Amateurs Make their Season Debut on Day Two of the Nautique Wake Open Presented by Rockstar
Orlando, FL (April 28, 2017) – Today, the WWA amateur divisions hit the water behind the award-winning Super Air Nautique G23 for their first round of competition along with Jr. Pro Men Quarterfinals and Pro Wakeskate Semifinals. The excitement was at an all-time high on the start dock throughout the day with amateur riders reuniting for their first Nautique Wake Series event of the season; the only series that puts riders first.
The Jr. Pro Men’s quarterfinal run of the day went to Guenther Oka (USA) who looked flawless with two stand-up passes that earned him a score of 92.33. The defending wakeboard and wake park world champion is known for his diverse skill set and unique style making him a favorite in every heat. Powerhouse Luca Kidd (GBR) got technical with a cuffed late-stale toeside-backside 540 behind the industry-leading Super Air Nautique G23 for a heat winning score of 90.00. Elliot Digney (AUS) also had a heat winning run today with backside 720 and KGB 540 to earn him a score of 81.67.
“Seems like all the boys haven’t missed a beat this winter and everyone was throwing down. Even with the small draught going on in Orlando the G23 wake was pumping. I was stoked on my run today and we’ll see where it takes me through the weekend,” said Guenther Oka.
In the Jr. Boy’s Beginner division, 5-year-old shredder Rolles Cooligan (USA) finished 2nd with a score of 56.67 in heat 1 to make it through to Saturday’s final along with Marco Colombo (ITA) in first scoring 70.00. In heat 2, Renzo Cooligan (USA) kept the crowd on their feet charging the wake with 180’s and big smiles on his way to a heat winning score of 69.33. Christian “Zippy” Meek (USA) finished a close second, earning his spot in the final with a score of 61.00.
Jr. Women’s rider Mary Morgan Howell (USA) won the hearts of the crowd, throwing a big scarecrow to take the heat win scoring 76.67. Fan favorite Hollie Waldrop (USA) finished second with a melon heelside 180 and big toeside frontroll for a score of 70.00. Moving through to the final from heat 2 Shannon Sahinbas (USA) scored 77.33 followed by Piper Harris (USA) who finished with a score of 61.67 to secure her spot in Saturday’s final round.
“Having a Nautique G23 at home, it is by far my favorite boat to ride behind and the wake is always perfect at Nautique Wake Series events. I’m stoked to ride with everyone tomorrow,” – said Howell.
Consistency is key in the Pro Wakeskate division and no one does it better than Brian Grubb (USA). Always cool under pressure, Grubb came out with a second place heat finish today scoring 85.00, landing big tricks with effortless style throughout his run. Austin Polterock (USA) can be counted on to land big technical tricks every time he hits the water. The California native blasted off the wakes landing a frontside bigspin and mute heelside 360 in his pass to for the heat win with a score of 91.67.
This is always a great event and everyone keeps getting better, pushing me to throw my hardest tricks every round. A win in Sunday’s final is going to force us to dig deep in our bag of tricks so don’t miss it,” said Polterock.
The third day of the Nautique Wake Open begins at 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 29th with all amateur final rounds. The Jr. Pro Men’s Semifinals start at 11:55 a.m. followed by Pro Men’s Quarterfinals and Pro Women’s Semifinals.
CLICK HERE to Download Results from Day 2 of the Nautique Wake Open.
Dedicated to progressing the sport from the ground up, the Nautique Wake Series puts riders first, developing the stars of tomorrow and showcasing the top athletes of today with every major event held behind the Super Air Nautique G23. The Nautique Wake Series is the only event series that gives riders of all ages, gender and skill level the opportunity to compete at an elite level.
For more information on the Nautique Wake Series Click Here.
# # #
About Nautique Boat Company: Celebrating 92 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 22 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
About The WWA: Developed for riders by riders, the World Wake Association stands as a global network of passionate representatives dedicated to the growth of towed boardsports. Since 1989 our mission and values remain true to the core of our community. Our position as the authority on competitive standards has been earned through consistent development; sanctioning and producing more than 6,000 worldwide events and counting. We are the only organization solely focused on the best interests of the sport, spearheading a collective movement on the journey to discover where wake takes you. 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. For more information on the World Wake Association, check out www.thewwa.com.
