EVENT CALENDAR JUNE Malibu Rider Experience South Hypo Lake Park, NC 6/3-5 West Coast Wakesurf Open Wheatland, CA 6/2-5 OK-AR INT Stop #1 Lake Hamilton, AR 6/3-5 Pro Card QualiďŹ er #3 Hypo Lake Park, NC 6/4 OR INT Stop #2 Lake Sabrina, OR 6/3-5 SC INT Stop #2 "Taste of the Creek" Bouy Creek, Harleyville, SC 6/3-5 Eternal Riders Camp 6/7 MVL Invitational Monument View Lake, Grand Junction, CO 6/10-12 Nautique European Pro Am presented by Rockstar Energy Castelo do Bode, Ferreira do Zezere, Portugal 6/10-12 ID INT Stop #1 Hauser Lake, ID 6/10-12 Wake the World Alabama 6/10 AL INT Stop #1/2 Lake Martin, Alexander City, AL 6/10-12 SoCal INT Stop #1 Patti's Pond, Poplar, CA 6/10-12
Wake the World Adaptive Event 6/16 Wake the World Georgia 6/16 OK-AR INT Stop #2 Liberty Lake, OK 6/17-19 SC Rough Riders Clinic Lake Murray, SC 6/17 PWT Stop #2 Mooresville, NC 6/18 Georgia Wake Series Stop #2 Terminus Wake Park 6/18 Wake the World North Carolina Badin Lake 6/20 Wake the World Oregon 6/22 Crescent Bar Riverfest Crescent Bar, WA 6/22-27 Wake the World North Carolina Lake James 6/23 Performance Gravel Tour #3 Orlando Watersports Complex, Orlando, FL 6/25 Georgia Wake Series Stop #3 Albany, GA 6/25 NC INT Stop #2 Denton, NC 6/25
JULY Malibu Sparks Pro Spark Marina, Sparks, NV 7/1-3
Malibu Pro Card Qualifier #5 Lake Quinsigamond, Worchester, MA 7/16
Malibu Rider Experience Central Bel Ray Action Sports Park, Conroe, TX 7/8-10
SoCal INT - Stairway Lago Del Sol, Lemoore, CA 7/15-17
Malibu Pro Card Qualifier #4 Bel Ray Action Sports Park, Conroe, TX 7/9
Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club Stop #1 Canyon Lake,CA 7/16
OR INT Stop #3 Detroit Lake, OR 7/8-10
ID INT Stop #2 Preist River, ID 7/22-23
Eternal Riders Camp 7/7-8
Lally's Board Bash Napoleon, OH 7/23
PWT Stop #3 Monroe, WA 7/9 SC INT Stop #3 Gunnels Lake Ski Clinic 7/9-10
PWT Stop #4 Edmonton, AB, Canada 7/23 SC INT Stop #4 "Grand Harbor" Greenwood, SC 7/22-23
Malibu Rider Experience East in partnership with Wootown Wakefest Lake Quinsigamond, Worchester, MA 7/15-17
Georgia Wake Series Stop #4 Lake Lanier Olympic Venue, GA 7/23
WA INT (Ski Only) Kories Lake, WA 7/14-16
Nautique WWA U.S. Wakeboard National Championships Dallas Landing Park, Lake Allatoona, Acworth, GA 7/27-30
OK-AR INT Stop #3 Grand Lake, OK 7/15-17 AL INT Stop #3 Wetumpka, AL 7/15-17
WA INT (Wakesurf Only) Lake Tye, WA 7/28-31
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT What a great time to be in any wake sport. The boating industry has made huge steps in building better wakes and devices to make all of our sports more easily enjoyable. The board companies have been pumping out product that is better, stronger, and more fitted for each individual ability level. WHAT COULD BE NEXT? Maybe it’s this? The WWA Rideline is expanding. What you will read over the next few pages is about “US”. The everyday, die hard competitors of wake. This is simply about those of us who enjoy the sport every weekend. Those of us who still load up the kids and go to the lake to enjoy a family friendly, healthy, head to head wake comp. The WWA Rideline will encompass everything you need to know about what events are coming up, what events have passed, as well as meet the competitors riding in them. We are also going to highlight these grassroots events and organizers that put 100's of hours of hard work to give us a chance to hold a trophy over our heads on any given weekend in the sport we love. Shannon Starling
I hope you enjoy what you find and the stories we tell. Most of all I hope we all continue to enjoy wake sports for many years to come.
