It has been an outstanding week in Phuket Thailand for IWWF Riders and Skiers at the Asian Beach Games. Over 2,500 athletes took part. With a unique combination of Boat Wakeboard pulled by Nautique, Cable Wakeboard, Waterski Slalom and Tricks, this was a very special week for the development of our sport throughout Asia.
The Thailand National Olympic Committee President, Gen. Yathasak Sasiprapa, was the guest of honor for the Wakeboard and Slalom Finals. He was joined by IWWF President Kuno Ritschard, IWWF Asia President Paul Fong, IWWF VP Thomas Lin and IWWF Treasurer Chris Howarth.
The Republic of Korea succeeded in capturing Team Gold Medals in both Wakeboard and Waterski – and also in individual Cable Wakeboard. China also had an outstanding Games with Gold Medals in both Women’s and Men’s Tricks, Women’s Boat Wakeboard and Women’s Cable Wakeboard.
Numerous personal bests along with four broken National Records and one Asian record says much for level of competition on a previously untested waterski site which hopefully will continue as a ski site and a lasting legacy of the Games.
Two National Slalom Records for Singapore with one apiece for Indonesia and Korea meant at the end of the day there were some happy skiers and team managers. Korea’s Ah-reum Han’s final score of 1/55/12 not only set a new Korean women’s Slalom Record but broke the 13-year old Asian record set by Ke-young Kim of 5/55/13 in 2001. Consequently the 4th Asian Beach Games Phuket, Thailand 2014 will long be remembered.
IWWF Asia is particularly grateful to the international technical officials who performed beyond the call of duty and the Thai Federation who helped pull it altogether.
The closing ceremony on Sunday evening the 23rd of November 2014 brought the curtain down on the 4th Asian Beach Games Phuket, Thailand 2014. Fortunately despite threatening clouds and a brief passing rain cloud the closing ceremony continued unabated. Four themed shows kept the guests attending the ceremony entertained. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) flag was lowered and formally transferred from Phuket to Vietnam, hosts of the 2016 5th Asian Beach Games ,and the OCA flame extinguished.
Waterskiing looks forward to being included in the 2016 Games .
All the results are available below and here is the list of the 2014 Asian Beach Games Gold Medal winners :
Sasha Christian SIN – Women Slalom
Slavador Chiha LIB – Men Slalom
Jiang Hui CHN – Women Tricks
Shi Long Fei CHN – Men Tricks
Han Qiu CHN – Women Boat Wakeboard
Yasui Toshiki JPN – Men Boat Wakeboard
Duan Zhenkun CHN – Women Cable Wakeboard
San Im KOR – Men Cable Wakeboard
Team Awards Waterski : 1. Republic Of Korea, 2. Japan, 3. Indonesia
Team Awards Wakeboard : 1. Republic Of Korea, 2. Thailand, 3. China
Women’s Slalom
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-14THA001&page=women_slalom_results
Men’s Slalom
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-14THA001&page=men_slalom_results
Women’s Trick
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-14THA001&page=women_tricks_results
Men’s Trick
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-14THA001&page=men_tricks_results
Women’s Wakeboard
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=W-14THA901&page=women_wakeboard_final_startlist_r
Men’s Wakeboard
http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=W-14THA901&page=men_wakeboard_final_startlist_r