St. George, Utah (April 26, 2021) – Hosted by Taylor’s Boats, the wake community gathered at Quail Creek Reservoir for the first stop of the 2021 Malibu Boats Rider Experience.  The early-season chill in the water couldn’t stop competitors from coming out and strutting their stuff in wakeboarding and wakesurfing behind the Malibu Wakesetter series boats.   Friday morning kicked-off Freeride Friday for the weekend with riders of all ages and skill levels practicing their runs behind the brand new 2021 Malibu M220 and receiving coaching from the amazing team of Malibu and Axis Pro Riders. Jeff Langley, Luca Kidd, Guenther Oka, and Stacia Bank were all in attendance as they helped the next generation of riders reach their full potential on the water.   Saturday marked the start of the Malibu WWA Regional Championships West. With 18 different divisions of both wakeboarders and wakesurfers, every age, skill level, and gender was represented.  “We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2021 competitions season than what we had this weekend” said WWA Executive Director Corrie Wilson “This event encompassed riding of all types and is truly what these events are all about.”  Competitors joined us from all over the West region: from the youngest competitor, 5 year old Hadley Sabian, to the talented Veteran division, from the 5 members of the McInnes family who rode in their very first contest, to the Jr. Pro riders who have entered more contests than they can remember; the Malibu Rider Experience truly offers something for everyone. In addition to the amateur riders, the Malibu Jr. Pro Series has always been the most prestigious contest series for the Jr. Pro division, and in 2021 Malibu Boats raised the bar even higher!  This year marks the first time Jr. Pro Women joined the Jr. Pro Men for the Malibu Rider Experience Jr. Pro Series.  Throughout the season, these Jr. Pro riders will be collecting points for a chance to be included in the $20,000 of travel scholarships for the top 5 riders after the 5 events of the season. Per usual, the field of Jr. Pro competitors was stacked with talent and it was anyone’s guess as to who would take the first win of the 2021 season. Battling though tough semi-final heats, the finals would see the Patrick sisters (Ellie and Alexie), Payton Gross, and Kira Lewis on the Jr. Pro Women’s side and Cody Hunnicut, Jaden Reichl, Alex Albin, and Jamie Huser on the Jr. Pro Men’s side.  For the Jr. Pro Women, Kira Lewis (FL) stood above the rest as she landed a run filled with a variety of inverted tricks and spins that gave her enough points to take the win, followed by Payton Gross (NC) and Alexie Patrick (TX) in 2nd and 3rd respectively.  And the Jr. Pro Men saw Jamie Huser (SUI) take the win with impressive moves like his dum-dum, toeside backroll to blind, and a heelside 720.  Alex Albin (CA) and Jaden Reichl (OK) rounded out the podium in 2nd and 3rd respectively.  The Malibu Rider Experience events represent what the wake industry is all about: hanging-out, having fun, and progressing the level of everyone’s abilities.  From riders who were entering their very first contest ever, like Mark McEnroe who entered in the newly formed “Wake Surf Dads” division and placed 2nd among the other fathers; to the familiar faces of the WWA events like Hudson Haynie who grabbed himself another WWA West Regional Championship title to add to his growing trophy room, everyone had an absolute blast from start to finish!  As the 5-part series continues, the Malibu Rider Experience moves to Ft. Worth, Texas next month as they host the Malibu Rider Experience Central on May 15-16.  We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new riders throughout the 2021 season!

About Malibu Boats LLC: Malibu Boats, LLC.  is the world’s largest manufacturer of watersports towboats, four of every ten performance sports boats worldwide. Malibu sells the Wakesetter, M240 and Response models — as well as the Axis Wake Research brand — through a global dealer network. With approximately 675 Malibu employees worldwide three manufacturing facilities in California, Tennessee, and Australia, Malibu builds boats to help you live a #lifewithoutlimits on the water. (NASDAQ: MBUU) | @malibuboats | #thetruthisonthewater  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 wakesports. 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 12,500 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.