Friday and Air Nautique’s own Melissa Marquardt of Canyon Lake, Calif. finished in the top-three, respectively in their heat, earning the final three spots in tomorrow’s six-woman final.

“Today was the first time this year that I led my heat, so I’m pretty stoked about it,” said Merritt. “Taking the lead over Dallas was pretty sweet because now I can sit back for the first couple of runs in the finals and see what tricks the other girls are throwing before I ride.”

Current national wakeskate champion Reed Hansen of Groveland, Fla. looked to make a splash out on the water today in the Pro Wakeskate Division semifinals, but windy weather conditions prevented the 2007 world champ from producing a winning run. Hansen finished second in his heat, behind fellow Floridian Brandon Thomas of Orlando.

“Obviously, things could have gone better out there today, but there’s not much you can do when the wind kicks up like that,” said Hansen. “Brandon threw down today and you can’t discredit that either, but hopefully things will go my way in the finals.”

As the top-two riders in their heat, both Hansen and Thomas will advance onto tomorrow’s finals, where they will face off against two-time national champ Brian Grubb of Nashua, NH and 2008 Pro-Am wakeskate winner Stuart Shinn of Bradenton, Fla. in a four-man final for the 2008 national title.

The youngest group of riders out on the water today, the Jr. Boys Division, held their semifinals, where eight rippers, ages nine and under, competed in two heats of four with only the top-two riders in each heat advancing onto tomorrow’s finals. Ben Watts, 9, of Wetumpka, Ala. posted the highest score of the day in his division with a 61.67. Watts and the three other finalists will vie for the division’s national title in tomorrow’s finals.

In the Boys Division, 10 rippers, ages 10 to 13, battled it out on the water in two heats of five with only the top-three riders from each heat moving onto tomorrow’s finals. Kyle Evans, 13, of Orlando, Fla. posted the highest score of the day in his division with 80 points. Evans and the five other riders moving onto the next round will vie for the division’s national title in tomorrow’s finals.

The nationals will conclude tomorrow, Sunday Aug. 10 beginning at 10 a.m.

The Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is a five-day carnival of water-sports action. But not all the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons of great music and food; athlete autograph signings; chances to win free giveaways; 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. Admission is free and the event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

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

The Air Nautique by Correct Craft is the exclusive tow boat of the WWA Nationals. Celebrating more than 80 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft is a family-owned manufacturer of internationally acclaimed, competition-caliber water-ski and wakeboard boats, as well as boats for recreational enjoyment. Correct Craft Inc. is known for superior-quality products, cutting-edge technology and innovative hull designs.

WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. WakeBoarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.

The Air Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The WWA Nationals have the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy Drink, PCM, Fox, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Hyperlite, CWB, Gator Boards, Ronix, Oakley, Reef, Cire, wakeworld.com, wakeboarder.com and theliquidcircus.com.

Saturday, August 9 – Day 4 Results:

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 01
1. Bryan Hutton                 100.00
2. Kyle Rattray                  76.75
3. Tino Santori                     75.50
4. Josh Palma                       73.75
5. Rob Jacques                    68.00
6. John Rodriguez                 56.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 02
1. Danny Harf                    96.25
2. Chris O’Shea                 80.25
3. Chad Sharpe                    76.75
4. Kevin Henshaw                75.00
5. Chris Laske                      62.50
6. Austin Hair                       59.25

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 03
1. Trevor Hansen               86.00
2. Adam Fields                   85.50
3. Nick Weinacker               82.75
4. James Hindes                   78.75
5. Andrew Dyrhood             65.00
6. Brandon Lee                    52.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 04
1. Andrew Adkison            94.25
2. Olivier Derome              93.00
3. Marcelo Giardi                 82.75
4. James Feid                       65.25
5. Alex Brown                      64.75
6. Rhett Whatley                  NS

