For Immediate Release                                  
Contact: Dean Turcol
Director of Communications
407-405-0097
Dean.Turcol@worldpub.net

No Fear WWA Wakeboarding World Championships
Presented By Malibu Boats

Team Japan Scores Big at WWA Wakeboarding World Championships in Fort Worth

Fort Worth, TX – Team Japan scored big today at the No Fear WWA Wakeboard World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas as the first finals of the competition took place.  Kenji Harada and Yonosuke Ito grabbed titles in the Masters and Veterans divisions, beating a number of highly ranked American riders.

Three riders from Texas had a disappointing day. Billy Garcia of Austin took fourth in the Masters division, while Holland Finley, also of Austin, finished out of the medal round in the girls division. And in the amateur wakeskate division Huffman’s Collin Gee finished fifth.

            The competition pulled by Malibu Boats at Marine Creek is the first World Championship to be held in the United States since 2004, and the Americans were expected to dominate. The wins by Harada and Ito, in addition to Canadian Dustin O’Ferrall’s win in Mens I, were a surprise.

            “The wins by Harada and Ito are a real coup for Japan, especially since they won their respective divisions against Team USA on an American venue,” said Shannon Starling, head of the WWA, the world organizing body of wakeboarding. “Add in Dustin O’Ferrall’s impressive win, and it was a real good day for the international riders who really stepped it up against the favored Americans.”

            Team USA did pick up two wakeboarding titles today. Tara Benzel won the Amateur Women’s finals while Raimi Merritt took home first in the girls division. Two wakeskating titles also went to Team USA – Lance Duffett won in the amateur division and Megan McNeil in the pro women’s division.

The No Fear WWA Wakeboard World Championships presented by Malibu Boats is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Florida. The Worlds has the support of the following: No Fear, Malibu Boats, Indmar, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Air Force, Circuit City, Sobe, Hyperlite Wakeboards, CWB, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Wakeworld.com, Wakeboarder.com and One Percent Design.

Wake Boarding, published by World Publications, is the official magazine of the No Fear WWA Wakeboard World Championships. Wake Boarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.

Thursday’s Results:

Amateur Women - Finals
1 Tara  Benzel  USA    71.11
2 Kara  Austin  USA    60.67
3 Etsuko  Matsumoto    JAP   36.11

Girls (13 and under) - Finals 
1 Raimi  Merritt            USA    60.56
2 Ashlan  Pegden          USA    47.56
3 Sofia  Gonzalez          MEX    35.56
4 Holland  Finley    USA   31.00

Masters (30-39) - Finals 
1 Kenji  Harada            JAP      62.22
2 Damien  Klaas           USA    61.33
3 Jeff  Barton    USA    50.22
4 Billy  Garcia       USA    39.44

Veterans - Finals
1 Yonosuke  Ito           JPN     70.44
2 Camilo  Gutierrez       COL    59.22
3 Alastair  Shanks         CAN    46.44
4 Jeff  Roman         USA   34.89

Men's 1 (19-24) - Finals 
1 Dustin  O'Ferrall        CAN    71.89
2 Olivier  Derome         CDN    61.00
3 Nick  Link     USA    57.00
4 Leif  Lacey    USA    52.89
5 Zack  Luckett            USA    47.78
6 Dylan  Miller  CAN    40.33
7 Marcos  Torres         MEX    35.11
8 Fabian  Ashley    USA    29.78

Amateur Wake Skate - Finals 
1 Lance  Duffett            USA    55.00
2 Tegan  Gainan           USA    40.00
3 Grant  Roberts           USA    30.00

Pro Women Wakeskate - Finals
1 Megan  McNeil         USA    61.67
2 Savannah  Barber      USA    43.33
3 Renee  Jaquess          USA    40.00
4 Stef  Tor               CDN   20.00

Junior Men (14-17) - Quarter Finals
Top 3 Riders advance to next round

Heat  1
1 Jimmy  LaRiche         USA    63.33
2 Dustin  Shows           USA    56.11
3 Alex  Scagliotti          USA    48.33
4 Alex  Graydon           USA    20.00

 Heat  2
1 Ryan  Anderson         USA    60.00
2 Julian  Cohen USA    50.56
3 Jeff  Baker     USA    35.00
4 Steven  Cahail           USA    23.89

Heat  3
1 James  Hindes           USA    51.11
2 A.J  Racinelli USA    50.56
3 Phillip  Aslinger          USA    40.00
4 Kyle  Alberts USA    39.44
5 Alex  Carranza          MEX    28.89

Heat  4
1 Mitchell  Langfield       AUS    58.33
2 Rhett  Whatley           USA    50.56
3 Ryan  Mocerino         USA    45.56
4 Larry  Taylor USA    30.00
5 Andrew  Shearer       USA    25.56

Heat  5
1 Alex  Hamrick           USA    48.33
2 Jarrod  Askew           AUS    41.39
3 Eddie  Valdez            USA    41.11
4 Johnny  Tobaben       USA    32.78
5 Christopher  Perrone USA 23.89

Heat  6
1 Adam  Errington        USA    61.67
2 James  Feid   USA    55.00
3 Kirby  Liesmann        USA    48.89
4 Luciano  Rondi Neto BRA  43.33
5 Bradey  Price            CAN    27.78

Men's 2 (25-29) - Semi Finals
Top 2 Riders advance to next round !
Heat  1
1 Kazuyuki  Tsujimoto  JAP 56.67
2 Austin  Langston        USA    45.00
3 Joseph  Lemburg       USA    44.44
4 Rodrigo  Medrano     MEX    38.33

Heat  2
1 Justin  Harrelson        USA   63.33
2 Shinichi  Ishii  JAP      57.78
3 Yusuke  Omura         JAP      46.67
4 Marc  Poirier CDN    38.33
5 Chad  Lowe  USA    31.67