LETTER FROM EXEC. DIREC. One of the most exciting things about my job is all of the possibilities in front of us. Our daily mission at the WWA is to grow and better the sport of wake on all levels. We try to keep things fresh and energized educating up and coming riders and new event organizers while getting new event officials onboard early who bring a fresh perspective to the sport. This helps to ensure riders across the globe have opportunities to get on the water where they can experience all the fun wakeboarding has to offer. All while connecting fellow water lovers from around the world and taking the sport to new places. All of this adds up to guarantee the sport is in good hands. The riders’ hands. After all, the WWA’s motto is For Riders by Riders.
Corrie Wilson
STOP 3 AD
SUBMIT YOUR CONTEST PHOTOS! @TheWWA
INTERVIEW
Georgia Wake Series
The WWA is always excited to see people step up and bring events to their local waterways. How did the Georgia Wake Series come about? After several years of helping out with the previous grassroots wakeboard series, and a decade of involvement in many Georgia wakeboard events, I, along with others involved felt like we were in the best position to carry the torch. We believe that along with events like boat shows, demos, and wake surf events, a grassroots series is a fundamental component in keeping towed water sports in Georgia healthy and vibrant. We want to bring a professional-quality event to a grassroots level platform, providing positive experiences to all those supporting and lifelong memories to the riders and families who participate. To put it simply, we just want to do our part to #MakeWakeGreatAgain. Can riders from all over participate? Absolutely – the more the merrier. This is a series where you can accumulate points for the Georgia State Championships, but it is not exclusive to just Georgia residents. We'd love to see our neighbors in Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and anywhere else come ride an event, or ride the whole series. What are you most excited about with the Georgia Wake Series? I'm most excited about helping give back to a sport and community that has already given so much to me, and having the support from the industry and the riders to do it. What advice would you give to others who are thinking of putting on their own event? If you're going to do an event, pay attention to the details and consider everyone who is investing. From riders, parents, sponsors, and anyone willing to help out, be sure to keep their time and efforts in mind throughout the process.
ALL NEW JUDGES EXPERIENCE AT THE
2016 RIDER EXPERIENCE The Malibu Rider Experience events truly oer something for everyone. With Freeride Friday to hangout and pick up a few tips from the Malibu team, the Regional Championships that gives riders a chance to earn their ticket to Nationals and to earn some bragging rights in their area. Wakesurf Sunday, is the perfect time to check out Malibu's SurfGate and close out the weekend in a relaxed setting. Last but certainly not least there is the Judges Experience, which focuses on educating participants on how the sport is judged. The Judges Experience aims to give riders, fans and parents a better understanding of what the judges are looking for in a contest so they can better build their own passes. The 2016 Judges is all new and interactive. Participants will watch and learn to judge passes in a hands on setting. Participants will even have the opportunity to sign up to shadow judge the following day's Regional Championships which will give them the opportunity to test what they learn during the judges experience. Be sure to take part in the Judges Experience on Friday at your region of the Malibu Rider Experience.