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 05
1. Adam Errington             97.25
2. Erik Ruck                       91.25
3. Derek Grasman                77.00
4. Jimmy Trask                     72.25
5. Jeff House                        62.25
6. Witt Finley                       NS

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 06
1. Shawn Watson               95.75
2. Corey Bradley               87.50
3. Ben Greenwood               83.25
4. Joseph Lemburg               73.50
5. Randall Harris                  NS
6. Ryan King                        NS

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 07
1. Aaron Rathy                  97.25
2. Danny Thollander          86.50
3. Zane Schwenk                 84.25
4. Brett Lee                          69.25
5. Alex Hamrick                   62.75
6. Kelly Volgstadt                NS

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 08
1. Rusty Malinoski            100.00
2. Shaun Murray                78.25
3. AJ Racinelli                      76.75
4. Shane Bonifay                  74.25
5. Kirby Liesmann                70.75
6. Nick Jones                       NS

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 09
1. JD Webb                        100.00
2. Mikey Ennen                 77.50
3. Jeff Weatherall                 75.75
4. Dean Smith                      74.50
5. Tony Carroll                     62.00
6. Jeff Langley                      60.25

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 10
1. Phillip Soven                  98.00
2. Daniel Watkins              86.75
3. Adam Wensink                79.50
4. Kyle Alberts                     73.50
5. Adam Greer                     62.25
6. Chase Andrews                NS

Pro Women
Semifinals – Heat 01
1. Raimi Merritt                93.00
2. Dallas Friday                 89.75
3. Melissa Marquardt       84.75
4. Laura Lohrmann               81.25
5. Shawna Hoffman              62.00

Pro Women
Semifinals – Heat 02
1. Amber Wing                   97.75
2. Barrett Perlman             84.00
3. Shelby Kantar                77.75
4. Emily Copeland Durham   72.00
5. Hayley Smith                    68.50

Pro Wakeskate
Semifinals – Heat 01
1. Brian Grubb                   86.67
2. Stuart Shinn                   70.00
3. Joe Phillips                       56.67
4. Jordan Mears                   40.00

Pro Wakeskate
Semifinals – Heat 02
1. Brandon Thomas           66.67
2. Reed Hansen                 58.89
3. Darin Wahl                       51.67
4. Lance Duffet                    40.00
5. Gib Gibbons                     30.00

Jr. Boys (9 and under)
Semifinals – Heat 01
1. Ben Watts                      61.67
2. Quinn Rundall                50.00
3. Andrew Starling               38.33
4. Ryan Benson                    25.00

Jr. Boys (9 and under)
Semifinals – Heat 02
1. Joe Martella                  60.67
2. Ian Rabon                      46.67
3. Guenther Oka                  34.00
4. Nicholas Brown               23.33

Boys (10-13)
Semifinals – Heat 01
1. Michael Dowdy              70.00
2. Cody Prizer                    61.78
3. Chad Payton                   54.00
4. Robby Holihan                 45.00
5. Blake Payton                    35.67

Boys (10-13)
Semifinals – Heat 02
1. Kyle Evans                     80.00
2. Cooper Swink                 66.67
3. Freddie Wayne              55.11
4. Jarrod Harrison                43.89
5. Daniel Pate                       36.67

Soven Sweeps PWT Season; Copeland Durham Ends Butler’s Perfect Run

Greg — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:16:50 +0000

I think I mentioned over the weekend there were other things going on in addition to the Maloof Money Cup and one of them was the season-ending event of the Pro Wakeboarding Tour in Nevada. It was a huge event because both Phillip Soven and Nicola Butler came in looking to close out their seasons with a perfect record on the tour (and Butler had a longer streak going as well).

For Soven, history was made as he became the first wakeboarder ever to sweep the PWT season, absolutely dominating his final with veterans Andrew Adkison and JD Webb, along with Aaron Rathy.

