Just as the current points leader, Phillip Soven, predicted, the title came down to the wire in Knoxville. Six riders squared off in the Pro Men’s division final today, with top seed Phillip Soven and defending titlist Harley Clifford in the hunt for the overall win.

Soven and Clifford entered the Knoxville Tour stop as the frontrunners for the Pro Tour title, separated by 15 points in the standings. Both riders finished off the season with impressive runs, but Clifford took top honors in Knoxville, after landing a Heelside Frontside 900 off the double up. Soven and Olivier Derome rounded out the contest podium, respectively.

Clifford’s first-place finish narrowed points gap in the overall standings, but Phillip Soven still managed to maintain a five-point lead, giving the Florida native his third Pro Tour title in four years.

“I wish I could have ended the season with a win, but I’m still pretty pumped to get the title back,” said Soven. “I want to be remembered as one of the greatest riders ever, and I think winning three titles in four years will help me with that.”

Soven, Clifford and Rusty Malinoski finished as the top three riders in the Pro Men’s division on the 2010 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour.

The Pro Women’s division saw a huge upset today during its final round of action. Top seed Nicola Butler had three uncharacteristic falls in her run, opening the door for the five other female finalists to win in Knoxville.

Aussie Amber Wing took full advantage of her opportunity on the water today, taking first place in the contest – her first win of the 2010 season.

“I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to in my run, but overall I thought I rode pretty well,” said Wing. “This is my first win on Tour this year, so tonight I need to go out and celebrate.”

Emily Copeland Durham and Raimi Merritt rounded out the contest podium, respectively.

Wing’s win in Knoxville places her second overall in the Queen of Wake standings – an all female pro wakeboarding series. Despite a poor showing in Knoxville, Nicola Butler still leads the series, with Raimi Merritt taking third overall. The Queen of Wake will wrap up its 2010 season in Orlando, Fla. next week.

Despite a hairline fracture in his right forearm, 18-year-old Steel Lafferty rallied to a first-place finish in the Jr. Pro Men’s division finals – his first ever on Tour. Aussie Ryleigh Pfitzner and Nick Galotifore rounded out the top three, respectively.

“My arm was killing me, but I overall I was really happy with the way I rode today,” said Lafferty. “I hurt arm riding in Orlando right before I came out to Knoxville, so I was a little to frustrated heading into the contest, but it all worked out.”

Lafferty’s win today places him third overall in the Jr. Pro Tour standings. Florida native Daniel Powers took second place overall, with Nick Galotifore claiming his first Jr. Pro Tour title.

“It’s unbelievable,” Galotifore commented on winning the title. “Not everyone gets to win it, so I’m really stoked about it. Next year I turn pro, so it’s awesome enter my rookie season with a Jr. Pro Tour title under my belt.”

All the winners in Knoxville, as well as the overall titlists received to trophies at the Tour’s award ceremony and after-party, hosted by Indmar Marine Engines and the MasterCraft Boat Company at the Bijou Theater.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Knoxville Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including news, daily schedules, tickets, TV info, photos, videos, athlete bios, results, standings and more, visit www.allisports.com.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Indmar, Peavey, Mona Vie, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, Sayiwon’t, Epiphone, WakeBoarding magazine, Fuel TV and Allisports.com.

Tony Carroll Front Lips The Rockstar Rooftop Rail

In the Junior Pro Men division, the best of the best came out and only 10 made it into the Semi Finals that will be going down tomorrow. The winner from the last stop in Colorado, Daniel Powers, came out with the best run of the day getting a perfect 100 in his heat.

The Pro Women had their Semi Finals in the afternoon and threw down some savory runs in between the bridges on the river. This is the 3^rd stop of the Queen of Wake series so they all brought their A game in order to make it into the finals. It was Emily Copeland-Durham and Nicola Butler winning their heats giving them the edge in the Final round going down tomorrow.

Rockstar Team Rider Grabs His Board During This Back Mobe. Rusty Went On To Win His Heat.

The Pro Men Qualifying round had perfect conditions. It was a little hot, and the steamboats rolled through the event a couple times, but it was a good day to be in the water. Some of the best runs of the day came out of Trevor Hansen, Harley Clifford and Phil Soven. With both the top 2 riders in the Pro Tour rankings winning their heats tomorrow is going to be the true showdown to see who is going to win the MasterCraft Pro Tour!

[[pg:886]]

Among the 34 riders who competed in the Pro Men’s division qualifiers was Tennessee native Phillip Aslinger. Aslinger, a 20-year-old rookie from Chattanooga, placed second in his heat, behind Rusty Malinoski, to advance onto tomorrow’s quarterfinals.

“I had a fall in my run, but other than that, I thought I rode really well,” said Aslinger. “Rusty [Malinoski] killed it today and won the heat, but I’m still pretty happy to make it to the quarterfinals.”  

Aslinger and Malinoski will be joined by 18 other pros in tomorrow’s quarterfinals, as all 20 riders will try to battle their way to the finals and emerge as the winner in Knoxville.

“My rookie season has been a lot of fun, but I’m still looking for my first win,” said Aslinger. “My family and friends are coming out tomorrow, so it would awesome to get my first win in front of them.”

Aslinger will hit the water at 11 a.m. for the Pro Men’s quarterfinals.

Fellow Tennessean, Corrie Dyer, hit the water today to compete in the Pro Women’s division semifinals. Dyer, 20, out of Crossville, placed fourth in her six-woman heat, falling just short of advancement.

“I didn’t do as well as I could have,” said Dyer. “I’m a little bummed that I didn’t make finals, but I still had a lot of fun today.”

Emily Copeland Durham, Raimi Merritt and Amber Wing took the top three spots, respectively, in Dyer’s heat to advance onto tomorrow’s finals. Joining the trio in the six-man final is Nicola Butler, Shawna Hoffman and Anna Hajek, who also advanced past the semifinals.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, the top amateur rippers on Tour hit the water for their quarterfinal round of action. Riders competed in five heats, with only the top two athletes from each group advancing to set up tomorrow’s 10-man semifinal.

Among the 10 semifinalists is Florida native Daniel Powers. Powers won his quarterfinal heat today with a perfect score of 100 points.
 
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour wraps up in Knoxville tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 14, with the ticketed event running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets to Saturday’s event can be purchased at the gate 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, there’s plenty of great food; 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.
 
Be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

Following Saturday’s event, the MasterCraft Pro Wakebouard Tour is inviting the general public to join the athletes at the Bijou Theater for its season-ending award ceremony and after-party. Doors to the Bijou Theater open at 9 p.m.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Knoxville Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. EST.

