Wakeboarding

West Chester, OH. — The sport’s two premiere divisions, the Men’s Pro and Women’s Pro, completed their inaugural heats of the 2012 Nautique WWA National Championships today at Voice of America Park in West Chester. The highly-anticipated Junior Pro Men semifinals also determined riders for tomorrow’s finals.

In the Men’s Pro quarterfinals, Harley Clifford continued his season-long hot streak in the division with a run that brought a strong contingent of fans from across Ohio to their feet screaming and cheering. A plethora of big airs and impressive rail maneuvers catapulted Clifford to a heat-high score of 81.67 and secures a spot for him in tomorrow’s semifinals.

The Women’s Pro competitors also put on a wakeboarding clinic during day three. Leading the charge was Raimi Merritt, who fearlessly attacked the Nautique G23’s wake head on to launch a handful of massive airs as well as display precise rail riding skills. Judges rewarded her efforts with a division-high 76.67 score, which places her among the favorites to claim a national title with a victory in tomorrow’s finals.

“I was really excited to ride behind the G23 at Nationals today,” said Merritt. “The wake was great, I was able to ride pretty good and can’t wait for tomorrow’s six-woman finals.”

Not be overshadowed by the Men and Women Pros, the Junior Pro Men gave awe-inspiring performances for the second consecutive day. The division’s top rider, Mike Dowdy, once again showed why he is the cream-of-the-crop in the division by executing a near flawless run filled with gigantic aerials and technical rail tricks. Dowdy followed up yesterday’s perfect 100 heat-score with another division-high score of 98.00 in today’s semis to position him as the “man to beat” in tomorrow’s finals.

The Nautique WWA National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will continue Sunday, Aug. 5 with the final day of competition. Sunday is a ticketed event. Tickets are available at the gate: $13 (adult); $5 (ages 6-12); free (ages 5 and under).

Following Sunday’s finals fans can enjoy the Sony Big Air Contest. Featuring the top Pro Men riders performing massive tricks that are rarely attempted in a traditional contest setting.

In addition to all the action on the water, on land the Nautique WWA National Championships features great food and music, athlete autograph signings, chances to win freebies, and shopping from the most cutting-edge brands offering water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

For information on the Nautique Wake Games, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, visit www.kingofwake.com.

The Nautique WWA National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft,  Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Peavey, Mona Vie, Fox, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, PCM Marine Engines and TransWorld WAKEBOARDING magazine.

Nautique WWA Nationals Day 3 Results (Riders in bold advance)

Pro Wakeskate Semifinals Heat 1

1. Danny Hampson               78.33
2. Stu Shinn                             65.00
3. Jim Branton                        43.33

Pro Wakeskate Semifinals Heat 2

1. Brandon Thomas              71.67
2. Brian Grubb                       60.33
3. Jacob Ramsdell                 46.67

Junior Women Finals

1. Shelby King                       75.00
2. Mallorie Henry                  71.67
3. Sofia Dinatale                    58.33
4. Katelyn Fenner                  50.00
5. Delanie Parker                   41.67
6. Rachel Orgill                       13.33

Boys Semifinals Heat 1

1. James Loisel                       74.00
2.  Drew Rokita                       48.33
3. Clayton Holladay               38.33
4. Ben Watts                           31.67

Boys Semifinals Heat 2

1. Tyler Highham                  71.67
2.  Nicholas Brown                 65.83
3. Ghuenther Oka                   61.67
4. Bryson Hancock                 48.33
5. Mitch Allen                         38.33

Boys Semifinals Heat 3

1. Lorenzo Soprani                50.00
2.  Zach McCauley                  36.67
3. Kasey Kade                         21.67
4. Mitch Kappler                    16.67
5. Brendon Thibodeau         11.67

Junior Pro Men Heat 1

1.  Freddie Wayne                 92.25
2.  Keenan Allen                    90.75
3. Jacob Valdez                      87.00
4. Joey Buss                            70.00

Junior Pro Men Heat 2

1. Tony Iacconi                       97.00
2.  Christian Primrose           86.50
3. Jason Soven                       79.00
4. Massi Piffaretti                 77.50

Junior Pro Men Heat 3

1. Mike Dowdy                      98.00
2. Noah Flegel                       90.50
3. Marc Kroon                        75.75
4. Gunnar Daft                       60.00