Butler was not as lucky, having her dream season come to an end by losing to two-time wakeboard world champion Emily Copeland Durham. She still easily won the season title, with last year’s winner Amber Wing coming in second. Copeland Durham took third for the season.

The future is very bright for both Soven and Butler, both of whom are still in their teens (Soven is 19, Butler 16) and have a long time left as competitors.

Read more about the final event of the season in the following press release.

Soven Sweeps the Season, Heartbreaker in the Pro Women’s Division

Reno, Nev. – Fans packed the shores of Sparks Marina today to catch the final runs of the world’s top riders, as the 2008 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour season came to a close. Among the world’s best, were Phillip Soven and Nicola Butler, who both were looking to end the season unbeaten in their respective division, a feat never before accomplished in the Tour’s 17-year history.

In the Pro Men’s Division finals, two-time wakeboard world champion Andrew Adkison, former rookie of the year Aaron Rathy and world record-holder JD Webb were all looking to leave Phillip Soven in their wake and ruin his perfect season.

But the current Tour champ didn’t let the other three finalists get in his way, as Soven took the top spot in today’s contest, posting a near perfect score of 96.50; nearly a 12-point differential from his next closest competitor. Soven now stands as the only rider ever to go undefeated on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. Webb, Rathy and Adkison rounded out the finals, respectively.

With Today’s win, Soven sits at the top of the Indmar Performance Standings with a perfect score of 500 points, claiming his second consecutive Tour title and the Indmar Performance Award, a $10,000 bonus. JD Webb and Rusty Malinoski took second and third-place overall, respectively.

One of the biggest upsets in the Tour’s 17-year history took place today, as two-time wakeboard world champion Emily Copeland Durham, 24, of Denver, Colo. took down the previously undefeated Nicola Butler, 16, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, who was on the verge of making action-sports history, as the first rider ever to go unbeaten on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour.

The upset was a true heartbreaker, as Copeland Durham beat out Butler for the top spot in today’s contest by a .25 differential to end Butler’s run at a perfect season. Today’s win marks Copeland Durham’s first victory of the 2008 season and her third Tour stop title in Reno.

Although Butler didn’t win in Reno today, her second-place finish did however, earn her enough points in the Indmar Performance Standings to capture her first-ever overall Tour title and the 2008 Indmar Performance Award, a $5,000 bonus. Current wakeboard world champion Amber Wing and Copeland Durham finished in second and third-place overall, respectively.

Butler will also go down in history as the second-youngest female rider, at 16, to win the overall Tour title. Ironically, Emily Copeland Durham, along with Tara Hamilton hold the record as the youngest Tour titlists, at 15.

Nicola Butler not only took home the Tour title in Reno today, but she also 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 boardside 270 off of the Rockstar Energy Drink Rooftop rail.

Aaron Rathy may not have won in Reno today, but the 2006 Rookie of the Year managed to ride away with some extra cash thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink. Rathy was named the winner of the Rockstar Energy Drink Best Trick Award, a $1,000 cash bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a mute 360 off the double-up.

Four of wakeboarding’s future superstars took to the water today in the Jr. Men’s Division finals, where Jimmy LaRiche (USA), Harley Clifford (AUS), Ryan King (USA) and Jarrod Askew (AUS) all vied for the top spot in the contest and looked to claim some last-minute points toward the Tour title.

After a heated battle on the water, Jimmy LaRiche emerged as the winner of the final Tour stop of 2008, followed by Clifford, King and Askew, respectively. Today’s win earned LaRiche enough points to claim the overall title in the Jr. Men’s Division, his first, and the Indmar Performance Award, a $1,000 bonus. Clifford and Robert Soven took second and third-place overall, respectively.

Reno marks LaRiche’s fourth win on Tour this season.

To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to FUEL TV. For exact air dates, visit ProWakeboardTour.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.

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, Ogio, Cire, Zero Off, Epiphone, America’s Adventure Place visitrenoTahoe.com, wakeworld.com, wakeboarder.com and theliquidcircus.com.

