MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour: Stop #1

 

Anticipation crept in as the best wakeboarders in the world prepared for the kickoff event of the five-stop 2006 Pro Wakeboard Tour, wakeboarding's premier contest series with the coveted Tour Season Title ready to be on the line in Acworth, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, on May 5, 2006.

 

With more pro contests happening than ever before, and increasing prize money available at each stop, many riders spent the winter getting their moves consistent behind the unique and monstrous MasterCraft X Star wake. But in addition to consistency, difficulty and stylish riding would be their best weapons to impress the five-judge panel consisting of three composition judges, a rail riding judge and a wake-only judge.

 

A new pro mens format with a 32-man bracket (similar to the NCAA mens basketball "March Madness") would be implemented at each stop in 2006, with head-to-head match ups running past the crowd all weekend.

 

Also competing were Pro Women, usually led by Dallas Friday and the Junior Rip It JX riders, with last year's junior champion, Phillip Combs, vacant because he ascended to the pro ranks for 2006. Wakeskating was back behind the Sea-Doo watercraft and returning champ Brandon Thomas was hungry for another title.

 

Storming onto the Junior riding scene was 18-year-old Adam Errington, who scored 71.33 points in the final on his way to victory. This 18-year-old, Scotland born rider mixed his smooth, stylish rail riding combined with a toeside frontside 720 off the wake to get himself on top of the podium.

 

On the women's side, Melissa Marquardt impressed the crowd and fellow riders when she rode up the floating ramp and launched onto a raised flat rail, making the gap and successfully transferring the hardest rail hit available on the course, a first-time move for pro women. Unfortunately for Melissa, Dallas Friday accomplished the same feat in conjunction with her huge maneuvers off the wake and scored 70.00 points on her way to victory at the first of two Pro Tour events scheduled for women in 2006.

 

In wakeskating, up-and-coming rider Reed Hansen took his first-ever wakeskate title throwing many difficult moves including a frontside flip, topping long-time pro wakeskater Brian Grubb in the finals.

 

On Saturday night, local dealer Ambush Boarding Co. held a huge poker tournament at a local club, with pro riders and industry professionals competing and having a great time. No stranger to Texas Hold-Em, wakeboard superstar Parks Bonifay took the field for a run and walked away as the winner.

 

On Sunday, the pro men wakeboarding bracket was narrowed down to four riders -- Andrew Adkison, Daniel Watkins, JD Webb and Tino Santori. Adkison would face JD Webb in the final battle, and smooth water provided for wakeboarding in its most appealing form. Riders get to hit a double-up in the final, and Adkison stuck a nose grab mobe (an inverted roll with a 360 degree frontside spin while grabbing the nose of the board). This would give Adkison 100 points to lead the season title race, with the next event set for June 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

(2) Andrew Adkison    100

(5) JD Webb        90

 

 

(2) Andrew Adkison    97.5

(1) Daniel Watkins    92.5

 

(5) JD Webb        100

(3) Tino Santori    90

 

1. Reed Hansen    98.67

2. Brian Grubb    56.67

 

Jr. Men Finals
1. Adam Errington    71.33
2. Rhett Whatley    59.67
3. Jimmy Lariche    59.22
4. Bryan Hutton    55.00
5. Alex Hamrick    51.67
6. Bradey Price    39.44
7. Brett Lee        33.89
8. Ryan Anderson    28.33

 

Pro Women Finals
1. Dallas Friday    70.0
2. Melissa Marquardt    52.67
3. Lauren Loe        50.0
4. Emily Copeland Durham 45.00