For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including news, daily schedules, tickets, TV info, photos, videos, athlete bios, results, standings and more, visit www.allisports.com.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Indmar, Peavey, Mona Vie, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, Sayiwon’t, Epiphone, WakeBoarding magazine, Fuel TV and Allisports.com.

“We’ve been competing all season long, waiting to get to Knoxville to see who wins it all,” said current points leader Phillip Soven. “Knoxville is going to be a tough contest for sure, but I’m feeling confident, and just have to stay focused, stay calm and not let the pressure get to you.”

Soven, 21, of Longwood, Fla., held the Pro Tour title for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008, but lost it during the ’09 season, when Australian phenom Harley Clifford captured the overall win in his rookie season.

Clifford, the Pro Tour’s defending titlist, currently sits in second place overall in the 2010 standings, behind Phillip Soven.

“Harley and I have been going back and forth all season long, battling each other, trying to take the lead,” said Soven. “It’s going to come down to the wire. We’re both hungry to win, we’re both competitive; Knoxville is going to be epic, and I plan to come out on top.”

While Soven and Clifford are the two frontrunners for the overall title, Canada’s Rusty Malinoski also remains alive in the points race.

Malinoski has an outside shot at the Pro Tour title, but it will require both skill and luck. The former wakeboard world champion must take first place in Knoxville, and have Soven and Clifford fail to advance past the qualifying round.

“As long as there’s a chance to win the title, I’ll fight for it,” said Malinoski. “Harley and Phil are the top guys for sure, but I still plan on making the most of my opportunity in Knoxville.”

The season-ending event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, with Pro Men qualifies set to begin at 12:30 p.m. The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will open in Knoxville with the Jr. Pro Men’s division, followed by the Pro Women’s division.

The Knoxville tour stop wrap up on Saturday, Aug. 14, with the ticketed event starting at 11 a.m.

“The 2010 Pro Tour has been one of the most impressive and exciting seasons yet,” said Sean Dishman, Sales and Marketing Director of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. “Everyone works extremely hard during season and this ceremony is a celebration of those season-long efforts.”

Awards will be presented to the Knoxville tour stop winners, as well as the overall Pro Men and Jr. Pro Men champions. Rookie of the Year honors for the Pro Men’s division will also be presented during the ceremony.   

The ceremony will also include drinks and an end of the season video, highlighting of some of the most memorable moments on the 2010 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour.

The Bijou Theater is located on the corner of Cumberland Ave. and Gay St. at 803 South Gay Street Knoxville, TN 37902

For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including news, daily schedules, tickets, TV info, photos, videos, athlete bios, results, standings and more, visit www.allisports.com

Fans lined the shores of Memorial Park today to catch the final rounds of action at the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Colorado Springs. Riders in the Pro Men and Jr. Pro Men division spent the day battling it out on the water behind the MasterCraft X-Star in hopes of winning the fourth stop of the 2010 season.

The pros kicked off the day with their quarterfinal round of action, where 20 riders hit the water in five heats of four to battle for a spot in the semifinals. Only the top two pros from each heat advanced, cutting the field of riders in half and creating some massive upsets in the process, as top seeds Rusty Malinoski (#2) and Austin Hair (#4) both failed to advance past the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, the Aussies paved the way, as former Australia Pro Tour champs Dean Smith and Harley Clifford each won their respective heats. Brothers Phillip and Bob Soven also advanced to the six-man final, along with Olivier Derome and Andrew Adkison.

 
In the final round of action, all eyes were on Tour leader Phillip Soven, but younger brother Bob Soven came from behind to take the win. Adkison and Derome rounded out the podium, respectively.
 
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for while,” said Bob Soven. “I got to give it up to my competition, they’re all amazing, but I’m stoked to come out with the win.”

Today’s victory marks Bob Soven’s first Pro Tour win in the Pro Men’s division.

Though older brother Phillip didn’t win today, he remains the points leader in the standings at 345 points. Clifford trails in second place at 330 points, while Rusty Malinoski rounds out the top three with 246 points.
 
Following the Pro Men’s finals today, the Pro Tour went right into the Indmar Double Up contest where Rusty Malinoski was declared the winner.
 
Next, the Pro Tour hosted its Rockstar Energy Drink Big-Air Challenge where Bob Soven took top honors.
 
Malinoski and Soven each took home $1,000 for winning their respective events.
 
In the Jr. Pro Men division, 10 top amateur rippers hit the water in two heats of five for their semifinal round of action. With only the top two riders from each heat advancing, the field of riders was quickly narrowed down to Kyle Evans, Daniel Powers, Raphael Derome and current Tour leader Nick Galotifore for the four-man final.
 
All four rippers laid down some serious runs, but Powers proved to be unstoppable to win his first Jr. Pro Tour stop. Galotifore and Derome rounded out the Jr. Pro Men podium, respectively.
 
Powers’ win now places him second overall in the standings with 340 points. Nick Galotifore remains the Tour leader with 370 points, while Steel Lafferty rounds out the top three with 310 points.

With Colorado Springs in the books, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will now head to its final stop of the 2010 season in Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 13-14. Other venues included Acworth, Ga., Fort Worth, Tex. and Elizabethtown, Ky.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Colorado Springs Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. EST.

The top professional wakeboarders from throughout the globe hit the waters of Prospect Lake today for the opening rounds of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Colorado Springs. The event, which concludes tomorrow, Saturday, July 24, at Memorial Park, opened with preliminary rounds for the Pro Men and Jr. Pro Men’s divisions.

While many big-name riders were on-site today for the Pro Men’s division qualifying round; all eyes were on the return of former King of Wake and Colorado native Tino Santori, as he made his first Pro Tour appearance in over a year.

“It feels great to back on Tour, competing against these guys,” said Santori. “It’s difficult being away from the Tour, but I’m just stoked to be riding today and in my home state.”

Santori was first off the dock in his four-man heat, going up against Kirby Liesmann, Josh Palma and four-time X Games gold medalist Danny Harf. Santori had a solid run and the support of a hometown crowd, but Palma and Harf proved to be too much for the former two-time national champion, knocking him out of the contest.

“The level of riding is insane here; everyone has stepped up their riding so much,” said Santori. “I didn’t do as well as I hoped for, but I had fun out there and that’s all I can ask for.”

Palma and Harf advance to tomorrow’s Pro Men quarterfinals along with 18 other pros. The quarterfinals will begin at 11:30 a.m

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, 19 amateur rippers hit the water today for their quarterfinal round of action in Colorado Springs. Only the top two riders from each of the five quarterfinal heats advanced, narrowing the field of riders down to 10 for tomorrow’s semifinals.