Women’s Pro Heat 1

1.  Raimi Merritt                    76.67
2. Mellissa Marquardt         66.67
3. Hayley Smith                      56.67
4. Corrie Dyer                         46.67

Women’s Pro Heat 2

1.  Nicola Butler                     73.33
2.  Amber Wing                      66.67
3. Dallas Friday                       50.00
4. Miku Asai                            40.00

Women’s Pro Heat

1. Meagan Ethell                  74.33
2.  Tarah Mickacich               65.00
3. Taylor McCullough           50.00
4. Alexa Score                        33.33
5. Brooke Grassman            20.00

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 1

1. Andrew Adkison               83.33
2. Tony Carroll                       71.67
3. Jimmy Trask                       53.33
4. Kirby Liesmann                 48.33
5. Danny Harf                         38.33
6. Dylan Prideaux                  26.67

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 2

1. Shota Tezuka                     80.00
2. Adam Wensink                 71.67
3. Bryan Hutton                     60.00
4. Josh Palma                          53.33
5. JD Webb                              52.50
6. Dante Digangi                    43.33

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 3

1. Rusty Malinoski                83.33
2. Aaron Rathy                       75.00
3. Bradley   Smeele                65.00
4. Pierce Homsey                  46.67
5. Colby Homsey                   46.67
6. Ryan Anderson                 31.67

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 4

1. Jimmy Lariche                   78.33
2. Jefferson Langley             71.67
3. Danny Thollander             60.00
4. JB Oneill                               41.67
5. Dean Smith                         33.33

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 5

1. Adam Errington                78.33
2. Daniel Powers                  73.33
3. Steel Lafferty                    71.00
4. Shawn Watson                  68.33
5. Trevor Hansen                   58.33
6. Eddie Valdez                      48.33

Men’s Pro Quarterfinals Heat 6

1. Harley Clifford                  81.67
2. Austin Hair                         70.00
3.  Oliver Derome                  65.00
4.  Jason Bannatyne              48.33
5. Gunnar Shuler                    31.67

West Chester, OH. — Day two of the Nautique WWA National Championships presented by Rockstar Energy Drink saw 14 divisions name overall winners during a full-slate of action at Voice of America Park in West Chester. Also, highlighting the second day of action at the country’s largest wakeboarding competition were the sport’s future stars in the Junior Pro Men Division taking to the lake in a jaw-dropping display of progressive riding in six stacked quarterfinal heats.

Among the standouts claiming national titles today were Chad Lowe in the Pro Veterans division, Lee Wagner in Men’s I and Tim Pitschke in Men’s II.

“I’m stoked to get the win and help keep the division growing as the sport gets older,” said Chad Lowe, Pro Veterans national champion. “There are a lot of the original pros out there in their thirties now and this division is a great way to keep them active in the sport. The venue is incredible for the event and the G23’s wake is one of the best I’ve ever ridden.”

Also launching off the massive wake from Nautique’s G23 were the athletes in the ultra-competitive Junior Pro Men’s division. Fresh off a Pro Tour season title, Mike Dowdy kept his hot streak alive with a run that was equal parts precision and style. Mixing huge aerials with technical rail tricks, Dowdy posted a perfect 100-point score and advances to tomorrow’s semifinals.

The Nautique WWA National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will continue through Sunday, Aug. 5. Saturday and Sunday are a ticketed event. Tickets are available at the gate: $13 (adult); $5 (ages 6-12); free (ages 5 and under).

Following Sunday’s finals fans can enjoy the Sony Big Air Contest. Featuring the top Pro Men riders, the athletes perform massive tricks that are rarely attempted in a traditional contest setting.

In addition to all the action on the water, on land the Nautique WWA National Championships features great food and music, athlete autograph signings, chances to win freebies, and shopping from the most cutting-edge brands offering water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

For information on the Nautique Wake Games, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, visit www.kingofwake.com.

The Nautique WWA National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft,  Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Peavey, Mona Vie, Fox, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, PCM Marine Engines and TransWorld WAKEBOARDING magazine.

