Sparks, Nev. – Last year, pro wakeboarder Phillip Soven swept all five stops on the 2008 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including the season-ending contest at Sparks Marina in the greater Reno area of Sparks, Nev. Now a little over a year later, the Pro Tour has returned to Sparks Marina, August 14-16, to wrap-up its 2009 season, with yet another Soven wakeboarder on the verge of sweeping the five-stop series.

Phillip’s younger brother, Bob Soven, has won the previous four stops in the Jr. Pro Men’s division – the Pro Tour’s amateur series – and is looking to follow in his older brother’s footsteps by sweeping the tour with a win at Sparks Marina this weekend.

Bob Soven and the 18 other riders in the Jr. Pro Men’s division kicked off the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour’s first day of action in Sparks with their quarterfinal round of the competition. The 19 amateur riders hit the water in four heats of four and one heat of three to vie for one of ten spots in tomorrow’s semifinals. Only the top two riders from each of the five heats advanced past the opening round today, including top-seed Bob Soven, who also posted the high score of the day, with a 97.75 out of a possible 100 points.

“I work really hard to ride at the level that I am at, but I never expected to have the kind of season I’m having, said Soven. “I know I have a shot at sweeping the tour, but I’m looking at this weekend as just another contest and not anything more. But I’m not going to lie either, it would be cool if Phill and I could both say we had undefeated seasons.”

Bob Soven and the nine other semifinalists will take to the water again tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., where the Jr. Pro Men’s division will be narrowed down to four riders for Sunday’s finals. Should Soven top the contest podium at Sparks Marina this weekend, he will become the first rider in the Jr. Pro Men division to sweep all five stops.

In addition the Jr. Pro Men’s division, the Pro Men and Pro Women divisions will hit the water tomorrow for their opening rounds. The event will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday, August 15; and 10:30am to 3:30pm on Sunday, August 16.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate on event dates for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

In addition to all the action on the water, on land, spectators will enjoy great food and music; athlete autograph signings; chances to win freebies; and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores for water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

For daily schedules, results, standings, photos, videos, athlete bios and more, please visit Alli Sports.

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 Alli Sports.

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 Alli Sports.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 – PWT: STOP #5 RESULTS:

Jr. Pro Men: Quarterfinal #1

1. Daniel Powers USA 97.25

2. Kyle Evans USA 87.50

3. Gunnar Shuler USA 77.75

4. Jarrod Askew AUS 77.50

Jr. Pro Men: Quarterfinal #2

1. Steel Lafferty USA 95.75

2. Johnny Tobaben USA 83.50

3. Stephen Pierce USA 81.00

4. Michael Dowdy USA 79.75

Jr. Pro Men: Quarterfinal #3

1. Danny Burnstein USA 94.00

2. Phillip Aslinger USA 90.75

3. Joshua Twelker USA 83.25

4. Hunter Stich USA 52.75

Jr. Pro Men: Quarterfinal #4

1. Mitch Langfield AUS 96.25

2. Jacob Valdez USA 89.00

3. Pierce Homsey USA 81.00

4. Justin Payton USA 73.75

Jr. Pro Men: Quarterfinal #5

1. Bob Soven USA 97.75

2. Nick Galotifore USA 90.25

3. John Jeffries USA 82.00