Among the 10 semifinalists is 16-year-old Daniel Powers, who posted a perfect score of 100 points during his quarterfinal run today. Powers and the rest of the Jr. Pro Men semifinalists will take to the water tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., following the Pro Men’s quarterfinals.

The Pro Tour wraps up its stop in Colorado Springs tomorrow, Saturday, July 24, with the ticketed event starting at 11:30 a.m. and the Main Event running from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

The Main Event features high-energy athlete introductions, leading into the Pro Men finals. It also includes the Pro Tour’s new double up contest and big-air challenge. The two new competitions are designed to feature select athletes performing exciting and innovative new tricks that aren’t normally attempted in a traditional contest setting.

In addition to all the action on the water; on land, fans will also enjoy plenty of 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.

Attendees can also pick up their share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

Harley Clifford

Fans lined the shores of Freeman Lake Park today to catch the final rounds of action at the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Elizabethtown, Ky. Riders in the Pro Men and Jr. Pro Men’s division spent the day battling it out on the water behind the MasterCraft X-Star in hopes of winning the third stop of the 2010 season.

The pros kicked off the day with their quarterfinals, where 20 riders hit the water in five heats of four to battle for a spot in the semifinal round. Only the top two pros from each heat advanced, cutting the field of competition in half and creating some massive upsets in the process. Top-seeded riders Rusty Malinoski (#2), Austin Hair (#4) and Danny Harf (#5) all failed to advance past the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, all eyes were on Bryan Hutton to see if the Kentucky native would advance to the Pro Men finals on his hometown waters, but fell short, placing fourth in his heat. Only the top three riders from each of the two heats advanced onto the six-man final.

The last round of action pinned Keith Lyman, Kyle Rattray, Jimmy LaRiche, Harley Clifford, Bob and Phillip Soven against each other for one of the most unique finals in history. Not only did today’s finals pin two brother against each, but half the finalists were making their first-ever appearance in a Pro Tour final.

“This has to be one of the most interesting finals I’ve ever seen,” said veteran pro rider Andrew Adkison. “I’ve probably competed in 15 pro contests a year, for nearly the past 10 years, and this is the most intense final I’ve watched in a long time.”

All eyes were on Phillip Soven, the top-seeded rider of the contest and 2009 Elizabethtown Tour stop winner, but 16-year-old Aussie phenom Harley Clifford stole the show and won the event. Clifford’s impressive Nose Grab Back Mobe 540 and massive Heelside 900 elevated the defending Pro Tour titlist to the top of the contest podium. Phillip and Bob Soven rounded out the podium, respectively.

“I didn’t do so well at the last Tour stop, so I knew I needed to step up at this contest,” said Clifford. “It was an intense final for sure, but I laid down my run and took the win. I’m stoked!”

Clifford now sits in second place overall in the standings at 260 points, while Phillip Soven remains in the lead with 270 points.

Following the Pro Men’s finals today, the Pro Tour went right into the Indmar Double Up contest, where the Trevor Hansen was declared the winner after sticking his Double Back Role off the double up.
 
Next, the Pro Tour hosted its Rockstar Energy Drink Big-Air Challenge, where Aussie Dean Smith took top honors with his massive Hoochie Glide to Backside 360.

Hansen and Smith each took home $1,000 for winning their respective events.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, 10 top amateur rippers hit the water in two heats of five for their semifinal round of action. With only the top two riders from each heat advancing, the field of riders was quickly narrowed down to Steel Lafferty, Daniel Powers, Raphael Derome and current Tour leader Nick Galotifore for the four-man final.

All four rippers laid down some serious runs, but Derome’s Heel 9 off the double up helped the Quebec native rise above the competition to win his first Jr. Pro Tour stop. Lafferty and Galotifore rounded out the Jr. Pro Men’s podium, respectively.

“It’s awesome!” said Derome. “You work hard, plan out your run and to see it all pay off just feels great.”

Derome’s win now places him fourth overall in the standings with 213 points. Nick Galotifore remains the Tour leader with 280 points.

With Elizabethtown all wrapped up, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour now heads to Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 23 & 24, for the fourth stop of 2010 season. Additional venues for the Pro Tour include Knoxville, Tenn., Acworth, Ga. and Fort Worth, Tex.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Elizabethtown Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. EST.

Among the 40 pros, who competed in Elizabethtown today, was Austin Hair – a four-year veteran rider of the Pro Men’s division, who has found success on Tour this season and continues to impress.

“Right before the season began, I started learning some new tricks, training to become more consistent and just got into a groove from there,” said Hair. “To ride with the top guys, you have be able to go big and ‘throw hammers’, and that’s what I’ve been doing so far this season.”

The 22-year-old South Carolina native has made back-to-back appearances in the previous two Pro Men’s finals and currently sits in fourth place in the standings.

“My goal is to make the podium at this stop,” said Hair. “This is a really tough contest, there’s a lot of talent to compete against, but I’m feeling confident about this weekend.”

Hair won his four-man heat today with a score of 83.33, a 13.33-point differential from his next closest competitor – one of the largest margins of victory of the day.

With today’s win, Hair advances to tomorrow’s quarterfinals, where he will be joined by 19 other riders, including Phillip and Bob Soven. Both Soven brothers not only won their respective heats today, but also posted identical scores at 76.67 points.

The Pro Men are first off the dock tomorrow, beginning at 12 noon for the quarterfinal round.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, the top 20 amateur rippers on Tour hit the water for their quarterfinal round of action. Riders competed in five heats of four, with only the top two athletes from each heat advancing, narrowing the field of competitors down to 10 for tomorrow’s semifinals.

Among the 10 semifinalists is current Jr. Pro Tour leader Nick Galotifore. Galotifore, 18, of Orlando, Fla., won his quarterfinal heat today with a score of 94.00 and remains the top seed in the contest.  

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour wraps up in Elizabethtown tomorrow, Saturday, June 19, with the ticketed event running from 12 noon to 8 p.m. Tickets to Saturday’s event can be purchased at the gate 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, there’s plenty of great food; 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.

Be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Elizabethtown Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. EST.

The event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 18, will feature preliminary rounds for the Jr. Pro Men and Pro Men divisions, and is free to the public. The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will wrap up in Elizabethtown on Saturday, June 19, with the ticketed event starting at 12 noon and the Main Event running from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Main Event will feature high-energy athlete introductions, leading into the Pro Men finals, as well as a new double up contest and big-air challenge. The two new competitions are designed to feature select athletes performing exciting and innovative new tricks that aren’t normally attempted in a contest.

