MasterCraft Debuts New XStar At First Stop of Pro Wakeboard Tour
Acworth, Ga. – After a highly successful and buzz-riddled unveil at Surf Expo, the 2013 XStar will make its on-water debut at the first stop of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour in Georgia. Highly awaited and demanded, the fourth generation XStar will not disappoint as its legendary wakes and iconic style will pull the world’s best wakeboarders gathered in Acworth, a suburb of Atlanta, to kick off the 21st season of the highly-revered MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour.
An estimated 8,000 spectators will flock to the park on May 18-19 to watch the sport’s top riders compete in a series of elimination rounds while performing massive aerial maneuvers and technical rail tricks. The athletes will be privy to being among the first to ride behind the newest MasterCraft XStar, which has been a staple of the wakeboarding scene since 1996.
Building on an unmatched 16-year legacy, the fourth generation MasterCraft XStar has been in development since September 2009, guided entirely by the legends and top riders of wakeboarding, hand-in-hand with the industry’s largest R&D department. And it shows. While attention to detail and true innovation abounds, the rubber meets the proverbial road behind the boat.
The 2013 XStar comes in weighing nearly 1000 lbs more than its award-winning predecessor and sucks in up to 2600 lbs of ballast. For the riders chasing the coveted PWT crown, all those numbers simply mean they will come face-to-face with one of the largest wakes ever produced, giving them the opportunity to again write history in the heart of Georgia.
“Year-in-and-year-out, Acworth is always one of the most electric venues on tour,” said Chris Bischoff, Pro Wakeboard Tour competition director. “The fans are in for a treat this year. The greatest and latest MasterCraft XStar is getting rave reviews from the riders and we anticipate some next-level riding behind it throughout the competition.”
Opening the season as the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour defending champion, Phil Soven, 22, will be facing a contingent of the world’s best riders that will be frothing to prevent him from repeating and claiming his fifth tour title in the past six seasons. Leading the charge to strip his crown is Aussie phenom Harley Clifford, who took first-place at Acworth in 2011 and finished a close-second behind Soven in the season standings.
Also in the water during the event are the highly-competitive women’s pro division and the junior pro men’s division, which will be showcasing a stack field of the sport’s future stars.
Following the final rounds of action on Saturday, fans can stay and witness two jaw-dropping exhibition events –the Double Up Contest and a Big-Air Kicker Contest. Both events will feature top athletes performing exciting and innovative new tricks that aren’t typically attempted in a traditional contest setting. And with the new MasterCraft XStar, it is anyone’s guess what will be witnessed.
In addition to all the action on the water; on land, fans will enjoy plenty of great food; athlete autograph signings; chances to win freebies; product sampling, and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores for water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions. At the Pro Tour’s entertainment stage, guests can catch athlete interviews, color commentators and interactive live music.
The first day of action in Acworth will feature qualifying rounds and is free to the public. Saturday will be a ticketed event beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are available at the gate: $13 (adult); $5 (ages 6-12); free (ages 5 and under); or $7 (adult) if purchased online.
For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, please visit: KingofWake.com