Sunday, July 13 – Final Results:

Pro Men
Finals – Heat # 01
1 Phillip Soven USA 96.50
2 JD Webb USA 84.75
3 Aaron Rathy CDN 81.00
4 Andrew Adkison USA 77.75

Pro Women
Finals – Heat # 01
1 Emily Copeland Durham USA 86.25
2 Nicola Butler UK 86.00
3 Raimi Merritt USA 78.50
4 Amber Wing AUS 76.00
3 Shelby kantar USA 71.00
6 Laura Lohrmann USA 52.25

Jr. Men (14-18)
Finals – Heat # 01
1 Jimmy LaRiche USA 92.50
2 Harley Clifford AUS 90.75
3 Ryan King USA 86.75
4 Jarrod Askew AUS 70.00

Pro Men
Semifinals – Heat # 01
1 JD Webb USA 91.25
2 Andrew Adkison USA 83.75
3 Shawn Watson USA 81.25
4 Adam Errington SCT 74.00
5 Tino Santori USA 69.75

Pro Men
Semifinals – Heat # 02
1 Phillip Soven USA 93.00
2 Aaron Rathy CDN 84.00
3 Adam Fields USA 79.75
4 Danny Harf USA 75.25
5 Olivier Derome CDN 68.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat # 01
1 Andrew Adkison USA 95.00
2 Aaron Rathy CDN 92.00
3 Kyle Alberts USA 78.75
4 Erik Ruck USA 74.25

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat # 02
1 Olivier Derome CDN 92.50
2 Tino Santori USA 90.50
3 Randall Harris USA 80.00
4 Austin Hair USA 77.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat # 03
1 Danny Harf USA 89.00
2 Shawn Watson USA 88.25
3 Dean Smith AUS 85.75
4 Dylan Miller CDN 77.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat # 04
1 JD Webb USA 94.00
2 Adam Fields USA 84.25
3 Danny Thollander USA 82.75
4 Trevor Hansen USA 63.25

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat # 05
1 Phillip Soven USA 91.50
2 Adam Errington SCT 87.75
3 Rusty Malinoski CDN 83.50
4 Chad Sharpe CDN 77.25

Soven and Butler Continue Domination of Pro Wakeboard Tour in Phoenix

Greg — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:54:25 +0000

Another stop on the PWT, another win for teenagers Phillip Sover and Butler. Both set a new record for most consecutive victories on the tour won by any rider in a single season after taking the finals in Phoenix Sunday. It was the fourth win for each this season on tour (four out of four). The final stop hits Reno on July 11.

For Butler, the win marks her fifth consecutive contest victory, another record, because she scored a win in last week’s Tigé Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship in Portland. The event is not part of the PWT. Soven missed out on that event’s final.

The Liquid Circus was covering the Tigé Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship and they have a couple of cool clips you should check out. The first one is of Rusty Malinoski landing the very difficult HS Backside 900, while the second is the site’s “set of the week” featuring Aaron Rathy at his house. Visit the site for a bunch more.

http://www.lat34.org/video/backside 9.flv

Rusty Malinoski

http://www.lat34.org/video/Aaron_Rathy_Set_of_The_Week.flv

Aaron Rathy
The full release about the Phoenix stop of the PWT follows.

Hot-Streaks Continue to Burn Bright with Wins in Phoenix

Phoenix, Ariz. – Phillip Soven, 19, of Longwood, Fla. and Nicola Butler, 16, from Cape Town, South Africa have once again proven to be unstoppable this season, as both pro wakeboarders extended their hot-streaks to four consecutive Tour stop victories, after claiming the top spots in today’s finals at the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Phoenix.

Soven claimed his fourth straight Tour stop win of the season, after beating current Wake Games champion Rusty Malinoski, 2004 Rookie of the Year JD Webb and 2006 King of Wake Tino Santori who rounded out the Pro Men’s finals today, respectively. Soven’s win in Phoenix marks the most consecutive victories any rider has won in a single season.