Last year, Phillip Soven won the 2009 Elizabethtown Pro Tour stop and looks to repeat in the Bluegrass State in 2010. Soven is coming off his recent win Fort Worth, but faces a tough field of competitors, including Aussie phenom Harley Clifford, Rusty Malinoski and Kentucky native Bryan Hutton. 

In addition to all the on-the-water action, on land the Pro Tour’s new entertainment stage will feature athlete interviews, color commentators and live interactive music provided by DJ “Drop Top” Brandon Thomas and mind-blowing drummer Mike Mantas.

Fans will also enjoy plenty of great food, 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.

Also be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and on Saturday runs from 12 noon to 8 p.m. Tickets to Saturday’s event can be purchased at the gate for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Elizabethtown Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. EST.

For more information, including daily event schedules, click here.

The Pro Men kicked off the final day of action with their quarterfinal round, where 20 riders hit the water in five heats of four. The quarterfinals cut the competition in half, only advancing the top two riders from each heat onto the semifinals.
 
The semifinals quickly narrowed down the field of riders to setup the six-man final, but not without a massive upset in the process. Aussie phenom and top-seeded rider, Harley Clifford failed to advance past the semifinals, placing fourth in his five-man heat.

The finals pinned Austin Hair, Bryan Hutton, Rusty Malinoski, Phillip Soven, Danny Harf and Olivier Derome against each other in the final round of action. All eyes were on the new top seed, Rusty Malinoski to see if he duplicate his 2007 Fort Worth winning-run, but fell short to two-time Pro Tour titlist Phillip Soven.

Soven’s Backside 720 off the double up helped push the Florida native to the top of the contest podium, with Malinoski and four-time X Games gold medalist Danny Harf rounding out the top three, respectively.

With the second stop of the 2010 season in the books, Soven and Malinoski are now tied at 180 points in the Pro Tour standings, with Soven taking the tie-breaker due to his win today. Harley Clifford now sits in third place with 160 points

Soven’s younger brother, Bob, lost to Phillip in their shared quarterfinal heat today, but beat him out in the Rockstar Energy Drink Big-Air Challenge. Bob Soven’s massive Indy Backside 180 off the kicker earned him $1,000 for the winning trick. Texan Tom Fooshee and Phillip Soven rounded out the top three in the Challenge, respectively.

As top-seeded rider Dallas Friday sat out of the Pro Women’s finals today, due to injury, all eyes were on the water to see which female standout would emerge victorious in the five-woman final.

Both former Rookie of the Year Raimi Merritt and former Australian Pro Tour champ Hayley Smith appeared to have the edge in the contest, but 2008 Queen of Wake Nicola Butler proved to be unstoppable in Fort Worth, taking her third straight win in the Lone Star State. Merritt and Smith rounded out the contest podium, respectively.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, riders hit the water in two heats of five for their semifinal round. Only the top two riders from each heat advanced, sending Steel Lafferty, Kyle Evans, Nick Galotifore and Daniel Powers to the four-man final.
 
All four rippers threw down some series runs, but current Tour leader Nick Galotifore continued to impress the judges to win his second consecutive Pro Tour stop of the season. Lafferty and Evans rounded out the Jr. Pro Men’s podium, respectively.

Following Fort Worth, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will head to Elizabethtown, KY, on June 18 & 19, for the third stop of 2010 season. Additional venues for the Pro Tour include Colorado Springs, CO; Knoxville, TN and Acworth, GA.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Fort Worth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.

Saturday, June 12 – Final Results:

Pro Men
Finals: Heat #1
1. Phillip Soven 81.67
2. Rusty Malinoski 73.33
3. Danny Harf 67.50
4. Olivier Derome 63.33
5. Bryan Hutton 58.33
6. Austin Hair 43.33

Pro Women
Finals: Heat #1
1. Nicola Butler 83.33
2. Raimi Merritt 61.67
3. Hayley Smith 60.00
4. Anna Hajek 36.67
5. Amber Wing 10.00
6. Dallas Friday DNC

Jr. Pro Men
Finals: Heat #1
1. Nick Galotifore 89.75
2. Steel Lafferty 88.75
3. Kyle Evans 85.50
4. Daniel Powers 76.00

Pro Men
Semifinals: Heat #1
1. Danny Harf 85.00
2. Bryan Hutton 75.00
3. Phillip Soven 68.33
4. Harley Clifford 61.67
5. Jimmy LaRiche 46.67

Pro Men
Semifinals: Heat #2
1. Rusty Malinoski 73.33
2. Olivier Derome 60.00
3. Austin Hair 50.00
4. Shawn Watson 48.33
5. Josh Palma 45.00

Jr. Pro Men
Semifinals: Heat #1
1. Steel Lafferty 100.00
2. Daniel Powers 84.75
3. Jarrod Askew 82.50
4. Ryleigh Pfitzner 70.50
5. Pierce Homsey 62.25

Jr. Pro Men
Semifinals: Heat #2
1. Nick Galotifore 94.00
2. Kyle Evans 88.50
3. Josh Twelker 77.50
4. Freddie Wayne 76.00
5. John Jeffries 64.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #1
1. Josh Palma 63.33
2. Shawn Watson 58.33
3. Eric Ruck 48.33
4. Chad Sharpe 45.00

Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #2
1. Jimmy LaRiche 76.67
2. Olivier Derome 70.00
3. Andrew Adkison 63.33
4. Danny Thollander 53.33

Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #3
1. Phillip Soven 73.33
2. Danny Harf 66.67
3. Bob Soven 60.00
4. Kyle Rattray 48.33

Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #4
1. Rusty Malinoski 68.33
2. Bryan Hutton 60.00
3. Shaun Murray 51.67
4. Nick Jones 41.67

Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #5
1. Austin Hair 78.33
2. Harley Clifford 71.67
3. Trevor Hansen 56.67
4. Jeff Mckee 55.00

In the Pro Men’s division, two of youngest standouts on Tour, Bob Soven, 18, and Harley Clifford, 16, faced off in the same heat for the first time on the Pro Tour, since competing on the amateur level in 2008.

“We used to compete in Juniors together, but competing on the Pro Tour is a whole other level riding,” said Soven. “The heats are stacked now and with a guy like Harley to worry about, you don’t know what’s going to happen; you just know that you can’t mess up.”

Harley Clifford

Clifford and Soven, who won the 2009 Pro Tour and Jr. Pro Tour, respectively, rode in the 10^th and final heat of the day, placing in the top two of their four-man heat. Clifford won the heat with a score of 83.33, beating out Soven’s score of 73.33.

