Battle Falls is the final stop of The Wakeskate Tour for a reason. Safe to say it brings some of the best riding we see every year, and this year is certainly no exception. The riders are at their absolute best at the end of summer and Battle Falls was clearly built for progression! Following the exponential trends of progression we’ve seen since the Tour’s inception, the quarter- and semi-finals saw clean technical lines that stand up to any Finals we’ve ever had. 46 athletes came to battle it out for this years final stop, but the last men standing were Nick Taylor, Ben Horan, Austin Pastura, Reed Hansen, Yan Lecomte and Andrew Pastura. With such a heavy roster, this was lining up to be one of the best Super-Finals our industry has ever seen. The Pasturas alone pose a commanding threat in any heat, holding the #1 and #2 spots respectively in the standings, as well as Reed Hansen, who has won this event the past two years running. Add Ben Horan, Nick Taylor, and Yan Lecomte to the mix and you’re looking at 90 minutes of the best wakeskating ever. Progression is key and The Wakeskate Tour delivered at Battle Falls. Live scoring in realtime added to the excitement and kept everyone on their toes during each heat. The crowd was electric, knowing who was in the lead, and of course every time it changed hands, the drama thickened. The vibes and atmosphere at this event could not have been any more savory. The story of the day though was Nick Taylor. His quarter-final round started with 7 incredibly technical lines, without falling. This is a feat in itself, but to carry this pattern on through two more rounds was what set him apart. Nick’s lines (see below) were perfect. With sharp eyes, the judges are looking at every piece of the line from how you take off, how you execute, how big you take it, how each trick is caught, all the way down to how you ride away from every move. Nick’s lines were flawless; above and beyond the spread. Throughout the day, there was no question that this was Nick’s event to win. Nick was followed by Andrew Pastura in 2nd place, who secured himself into 1st place overall for his third Wakeskate Tour Title in a row. Reed Hansen took 3rd, locking down three years of podium finishes at Battle Falls. A full video recap will be up soon to show all of the action and where this sport is being taken. It’s an incredible time to be a part of wakeskating. The riding keeps getting stronger and stronger, and this progression train we’ve been riding for three years now isn’t going to stop anytime soon!
