Sacramento, CA – Lake Bell Acqua provided perfect conditions for the final day of the Malibu Just Ride Series in 2001. The series which began in Austin, Texas, then moved to Lake Havasu, Arizona and finally convened in Sacramento brought some of the best riding ever seen to the water behind the Malibu WakeSetter.
Sunday’s finals in Sacramento treated fans to a great day of fun with some of the world’s best wakeboarders.
In the first round, Aussie Josh Sanders set the pace by going first off the dock and going big. Sanders set the stage for the rest of the round including top women like Dallas Friday and top men Chris Law, Erik Ruck and Darin Shapiro.
Again, Shapiro electrified the crowds and his fellow riders by hitting a 900 off the kicker. On Saturday it took three or four tries for Shapiro to land the trick, but on Sunday Shapiro landed on the first try, with a little help from his fellow riders.
Aussies Sanders and Brett Eisenhauer challenged Shapiro to go for the 900, thinking he couldn’t duplicate the trick that brought down the house on day one. But, to everyone’s surprise, Shapiro landed it in his first pass.
Still, Shapiro was upstaged by one of the top female riders on the water. Leslie Kent earned Best Trick honors for Sunday by landing the Pete Rose, a trick that only a few women are trying.
Kent was joined at the end of the day on the winner’s podium by Erik Ruck, Ricky Gonzales and Daniel Watkins who received praise from fellow riders for Best Crash, Best Double Up and Best Slider, respectively.
Ruck was the only double winner on the weekend, taking best Double Up on Saturday to add to his best crash Sunday.
In the Junior Men’s Finals, where the top amateur competitors age 14-18 ripped it up this weekend, Joey Arcisz took home the title.
Arcisz and his fellow competitors were competing for $1,000 in scholarship money courtesy of Malibu. Scot Ferwerda took second place on the day with Joey Bradley chiming in for third place.
In addition to the $1,000 the Junior Men were sponsored by FreeStyle watches, and the top three took home some of FreeStyle’s newest models.
Sunday’s Results
Just Ride
Best Trick: Leslie Kent
Best Crash: Erik Ruck
Best Double Up: Ricky Gonzales
Best Slider: Daniel Watkins
Junior Men’s Series Finals
1 Joey Arcisz (TX) 70.56
2 Scot Ferwerda (MI) 65.89
3 Joey Bradley (TX) 65.33
4 Caleb Johnson (CA) 61.44
5 Brad Allen (TX) 52.78
6 Duston Swafford (TX) 47.11
7 Chris Kolb (MO) 43.44
8 Derek Grasman (MI) 34.11
SATURDAY'S REPORT
Sacramento, CA - Sacramento's Lake Bell Acqua has become the latest location to witness the madness that is the Malibu Just Ride Series.
Fans that graced the shores of Bell Acqua were treated to the world's best professional wakeboarders ripping it up behind the Malibu
WakeSetter.
Professional riders in attendance on Saturday included some of the Pro Wakeboard Tour's best including Darin Shapiro, Dallas Friday, Erik Ruck,
Daniel Watkins, Gerry Nunn and Brett Eisenhauer.
The day began with the Men's and Women's Challenge Round, a competition for the four spots to join the list of invited athletes to this
prestigious event. For the pro women, riders Leslie Kent and Melissa Marquardt qualified their way in to join the other women pros, Friday and
Lauren Harf.
For the men, two of the Dodgy Aussies challenged their way into the men's Just Ride. Josh Sanders and Greg Falzon finished first and second in
the Men's Challenge to join the weekend's festivities.
Once the Just Ride began, the day really got going. Ricky Gonzales gave the proceedings a kick by throwing down one of the best runs of the day. Gonzales, a Californian, was a crowd favorite with many family members in attendance.
The first heat was characterized by great riding, but also by some great crashes. Gerry Nunn took home the prize for best crash of the day, face planting off the kicker while attempting a 540.
Nunn's work off the kicker must have inspired his fellow riders because every rider after Nunn played best trick off the little ramp. But,
the last rider on the water was the one to get it right. It took a few tries, but Shapiro successfully hit a 900 off the kicker for the last trick of the day to earn Best Trick honors.
Joining Shapiro and Nunn on the "winner's" podium were Ruck and Collin Harrington, part of wakeboarding's youth movement. Ruck, who has made
the Double Up his specialty, pulled out the Mute Mobius to earn Best Double Up honors. Harrington showed everyone that the next generation likes to
slide by walking away with the Best Slider award.
Saturday's Results
Just Ride
Best Trick: Darin Shapiro
Best Crash: Gerry Nunn
Best Double Up: Erik Ruck
Best Slider: Collin Harrington
Junior Men's Series Semifinals
(4 each heat advance to finals)
Heat #1
1. Joey Arcisz (TX) 70.56
2. Joey Bradley (TX) 70.22
3. Caleb Johnson (CA) 60.89
4. Derek Grassman (MI) 60.89
5. Robert Bonifay (FL) 54.00
6. Wes Brisco (FL) 39.00
7. Mike Schwenne (CA) 38.33
8. Cody Hall (CA) 34.33
9. Nicholas Parks (CA) 23.00
Heat #2
1. Brad Allen (TX) 52.22
2. Duston Swafford (TX) 50.78
3. Scot Ferwerda (MI) 49.67
4. Chris Kolb (MO) 49.00
5. Kyle Murphy (CA) 48.33
6. Keith Lyman (FL) 44.89
7. Nathan DeWitz (CA) 39.89
8. Robin Friday (FL) 35.22
9. Chris Dykmans (CA) 29.11