“Bob just kills out there and definitely keeps me on my toes,” said Clifford. “It could have gone either way today, but I just happen to come out on top.”

Both young guns will advance onto tomorrow’s quarterfinals, where they will be joined by 18 other pros. The Pro Men kick off tomorrow’s festivities at 12 noon.

With only one round to ride before their finals, all eyes were on the Pro Women’s division today to see which female standouts would make the cut.

The first heat of semifinalists saw the U.K.’s Nicola Butler, Aussie Amber Wing and Anna Hajek take the top three spots, respectively, in the six-woman heat.

Dallas Friday

The second heat, unfortunately, witnessed a scary moment on the water today, when wakeboarding icon Dallas Friday suffered what appeared to be a knee injury to her right leg upon landing the final trick of her run – a Tantrum to Blind. Friday was immediately taken to a local area hospital for medical care.

Despite her injury, Friday won her heat today, but will likely not participate in tomorrow’s finals. Hayley Smith and Raimi Merritt finished behind Friday, respectively to advance in the contest.

The Pro Women’s finals will take place at 6 p.m. as part of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour’s new Main Event.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, 20 amateur rippers hit the water for their quarterfinal round, competing in five heats of four. Only the top two riders from each heat advanced, narrowing the field of riders down to 10 for tomorrow’s semifinals.

Phil Soven


Among the 10 semifinalists is Kyle Evans, who posted a perfect score of 100 points during his quarterfinal run today. Current Tour leader Nick Galotifore also advanced past today’s quarterfinals, winning his heat with a score of 98.00.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will wrap up in Fort Worth tomorrow, Saturday, June 12, with ticketed event running from 12 noon to 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate 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, there’s plenty of great food; 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.

Be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Fort Worth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.

Friday, June 11 – Day 2 Results:
Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #1
1. Chad Sharpe 70.00
2. Jeff Mckee 60.00
3. Aaron Rathy NS
4. Eric Deegan NS

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #2
1. Jimmy LaRiche 81.67
2. Danny Thollander 66.67
3. Steven Cahail 53.33
4. Joey Bradley 43.33

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #3
1. Josh Palma 83.33
2. Danny Harf 76.67
3. Zane Schwenk 70.00
4. Kirby Liesmann 56.67

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #4
1. Trevor Hansen 68.33
2. Eric Ruck 61.67
3. Danny Burnstein 53.33
4. Jimmy Trask 41.67

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #5
1. Andrew Adkison 76.67
2. Shaun Murray 66.67
3. Phillip Aslinger 60.00
4. Tony Carroll 51.67

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #6
1. Nick Jones 68.33
2. Shawn Watson 56.67
3. Adam Errington 50.00
4. Jason Bannatyne 43.33

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #7
1. Kyle Rattray 71.67
2. Austin Hair 70.00
3. AJ Racinelli 58.33
4. Nick Weinacker 41.67

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #8
1. Phillip Soven 78.33
2. Olivier Derome 71.67
3. Keith Lyman 60.00
4. Tom Fooshee 53.33

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #9
1. Rusty Malinoski 80.00
2. Bryan Hutton 71.67
3. Sam Thomson 56.67
4. Alex Scagliotti 45.00

Pro Men
Round of 40: Heat #10
1. Harley Clifford 83.33
2. Bob Soven 73.33
3. Dean Smith 66.67
4. Paul Hernaez 43.33

Pro Women
Semifinals: Heat #1
1. Nicola Butler 81.67
2. Amber Wing 75.00
3. Anna Hajek 68.33
4. Meagan Ethell 58.33
5. Barrett Perlman 50.00
6. Melissa Marquardt 35.00

Pro Women
Semifinals: Heat #1
1. Dallas Friday 76.67
2. Hayley Smith 68.33
3. Raimi Merritt 60.00
4. Raequel Hoffman 36.67
5. Shawna Hoffman 26.67
6. Emylee Wright 21.00
7. Corrie Dyer 16.67

Jr. Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #1
1. Jarrod Askew 95.25
2. Ryleigh Pfitzner 88.50
3. Julian Cohen 83.50
4. Clay Fraley 72.75

Jr. Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #2
1. Steele Lafferty 90.00
2. John Jeffries 87.25
3. Keenan Allan 85.50
4. Gunnar Shuler 77.25

Jr. Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #3
1. Josh Twelker 96.00
2. Pierce Homsey 85.75
3. Rafael Derome 76.25
4. Bennett Spartz 71.50

Jr. Pro Men
Quarterfinals: Heat #4
1. Kyle Evans 100.00
2. Freddie Wayne 90.00
3. Gus Shuler 75.75
4. Hunter Stich 50.00

Jr. Pro Men Quarterfinals: Heat #5
1. Nick Galotifore 98.00
2. Dan Powers 92.00
3. JB O’Neill 62.00
4. Aaron Brown 53.00

First off the dock this morning were the pros for their opening round of action, where 36 riders looked to stay afloat on Tour and qualify through to the next round of the contest. Only the top three riders from each of the eight heats advanced, sending 24 pros to tomorrow’s Round of 40, where they will be joined by the top 16 riders on Tour, including Aussie phenom Harley Clifford.

“Qualifiers might only be the first round of the contest, but they’re just as critical as any other part of the event,” said veteran rider Zane Schwenk, who qualified on Tour for his 18^th consecutive season. “Everyone wants to make the Tour, so the level of riding is super intense right from the get go. I’m stoked to be able to hang with these guys at 35 years old.”

Among the other pros advancing onto the Round of 40 from today’s qualifiers are Texas natives Joey Bradley and Tom Fooshee.

“I rode really well today and stuck my tricks, but it’s a long contest and there’s a ton of talent here,” said Bradley. “Having the event in my ‘backyard’ is great; I’m very familiar with this lake and feel really comfortable riding here.”

Bradley, 26, of Arlington, placed second in his heat today, while Fooshee, 25, from New Braunfels finished in third, good enough for both Texans to punch their tickets to tomorrow’s Round of 40.

“Keith [Lyman] and Trevor Hansen were both really dialed in today, so finishing behind them in my heat wasn’t so bad,” said Fooshee. “The competition only gets more intense from here, so I definitely need to step up my riding if I want to keep going in this contest.”

Both Texans and the rest of the pros competing in the Round of 40 will hit the water tomorrow, Friday, June 11, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

In the Jr. Pro Men division, nearly 30 of the top amateur riders hit the water for the Jr. Pro Men qualifiers. Only the top four riders from each of the five heats advanced, narrowing the field of riders down to 20 for tomorrow’s quarterfinals.

