Hailing from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Tahiti, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and the United States, the top pro wakeboarders on the planet compete every year in the King of Wake series to see who rules the water.

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. The 2009 series includes the Wake Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard World Championships and all five stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour – a series within the King of Wake series.

At each contest, athletes battle it out on the water for cash, points and pride by performing rail tricks and aerial stunts, while maneuvering on the water at a speed of approximately 25mph.

King of Wake events are a weekend-long carnival of water-sports action. But not all of the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons of great food and music, athlete autograph signings, chances to win freebies, and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores offering water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the King of Wake series on television, tune in to the FUEL TV network for complete event coverage.

The King of Wake is an eight-event series points race. The top athletes who qualify into each contest will compete to earn points towards the series standings. Athletes are ranked according to total points earned throughout the eight-event season. Following the final contest of the season, the highest total points-earner in the series will be crowned the King of Wake.

To keep the points race tight, the King of Wake series features the “Chase for the Crown” format. The Chase limits the eligibility for crown to the top-ten highest points-earners, midway through the season. Following the fifth stop of the series, only the current top-ten ranked athletes in the standings will receive a point bonus, adjusting their totals to keep the points race tight, and making only the top-ten eligible for the King of Wake crown.

All athletes will still compete at each of the remaining contests in the series, but only the ten athletes involved in the Chase will have the remaining three stops to top each other in the standings for the King of Wake crown.