POINTS CHASE LAKE ALFRED, Fla. February 16, 2016 – The National Points Chase and Nautique WWA Wake Park National Championships have joined forces to become the world's largest wake park event in 2016, as champions are crowned by the WWA in both the individual and team categories. The 2016 Nautique Wake Park National Championships presented by Rockstar will be held at the Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC) August 4-7. The most compelling features of the two events will be combined to create a true national wake park competition for athletes across the United States. In order to compete at this event, riders will need to earn a spot at their local home park qualifier. Similar to years past, the top five riders from each division at each park will earn a spot to compete for a national title. Pro divisions will allow for athletes to qualify through their local wake park or in a pre-qualifying round held at the championship event. For 2016, all riders must qualify in order to be eligible for a title. Last year, over 35 parks hosted qualifying series'. This year it is expected to increase to around 50 locations, providing more qualifying opportunities for riders throughout the U.S. The series' hosted by the parks will not only qualify individual riders, but also a team to represent their respective park at the championship event. Full-size parks will be allowed to host both series' while two tower parks are limited to the features only series. OWC will be defending both team titles on their home site and will be the early favorites to repeat as champions in 2016. They became the first team to win both of the team titles for traditional and features just last year. Last year, over 35 parks hosted qualifying series'. This year it is expected to increase to around 50 locations, providing more qualifying opportunities for riders throughout the U.S. The series' hosted by the parks will not only qualify individual riders, but also a team to represent their respective park at the championship event. Full-size parks will be allowed to host both series' while two tower parks are limited to the features only series. OWC will be defending both team titles on their home site and will be the early favorites to repeat as champions in 2016. They became the first team to win both of the team titles for traditional and features just last year.
“OWC will be tough to beat, they have such a great crew of riders and the support they give each other shows on the water,” said Tom Fooshee, who has led Texas Ski Ranch to three team titles. “I know there are many teams around the country that are just as hungry to win a team title this year.” Professional athletes will have the opportunity to compete for the largest prize purse in the history of the event. The Nautique WWA Wake Park National Championships will once again be a scheduled stop on the WWA Wake Park World Series This year amateur riders will earn a better seed by competing here at the national level, however, it will become a qualifying event in the future for riders wanting to compete in the WWA Wake Park World Championships. More information about the WWA Points Chase will be available to the public soon. For those interested in competing, visit www.PointsChase.com and review which parks hosted events last season. If you are interested in your local park hosting an event, contact them about hosting a weekly series for a chance to qualify for the Nautique WWA Wake Park National Championships. ABOUT THE NATIONAL POINTS CHASE: Founded in 2010, The National Points Chase was created to give young wakeboarder's and wakeskater's the opportunity to not only better their skills, but also compete against their peers in a fun environment. Two weekly series (Traditional & Features Only) are hosted at cable wake parks across the United States. The final event of the season, the National Points Championship is the largest cable wakeboard event in the United States. For more information visit: www.PointsChase.com ABOUT THE WWA: The World Wakeboard Association is the global leader in wake sports sanctioning. The WWA owns and operates the WWA Wakeboard World Series, WWA Wake Park World Series, WWA Wakeboard National Championships, WWA Wake Park National Championships, WWA Wakeboard World Championships, WWA Wake Park World Championships, WWA Wake Park Triple Crown, WWA Pro Card and WWA Rider Experience. With 27 affiliate countries worldwide, the WWA is a rider-formed organization dedicated to promoting and growing wake sports worldwide. It is the primary source for riders, event organizers and competitive standards. For more information on the WWA and its events, check out www.thewwa.com About Nautique Boat Company: Celebrating 91 years of excellence in the marine industry, Nautique is a subsidiary of Correct Craft and has been on the waters of the world with a passion for innovation since 1925. Nautique is known to push the envelope of possibility on the water, and our owners have come to expect nothing but the absolute best. The Ski Nautique 200 has