Orlando, Fla. – For nearly two decades, female wakeboarders have taken a back seat to men in professional contests, with women’s wakeboarding featured in only a handful of events. But in 2008, female riders will finally have a series to call their own: World Sports & Marketing announced today the new professional women’s wakeboarding series, the Queen of Wake.

“Every year we see an increase in participation by pro female riders, and some of these girls are taking wakeboarding to new levels, pushing the sport to new limits,” said chief judge Chris Bischoff. “We are stoked about featuring pro women’s wakeboarding in their own series because it showcases their incredible athletic abilities and gives women another avenue toward a career in professional sports.”

The Queen of Wake series, presented by MONA VIE, is a nine-event professional wakeboarding circuit for female riders that will tour with the men’s King of Wake series. The inaugural Queen of Wake season will mark the first time that pro women’s wakeboarding will be featured at all nine King of Wake events, with a series title for pro women and a $10,000 bonus for the overall winner crowned Queen of Wake.

“This is huge,” said 2007 Nationals and World champion Amber Wing. “I’m coming into my sixth year riding on the U.S. pro tour, and for all those years, women have only been at two stops. When I found out [about Queen of Wake], I felt a great sense of pride, which all women who have been riding on the tour should feel.”

The Queen of Wake is the ultimate wakeboarding series because it brings together the sport’s top events and series under one ultimate season-long points chase. Points towards capturing the crown will begin April 24-27 in Orlando at the 2008 Wake Games. In addition to the Wake Games, the series includes contests throughout the Unites States and beyond at all five Pro Wakeboard Tour stops, the Pro-Am Wakeboard Championships, and the WWA National and World Championships.

Riders from across the globe, including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, are expected to compete for the inaugural Queen of Wake crown.

MONA VIE is the official nutritional drink provider and presenting sponsor of the Pro Women’s Division of the Pro Wakeboard Tour and the presenting sponsor of the Queen of Wake series.

Vonore, TN --- MasterCraft Boat Company and its dealers recently announced it will bring back the MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour (PWST) in an ongoing effort to carry professional waterskiing to a wider audience.  In this spirit, the MasterCraft PWST will consist of six elite professional water ski events that will be activated all over the country, culminating in the pinnacle of water ski events, the MasterCraft US Open of Waterskiing.

These six stops, which are supported by both MasterCraft and local MasterCraft dealers, will replace the traditional qualifying rounds of the US Open of Waterskiing.  In its place will be the MasterCraft PWST with five slalom events, two open men jump events, one open women jump event, one open women’s and men’s trick event and one overall event.  The overall event will determine the US Open overall champion while all other events in the series will be considered US Open qualification events.   

“The U.S. Open of Waterskiing has long been considered one of the most prestigious tournaments in three-event water skiing,” says Aarne Clow, MasterCraft team and event manager.  “As a result we wanted to make that event even stronger and we believe having these events that feed into the US Open is a great way to extend the exhilaration of that experience.  And of course activating these stops with our dealers only adds to excitement since they know these markets so well and what it takes to put on a great event.”

The official 2008 MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour is:

MasterCraft PWST Stop 1:

May 30 – June 1

Whitestong Lake Estates in Talking Rock, GA, presented by MasterCraft, WaterSports Central and H2Osmosis

MasterCraft PWST Stop 2:

June 14 – June 15

LA Nite Jam in Zachary, LA, presented by MasterCraft and Bennett’s Boat and Ski

MasterCraft PWST Stop 3:

June 20 – June 22

MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour in Fenton, MI, on Lake Jepawhit presented by MasterCraft and Action Watersports 

MasterCraft PWST Stop 4:

June 27 – June 29

MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour in Akron, OH, on Emerald Lake presented by MasterCraft and Boat House Marine at Tri Lakes 

MasterCraft PWST Stop 5:

July 5 – July 6

Cory Pickos Superstars in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, presented by MasterCraft and Destin Sunrise Marine

MasterCraft PWST Stop 6:

August 29 – August 31

MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour in Catawba, NC, on Mirror Lake presented by MasterCraft, Pro Slalom Events LLC and MasterCraft of Charlotte

MasterCraft PWST Stop 1 (for 2009 US Open):*

September 19 – September 21

MasterCraft Pro Waterski Tour in Brentwood, CA, presented by MasterCraft, Diablo Shores and Cope McPhetres

* Will serve as first qualifying round for 2009 MasterCraft US Open of Waterskiing

For more information about the event, please check back with www.usopenofwaterskiing.com on a regular basis for updates.  And please check out the sponsors as well – without them this event would not happen:  Indmar, Overton's, HO, OJ Props, Zero-Off, Radar, D-3, Connelly, Goode, Boater’s World, O'Brien, USA WaterSki and WaterSki Magazine.

No Style Productions and Midwest MasterCraft Team Up!

Midwest MasterCraft is proud to announce its alliance with No Style Productions. No Style looks to prove that the Land of 10,000 Lakes is home to some of the world’s best wakeboarders with its forthcoming release Deviant. Shot exclusively in and around the Midwest Deviant takes an in depth look at the style, camaraderie and drive it takes to stay atop the Midwest wakeboard scene.  These guys prove that dedication, progression and innovation are just the beginning of what it takes to call yourself a wakeboarder in Minnesota.

 

For the 2008 season No Style Productions will be filming with their brand new MasterCraft X-Star. Midwest MasterCraft is proud to help provide the states best wakeboarders with the best wake on the planet.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for No Style at a lake near you and for the forthcoming Deviant in the fall of 2008!

 

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Wakeboard Give-Away Announced!