Among the 20 quarterfinalists are Canada’s Raphael Derome, Aussie Jarrod Askew and the American Dan Powers, who each laid down a flawless run during their qualifier today.

The Jr. Pro Men’s division will kick off the festivities in Fort Worth tomorrow, with their quarterfinals beginning at 9 a.m.

The Pro Women’s division will also hit the water tomorrow for their opening round, beginning at 11 a.m.

In addition to all the action on the water; on land, there’s plenty of great food; 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.

Be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from Overton’s, the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series. Fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday is free to the public. Saturday’s ticketed event runs from 12 noon to 8 p.m. Tickets to Saturday’s event can be purchased at the gate for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Fort Worth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.

Thursday, June 10 – Day 1 Results:

Pro Men:

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #1

1. AJ Racinelli          61.67

2. Zane Schwenk     53.33

3. Nick Weinacker   40.00

4. Alex Brown            38.33

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #2

1. Bob Soven           78.33

2. Steven Cahail      48.33

3. Kirby Liesmann    47.33

4. Derek Grasman      41.67

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #3

1. Sam Thomson       61.67

2. Jeff McKee            60.00

3. Jimmy Trask         53.33

4. Joe Lemburg           40.00

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #4

1. Keith Lyman           75.00

2. Trevor Hansen        68.33

3. Tom Fooshee          60.00

4. Andrew Shearer        40.00

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #5

1. Olivier Derome       75.00

2. Eric Deegan            56.67

3. Alex Scagliotti        46.67

4. Lewis Link                38.33

5. Brad Spencer            26.67

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #6

1. Dean Smith            70.00

2. Phillip Aslinger      65.00

3. Jason Bannatyne   53.33

4. Dustin O’Ferrall        51.67

5. Terry Bailey             31.67

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #7

1. Bryan Hutton        76.67

2. Nick Jones            70.00

3. Tony Carroll          63.33

4. Eric Nikstad            51.67

5. James Hindes          48.33

Pre-Qualifying: Heat #8

1. Kyle Rattray           75.00

2. Joey Bradley          68.33

3. Paul Hernaez         58.33

4. Dylan Miller             50.00

5. Anthony Hollick        23.33

Jr. Pro Men:

Qualifying: Heat #1

1. Rafael Derome         100.00

2. Ryleigh Pfitzner        80.00

3. Gunnar Shuler          78.00

4. Keenan Allan            69.25

5. Morgan Pederson        62.50

6. Cody Prizer                60.25

Qualifying: Heat #2

1. Steele Laferty       98.5

2. JB O’Neill              77.25

3. Freddie Wayne     77.00

4. Julian Cohen        74.00

5. Cooper Swink         61.25

6. Michael Dowdy       48.25

Qualifying: Heat #3

1. Kyle Evans             96.25

2. John Jeffries            78.25

3. Clay Fraley            76.75

4. Bennett Spartz            70.75

5. Joey Buss            61.75

6. Aaron Abel            45.00

Qualifying: Heat #4

1. Dan Powers         100.00

2. Hunter Stich         85.25

3. Pierce Homsey     66.75

4. Gus Shuler            66.00

5. Cody Hesse             58.50

6. Connor Bitton          48.75

Qualifying: Heat #5

 1. Jarrod Askew         100.00

2. Josh Twelker          83.50

3. Nick Galotifore       79.75

4. Aaron Brown          64.00

5. Taylor Kress              63.75

“Winning the U.S. Pro Tour last year was a dream come true,” said Clifford. “It all started with that win in Fort Worth and just grew from there.”

Since winning in Fort Worth last year, Clifford has seen his stock rise in the sport. He has gone on to win many prestigious events throughout the globe and recently became the first rider ever to stomp a handle pass KGB 540 in a contest.

“The past year of my life has been crazy,” said Clifford. “I have accomplished more than I could have dreamed of a year ago, but there’s definitely more for me conquer.”

So what’s left for Clifford to conquer? He could try to land a few new tricks, break some wakeboarding records or try to pull a Phillip Soven and go for the Pro Tour sweep. Whatever the 16-year-old young gun has in mind, be sure to checkout him and his field of competitors this week, June 10-12, at Texas MasterCraft in Fort Worth for the second stop of the 2010 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour.

For daily schedules and more in Fort Worth, click here.

Between the live music, a stacked six-man pro final, plenty of ROCKSTAR girls, a big-air challenge and a double up contest; fans were treated to an epic wake party, full of action and entertainment.

“We definitely left an impression in Acworth with this new format,” said the current King of Wake, Aaron Rathy. “The fans and riders were all really pumped on how things went down and to see new elements of the sport added to the Pro Tour.”

The Pro Men kicked off the final day of action with their quarterfinal round, where 20 riders hit the water in five heats of four. The quarterfinals cut the competition in half, only advancing the top two riders from each heat onto the semifinals.

The semifinals quickly narrowed down the field of riders to setup the six-man final, but not without an upset. Austin Hair of Tega Cay, SC beat out four-time X Games gold medalist Danny Harf and former Pro Tour champ Shaun Murray to advance to his first Pro Tour finals appearance. 

 The finals pinned Hair, Adam Errington, Rusty Malinoski, Phillip Soven, JD Webb and Harley Clifford against each other in a six-man final. In such a stacked final heat, riders couldn’t hold anything back in order to win the first Pro Tour stop of the 2010 season. Aussie Phenom Harley Clifford, the current defending Pro Tour titlist, took that notion to the next level during his final run, landing a handle pass KGB 540 – the first ever in a contest.

Clifford’s impressive run was more than enough to take first place in the Pro Men’s finals and take the lead in the Pro Tour standings. Malinoski and Soven rounded out the Pro Men’s podium, respectively.

“I’m stoked,” said Clifford. “Sticking the KGB 5 and winning the first Pro Tour stop in the same day is just unreal.”

Following the Pro Men’s finals, the Pro Tour went right into the Indmar Double Up contest, where the “Bone-Crusher” Rusty Malinoski was declared the obvious winner after sticking his Toeside 1080.

Chad Sharpe, who is known for his bag of tricks off the kicker, won the Rockstar Energy Drink Big- Air Challenge with his massive Indy Glide. Sharpe and Malinoski each took home a $1,000 for winning their respective events.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, riders hit the water in two heats of five for their semifinal round. With only the top two riders from each heat advancing, the field of riders was narrowed down to Freddie Wayne, Kyle Evans, Nick Galotifore and Daniel Powers for the four-man final.

All four rippers threw down some series runs, but Galotifore’s Heel 7 off the double up helped the Orlando native rise above the competition to win his first Pro Tour stop. Powers and Evans rounded out the Jr. Pro Men’s podium, respectively.