Day 2 Nautique WWA National Championships Results (Athletes in Bold Advance):

Amateur Wakeskate Finals

1. Austin Polterock              68.33
2. Craig  Buss                          48.33
3. Josh Hamon                       43.33
4. Cristobal Mendez            38.33

Junior Boys Finals

1. Hunter Henderson          76.67
2. Tyler Worrall                     63.33
3. Kevin Duffy                        56.67
4. Rocker Steiner                  38.00

Junior Boys Beginner Finals

1. Fynn Bullock                      66.67
2. Thomas Herman               58.33
3. Benjamin Brown               51.67
4. Kai Stidham                        46.67

Girls Finals

1. Sofia Mendez                    61.33
2. Marla Fay                            53.33
3. Jessica Herman                 33.33

Veteran Women’s Finals

1. Jodi Vermillion                  61.67
2. Kat Laird                               51.67
3. Paula Fay                             36.67

Women’s Masters Finals

1. Joy Manning                      70.00
2. Natalie Graham                  36.67

Boys Beginner

1. Ryan King                            66.67
2. Peyton  Bristow                  58.33
3. Andy Birch                          46.67
4. Foster Marquardt             21.67

Masters

1. Tim Nilsen                          76.67
2. Mark Dougherty                66.67
3. Matt Lever                          45.00
4. Brent Anderson                  35.00

Pro Veterans

1. Chad Lowe                         59.67
2. Chad Reese                        50.33

Veterans

1. Matt Vermillion                 72.67
2. Billy Garcia                          64.67
3. Ben Uncle                           60.00
4. Brian Kruer                         33.33

Junior Women Semifinals Heat 1

1. Shelby King                        61.67
2. Rachel Orgill                      50.00
3. Sofia Dinatale                   41.67
4. Gianna Dinatale                 31.67
5. Jordan Lausch                    25.00

Junior Women Semifinals Heat 2

1. Katelyn Fenner                 68.33
2. Mallorie Henry                 56.67
3. Delanie Parker                  51.67
4. Alyssa Rokita                      36.67
5. Gigi Meyer                          23.33

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 1

1. Gunnar Daft                       95.25
2. Noah Flegel                       93.25
3. Gordon Harrison              79.25
4. David Foreman                 72.25

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 2

1. Massi Piffaretti                 95.75
2. Christian Primrose           92.00
3. Tripp Brown                       82.25
4. Ian Cole                               54.25

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 3

1. Jacob Valdez                      93.25
2. Keenan Allen                     87.25
3. Landon Kasey                     83.25
4. Austin Pratt                        65.75

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 4

1. Freddie Wayne                  96.25
2. Marc Kroon                        88.00
3. Parker Siegele                   85.75
4. Merrett Fay                        70.00

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 5

1. Tony Iacconi                       100.00
2. Joey Buss                            74.50
3. Morgan Pedersen             74.50
4. Gus Shuler                          70.00
5. Nick Vacari                          68.50

Junior Pro Men Quarterfinals Heat 6

1. Mike Dowdy                      100.00
2. Jason Soven                       88.00
3. Arnie Watkins                    73.50
4. Alec Rex                               71.25
5. Tyler Cockrum                   67.25

Men’s I Finals

1. Lee Wagner                       75.00
2. Ben Herrema                     65.00
3. Curt Bernstein                   58.33
4. Cameron Steiner              53.33

Men’s II Finals

1. Tim Pitschke                      68.33
2. Tom Pazerunas                 60.00
3. Nick Link                             55.00
4. Brad Gearhart                   48.33

Junior Men Finals

1. Justin Lee                            85.00
2. Timothy Burnier               80.00
3. Juan Mendez                     73.33
4. Ethan Rau                            53.33
5. Chad Payton                      36.67
6. Mac Schramm                   21.67

LOUDON, Tenn. (July 31, 2012) – Malibu Boats, the global leader in state-of-the-art watersports towboats, has launched the redesigned 2013 Wakesetter 20 VTX—a crossover boat that will cater to the disciplines of skiing, wakesurfing and wakeboarding.

“The fact that the Wakesetter 20 VTX can effectively serve a three-discipline purpose at a pro-caliber level makes it the ultimate crossover boat. Its design allows users to transition between wakeboarding, skiing and wakesurfing seamlessly, especially with the addition of Surf Gate,” said Adam McCall, Malibu’s vice president of product.

