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WATERSKI MagazineThe course for this year's Pro Wakeboard Tour has been finalized, and riders are eagerly awaiting the first event set for March 31 April 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The course will resemble a street course on water with a rainbow slider, kicker and launch ramp.
View an image of the course layout by clicking here.
The Pro Wakeboard Tour kicks off its ninth season and will have eight stops throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the finals slated for Vancouver, British Columbia, in late July.
The riders, even top pros who've won big using the old format, agree that sliding is the future of the sport. Defending Tour champion Shaun Murray says, “This will be a different aspect to the Pro Tour. Over the past year, the contest has arguably run its course. It's going to add a whole new different style of riding. Even though I excelled last year, I'm more looking forward to this year more than any previous Tour season.”
Longtime pro rider Cobe Mikacich, who's been with the tour for nearly all nine years, says, “It's growing with the sport. Competitions are not trying to hold our sport back. They're trying to work with it to make it grow, and the Pro Tour is doing that.”
In addition to the new format, more new faces should stand out on the Pro Tour. Last year's infusion of young talent such as Shawn Watson, Shane Bonifay, Erik Ruck and Mike McLin will be joined this year by last year's junior rider, 15-year-old Danny Harf, who many believe could go straight to the top in the sport.
The youth movement can also be seen on the pro women's side, with Lauren Loe expected to challenge last year's top rookies, Emily Copeland and Maeghan Major and also two-time Tour champion Tara Hamilton.
Slider Dimensions:
Rainbow Slider: TBA
Kicker: 6'W x 14' 6″L x 4'H Polyethylene surface
Launch Ramp: 12' W x 24'L x 6'H Fiberglass surface
Helmets are required in competition, and the sliders will only be used by pro men and pro women. Helmets must be approved and are defined as follows:
“Helmet (protective head gear) is defined as an article of apparel whose manufacture and use is solely for the purpose of protecting the head from injury and fastened so it will not come off during competition. This item must be approved by the Chief Judge and Director of Safe Operations.”
Two practice sessions have been scheduled to orientate the pro riders to the course prior to the first contest. The first takes place Monday, March 20 at OWC in Orlando. This will run on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for practice will begin at 11:00 a.m. Practice will begin at 12:00 p.m. To be eligible for practice, riders must be registered (including paid entry fee) to compete in the Fort Lauderdale event, which will be held at Mills Pond Park, March 31 April 2. For more information on the first practice session, contact: Mike Ferraro (407) 251-310 or email teamho@aol.com.
The second practice session will be on Thursday, March 30 at Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale. This practice has been set up for riders that can't make the OWC practice. Due to the regularly scheduled Media Day, practice will be for a limited time only. This Fort Lauderdale session will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will run through 12:30 p.m. Again, riders must be registered for the weekend competition to participate in the practice sessions.
For a calendar of events, click here.
