Wakeboard Pros Duke it out on Pontiac Lake
Eric Alaniz
Issue date: 8/20/08 Section: Sports
Swarms of people on a beach, the roar of boats, and athletes flying 10 feet in the air off nothing more than the wakes of a boat can only mean one thing: the Malibu Open has once again descended upon Pontiac Lake.
Located in the heart of lake country in Waterford, MI, Pontiac Lake is one of the premier lakes for recreational boating, mainly for its sheer size. At 586 acres and up to 34 feet deep in some areas, on an average day there can be 30-40 boats on the water and still they won't risk colliding with each other. The lake is also surrounded by woodlands, making it less susceptible to wind; therefore riding conditions are good, even with decent wind.
On July 18, the first day of the Open, the skies were cloudy, and rain had canceled the elimination rounds of the ski jumping competition. However, by the time Andrew Adkison left the starting dock to kick off the Men's Wakeboarding Quarterfinals, the air was clear and the water was glassy.
In heat one, Adkison and Canadian Aaron Rathy moved on to the semifinals. From heat two, it was Rusty "The Bone Crusher" Malinoski and Trevor Hansen. To move on in heat three were JD Webb and Jeff Weatherall, while heat four produced Chad Sharpe and last year's King Of Wake Champion, Phillip Soven. Some massive tricks were pulled, including some whirly-bird 540's and some backside 720's, and a few riders even produced some wake-to-wake 900's. However, most hammer tricks would be saved for the next day, which held the semifinals and finals.
On day two, the weather was about the same; however the rain decided to join the fans and stayed to watch the semifinals. Fans were not deterred; however, some even determined to stay shirtless to keep the wakeboarding atmosphere alive. As I sipped my slurpee purchased at Maui Wowi, I watched some of the most amazing riding I have ever witnessed by some of the top pros in wakeboarding.
For the semifinals, JD Webb and Jeff Weatherall advanced from heat one; while Aaron Rathy and Phillip Soven advanced from heat two. A few runs later, Phillip Soven had won the Malibu Open, taking home a $12,000 check with it.
Located in the heart of lake country in Waterford, MI, Pontiac Lake is one of the premier lakes for recreational boating, mainly for its sheer size. At 586 acres and up to 34 feet deep in some areas, on an average day there can be 30-40 boats on the water and still they won't risk colliding with each other. The lake is also surrounded by woodlands, making it less susceptible to wind; therefore riding conditions are good, even with decent wind.
On July 18, the first day of the Open, the skies were cloudy, and rain had canceled the elimination rounds of the ski jumping competition. However, by the time Andrew Adkison left the starting dock to kick off the Men's Wakeboarding Quarterfinals, the air was clear and the water was glassy.
In heat one, Adkison and Canadian Aaron Rathy moved on to the semifinals. From heat two, it was Rusty "The Bone Crusher" Malinoski and Trevor Hansen. To move on in heat three were JD Webb and Jeff Weatherall, while heat four produced Chad Sharpe and last year's King Of Wake Champion, Phillip Soven. Some massive tricks were pulled, including some whirly-bird 540's and some backside 720's, and a few riders even produced some wake-to-wake 900's. However, most hammer tricks would be saved for the next day, which held the semifinals and finals.
On day two, the weather was about the same; however the rain decided to join the fans and stayed to watch the semifinals. Fans were not deterred; however, some even determined to stay shirtless to keep the wakeboarding atmosphere alive. As I sipped my slurpee purchased at Maui Wowi, I watched some of the most amazing riding I have ever witnessed by some of the top pros in wakeboarding.
For the semifinals, JD Webb and Jeff Weatherall advanced from heat one; while Aaron Rathy and Phillip Soven advanced from heat two. A few runs later, Phillip Soven had won the Malibu Open, taking home a $12,000 check with it.
Be the first to comment on this story