changed waterskiing with 19 world records, the G-Series has won numerous awards for wakeboard boat and wakesurf boat of the year while unlocking new possibilities in wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and our Sport Series has given families endless days on the water without compromise. Through our Nautique Cares initiatives we're dedicated to not only making a difference on the water, but to people in need around the world. The world's best ski boat, world's best wake boat, and a company that cares. To learn more visit Nautique.com. ABOUT ROCKSTAR: Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles – from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 25 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. For more information, visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com
WAKE OPEN RECAP ORLANDO (April 24, 2016) – Harley Clifford (AUS) took home the top spot and overall win in the Men's Pro Finals at the 2016 Nautique Wake Open presented by Rockstar Energy at Orlando Watersports Complex. He put on an impressive performance while riding behind the award-winning Super Air Nautique G23, including pulling one of the biggest tricks of the day with a double half-cab roll. With great conditions on the water, the competition in the Wakeboard World Series Pro Men's Finals provided plenty of action-packed performances throughout the afternoon. Clifford put together the best run of the finals earning a score of 94.0, while Nautique rider Mike Dowdy (USA) captured the runner-up position as he was awarded with a score of 91.0. A strong-consistent performance by JD Webb (USA) helped him secure the third and final podium position for Nautique. “I couldn't be more happy with my riding today,” said Harley Clifford. “Mike and JD crushed their runs and left me with no choice but to go out and pull out big tricks. I'm looking forward to carrying the momentum from this weekend into the remainder of the season.” For the third year in a row, Team Nautique rider Meagan Ethell (USA) showed that she has been putting in the work and remains the one to beat by winning the Women's Pro Final at the Nautique Wake Open with a score of 83.33. Finishing behind her was fellow Nautique rider Raimi Merritt (USA) and Amber Wing (AUS), who finished second and third respectively. “I'm stoked to take my third win at the Nautique Wake Open,” said Team Nautique Rider Meagan Ethell. “Today could not have gone any better with the awesome weather, a great crowd, and most importantly an awesome wake behind the G23. Having all of my family and friends out here made the day that much better.” The Rockstar Energy Big Air Kicker contest provided thrilling action for the fans in attendance, which consisted of riders leaping to massive air off of the ramp. Chad Sharp (CAN) went on to become the eventual winner with his stylish tricks. Pro Wakeskate Finals witnessed Brian Grubb (USA) nail an amazing run to take the victory behind the incredible wake of the G23. A talented field of riders filled the Jr. Pro Men's (14-18) lineup, but James Loisel (USA) used a variety of tricks to out duel his competition and claim the event win. A clutch performance by Zoe Luquette (USA) carried her to the victory in the Jr. Women's (14-18) Finals. Jared Franco (USA) consistently nailed technical flip variations off the G23's wake en route to the Men's 1 (19-24) division win, followed by Dylan Wittman (USA) and Woody White (USA). In the Men's 2 (25-29), Bob Chinn (USA) laid it all on the line to emerge victorious over Corbin Blanton (USA) in second. The Nautique Wake Open featured four days of intense competition at Orlando Watersports Complex with riders providing some of the most challenging and innovative runs in the history of the sport. The Super Air Nautique G23 provides the pull for every Nautique Wake Series event giving riders the platform to perform at the highest level pushing the sport to new heights each season. As the organizer and sanctioning body of the 2016 Nautique Wake Open presented by Rockstar Energy, the World Wakeboard Association would like to thank all of its partners for their support in making the event possible, including Nautique Boat Company, Rockstar Energy Drink, FOX, Ronix, CWB, PCM Engines, Performance Ski & Surf and Roswell Marine. For more information on the 2016 Wakeboard World Series CLICK HERE.
INTERVIEW
Mary Morgan Howell
How Old Are you? 13 Where are you from? Dothan, AL How long have you been wakeboarding? I have been wakeboarding for 7 years. I started when I was 6 years old. First contest? INT competition when I was 8 years old Best way to get rid of pre-contest jitters? I picture my self behind my boat my dad driving on my lake just doing my practice set. What pro wakeboarder do you think has the best hair? Rami merits blue hair!! What is the best part of wakeboarding in Alabama? Actually my home lake is in north Florida the name of it is Compass Lake. I love wakeboarding there because it's not to far from my house and it's a great place to get away and be with my family.
