WaterSki Magazine

ORLANDO, FL –  Professional wakeboarders will compete for the Double-Up Championship at the Rev Up Big-Air Challenge May 18-19, 2002 at the Orlando Watersports Complex. What is ''big-air,'' you say? What is the ''double-up?'' Double-up is when the towboat turns around tightly and crosses back over its own wake creating a double-sized wake, from which the riders launch as high as possible to get ''big-air'' to provide the time to complete their extensive aerial maneuvers. These moves are scored on their style, difficulty and completion.

Numerous Orlando area residents will be competing in this year's sixth annual Big-Air Challenge, sponsored by Rev Up Sports Energy Drink. The local talent will include: Scott Byerly, Joel Cahill, Danny Harf, Keith Lyman, Shaun Murray, Gregg Necrason, Gerry Nunn and Darin Shapiro; and will encompass current winners of the U.S. Pro Tour, X-Games, Gravity Games, World and National Champions, International X-Games Champions as well as the current Masters and the 2002 Big-Air Champion.

''Big-Air'' also applies to the phenomenal ski flyers, who will compete for the Ski Fly Championship. This breathtaking sport came about five years ago and two years ago at OWC in Orlando the current world record was set at 299 feet. Imagine that; nearly the length of a football field. Flyers will be looking to get to and pass the 300-foot mark this year to be the first to get their name on the beautiful new 300-Foot Club trophy, commissioned by Johnson Propeller, a co-sponsor of the Ski Fly event. The world's top-ranked ski flyers will be coming in to compete in this awesome competition, including the defending champion Scot Ellis of Auburndale, Florida and the record-holder, Jaret Llewellyn of Lake Worth, Florida.

Exciting news came out of Orlando this morning as announcement was made that women ski flyers will compete in their inaugural Big-Air Ski Fly Championship. Rev Up has offered a cash prize for the ladies as well, second only to the Masters. This competition is by invitation only and will include the world's top ranked ski flyers. This would include local

Orlando area residents, Toni Neville, Rhoni Barton and Karen Truelove. Other invitees include women from Australia, Great Britain, Italy and Russia.