Waterskis.com and Midwest MasterCraft would like to announce Andy Zimmerman as the winner of the Hyperlite State Wakeboard!  Along with many others, Andy signed up for the contest at the Minneapolis Boat Show.  Andy will be riding in the Minneapolis area this summer on a 2008 Hyperlite State Wakeboard with Remix Bindings. 

 

 

Thanks again to all who entered! And for everyone other than Andy - Better luck next time!

 

Transgression, the Gator Boards team film produced by Sidewayz Films, was accepted as a finalist in the 2008 X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. There were over 200 films submitted and only 37 that made it into the Festival. Transgression was nominated for Best Editing, Best Sound Track, Best Core Film, and Best Cinematography. Transgression was the second most nominated film at X-Dance and won the award for Best Cinematography!

 

 

X-Dance is like the Sundance of the sports film industry. It has brought the top action sports films from around the world to the big screen for the past 8 years. Transgression was up against some great action sports films from genres as varied as motocross, snowboarding, and climbing, including films like King Lines, the story of Chris Sharma (which has won many awards in other festivals), and Bra Boys, a surf film which was narrated by Russell Crow and will be showing in theatres around the world. Travis Pastrana was in town to premiere his film199 Lives, as well as Tony Hawk who won X-Dance Athlete of the Year and showed Tony Hawk’s Secret Skatepark Tour 3.

 

Liquid Force Team Rider Kevin Henshaw	Ronix Team Rider - Adam Errington
WakeKite Team Rider - Kendzi Gunderson	Hyperlite Team Rider - Josh Palma

 Minneapolis Boat Show

 

 MasterCraft Boats On Display January 23-27, 2008 at the Minneapolis Convention Center! 

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12 MasterCraft boats will be on display including the all new X-35. The X-35 is an all new day cruiser with optional fridge, convertible observer seat and world famous MasterCraft wakeboard wakes!!!
	The standard Zero Flex Flyer wakeboard tower, Triple KGB Ballast System, Snap Out Carpet, Fuel Injected V-8 Engine With up to 450 Horse Power and MasterCraft Quality leave this boat without equal.
MasterCraft leads the charge in all around comfort, quality and performance. Supeior design and in house manufacturing make each boat stand apart from the crowd and ahead of the pack. Midwest MasterCraft is proud to be the largest MasterCraft dealer in Minnesota!

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The custom designed boat wrap, which matches the design of Malinoski’s personal MasterCraft X-Star, will be available in 2008 at MasterCraft dealers world-wide, including installation services in the United States and Canada.
	“I was able to explain to System AVD what I had in mind for my boat, and they created the coolest looking graphic I have seen,” said Rusty Malinoski. “Josh was really easy to work with and after seeing the work they did on my boat, we decided it would be a good idea to work hand-in-hand.”
“The program System AVD has offered is truly unique and will help drive our business to a whole new level of creativity,” said John C. Behling, director of marketing, MasterCraft Boat Company.

 

Top 100 Triple Play! 

 

When Friday, December 7th   Time: Premier will Start at 8:00 PM   Where: Midwest MasterCraft 5160 West Broadway Crystal, MN 55429

Chad Sharpe of Clermont, Florida showed us all that he is not letting his successful tour season slow down this fall.  Sharpe went down in the history books this fall as the first person to ever do a Toe Side Double Back Roll.  Sharpe had been attempting this trick for some time now without success, but by adding the indy grab the rotations were fluid and smooth.  This was no fluke either – Sharpe complete other Double Back Rolls later that day in Clermont.

Check out the video here:

 

The 2007 Open, presented by MasterCraft, incorporated a tournament rich in history with a new qualifying format and night tournament for the finals. This 20^th anniversary year was heard around the world live via webcast event will, as over $100,000 in prize money was given away.

Results:

Men's Slalom

Pos.     Name       Country  Buoys    Ft. off    (Meters) 
#1 MARCUS BROWN - USA - 1.00  @ 41 (10.25m) 
#2 THOMAS MOORE - CAN - 2.00  @ 39 (10.75m) 
#3 JAMIE BEAUCHESNE - USA - 1.50  @ 39 (10.75m) 
#3 WILLIAM ASHER - GBR - 1.50  @ 39 (10.75m) 
#5 NICK PARSONS - USA - 2.50  @ 38 (11.25m) 
#5 DREW ROSS - CAN - 2.50  @ 38 (11.25m)

Women's Slalom

Pos.   Name        Country   Buoys  Ft.off  (Meters)
#1 KAREN TRUELOVE - USA - 3.00  @ 38 (11.25m) 
#2 EMMA SHEERS - AUS - 2.00  @ 38 (11.25m) 
#2 APRIL COBLE-ELLER - USA - 2.00  @ 38 (11.25m) 
#4 NATALIE HAMRICK-HALT - USA - 2.00  @ 35 (12.00m)

 

Waterski and Wakeboard Summer End Sale!

 

5th Annual Lake Sarah Kneeboard Championship - Bigger And Badder!

 In the 5th Annual Lake Sarah Kneeboard Championship we saw more shredding by more riders than ever before!  This classic grassroots event has proven itself yet again as a day worth experiencing and remebering.  The 2007 Championship continued to grow in attandance and talent.  This year was graced by great weather and a strong competitive field.  If you have ever thought of putting on a grassroots event or forgot why you ride, swing by this event and you will dreaming of blue skies and flat water again.  A huge thanks goes out to all of the riders that thew down for the event, and as always thanks to Z Man for organizing the tournament.

 

 

8/7/2007  Congratulations to the Midwest Ski Otter's on taking 3rd place in the Midwest Regional Showskiing Tournament in Waterloo Iowa!!!

September 12-15, 2007 U.S. Open Of Waterskiing