You have several inverts in your bag of tricks, a lot of people are nervous when it comes to trying their first invert, what helped you get the courage to give that first try? I was terrified to try my first invert. I would suggest finding the rotation that fells the most natural, for me it was a frontroll. Basically all I did was "cut in" drop the rope then do a foward roll on top of the water and also not to mention I got my dad to completely cut the power. Sooooooo, it only looked like a frontroll to my dad and I!! What are you goals for the 2016 season? work hard to improve my wakeboarding, and get physically stronger and of course have fun. What are you into besides wakeboarding? I like to wakesurf, crossfit, tumbling, jumping on the trampoline,and skateboarding Tip you'd give someone who's thinking about entering their first contest? Relax, enjoy it, have fun, and make great memories with your friends and family!! Sponsors who you'd like to thank? RONIX, and our local dealership in Dothan, AL (H20 WATERSPORTS)
INTERVIEW
Kevin Duffy
Let's start with the basics… How old are you? I just turned 14 April 8th. Where are you from? I am from DeLand, Fl. That's about 45 min north of Orlando How long have you been wakeboarding? My parents started me out waterskiing first but I was not a fan of it. I wanted to wakeboard, I was 5 then, so for like 9 years now. First contest? In 2007 I entered a contest called The Lake Ivanhoe Revival. I actually got third. I was so happy I won an O'Neill wallet. I still have it too. Best way to get in the zone for a contest? I like to hang and talk with friends on the dock and watch the other riders. No real zone. I don't like to stress to much. Best part about where you ride? I ride on the St. Johns River and it is almost always just us on the river and there is always a calm spot somewhere.
What are you into besides wakeboarding? I Like to Golf, Snowboard, Wakesurf, Surf, ride my dirt bike and hang with my friends. What are your goals for the 2016 season? Just to continue to learn new tricks. The Boys division is really sick and all the boys are killing already this season. Can't wait to see what goes down this year!!! What was your first invert? I think it was a toeside backroll. Tip you'd give to someone who is thinking about entering his or her first contest? Don't let your nerves get to you. Go out and have fun and learn from the experience. Competing is a lot of fun with all of the people you meet and cool places you can end up going to. Sponsors/ who you'd like to thank? Yea I'd like to thank Performance Ski and Surf, Ronix Wakeboards, C4 Belts, Nautique Boats and my Mom and Dad for all of their support.
CONTEST PREP TIPS 5 tips to prep for a contest from the Coaches at Freedom Wake Park Leading up to a contest, tensions can run pretty high. Athletes and their family members have a tendency to run a lot of “what if” scenarios through their heads, bringing tons of unnecessary pressure. No amount of worrying will make the outcome any better in the contest. But here are a few good tips to help prep so things go well on the big contest day.
1
Do your runs in practice. Do them a lot, to the point where you don't have to think about what trick comes next in the sequence. Do your runs straight off the dock, because you won't get a warm up pass in the contest either.
2
Practice in all conditions. It's easy to ride when it's flat, but take a set in whitecaps sometimes too. You never know if a storm will roll in right before your division starts. This way you'll be prepared.
3
It's a good idea to take a day off before a contest. This will leave you refreshed and rested when it's time to compete.
4
Ride with friends, especially as a contest draws near. This has several great affects: you have fun, you build camaraderie, and you're less likely to get freaked out on the day of the contest when everyone is around. Be kind to yourself. Help keep yourself in a good frame of mind by telling yourself positive things and focusing on your strengths. Don't dwell on your mistakes.
INTLEAGUE Looking for some summer FUN?! Join the INT League, an ability based competition league with novice-pro divisions for all ages. INT events feature all day entertainment free for spectators, camping, pot lucks, campfires, costume contests, games, awards and prizes. Meet new friends and get some tips for improvement. Just bring your ski or board and life jacket! Boats and lakes are provided. Events take place April through October at a lake near you. INT events are nationally consistent, focused on fun and families, and designed to encourage you to take your skiing and riding to the next level!
WTW Ad please, send the file
GET 2016 WWA MEMBERSHIP www.thewwa.com
CA Wakesurf Open please, send the file
www.thewwa.com