THE 56TH MASTERS WATER SKI & WAKEBOARD TOURNAMENT MAKES HISTORY!!
Pine Mountain, GA (May 24, 2015) – The 56th Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament®, presented by GM Marine Engine Technology, made history today at Callaway Gardens! The wake community was beyond excited with the first ever-perfect 100-point run in the history of wakeboarding. The history making run was behind the industry leading and award-winning Super Air Nautique G23!
In women’s events, Team Nautique athlete and world record holder Erika Lang looked absolutely amazing on the water setting a new tricks course record of 9,770 points to win her second consecutive Masters title.
Nautique teammate Natallia Berdnikava came in second in tricks with a big score of her own at 9,510 points followed by Alex Laurentano. In slalom, Regina Jaquess took the title with 2.5@39.5-off in a run off with Manon Costard and Nautique’s Whitney McClintock placed third with a score of 2@39.5-off. Nautique athlete and new world record holder Jacinta Carroll won her 20th consecutive pro event today jumping 179 feet (54.5m) followed by teammates Natallia Berdnikava and Marion Mathieu-Ellis. Nautique’s Meagan Ethell won Women’s Wakeboarding with two stand-up passes followed by Dallas Friday and teammate Raimi Merritt.
In the men’s disciplines, Pierre Ballon from France won his second Masters title in a row tricking 10,680 followed by Adam Pickos and Russell Gay. Team Nautique athlete and world record holder Nate Smith won his second Masters in a dramatic final round running 1@41-off followed by Freddie Winter and Daniel Odvarko. Canada’s Ryan Dodd defended his Masters Jump title making it his third with a score of 234 feet (71.3m) followed by Freddy Krueger and Rodrigo Miranda.
In the slalom head-to-head competition, Jeff Rodgers muscled his way to 3@39.5-off beating Big Dawg World Tour Champion and Nautique legend Andy Mapple who ran 2.5@39.5-off to win this year’s Masters Big Dawg Final Four head-to-head competition on Robin Lake.
Congratulations to Junior Masters slalom competitor Taylor Garcia who competed in the O’Brien head-to-head exhibition against Robert Pigozzi, earning a scholarship.
In the Men’s Wakeskate finals, Brian Grubb won his second Masters championship with regular and switch front-side big-spins followed by Danny Hampson, Reed Hansen and Canadian James Balzer respectively.
In the Men’s Wakeboard final, the Super Air Nautique G23 rocked Robin Lake with its legendary wake that Masters competitors look forward to in the most intense contest of the season. Australia’s Harley Clifford rode flawlessly, scoring wakeboarding’s first-ever perfect 100-point run behind the Super Air Nautique G23. Clifford came out of the gates absolutely blasting off of the perfectly shaped, massive wake with huge back-to-back double flips in his first pass and a double back-roll off the double-up to take the win. Everyone on the Masters pavilion and on the beach were left in absolute shock as to what they were witnessing, proving once again that the Super Air Nautique G23 continues to be the only boat in the world that gives riders the ability to make history and change the sport of wakeboarding time and time again. Canada’s Rusty Malinoski also had an amazing run with two stand up passes before going down on a 1080 attempt off the double-up to finish in second. Nautique rider JD Webb continued to show his new form with huge, stylish tricks earning him a third place finish with Phil Soven in fourth.
Nautique President Greg Meloon commented, “The Super Air Nautique G23 proved once again why it is clearly the best boat in the history of wakeboarding! The first-ever perfect 100-point run could not have happened behind any other boat.” Meloon added, “Equally impressive were the waterski athlete performances behind the amazing Ski Nautique 200; the boat that has dominated the waterski world for several years.”
For complete up-to-date scores of the 56th Masters, please visit www.masterswaterski.com/standings/.
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An invitation to compete in the Masters is universally considered an acknowledgement of achievement for reaching the pinnacle in a given watersports discipline – only the world’s most elite athletes compete at the Masters. This tournament is IWWF/USA Water Ski and WWA sanctioned.
