USA Team Champions At Biggest Ever Wakeboard World
Championships
Sunny Seville in southern Spain witnessed the biggest ever World
Wakeboard Championships organized by the World Wakeboard Council of the
International Waterski Federation this weekend. In the build up on
Thursday and Friday, the Qualifying Rounds saw the powerful 8.1 Litre
MasterCraft X Star competition boat successfully complete a staggering total of
214 Rider performances across all the Heats. MasterCraft are the main sponsors
of these World Championships. This is about as big as it gets!
The Guadalquiver River site which divides this historic City in two,
provided all the facilities required for high level competition. With 171 Riders
from 24 Countries eager to take home the titles, it was a fierce battle of the
best from start to finish in this blockbuster 5th World Wakeboard
Championships.
Huge crowds attended each of the four days
with an estimated 24,000 in the viewing arena enjoying the sunshine and
spectacular performances in Sunday’s Finals. There were another 8,000 viewing
from the other side of the Guadalquiver.
On Saturday night, the very popular
Reef beach wear contest kept the large crowds partying till late and proved a
major attraction – especially for the photographers.
The World Championships results are categorized into both Individual
and Country Team categories. Australia were the defending Team World Champions
but this year it all went the way of the USA. Of the 24 competing Countries,
they have just been crowned World Team Champions with Australia having to settle
for Silver position this time and Switzerland close behind in
third.
With 171 Riders fighting for individual
medals, those who came out on top really deserved their rewards. Also, the tight
TV schedules on Sunday increased the pressure on all concerned to perform at
their best. The star performances included those of Boy and Girl Champions young
Robert Soven (USA) and Estelle Tuaz (FRA). Brad Smeele (NZL) came out on top in
Junior Men. In Open Men and Open Ladies, Philipp Soven (USA) and Robbie Rendo
(ARG) took the top medals. Soven’s blistering performance rightly earned a
standing ovation from the cheering crowds. In Masters Men there was a
fierce battle but in the end, Andy Meyenberg (SUI) took the top spot from fellow
Swiss Rider Oliver Lawson and Tallun Rose (AUS).
WWC Chairman, Colin Hart stated "it was an awesome and
truly international event with some excellent riding. It was tough both on
and off the water with such a massive number of Riders competing. Together
with the Wakeboard World Cup 2004 now in progress, it is certainly a very
special year for WWC Wakeboarding"
COMING ATTRACTIONS :
HSBC Wakeboard World Cup Stop
October 30/31 - Bedok
Reservoir, Singapore
WATERSKI AND WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP STOP
December 10/12 – The
Corniche, Doha, Qatar
