Pro Men and Women Battle for a Spot in Sunday’s Finals at Nautique Wake Open Presented by Rockstar

Wake Open - Day 1 | Wake Open - Day 2 | Wake Open - Day 4 | Wake Open - Video

ORLANDO –  The star-studded field of professional athletes hit the water during today’s competition for Pro Men Quarterfinals and Pro Women Semifinals, while amateur divisions competed for supremacy in their division finals. Elite Nautique rider Mike Dowdy (USA), Cory Teunissen (AUS) and Harley Clifford (AUS) showcased new progression in wakeboarding behind the perfectly-shaped Super Air Nautique G23 wake to earn the highest scored runs in the Pro Men Quarterfinals.

"This weekend is shaping up to be a huge one behind the Nautique G23," said Team Nautique Rider Mike Dowdy. "I have been riding really strong lately and can’t wait to carry the momentum from my heat win today into the finals tomorrow."

In the Pro Women semifinals, Meagan Ethell (USA), Raimi Merritt (USA) and Erika Lang (USA) took full advantage of the world-class wakes to pull massive tricks en route to their heat-winning runs for a Team Nautique sweep. Qualifying for the Pro Women division is now complete as riders prepare to face off for tomorrow's Final.

Today featured a talented group of amateurs going head-to-head in the finals, which included Francisco Cabezas (USA) picking up the win in the Amateur Wakeskate class. An impressive run by Allison Lavrack (USA) was used to take the top honors in the Jr. Girls (9 & under) final, while Hollie Waldrop (USA) claimed the Girls (10-13) final win.

Nick Cankar (USA) used his veteran experience to execute a solid run and grab a score of 81.67 in the Masters (30-39) division to bring home the overall win. After an impressive qualifying performance, Connor Poggetto (USA) carried the momentum to win the Adaptive Sitboarding final riding behind the G23. However, his success did not stop there are he was announced the winner of the PCM Amateur Best Trick Award after nailing back-to-back grabbed 180's.

An incredible run by Cobe France (AUS) propelled him to his semifinal heat win in Jr. Pro Men (14-18), while James Loisel (USA) and Lewy Watt (AUS) each won their respective heats and will prepare to duke it out in tomorrow's finale.

The Nautique Wake Open is set to host the Pro Men and Pro Women Finals tomorrow beginning at 9:30AM on Sunday, April 24 for the events final day of competition.

Click here for Sunday’s schedule.

Dedicated to progressing the sport from the ground up, the Nautique Wake Series puts riders first, developing the stars of tomorrow and showcasing the top athletes of today. The addition of the WWA Wakeboard World Championships provides athletes the perfect platform throughout the entire season with every major event held behind the Super Air Nautique G23.

As the organizer and sanctioning body of the 2016 Nautique Wake Open presented by Rockstar Energy, the World Wakeboard Association would like to thank all of its partners for their support in making the event possible, including Nautique Boats and Rockstar Energy Drink.

For more information on the 2016 Wakeboard World Series, go to thewwa.com.

Results - Day 3

Pro Men Quarterfinals (top two in each heat advance)
 
Heat #1
1. Austin Hair (USA) - 74.67
2. Dean Smith (AUS) - 60.33
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3. Christian Primrose (CAN) - 56.00
 
Heat #2
1. Cory Teunissen (AUS) - 85.33
2. Tony Carroll (USA) - 73.33
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3. Shawn Watson (USA) - 44.00
 
Heat #3
1. Noah Flegel (USA) - 78.67
2. Danny Harf (USA) - 72.33
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3. Daniel Powers (USA) - 66.00
 
Heat #4
1. JD Webb (USA) - 79.67
2. Raph Derome (CAN) - 76.00
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3. Tony Iacconi (AUS) - 70.33
 
Heat #5
1. Jeff Langley (USA) - 78.00
2. Bob Soven (USA) - 73.00
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3. Steel Lafferty (USA) - 67.67
 
Heat #6
1. Mike Dowdy (USA) - 86.33
2. Oli Derome (CAN) - 80.33
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3. Shota Tezuka (JPN) - 73.33
 
Heat #7
1. Rusty Malinoski (CAN) - 79.67
2. Phil Soven (USA) - 73.33
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3. Sam Carne (GBR) - 67.00
 
Heat #8
1. Harley Clifford (AUS) - 82.67
2. Nic Rapa (AUS) - 64.00
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3. Massi Piffaretti (ITA) - 50.00
 
Pro Women Semifinals (top two in each heat advance)
 
Heat #1
1. Raimi Merritt (USA) - 81.00
2. Larisa Morales (MEX) - 73.67
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3. Chloe Mills (AUS) - 64.67
4. Melissa Marquardt (USA) - 58.33
 
Heat #2
1. Meagan Ethell (USA) - 76.67
2. Amber Wing (AUS) - 69.67
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3. Taylor McCullough (USA) - 65.33
4. Jamie Lopina (USA) - 56.67
 
