Air Nautique Wake Games Kicks Off with Qualifiers
Orlando, Fla. – The top wake athletes on the planet took to the waters of the Orlando Watersports Complex in Orlando, Fla. today for the opening rounds of the 2009 Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR. The four-day-long pro-am wakeboard event kicked off today with qualifying rounds for several pro and amateur divisions, eliminating a majority of the competition in the process.
Only the crème of the crop survived the opening rounds, earning them an invitation to the Wake Games Team Draft and advancing onto their respective division’s following round in the contest.
At the Wake Games Team Draft, ten preselected team captains will draft qualifying athletes to field a ten-person team. Athletes will contribute points toward a team score based on their final placement in their respective divisions. The team with the highest score will take home the team title and prize money.
Nearly 50 riders within ten heats hit the water today for the Pro Men’s division qualifiers. Only the top-two riders in each heat advanced, sending a majority of the competition home. Canadian young gun, Olivier Derome posted the high score of the day with a 97.25 to advance along with the 19 other riders to the following round and invitations to the draft.
Raimi Merrit (Lantana, FL), Dallas Friday (Orlando, FL) and Nicola Butler (Bournemouth, England) led each of the three heats in the Pro Women’s division today with Butler posting a perfect score. The three leaders plus six other riders from today’s qualifiers will enter the draft and compete in semifinals on Saturday, April 25.
17 athletes fielded the four heats of the Pro Wakeskate division qualifiers today. Each heat featured at least four athletes and only the top-two from each heat advanced. Three-time Wake Games Pro Wakeskate champ Brian Grubb, who led his heat of five today, will be joined by seven other semifinalists in the draft. Pro Wakeskate semifinals will be held on Saturday.
The Pro Women’s Wakeskate division took to the water today for their quarterfinals with only the top-three shredders in the five-woman heat advancing onto Saturday’s finals. All three finalists will be drafted.
West-side rider Ricky Gonzales paced the Pro Veterans division today with Glen Fletcher and Gregg Necrason joining Gonzales in the finals on Sunday, April 26.
Ten young, talented shredders hit the water in two heats of five for the Amateur Wakeskate division qualifiers today. Only the top-two athletes from each heat advanced, setting up a four-man final for Matt Haydon, Aaron Perkins, Patrick Mulvaney and Forrest Risner on Saturday.
The Wake Games will continue tomorrow, April 24 with 14 amateur division competing before the Team Draft is held.
The Air Nautique Wake Games presented by ROCKSTAR is a four-day carnival of water-sports action. But not all of the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons 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.
Tickets are available online at www.allisports.com, and at the gate: $10.00 (GA); $5.00 (ages 6-12); Free (ages 5 & under). The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all four days.
Thursday’s Results:
Thursday April 23rd, RESULTS
Air Nautique Wake Games Presented By Rockstar
Amateur Wake Skate Professional WakeSkate Professional WakeSkate