“It’s my fourth straight Tour win of the season and with only one stop remaining, it sort of feels like the final nail in the coffin,” said Soven. “Winning in Phoenix definitely gives me an advantage going into the final stop, but I can’t let it go to my head, I need to keep focus.”

Randall Harris did not make the podium in Phoenix today; however, the California native did pick-up some extra cash thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink. Harris 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 wrap 720 off the Air Force Kicker.

In the Pro Women’s Division, Nicola Butler claimed her fourth win of the season as well, after taking on five other female finalists. Butler’s win today ties with Phillip Soven at four for the most consecutive wins in a single season.

“I’m really stoked about how I have been riding on Tour this season and today’s win gives me great momentum moving forward,” said Butler.

Although Amber Wing didn’t win in Phoenix today, the current wakeboard world champion didn’t walk away empty handed, as she 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 toeside 720.

Jimmy LaRiche captured his third win of the season, after taking the top spot in the Jr. Men’s finals today.

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

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.

MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour: Phoenix, AZ
Sunday, June 29 – Final Results:

Pro Men
Finals – Heat 01
1 Phillip Soven USA 96.00
2 Rusty Malinoski CAN 88.50
3 JD Webb USA 78.75
4 Tino Santori USA 76.75

Pro Women
Finals – Heat 01
1 Nicola Butler UK 93.25
2 Amber Wing AUS 81.50
3 Melissa Marquardt USA 74.25
4 Raimi Merritt USA 74.00
5 Shelby Kantar USA 70.25
6 Emily Copeland Durham USA 56.75

Jr. Men (14-18)
Finals – Heat 01
1 Jimmy LaRiche USA 89.50
2 Robert Soven USA 88.00
3 Harley Clifford AUS 84.25
4 Danny Burnstein USA 78.25

Jr. Men (14-18)
Semifinals – Heat 01
1 Harley Clifford AUS 98.00
2 Robert Soven USA 88.00
3 Stephen Cahail USA 76.50
4 Jarrod Askew AUS 72.25
5 Jacob Valdez USA 65.25

Jr. Men (14-18)
Semifinals – Heat 02
1 Jimmy LaRiche USA 96.00
2 Danny Burnstein USA 84.50
3 Julian Cohen USA 84.50
4 Daniel Powers USA 73.50
5 Steel Lafferty USA 45.00

Pro Men
Semifinals – Heat 01
1 Rusty Malinoski CAN 90.50
2 JD Webb USA 89.00
3 Aaron Rathy CAN 83.75
4 Adam Fields USA 67.75
5 Randall Harris USA 48.00

Pro Men
Semifinals – Heat 02
1 Phillip Soven USA 92.00
2 Tino Santori USA 86.50
3 Shawn Watson USA 83.25
4 Adam Errington SCT 76.25
5 Austin Hair USA 62.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 01
1 Shawn Watson USA 93.00
2 Randall Harris USA 87.25
3 Andrew Adkison USA 84.00
4 Chris O’Shea AUS 75.75

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 02
1 Adam Errington SCT 95.00
2 Tino Santori USA 92.75
3 Corey Bradley CAN 78.75
4 Olivier Derome USA 73.50

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 03
1 JD Webb USA 95.50
2 Adam Fields USA 90.75
3 Sean O’Brien USA 81.00
4 Dean Smith AUS 58.75

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 04
1 Rusty Malinoski CAN 97.00
2 Austin Hair USA 90.00
3 Zane Schwenk USA 78.50
4 Chad Sharpe CAN 74.50

Pro Men
Quarterfinals – Heat 05
1 Phillip Soven USA 94.50
2 Aaron Rathy CAN 88.00
3 Trevor Hansen USA 87.00
4 Dustin O’Ferrall CAN 71.50