The second Centurion World WakeSurfing Championships finished with a thrilling showdown and are now part of watersports history. The name of Drew Danielo, a professional skimboarder out of Florida, will be recorded in the record books as the new World Wakesurf Champion.
The event was a blast and very exciting for competitors and spectators alike. Some of the most impressive moves in Saturday’s Open Division competition came from the guys on the surfboards. Will Church of SurfTech Surfboards ripped it up with big powerful carving. “I’ve never seen anyone bottom turn so far out in the flat and so far back on the wake,” said Centurion’s Tim Lopes. “He pumped up in the pocket and blasted a couple of sweet 360’s off the lip.”
Another surfer that boggled the mind was an unknown newcomer from Santa Barbara, California, riding a SurfTech Fish. Heath Braddock nailed numerous 360’s, floaters, and then broke the fins loose off the lip of the wake for an impressive third place finish. The trick style of Colin Harrington, a professional wakeboarder out of Orlando Florida, was enough to edge out Heath for second place. Colin turned in some very impressive moves including some tasty pop shove-it 180’s into a smooth 360 then he hang five popped up to a floater off the Lip and ollied back down to the flats. Harrington cranked out an impressive display of wakesurfing and a near victory run.
But in the end it was Bill Bryan and Drew Danielo, both professional skimboarders, who stole the show. Danielo let the crowd and judges know he wanted the title with an impressive display of combination moves including the only successful pop shove-it 360 in the competition. Victory appeared to be in Danielo’s hands, but one last rider was waiting.
After the first heat of semi-finals it was pretty obvious why Bill Bryan, sponsored by Victoria Skim Boards, is a 9-time world champion skimboarder. Bryan threw moves that haven’t even been named yet and was the favorite heading into the finals. A couple of falls on some big time moves cost Bryan in points and secured a World Wakesurf Championship victory for Drew Danielo.
“This event was the birth of a brand new sport,” explains Centurion’s Robert Thayer. “The potential of wakesurfing is huge and I look forward to next years event!” Full results of the Centurion World Wakesurf Championships can be found at www.centurionboats.com.
Open Men Finals Results
1st Drew Danielo Phase 5
2nd Colin Harrington Phase 5
3rd Heath Braddock SurfTech
4th Bill Bryan Victoria
5th Will Church SurfTech
6th Daniel Watkins Phase 5
7th Greg Nelson Cope and McPhetres
8th Blake Smetts Phase 5
9th Bryan Francis Inland Surfer