Qualifying Round Heat #: 01 Qualifying Round Heat #: 01 Qualifying Round Heat #: 03
1 Hayden, Matt USA 80.00 1 Reed, Aaron 80.00 1 Hansen, Reed USA 73.33
2 Perkins, Aaron USA 70.00 2 Taylor, Nick USA 76.67 2 Gregory, Chase USA 60.00
3 Stich, Clayton USA 56.67 3 Gardner, Ross USA 60.00 3 Fortenberry, Andrew USA 50.00
4 Masi, Andrew USA 43.33 4 Shinn, Stuart USA 50.00 4 Phillips, Joe USA 40.00
5 Mascarenhas, Ronaldo BRA 36.67
Amateur Wake Skate Professional WakeSkate Professional WakeSkate
Qualifying Round Heat #: 02 Qualifying Round Heat #: 02 Qualifying Round Heat #: 04
1 Mulvaney, Patrick USA 83.33 1 Thomas, Brandon USA 83.33 1 Grubb, Brian USA 74.67
2 Risner, Forrest USA 73.33 2 Balzer, James CDN 66.67 2 Daniels, George USA 56.67
3 Floyd, Louis USA 56.67 3 Hampson, Danny CON 50.00 3 Campbell, Steven USA 46.67
CH
4 Zorn, Erik USA 36.67 4 Roberts, Grant USA 46.67 4 Doran, Travis USA 35.00
5 Hunnicutt, Austin USA 33.33 5 Wilson, Keith USA 23.33
Women’s Wakeskate Pro Veterans (30 and over)
Qualifying Round Heat #: 01 Semi Finals Heat #: 01
1 GilanFarr, Jen USA 83.33 1 Gonzales, Ricky USA 68.33
2 Fletcher, Bethany USA 70.00 2 Fletcher, Glen USA 61.67
3 Menkin, Lacey USA 63.33 3 Necrason, Gregg USA 53.33
4 Hettler, Jen USA 53.33 4 Hussey, Scott USA 41.67
5 Scott, Cassandra USA 23.33
Professional Women Professional Men Professional Men
Qualifying Round Heat #: 01 Qualifying Round Heat #: 02 Qualifying Round Heat #: 06
1 Merritt, Raimi USA 98.50 1 Sanders, Josh AUS 96.25 1 Schwenk, Zane 95.00
2 Marquardt, Melissa USA 91.50 2 Weinacker, Nick USA 90.75 2 Stewart, Scott USA 86.00
3 Benzel Mikacich, Tarah USA 77.25 3 Jacques, Rob USA 83.00 3 Smith, Dean AUS 79.25
4 Dyer, Corrie USA 58.75 4 Carne, Sam UK 62.00
5 Maynard, Mike CDN 55.25
Professional Women Professional Men Professional Men
Qualifying Round Heat #: 02 Qualifying Round Heat #: 03 Qualifying Round Heat #: 07
1 Friday, Dallas USA 97.75 1 Bonifay, Shane USA 96.25 1 Hair, Austin USA 90.50
2 Wing, Amber AUS 74.25 2 Carter, Robby USA 82.25 2 Wensink, Adam USA 86.25
3 Jackson, Jenacee 61.00 3 McKee, Jeff USA 79.50 3 Giardi, Marcelo BRZ 78.50
4 Ethell, Meagan USA 59.00 4 Hamrick, Alex USA 76.50 4 Lyman, Keith USA 74.75
5 Rivait, Dylan USA 52.00 5 Langley, Jefferson USA 70.00
Professional Women Professional Men Professional Men
Qualifying Round Heat #: 03 Qualifying Round Heat #: 04 Qualifying Round Heat #: 08
1 Butler, Nicola UK 100.00 1 Alberts, Kyle USA 89.75 1 Ruck, Erik USA 95.50
2 Leugner, Ashley CAN 86.50 2 O’Shea, Chris AUS 86.75 2 Carroll, Tony USA 87.50
3 Smith, Haley Aus 83.50 3 Liesmann, Kirby USA 77.50 3 Palma, Josh USA 87.00
4 Nott, Dan UK 76.25 4 Bannatyne, Jason CDN 54.25
5 Thomson, Sam 69.75
Professional Men Professional Men Professional Men
Qualifying Round Heat #: 01 Qualifying Round Heat #: 05 Qualifying Round Heat #: 09
1 Bradley, Corey USA 93.25 1 Rattray, Kyle CDN 88.50 1 Derome, Olivier CDN 97.25
2 Lidberg, Keith USA 85.75 2 Thollander, Danny USA 80.75 2 Hindes, James USA 77.00
3 Hernaez, Paul FRA 84.00 3 Chabator, Josh USA 79.00 3 Grasman, Derek USA 75.25
4 O’Ferrall, Dustin CDN 61.25 4 Jones, Nick USA 77.50 4 Rodriguez, John USA 71.75
5 Whitt, Nick USA 74.25 5 Sichel, Robert USA 42.75
Professional Men
Qualifying Round Heat #: 10
1 LaRiche, Jim USA 94.50
2 Clifford, Harley AUS 85.00
3 Sharpe, Chad CDN 82.50
4 Greenwood, Ben USA 75.25
5 Suyderhoud, Kaesen USA 62.75
