Pleasant Prairie, Wis. - Thanks to severe storms that tore through Pleasant Prairie overnight, the riders of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour arrived at Prairie Springs Park this morning to find that they would be competing without a Pro Tour staple, the MasterCraft Funbox.
The funbox, or transfer box, traditionally sits at the center of the course and is essentially a must-hit apparatus in order to receive a high score toward rail-based tricks. But with the funbox temporarily out of commission, riders had to change up their runs and rely heavily on their wake-based tricks.
For riders with a big and floaty style, the primarily wake-based contest today proved to be beneficial, but for the rail riders, today was just not their day.
"[Today] threw a lot guys off with the funbox not being there, but that's life for you," said rail master Shane Bonifay. "The funbox influences your run, for sure, and riders sometimes make up for their wake tricks on the rails, so yeah, some of us feel like we were left hanging out there today."
While Bonifay and several other rail notables didn't make the cut today, 20 other riders advanced onto tomorrow's Pro Men quarterfinals. Among the quarterfinalists is Dean Smith, who posted the high score of the day with an 85. The Pro Men are the first off the dock tomorrow morning.
The Jr. Pro Men hit the water today for their quarterfinals, where 20 amateur rippers competed in five heats of four, with only the top two riders in each heat advancing onto tomorrow's semifinals. Among the ten semifinalists are Bob Soven and Aussie Mitch Langfield, who each posted a 68.89 - the highest score of the day - to win their respective heat.
Soven, who currently leads the Jr. Pro Men's standings, will look to capture his second consecutive win of the season tomorrow, after claiming the top spot at the Tour's first stop of the year in Fort Worth, Tex.
The event runs tomorrow, Sunday, June 21 from 9:30am - 3:30pm.
Following Pleasant Prairie the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour heads to Knoxville, Tenn., June 27 & 28 for the third stop of the Pro Tour. Additional venues for the 2009 Pro Tour, includes Fort Worth, Tex., Elizabethtown, Ky. and Sparks/Reno, Nev.
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.
The MasterCraft X-Star is the exclusive tow boat of the Pro Wakeboard Tour, as it has been since the Tour's inception in 1992. Indmar Marine engines provides the power for MasterCraft's X Series line of competition tow boats.
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 eleven amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla. 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, and throughout the United Kingdom.
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.