“It’s crazy, I can’t believe I took first place,” said Galotifore. “I just laid down my run, stuck my Heel 7, and it paid off. I’m stoked!”

With finals wrapped up in Acworth, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will now head to Fort Worth, Tex., on June 10-12. Additional venues for the 2010 season include Elizabethtown, Ky., Colorado Springs, Colo. and Knoxville, Tenn.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Acworth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on July 20 at 8 p.m. EST.

For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including news, daily schedules, tickets, photos, videos, athlete bios, results, standings and more, visit www.allisports.com.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Indmar, Peavey, Mona Vie, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, Sayiwon’t, Epiphone, WakeBoarding magazine, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.

Saturday, May 22 – Final PWT Results:

Pro Men – Finals: Heat #1

1. Harley Clifford          93.33

2. Rusty Malinoski        88.33

3. Phillip Soven              78.33

4. JD Webb                     73.33

5. Austin Hair                 65.00

6. Adam Errington         50.00

Jr. Pro Men – Finals: Heat #1 

1. Nick Galotifore         92.50

2. Daniel Powers            86.25

3. Kyle Evans                 81.75

4. Freddie Wayne          79.50

Pro Men – Semifinals: Heat #1

1. Rusty Malinoski       83.33

2. Phillip Soven              80.00

3. Adam Errington        70.00

4. Danny Burnstein       60.00

5. Jim LaRiche                 58.33

Pro Men – Semifinals: Heat #2

1. Harley Clifford          75.00

2. JD Webb                     60.00

3. Austin Hair                48.33

4. Shaun Murray            33.33

5. Danny Harf                 28.33

Jr. Pro Men – Semifinals: Heat #1

1. Nick Galotifore         93.00

2. Daniel Powers           92.25

3. Ryleigh Pfitzner          78.50

4. John Jeffries               70.25

5. Pierce Homsey           66.00

Jr. Pro Men – Semifinals: Heat #2

1. Kyle Evans                  92.25           

2. Freddie Wayne          83.50

3. Raphael Derome         79.50

4. Steel Lafferty              79.25

5. Josh Twelker              52.00

Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #1

1. Danny Harf                 70.83

2. Jim LaRiche              70.00

3. Josh Palma                  50.00

4. Kyle Rattray               28.33

Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #2

1. Rusty Malinoski       81.67

2. Adam Errington        76.67

3. Danny Thollander     71.76

4. Nick Jones                  50.00

Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #3

1. Austin Hair                76.67

2. JD Webb                     66.67

3. Erik Ruck                     48.33

4. Andrew Adkison       33.33

Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #4

1. Phillip Soven              76.67

2. Danny Burnstein      55.00

3. Chad Sharpe               46.67

4. Shawn Watson          38.33

Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #5

1. Harley Clifford          85.00

2. Shaun Murray           73.33

3. Aaron Rathy               70.00

4. Phillip Aslinger          59.33

In the Round of 40, the 24 riders from yesterday’s pro qualifiers competed with the top-16 ranked riders on tour in 10 heats of four for a spot in tomorrow’s quarterfinals. By the end of the day, the field of riders was cut in half from 40 to 20, as only the top-two riders from each heat advanced.

Among the 20 riders advancing from the Round of 40 is two-time world champion Andrew Adkison, who competed today with an injury. Adkison, who won the Acworth Pro Tour stop in 2006, suffered a slight hairline fracture in his left radius two days ago and was originally unsure if he would be able to compete at the event.

“The X-ray hadn’t come back yet, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to compete in Acworth, said Adkison. “Once my doctor cleared me to ride, I knew had to be here to compete.”

While Adksion said his injury limited his riding today, it didn’t stop him from taking first place in heat and earning a spot in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.

“I had a decent run today, but I had to mellow out at the end of it,” Adkison commented on his performance. “I really started feeling the pain on my out of course Heel 7 and after my batwing. We’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings.”

Adkison and the 19 other quarterfinalists will kick off tomorrow’s festivities at 12 noon.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, 24 amateur rippers hit the water today for their quarterfinal round of action in Acworth. Only the top two riders from each of the five quarterfinal heats advanced onto tomorrow’s semifinals, sending more than half of competition home.

Among the 10 riders advancing from today’s quarterfinals is birthday boy Freddie Wayne, who celebrated his 16^th birthday on Friday, May 20. Wayne entered the quarterfinals as the third seed in his heat, but rode away with a near-perfect score of 98.50 out of a possible 100 points to pace his division.

Wayne and the rest of the Jr. Pro Men riders will take to the water for their semifinals tomorrow at 2 p.m., following the pro men.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will wrap up in Acworth tomorrow, Saturday, May 22 with riding from 12 noon to 8 p.m. After the contest is over, the riders will head to downtown Acworth off of Main Street for the award ceremony and block party.

In addition to all the action on the water; on land, fans will enjoy plenty of great food; 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.

Also be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from the Overton’s booth. As the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series, fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

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

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Acworth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on July 20 at 8 p.m. EST.

Friday, May 21 – Day 2 PWT Results:

