The 2024 Red Bull Double or Nothing has been a staple of the wake industry and a place that the fans have come to expect something that has never been done before. The event’s brainchild and spokesperson Parks Bonifay has made a career off of doing just that; Creativity and athleticism sprinkled in with a bit of adrenalin and fearlessness has been the recipe for victory at previous events and with the progression leap that wakeboarding took at last year’s event with the first and only triple flip behind a boat, the shore of Lake Ivanhoe in Orlando FL was packed with those looking to witness history, again.
In another lane of progression, the women were invited to compete alongside the men for the first time in the event’s history. During 2023 women participated in an exhibition to showcase women’s wakeboarding on the main stage, but this year the women have been throwing down hard enough to earn spots in the running order and take a swing at the belt.
“My whole career has been advocating for the women to be on the main stage and seeing it happen here is so rewarding,” said Meagan Ethell, Red Bull athlete and one of the most dominant competitive forces the sport has ever seen.
“Seeing the next generation represented with Guila Castelli is so exciting to see what is next for the women,” continued Ethelll who speaks like a seasoned veteran of the sport but who is only 27 herself. Proof of Castelli’s impact can be easily confirmed with a quick scroll through her Instagram page highlighting one NBD (never-been-done trick) after another.
Landing an NBD (Never Been Done) in a venue like the Double or Nothing is such a thread in the fabric of the event that Red Bull allotted a $5k NBD bounty for a contest-first over the top of the $10k for the winner take all 1st prize. So with $15k on the line, Thomas Herman was 3rd off the dock and landed a nose-grabbed double back roll, backside 360 with as much height as one could hope for with a perfectly clean landing to take the maximum prize purse.
“I didn’t want to show up and try the triple flip again, I wanted to mix it up,” said the first even back to back champion. He came with his A-game, matching his hair color to his custom flame graphic on his board.
While Tyler Higham had landed this trick and released it in a legendary section in the movie Scumline, the trick had not been put down in the contest setting. Thomas got the luck of the draw going off the dock before Higham and put the pressure on with a very clean make.
Noteworthy, standout performances and efforts:
- Thomas Herman: Attempting an extra 180 on the trick that took the victory
- Tyler Higham: Perfectly grabbed and equally popped replica of the trick that Thomas landed, but landed hard and injured his ribs.
- Meagan Ethell: Going for a KGB 5 that she had just landed as an NBD for the women weeks previously. She had a rough fall during training that almost took her out of the event, but she still threw down.
- Guilia Castelli: Wrapped BS 7 attempt with a fall, but landed a BS 5
- Parks Bonifay: Nearly landing a double half-cab roll as the oldest competitor in the field.
- Luca Kidd: First wrapped BS 1080 in a contest with a legit nose grab taking 2nd place
- Sam Brown: Nearly landed a double back mobe 540, which would have taken first.
- Nic Rapa: Double indy tantrum to blind landed clean for 3rd place.
- Kai Ditsch: Double backroll to blind attempt
- Trent Stuckey: A rider who dominates the cable scene who has improved recently on the boat, landing a BS 900 and going for BS 1080’s.
There is no better advocate for pushing the limits than Parks Bonifay and with the continued support of his sponsors, the sport is lucky to have the venue to put the best feet forward. How could the riders possibly improve upon the seemingly unreachable level that they are at now? If history is any indication, they will find a way and continue to blow minds.
