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WATERSKI MagazineThe 2005 Malibu Open Water Skiing Championship and Wakeboard Exhibitions finished Sunday June 26 at Lake Lynn Louise in Dousman, Wisconsin, with the finals in slalom, jump and shortboard events.
Eighteen-year old Danyelle Bennett of Zachary, La., took the 2005 Malibu Open championship in shortboard, with a total score of 7440, beating current world champion Mandy Nightingale's score of 7410 by just 30 points. Clementine Lucine of France took third place with 7280 points.
A single-pass runoff declared former world-record-holder Jimmy Siemers the Open champion in men's shortboard. Siemers and current world-record-holder Nicolas Le Forestier of France were tied at 11300 at the end of the finals. Siemers took the title with a score of 6770 over Le Forestier's 5020. Veteran Cory Pickos returned to his home state of Wisconsin to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd, taking third with 10910 points.
In women's slalom, number-one-seed Natalie Hamrick of Pelzer, S.C., opted out of her 32-off pass to take her 38-off pass with a headwind. This strategic move helped Hamrick take the Malibu Open title with .5 buoys @ 39.5, edging out Regina Jaquess of Atlanta, Ga., the current overall women's world champion, who rounded 4 buoys @ 38 off. Karen Truelove of North Carolina took third with a score of 3.5 @ 38. Second-seeded Emma Sheers did not compete in the slalom finals due to a knee injury suffered during yesterday's semifinal round in jump.
In the second runoff of the day, Chris Parrish of Orlando, Fla. worked extremely hard to top the podium with 3 @ 41 off in an intense runoff competition with Jamie Beauchese of Canterbury, N.H. The two strong competitors were tied at 2 @ 41 off at the end of the finals, and tied again at 2 @ 41 off in the first runoff. Parrish, the current men's record-holder, took the lead in the second runoff to earn the title. Defending Malibu Open men's slalom champion William Asher of England took third with 1.25 @ 41.
June Fladborg of Denmark, #2 on the elite list in the event won the women's jump competition with a 167-foot effort. Close behind in second place was Brandi Hunt of Clermont, Fla., at 164 feet. Clementine Lucine of France took third with 156 feet.
Freddy Krueger of Decatur, Ill., who is unbeaten in men's jump this year, continued his successful run at the Malibu Open with a 226-foot leap. Defending world champion Jaret Llewellyn of Alberta, Canada, took second with a jump of 221 feet. Tied for third at 65.1 meters were Mark Lane of Rome, Ga. (214 feet) and Ryan Dodd of Canada (213 feet).
Extreme wakeboard exhibitions throughout the day showcased the sport's top athletes, including Darin Shapiro, Chad Sharpe, Gerry Nunn, Dallas Friday, Kevin Henshaw, Loren Levine, Brian Grubb and Jeff Weatherall. The Rock Aqua Jays' flips and human pyramid awed spectators, who stayed on after the excitement of the men's jump finals. A total of $105,000 was awarded in prizes at the day's closing ceremonies.
