WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD 2004 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS
ANNOUNCED
AUSTRALIA AND USA TAKE WORLD
TITLES
From the very start, the challenge
undertaken by the International Waterski Federation was enormous. The prime
objectives of bringing the World’s best Waterski and Wakeboard athletes to
highly populated downtown locations and increasing the level of World-wide Media
awareness, were never going to be easy. The final Stop of the World Cup in the
exotic location of Doha in Qatar last weekend brought this inaugural global
adventure finally to an end for 2004.
The total cash prize for the Waterski and
Wakeboard World Cup was $650,000. The official tow-boat sponsor, MasterCraft,
provided all the competition boats and full technical support around the
World.
The accumulated scores of each Stop have
now been calculated by the International Waterski Federation. Following the Stop
in Qatar, the IWSF announced the 2004 Men’s World Cup Champions as
follows.
|
|
SLALOM : 1. Chris Parrish ( USA)
2. Jodi Fisher (GBR) 3. Glen Campbell (GBR) 4. Terry Winter
(USA) |
|
|
TRICKS : 1. Russell Gay
(USA) 2. Jaret Llewellyn (CAN) 3. Nicolas LeForestier
(FRA) 4. Jimmy Siemers (USA) |
|
|
JUMP : 1. Freddy Krueger
(USA) 2. Jaret Llewellyn (CAN) 3. Kyle Eade (NZL) 4. Jason Seels
(GBR) |
|
|
WAKEBOARD : 1. Daniel Watkins
(AUS) 2. Phillip Soven (USA) 3. Brett Eisenhower (AUS) 4. Jeff
Weatherall (NZL) |
Each of the Stops in the important markets of France,
Russia, Great Britain, China, Singapore and Qatar had a special flavor. On-site
spectator numbers peaked in Dubna, Russia at 34,000. China delivered the largest
live TV audience of over 400 million via 209 networked Stations. Singapore
excelled in Public Relations by achieving an estimated $2,000,000 worth of local
Newspaper, Radio and TV coverage for just this single World Cup Stop. Over
375,000 News Releases were issued to general Media and Sponsor contacts in 192
countries during the season. TV News edits, distributed by Satellite through
Eurovision, Reuters and others, were produced on a very tight schedule for every
World Cup Stop. The media research organization, Tvnewsdata, estimated that the
resulting total number of contacts made was 151,000,000 in Europe and Russia,
199,000,000 in Asia and 8,600,000 in other regions. Pro-Active Television
produced and distributed world-wide a 26 minute edited programme on the six
Stops. Broadcasters continue to transmit these on a regular basis to further
raise the profile of the sport.
Having achieved all of the prime objectives set by the IWSF
for this first Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup season, an announcement will be
made early in the new year on the details for 2005. New formats and venues plus
increased prize money will be added to the programme.