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #1

1.         Adam Errington         70.00

2.         Erik Ruck         60.00

3.         Trevor Hansen         55.00

4.         Marcelo Giardi         43.33

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #2

1.         Austin Hair         70.00

2.         Phillip Aslinger         56.67

3.         Zane Schwenk         50.00

4.         Dean Smith         43.33

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #3

1.         Jim LaRiche         80.00

2.         Shawn Watson         70.00

3.         Jimmy Trask         66.67

4.         Joey Bradley         40.00

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #4

1.         Danny Harf         83.33

2.         Josh Palma         70.00

3.         Alex Brown         50.00

4.         Bryan Hutton         45.00

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #5

1.         Chad Sharpe            71.67

2.         Danny Thollander         63.33

3.         Olivier Derome         58.33

4.         Anthony Hollick         41.67

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #6

1.         Rusty Malinoski         83.33

2.         JD Webb         75.00

3.         Bob Soven         70.00

4.         Jason Bannatyne         46.67

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #7

1.         Andrew Adkison         76.67

2.         Danny Burnstein         56.67

3.         Sam Thomson         48.33

4.         Brett Lee         33.33

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #8

1.         Phillip Soven         75.00

2.         Kyle Rattray         63.33

3.         Andrew Shearer         45.00

4.         Tony Carroll         30.00

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #9

1.         Shaun Murray         65.00

2.         Aaron Rathy         60.00

3.         Kirby Liesmann         51.67

4.         Glenn Valentine         40.00

Pro Men – Round of 40: Heat #10

1.         Harley Clifford         81.67

2.         Nick Jones         75.00

3.         Lewis Link            60.00

4.         Brad Spencer         55.00

5.         James Hindes         51.67

Jr. Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #1

1.         Nick Galotifore         91.50

2.         John Jeffries         88.25

3.         Hunter Stich         81.25

4.         Gus Shuler         69.25

5.         Cody Hesse            55.25

6.         Joey Buss            45.75

Jr. Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #2

1.         Freddie Wayne         98.50

2.         Pierce Homsey         83.25

3.         Aaron Abel         80.75

4.         Johnny Tobaben         77.50

Jr. Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #3

1.         Kyle Evans         94.25

2.         Ryleigh Pfitzner            86.75

3.         Jarrod Askew         83.00

4.         Bennett Spartz         65.75

5.         Taylor Kress         61.25

Jr. Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #4

1.         Daniel Powers         95.75

2.         Josh Twelker         86.25

3.         Julian Cohen         83.75

4.         Michael Dowdy         74.25

Jr. Pro Men – Quarterfinals: Heat #5

1.         Steel Lafferty         91.75

2.         Raphael Derome         89.75

3.         Keenan Allen         84.00

4.         Gunnar Shuler         67.75

5.         Aaron Brown            66.75

Danny Thollander has been around for a while now and is ready to make a push in 2010. With big wake riding and stylish rail moves like this back lip, he has all the tools to do so.

Eric Nikstad stays flat on his toeside indy backside 180, which shows control and his own personal style.

This shot shows how much control Jason Bannatyne has in the middle of his indy back roll to blind. When done correctly, the rider has a split second to spot his landing before putting faith in a late backside 180.

With great style on rails, Keith Lyman has all the tools, but wasn’t able to put together a complete run on Thursday.

Tony Carrol opts to grab crail on his Bat Wing for extra style. Most riders do this move with an indy grab.

Black water means no wind. Great sign for the riders.

Acworth, Ga. – For the first time since 2008, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour returned to Acworth, Ga. today to host its 2010 season-opening event. The Pro Tour, which runs through Saturday, May 22, in Acworth at Dallas Landing Park, opened its first day of action with qualifying rounds for 35 riders.

Each of the 35 riders hit the water today, vying for one of 24 spots in tomorrow’s Round of 40, where they will be joined by last year’s top-16 ranked athletes on the 2009 Pro Tour.

Among the 24 riders advancing onto the Round of 40 from today’s qualifiers is local wakeboarder Brett Lee of Jackson, Ga.

“It’s great to have the Pro Tour back Georgia and be able to have my friends and family watch me ride,” said Lee. “Tomorrow will definitely be more of a challenge, having the top guys riding, but as long as stick my run and have fun out there, it should be a good day.”

The 22-year-old Georgia native finished third in his heat today, good enough to punch his ticket to tomorrow’s Round of 40.

“Considering I was in the same heat as Shaun Murray, a legend in the sport, and Josh Palma, who has been on a recent hot-streak, I did pretty well today,” Lee commented on his run. “The best of the best compete on the Pro Tour, so if I want to go further in this contest, I need to step up my riding and stay focused.”

Brett Lee and the rest of the pros competing in the Round of 40 will hit the water tomorrow, Friday, May 21, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The Jr. Pro Men’s division will kick off the festivities tomorrow with their quarterfinals, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

In addition to all the action on the water; on land, fans will enjoy plenty of great food; 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.

Also be sure to pick up your share of $10,000 in free gift cards from the Overton’s booth. As the official water-sports retailer of the King of Wake series, fans can also register to win a $500 Overton’s catalog shopping spree.

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

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the Acworth Pro Tour stop on television, tune in to FUEL TV on July 20 at 8 p.m. EST.

“This year is going to be unlike any other in the history of the Pro Tour,” said veteran rider Andrew Adkison. “Unlike in years past when we wrapped up an event on Sunday, everything is going down on Saturday night.”

That’s right boys and girls; the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will now wrap up each stop on Saturday evenings, from 5 to 8p.m., with its Main Event. What’s the Main Event, you ask? The Main Event will feature Pro finals, a double-up contest, a big-air challenge off the kicker and riding exhibitions. But that’s not all, folks.

In addition to all the action on the water; on land, the Pro Tour’s new entertainment stage will keep you dialed in, with athlete interviews, color commentators and live interactive music provided by DJ “Drop Top” Brandon Thomas and mind-blowing drummer Mike Mantas to help keep the party going.

“It’s a great way for us riders to really get together and hangout with the fans,” said King of Wake champion Aaron Rathy. “Wakeboarding is more than just a sport, it’s a lifestyle. We’re social people and we all love a good party.”

Following the Main Event at Dallas Landing Park, the party will continue in Downtown Acworth on Main Street with the award ceremony, live music, highlight videos, great food and fun.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour opens on Thursday, May 20 in Acworth with qualifying rounds for Pro and Jr. Pro Men. Elimination rounds will continues trough Saturday up until the Main Event at 5 p.m.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will hit the water in a new way during its 2010 season, as each stop will now feature three different competition formats, an innovative mix of live music and the largest wake party around, all set to take place on Saturday evenings. Event organizer World Sports & Marketing announced today that the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will unveil its new action-packed setup in five cities throughout the United States during its 19th season, including stops in Fort Worth, Tex.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Elizabethtown, Ky.; Acworth, Ga.; and Colorado Springs, Colo.

“We’ve shifted the main event to the early evening, added a live music element and built an interactive entertainment stage to create the world’s largest wake party,” said Director of Sales and Marketing Sean Dishman. “This new approach to wake events has never been done before and wake enthusiasts won’t want to miss it.”

All five tour stops will host preliminary rounds prior to the new three-hour action-packed format held on Saturday evenings. In its 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. time slot, the Pro Tour will feature contest finals, a big-air challenge and a double up contest.

On land, fans should check out the Pro Tour’s new entertainment stage to catch athlete interviews, color commentators, interactive live music and the largest wake party around.

The 2010 season kicks off in Acworth, Ga., at Dallas Landing Park on May 22. From there, the Pro Tour continues to Fort Worth, Tex., at Texas MasterCraft, June 12; Elizabethtown, Ky., at Freeman Lake Park, June 19; Colorado Springs, Colo., at Memorial Park, July 24; and wraps up the season in Knoxville, Tenn., at Volunteer Landing on Aug. 14.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is a five-stop series points race for the Pro Tour title. Athletes accumulate points at each stop based on final placement in each event. The highest total points-earner at the end of the five-event season will take home a cash purse and the coveted Pro Tour title.