Sparks, Nev. - The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour wrapped-up its fifth and final stop of the 2009 season today in the greater Reno area of Sparks, Nev., where the world's top pro riders hit the waters of Sparks Marina for the closing-rounds of action.
The Pro Men's division battled it out on the water today in quarterfinal and semifinal rounds before Danny Harf, Harley Clifford, Rusty Malinoski and Phillip Soven hopped off the dock, respectively, for the four-man final.
Harf and Clifford both had impressive runs in the finals, but Malinoski was quick to answer back by landing a Switch Toeside 1080 - the first 1080 ever landed in a wakeboarding contest - to end their chances of winning. While Malinoski's 1080 was certainly the highlight of the finals, it wasn't enough to stop Phillip Soven from claiming the win at Sparks Marina, his second consecutive victory of the season. Malinoski and Clifford rounded out the contest podium, respectively.
Phillip Soven also claimed the ROCKSTAR Best Trick Award for his Backside 720 off of the U.S. Air Force kicker. The Award is a $1,000 cash prize.
Although Harley Clifford didn't win the final stop of the season, the 15-year-old rookie phenom's third-place finish today earned him enough points to win the overall Pro Tour title. Clifford now becomes only the second rider ever to win the overall title in his rookie year, behind wakeboarding legend Parks Bonifay, who won it in 1996. Clifford totaled 450 points throughout the five-stop season. Aaron Rathy finished the season in second place with 440 points and Phillip Soven rounded out the top three with 415 points.
In the Jr. Pro Men's division, Steel Lafferty, Daniel Powers, Bob Soven and Aussie Mitch Langfield battled it out on the water in a four-man final today for the top spot in the contest. All four amateur rippers threw down impressive runs, but top-seed Bob Soven emerged as the winner at Sparks Marina.
With today's victory, Soven claims his fifth consecutive win of the season, sweeping the five-stop tour to become the first amateur rider ever to sweep the Jr. Pro Men's division. Bob's older brother, Phillip Soven, swept the Pro Men's division during the 2008 Pro Tour.
The Sparks Marina Pro Tour stop also served as the fourth contest in the Queen of Wake series - a five-stop pro circuit for female wakeboarders. All eyes were on top-seed Dallas Friday today in the Pro Women's division finals, as the current series points-leader was looking to break a four-year losing-streak at Sparks Marina. While the competition in the six-woman final appeared to be tough, Friday edged defending Queen of Wake titlist Nicola Butler 92.00 to 90.50 to take the top spot at Sparks Marina, ending her winless streak in there.
Dallas Friday now has a 25-point lead over Butler going in to the final stop of the Queen of Wake series.
Additional cities on the 2009 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, included: Fort Worth, Tex., Pleasant Prairie, Wis., Knoxville, Tenn., and Elizabethtown, Ky.
For 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.
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.