Heat #3
1. Erika Lang (USA) - 78.33
2. Nicola Butler (USA) - 73.67
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3. Tarah Mikacich (USA) - 70.00
4. Zahra Kell (AUS) - 59.00
 
Jr. Girls (9 & Under) Final
1. Allison Lavrack (USA) - 75.00
2. Madison Lavrack (USA) - 71.67
 
Girls (10-13) Final
1. Hollie Waldrop (USA) - 88.33
2. Mary Morgan Howell (USA) - 80.67
3. Sofia Mendez (USA) - 62.67
4. Elle Christensen (USA) - 46.67
 
Jr. Boys Beginner (9 & Under) Final
1. Christian Meek (USA) - 96.67
 
Boys Beginner (10-13) Final
1. Maddox Meek (USA) - 75.00
2. Noah Fedorovich (USA) - 65.00
 
Adaptive Sitboarding Final
1. Connor Poggetto (USA) - 85.00
2. Nathan Smith (AUS) - 66.67
 
Masters Women (30-39) Final
1. Julia Meyer (GER) - 88.33
 
Amateur Wakeskate Final
1. Francisco Cabezas (USA) - 83.33
 
Jr. Boy's (9 & Under) Final
1. Xavier Olea (MEX) - 80.00
2. Maxim Sitnikov (USA) - 61.67
 
Women's Wakeskate Final
1. Piper Harris (USA) - 88.33
 
Boys (10-13) Final
1. Kevin Duffy (USA) - 90.00
2. Daniel Johnson (USA) - 71.67
3. Rocker Steiner (USA) - 60.00
4. Brett Powell (USA) - 40.00
 
Veterans (40 & Over) Final
1. Dayle Cartwright (USA) - 83.33
2. Kevin Michael (USA) - 75.00
3. Eric Roberts (USA) - 48.33
4. Mike Comrie (USA) - 40.00
 
Masters (30-39) Final
1. Nick Cankar (USA) - 81.67
2. Joel Schrader (USA) - 76.67
3.Francisco Cabezas (USA) - 58.33
4.Robert Schwartz (USA) - 46.67
 
Jr. Men (14-18) Final
1. Jorge Alberto Perez Gordillo (MEX) - 76.67
2. Bryce Grey (AUS) - 64.33
3. Sky Berninghaus (SUI) - 59.33
4. Cody Wahl (CAN) - 55.67
5. Jimmy McClure (USA) - 52.00
6. Mikey Conrady (USA) - 48.33
 
Jr. Pro Men (14-18) Semifinals (top two in each heat advance)
 
Heat #1
1. Cobe France (AUS) - 87.00
2. Guenther Oka (USA) - 80.67
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3. Tyler Higham (USA) - 73.00
4. Jesse Foushee (USA) - 62.67
 
Heat #2
1. James Loisel (USA) - 83.33
2. Jason Soven (USA) - 77.33
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3. Mizuki Takahashi (JPN) - 70.00
4. Luca Kidd (GBR) - 57.00
 
Heat #3
1. Lewy Watt (AUS) - 70.33
2. Elliot Digney (AUS) - 64.00
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3. Jeongwook Kim (KOR) - 60.67
4. Callan Starr (AUS) - 52.67

About Nautique Boat Company
Celebrating 91 years of excellence in the marine industry, Nautique is a subsidiary of Correct Craft and has been on the waters of the world with a passion for innovation since 1925. Nautique is known to push the envelope of possibility on the water, and our owners have come to expect nothing but the absolute best. The Ski Nautique 200 has changed waterskiing with 19 world records, the G-Series has won numerous awards for wakeboard boat and wakesurf boat of the year while unlocking new possibilities in wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and our Sport Series has given families endless days on the water without compromise. Through our Nautique Cares initiatives we’re dedicated to not only making a difference on the water, but to people in need around the world. The world’s best ski boat, world’s best wake boat, and a company that cares. To learn more visit Nautique.com.
 
About Rockstar
Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles - from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 25 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. For more information, visit RockstarEnergy.com.
 
About The WWA
The World Wakeboard Association is the global leader in wake sports sanctioning. The WWA owns and operates the WWA Wakeboard World Series, WWA Wake Park World Series, WWA Wakeboard National Championships, WWA Wake Park National Championships, WWA Wakeboard World Championships, WWA Wake Park World Championships, WWA Wake Park Triple Crown, WWA Pro Card and WWA Rider Experience. With 27 affiliate countries worldwide, the WWA is a rider-formed organization dedicated to promoting and growing wake sports worldwide. It is the primary source for riders, event organizers and competitive standards. For more information on the WWA and its events, check out thewwa.com.

Wake Open - Day 1 | Wake Open - Day 2 | Wake Open - Day 4 | Wake Open - Video