Orlando, FL (May 2, 2004) - The beginning of the pro wakeboarding season in 2004 picked up where it left off in 2003 with Danny Harf on a tear. Harf took the top spot in the pro men's finals in the season-opening event of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour presented by Chevrolet and GM Vortec engines on Sunday.
Just over six months ago, Harf sat on the dock as the top seed in the pro men's finals of the WWA Wakeboard World Championships at the same venue as Sunday's Pro Wakeboard Tour finals, Orlando Watersports Complex. On that occasion, Harf did not have enough for victory, mustering only a third-place finish behind Shaun Murray and Darin Shapiro.
But this Sunday at Orlando Watersports Complex was different, Harf, the last rider off the dock and top seed in the pro men's finals put together an unusual and spectacular run which included two falls, a 720, 900 and a blind Pete Rose off the double up.
Harf's finals run was good enough for victory, placing him just ahead of 2003 Pro Wakeboard Tour Champion Parks Bonifay who took second and Trevor Hansen who finished third. The third-place finish for Hansen marks his first podium finish since finishing in second-place at the WWA Wakeboard National Championships in 2002. Harf, Bonifay and Hansen now have the top three spots in the Indmar Performance Award season standings for 2004.
In the pro women's finals it was more of the same for Dallas Friday. Friday took first place on the day and has now won nine of the last ten pro women's contests dating back to last year. Friday made it look easy as the top seed in the women's final, watching everyone else, then throwing down the run of the day.
Friday shared the podium with Emily Copeland Durham and Maeghan Major, a repeat of the top three from the 2003 Indmar Performance Awards and World Cup Standings.
In the SeaDoo watercraft Pro Wakeskate Series Danny Hampson took first-place in the pro men's finals, turning in a repeat performance of his victory last year in Detroit. While Hampson was a repeat performer on the podium, he shared the podium with a new face, George Daniels who reached the SeaDoo podium for the first time on Sunday finished second. Brian Grubb, the 2003 SeaDoo watercraft Pro Wakeskate Series Champion finished third.
In the MasterCraft Junior X Series one thing was certain, a new face would take the top spot. With all the winners from the first two years of the Junior X Series, JD Webb, Derek Grasman and Tino Santori, now moving up to the pro ranks somebody needed to step in and fill the void. That someone was Kevin Henshaw who took his first Junior X victory on Sunday. Jeff House and Jack Blodgett who finished second and third respectively joined Henshaw on the podium.
There are four remaining stops on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour presented by Chevrolet and GM Vortec engines. The next stop will be Marine Creek in Ft. Worth, Texas May 22-23. After that the Pro Wakeboard Tour goes to Reno, Nevada June 5-6, Kelowna, British Columbia July 10-11 and Irvine, California July 17-18.
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, presented by Chevrolet and GM Vortec Engines, is a five-event circuit organized by World Sports & Marketing of
Orlando, Florida. Powered by Indmar Marine Engines, the Pro Tour has the support of the following: SeaDoo watercraft, Perfect Pass, Hyperlite, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, CWB, Jobe, Double-up, Blindside, JoyRide, Cassette Wakeskates, 484 Wakeskates, Billabong, Reef, Body Glove, UGP, Epiphone Guitars, OJ Props, Chipper Beef Jerky, Bare Wetsuits, buywake.com, Love Sac, Capix Helmets, Indo Boards, Straight Line, Nevin, ten-80, Toyo Tires, KMC Wheels, Verizon Wireless, Execute, Wakeworld, Wakeboarder.com, Monster Tower, Say I Won't and One Percent Designs.
Wake Boarding, published by World Publications, is the official magazine of the Pro Wakeboard Tour. Wake Boarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.
MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour
Presented by Chevrolet and GM Vortec Engines
Sunday's Final Results
Pro men FINALS
1 Danny Harf 92
2 Parks Bonifay 89
3 Trevor Hansen 85
Shane Bonifay 77
Chad Sharpe 75
Rob Struharik 71
Darin Shapiro 66
Tino Santori 65
Pro Women FINALS
1 Dallas Friday 97
2 Emily Copeland Durham 94
3 Maeghan Major 90
Tara Hamilton 88
Lauren Loe 85
Cathy Williams 84
Melissa Marquardt 78
Yoshiko Ishimaru 77
Pro Wakeskate FINALS
1 Danny Hampson 97
2 George Daniels 94
3 Brian Grubb 91
Danny Molina 88
Phillip Basino 83
Tim Kovacich 83
Steven Schoenhals 78
Scott Byerly 78
Jr Men FINALS
1 Kevin Henshaw 97
2 Jeff House 94
3 Jack Blodgett 88
Danny Thollander 86
Mike Brady 85
Derek Conway 85
Philip Combs 81
Scott Hopkins 76
Pro Men Semifinals
(top 2 each heat advance to Finals)
HEAT # 1
1 Danny Harf 93
2 Chad Sharpe 91
Jeff Weatherall 86
Brett Eisenhauer 80
HEAT # 2
1 Tino Santori 94
2 Rob Struharik 89
Andrew Adkison 87
Shawn Watson 80
