New World Champs are Crowned
Oklahoma City, Okla. — Fans packed the shorelines of the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City today to witness the final rounds of the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink WWA Wakeboard World Championships, presented by Supra.
As expected, the defending world champ Phillip Soven, 19, of Longwood, Fla. reached the Pro Men’s division finals today and as the top-seeded rider. But the pressure of retaining his title got the best of Soven, as the Florida native posted a score of 82.00, landing him in third-place.
Taking the top spot in the six-man final and claiming the 2008 world title was Rusty Malinoski, 24, of Humboldt, Sask., who became the first Canadian rider to win the world title since Jeremy Kovak claimed it in 1997. Fellow Canadian rider Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C. finished the contest in second-place.
Although JD Webb did not make it to the finals today, the 2004 Rookie of the Year did manage to ride away with some extra cash, thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink. Webb was named the winner of the Rockstar Energy Drink Best Trick Award, a $1,000 cash bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a switch frontside 270 to backlip nosepress on the Billabong Rooftop.
With the defending women’s world champ Amber Wing, 25, of Sydney, Australia out of the contest with a knee injury, all eyes were on three-time world champ Dallas Friday, 22, of Orlando, Fla., as she seemed likely winner. But British standout, Nicola Butler, 16, of Bournemouth, England threw down an impressive run to take the top spot in the finals to claim her first-ever world title. Butler stands as the only UK native to win a wakeboard world title. Friday finished in second-place and California’s Melissa Marquardt took third.
The top four shredders in the world battled it out on the water today in the Pro Wakeskate division finals. Former world champ Brian Grubb, current U.S. national champ Stuart Shinn and two-time Canadian national champ James Balzer all looked to leave the defending world titlist Reed Hansen in their wake and claim the ’08 world title for themselves.
But Hansen was unbeatable on the water today, as the defending champ retained his title, beating his next closest competitor, Grubb, by nearly 20 points. With today’s win, Hansen becomes the first pro wakeskater ever to win consecutive world titles.
2008 has proven to be Jimmy LaRiche’s year, as the Boca Raton, Fla. native won the ’08 Wake Games title, ’08 Pro Tour title, the ’08 U.S. national title, and now the ’08 world title, after taking the top spot in today’s Jr. Men’s division finals.
LaRiche faced off in a six-man final for the world title, beating out Canada’s Raphael Derome and Aussie Harley Clifford, who finished second and third-place, respectively.
Anna Hejak took the top spot in the Jr. Women’s division four-woman final. Holland Finely finished in second-place and Megan Blaschka placed third in the finals.
In the Boys division, six young rippers, ages 10-13, faced off in the finals for the division’s world title. Michael Dowdy threw down an impressive run to claim the division’s world title with Jess Polley and Cooper Swink rounding out the podium, respectively.
The youngest riders out on the water today, ages nine and under, faced off in a three-man final in the Jr. Boys division. Ben Watts took the top spot in the finals to claim the world title. Joe Martella and Ian Rabon finished in second and third, respectively.
To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to FUEL TV on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.