With a new redesigned dash system to make it one of the most user-friendly in the industry, the VTX is an innovative towboat. A new removable center pylon provides a more traditional direct drive pull. The 3D cut diamond hull make soft, flat wakes for skiing, while adding 1,250 pounds of hard-tank ballast and deploying the Power Wedge create perfect transitions for wakeboarding. The recently announced Surf Gate (patent-pending) technology can also be engaged to make the ideal wave for wakesurfing.

“This crossover market has been a huge area of focus within our development team,” said Nick Skally, Malibu’s director of marketing. “A lot of our loyal customers do a variety of activities on the water, so it’s great to offer them a boat with such depth.”

According to Dan Gasper, Malibu’s director of product design, careful thought went into choosing the new interior components for the VTX. “Aside from the ergonomics, which was a major focus for us, we paid special attention to all the material choices and finishes,” Gasper said. “The lines, arcs and shapes from the glove box, gauge panel, steering wheel, dash, trim pieces and shifter were designed to match and flow in harmony with each other.  And, we’re especially excited about the unique styling of the anodized brushed billet accents.”

As a way to celebrate Malibu’s 30 years of business, the Wakesetter 20 VTX also comes in an exclusive 30^th anniversary edition complete with gel scheme, pearl metal flake, and logoed swim mats and carpets.

* * * * *

Malibu Boats is the world’s largest manufacturer of watersports towboats.  Malibu markets the Response,  Wakesetter, and Ride models as well as the Axis Wake Research brand through a worldwide dealer network.  Malibu is a privately held company with approximately 450 employees and manufacturing facilities in California, Tennessee and Australia.

LOUDON, Tenn. (August 2, 2012) – Malibu Boats, the global leader in state-of-the-art watersports towboats, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary by offering three special edition boats on display for the first time at the Malibu Open in Milwaukee, Wis. this weekend.

The three anniversary editions are the Response TXi, a record-setting ski boat, the Wakesetter 20 VTX, a crossover boat for skiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and the Wakesetter 23 LSV, a highly rated boat in the wake and surf category, designed for active watersports families.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops for these models, with the addition of pearl metal flake and special touches throughout the boat that brings style to our celebration of Malibu. We think our customers will love owning a unique boat and a piece of history,” said Malibu CEO, Jack Springer. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come in the past 30 years, from building 100 ski boats out of a small shop to being the No. 1 watersports towboat manufacturer in the world – and the future looks even brighter.”

Features of these special models include the option of four metallic gel schemes that accent a unique pearl metal flake (only available on 30^th edition models) inlaid with a charcoal 30^th anniversary logo, snap-out logoed carpet and a logoed swim platform. The boats are offered with customizable options including a chrome engine package and the newest Surf Gate technology, just introduced for the 2013 model year. Buyers of these special editions also will receive a commemorative gift package from Malibu, reflecting the 30^th “Pearl Anniversary.”

The 30^th Anniversary boats will be highly visible at the Malibu Open, at Milwaukee’s lakefront Veteran’s Park Lagoon on August 3-4. Top professional water skiers will compete behind the Response TXi in slalom skiing and jumping events for a $65,000 prize. The event, which is free to the public, will also feature exhibitions that include freestyle jumping, barefooting, hydrofoiling, show skiing and trick skiing. In its 12^th year, the Open has produced six world record-breaking performances.

“The Malibu Open is the perfect event to showcase the anniversary editions. It’s an action-packed weekend for boat enthusiasts, and the release of these boats will add to the excitement,” Springer said. “And, Surf Gate, our new proprietary wakesurfing innovation will be on display, so it’s a great opportunity for consumers to see it firsthand.”

Malibu was founded in 1982 when Robert Alkema and friends began making custom ski boats. Since its inception, Malibu has received 19 “Boat Of The Year” awards, 31 Product Excellence awards and has broken 19 world records with its Response series. Malibu is the world’s top-selling towboat manufacturer, approaching 30 percent of market share in its category.

* * * * *

Malibu Boats is the world’s largest manufacturer of watersports towboats.  Malibu markets the Response,  Wakesetter, and Ride models as well as the Axis Wake Research brand through a worldwide dealer network.  Malibu is a privately held company with approximately 450 employees and manufacturing facilities in California, Tennessee and Australia.