Pleasant Prairie, Wis. - The top pro wakeboarders on the planet are set to battle it out on the waters of Lake Andrea at Prairie Springs Park this weekend, June 19-21, for the second stop of the 2009 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. Athletes will compete through a series of elimination rounds throughout the three-day event, judged on rail tricks and big-air maneuvers, as they're towed on the water behind a boat at a speed of approximately 25mph.
Athletes competing in Pleasant Prairie are not only vying for a cash purse, but also for points toward the Tour standings; points are awarded based on final placement at the event. The highest total points-earner at the end of the five-event season will claim the coveted Pro Tour title and a cash bonus.
After pulling off an astonishing upset at the Tour's first stop of the season in Fort Worth, Tex., Aussie rookie phenom Harley Clifford sits at the top of the standings list and enters Pleasant Prairie as the top-seeded athlete in the contest. Clifford, 15, of Thornlands, Australia, will look to increase his lead in the standings with a win in Wisconsin, but faces a tough field of competitors, including current King of Wake series points-leader, Aaron Rathy, and two-time wakeboard world champ, Andrew Adkison, who, respectively, round out the top three in the current Tour standings.
Clifford and the top-16 athletes in the Tour standings are exempt from the qualifying rounds, held on Friday, June 19. The top-16 will hit the water Saturday, June 20, where all eyes will be on the rookie Harley Clifford. Should Clifford finish first overall at the end of the season, he will become only the second rookie athlete ever to win the Tour title, behind wakeboarding icon, Parks Bonifay.
For schedules, results, standings, photos, videos, athlete bios and more, please visit www.allisports.com.
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Pro Tour has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Oakley, Ride the Wake, FUEL TV and Allisports.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.
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Media Partners
To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the King of Wake series, tune in to FUEL TV - the official television partner of the King of Wake. WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the King of Wake series. Read about all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and news.
King of Wake
Viewed as the world's elite pro wakeboarding circuit, the King of Wake series has attracted the sport's top athletes from throughout the globe. With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season, athletes compete during 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 the Wake Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard 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.
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. More information can be found at www.allisports.com.
