MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 18, 2016) — Saturday was a day of “firsts” at the Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour (PWT) in Mooresville, N.C. Unprecedented performances and first-time champions dominated the intense competition among the world’s best professional men’s wakeboarding and wakesurfing stars during the second event of the five-stop tour.
Both 19-year-old wakeboarder Tony Iacconi and 16-year-old wakesurfer Parker Payne earned career-first PWT wins in their respective divisions, surrounded on either side by a massive crowd on the shore of Lake Norman – one of the largest, most active wakeboarding lakes in the nation – and a huge flotilla of spectator boats lining the competition course.
Tony Iacconi put on the performance of a lifetime in what is already a historic year for the Australian young gun. In an unheard of upset, Iacconi threw his greatest career run in the first round of wakeboarding finals, then bested his own personal best when he earned a higher score on the same routine during his second attempt.
Double-threat Noah Flegel also had an incredible day with not one, but two second-place finishes as the only athlete to compete in both the wakeboarding and wakesurfing categories, and Shota Tezuka landed major tricks all day for the third place prize.
Wakesurfer Parker Payne made personal history during his debut PWT finals run, where he landed the first-ever competitive “five-shuv” (jumping and rotating the board 540 degrees) and earned the top spot on the podium for the first time. Aaron Witherell rounded out the top three with Payne and Flegel, setting up what’s sure to be a tight race at the next competition in his home state of Washington.
The Supra Boats SA550, the official tow boat for the 2016 tour, towed the riders with precision, generating its signature clean, consistent and controlled wakes for ideal big-air conditions.
The Supra Boats Pro Wakeboard Tour continues through the summer with stops in Monroe, Wash.; Edmonton, Alberta (no wakesurf); and Indianapolis, Ind.
Supra Pro Tour #2: Mooresville, NC
Men’s Professional Semi Finals
| Heat #1 | Athlete | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parker Payne | 84.10 |
| 2 | Aaron Witherell | 78.20 |
| 3 | Noah Flegel | 74.20 |
| 4 | John Akerman | 63.20 |
| 5 | Grant Witherell | 44.30 |
| 6 | Hunter Sims | 34.70 |
Men’s Finals
| Athlete | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parker Payne | 88.60 |
| 2 | Noah Flegel | 79.10 |
| 2 | Aaron Witherell | 77.60 |
