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2009 King of
Wake Series Kicks Off with Wake Games
Orlando, Fla. – The world’s premier pro wakeboarding series, the
King of Wake, is set to kick off the 2009 season in Orlando, Fla.
with its first event of the year, the Air Nautique Wake Games,
presented by ROCKSTAR. The four-day-long event held at the Orlando
Watersports Complex, April 23-26, is the first of eight stops
throughout the United States on the 2009 tour.
With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season,
athletes compete during the course of the year to be named the “King
of Wake” – an award based on points accumulated at each stop of the
series. In 2009, the series points race begins with the Wake Games,
where the sport’s top pro athletes will look to set the tone for the
rest of the season by winning the first event of the year.
Last year, the “Bone-Crusher,” Rusty Malinoski took first place in
the Pro Men’s division at the 2008 Wake Games by edging out current
King of Wake champ Phillip Soven by a single point. Soven, who was
the previous Wake Games winner, will look to reclaim his title from
Malinoski in the ongoing heavyweight saga of Malinoski vs. Soven.
However, both heavyweights will have their work cut out for them, as
the Wake Games has attracted the world’s best riders, who all want
to capture the title for themselves and get an early lead in the
King of Wake standings.
The Pro Women will also be vying for points at Wake Games towards
their five-event series, the Queen of Wake. Current Queen of Wake
champion Nicola Butler captured her first-ever pro win at the 2008
Wake Games, and plans to defend her title against some of the top
female rippers on the planet. One rider in particular, Dallas
Friday, an Orlando native, will be gunning for Butler, as Friday
looks to win her first-ever Wake Games title in front of a hometown
crowd.
In addition to being part of the contest series, the Air Nautique
Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR is also a unique competition that
teams pro riders with local amateur wake athletes in a pro-am team
challenge format.
Ten preselected pro riders will serve as team captains and host a
public draft to field a squad of male and female, pro and amateur
wake athletes. Athletes will not only go for the win in their
respective divisions, but also contribute points to a team score
based on their final placement in the contest. The team with the
highest overall score will take home the 2009 team title and prize
money.
Last year, captain Shaun Murray and his crew took home the team
title at the 2008 Wake Games. As the winning captain, Murray
automatically returns to the ’09 Wake Games as a captain, where he
will look to draft another winning team. Phillip Soven, Rusty
Malinoski, Aaron Rathy, JD Webb, Andrew Adkison, Shawn Watson, Adam
Errington, Trevor Hansen and Bryan Hutton will also serve as team
captains at this year’s event, as they each finished in the top
nine, respectively, in the 2008 King of Wake series.
Each of the ten captains will draft nine other wake athletes to
assemble their ten-man team. Each team includes: a team captain, two
pro male wakeboarders, two female wakeboarders (amateur or pro), two
wakeskaters (pro, women or amateur), and three amateur male
wakeboarders.
The Wake Games Draft will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
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.
The Air Nautique Wake Games, presented by ROCKSTAR is organized by
World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Wake Games have the
support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy
Drink, Fox, the U.S. Air Force, Central Florida Toyota, Hyperlite,
CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Oakley, Reef, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.
The Air Nautique by Correct Craft is the exclusive tow boat of the
Wake Games. Celebrating 84 years of excellence in the marine
industry, Correct Craft Inc. is the producer of the Nautique line of
boats. The manufacturer of Nautique is known for delivering superior
quality product, cutting-edge technology and exceptional service
experiences.
ROCKSTAR is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with
the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk
Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy
boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles - from
athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in eleven
amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango
Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical
Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted
Light Vanilla. ROCKSTAR ENERGY SHOTS are available in Wild Berry and
Tropical Punch flavors. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available at
convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland,
Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, and throughout the United Kingdom.
Media Partners
To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of
the King of Wake series, tune in to FUEL TV – the official
television partner of the King of Wake. WakeBoarding, published by
Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the King of Wake series.
Read about all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of
professional instruction, gear, boats and news.
King of Wake
Viewed as the world’s elite pro wakeboarding circuit, the King of
Wake series has attracted the sport’s top athletes from throughout
the globe. With more than $300,000 in prize money over the
eight-event season, athletes compete during the course of the year
to be named the “King of Wake” – an award based on points
accumulated at each stop of the series. Events include the Wake
Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard
World Championships and all five stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour.
The King of Wake is organized by World Sports & Marketing – the
leading wake events producer since 1988.
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that
encompasses national and international action sports tours and
events, multimedia production, and a consumer facing lifestyle
brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China
Invitational, Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship, King of
Wake series, and the Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates
original content, produces and presents content with partners, and
distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is
owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of
athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate
the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and
lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli
properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and
broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries
and 280 million homes worldwide. More information can be found at
www.allisports.com.
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