Sunday, October 17th, McCallum Park, South Perth — After four days of extreme aerial action, skilful mid-air manoeuvres and intense competition by 60 of the world’s elite action sports men and women, title holders of the Gravity Games H20, presented by Vodafone, were decided and awarded a share in the $180,000 prize money.
From a total field of 28 wakeboarders, only 14 remained in the final championship contest, where six women and eight men vied for a share in the world’s largest wakeboarding prize purse of $155,000. Advancing to the finals of the men’s wakeboarding event was Australia’s number one and current World
Wakeboard Association (WWA) World Series’ leader Daniel Watkins (Melbourne, VIC), with fellow Aussies Josh Sanders (Nowra, NSW) and Brett Eisenhaur (Wagga Wagga, NSW). The final featured the Australian entrants battling it out against US stars JD Webb, Andrew Adkison, Trevor Hanson, Derek Grasman and Parks Bonifay.
In the women’s division, half of the final qualifiers were Australian. Kickin off competition were Aussies Amber Wing, 21 (Sydney NSW); Leza Dance, 33 (Gold Coast QLD); and Sally Grice, 22 (also Gold Coast QLD), testing their skills against US stars Emily Copeland-Durham, 20; Dallas Friday, 18; and Lauren Loe, 21. The Gravity Games H20, presented by Vodafone, is officially sanctioned as the final leg of the WWA World Series, promising the winning athletes double the adrenalin rush and international glory.
Competition results were officially announced at a medal ceremony and closing presentation at 3:00pm on Sunday, October 17, where the Western Australian Minister for Tourism, Hon Bob Kucera and major presenting partner Vodafone were be present. As part of the closing event, the 60 world-class athletes of the Gravity Games H20, presented by Vodafone, from the US, Canada, Germany, China, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia, were acknowledged on stage in front of the massive crowd at the Gravity Festival Village in McCallum Park, South Perth.
**About Gravity Games H20, presented by Vodafone
** The Gravity Games H20, presented by Vodafone and the city of Perth, will be broadcast to more than 146 countries and seen by more
than 340 million people around the world, including viewers in the US, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, the UK, New
Zealand, South Africa, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Australia. In the US, Outdoor Life Network will broadcast at least two hours of
original Gravity Games H2O coverage, in addition to the 20 hours of live coverage captured at the Summer Gravity Games in
Cleveland, Ohio in September 2004.
Perth will host the international action sports competition, music and lifestyle event for the next three years, creating history as the first
host city outside the United States. It is expected to generate direct expenditure of around $1.15 million for Western Australia and put
Perth on the world map for action sports.
Entering its sixth year in 2004, the Gravity Games series is the world’s premier action sports competition, music and lifestyle event,
100% owned by US Broadcaster Outdoor Life Network and managed by Octagon. Gravity Games (Summer) is held in Cleveland Ohio,
Gravity Games (Winter) in Mammoth Mountain, USA, and now the Gravity Games H20 in Perth, Australia.
Vodafone is the presenting partner of Gravity Games H20, having committed $1 million to help bring the event to Western Australia.
Other supporters include EventsCorp, Wotif.com, Red Bull, CUB, Coca Cola and media partners 92.9 and The West Australian.
