A sunny weekend in February saw the start of the first of five amateur wakeboard competitions across the UAE this year. The turquoise waters of Umm Al Quwain Marine Club offered the perfect setting to stage Stop # 1 of this extreme sporting event. Keen wakeboarders from across the UAE & beyond met to show off their skills behind a boat, socialize with like-minded adrenaline junkies, stare in ore at the Pro Rider demonstrations and most importantly have a lot of fun.Amazingly a seven strong Kuwaiti Wakeboard Team flew in especially for the event, proving just how popular this sport is becoming around the Middle Eastern countries. Their journey was also well worth the effort as the Team Captain, Bader took home 1st place alongside team mate Mohammed who took 2nd in the Men’s Division. Their only female representative Jeanne also secured 2nd place in the closely competed Women’s Division.
Giving the Kuwaiti’s a run for their money were two Junior riders, Harry Cook and Drew Gibson. Harry, 15 from Sharjah and Drew, 14 from Dubai have recently won sponsorship deals with Al Boom Marine, Hyperlite wakeboards and O’neill apparel and blitzed the Junior Division with 1st and 2nd place respectively. Their eyes are now set on the podium for the Men’s Division also and time on the water training for new inverts (upside down flips) is top priority.
‘The UAE is now embracing wakeboarding much like the UK did 15 years ago,’ says organizer and former World Champion, Emma Jones. ‘We’ve had so much fun organizing the tour and realizing how much hidden talent there is here. Judging the riders was much tougher than Matt (Crowhurst, UK Pro Rider) and I ever imagined, there’ll be a real battle for the Overall Titles and the big prize of 2010 sponsorship from Hyperlite, Oneill & Oakley !’
The second stop of the tour is set for April 17th and 18th at The Golden Tulip Resort, Ghantoot which hides 10 minutes past Ibn Battuta Mall at Exit 399 of Sheik Zayed Road. Join in the fun either on or off the water next month, as the competitions include Divisions for all ages (Groms U12s, Juniors U18s, Womens, Mens, Masters 35s+, Wake Skate) and welcomes beginners as much as the fancy back flip throwers- awarding all participants with a goody bag including a hat, t-shirt & more. Wakeboarding is most definitely a family spectator sport too, plus there’s often a Pro on hand to demo the top gravity defying tricks. For more information or an entry form please contact Emma on 0501578452 or emma@alboommarine.com
STOP # 1 RESULTS
GROMS 1ST MICHAEL DECLERCQ 1000
2ND TOM COOK 800
3RD SOPHIA BRYAN 700
4TH CALLUM BRYAN 600
JUNIORS
1ST HARRY COOK 1000
2ND DREW GIBSON 800
3RD ELLIOTT DENHAM 700
4TH MAJORI FOURIE 600
WOMENS
1ST TRACEY ORR 1000
2ND JEANNE AL FAILAKAWI 800
3RD HELEN PRIESTLEY 700
4TH EMMA BRAIN 600
5TH MICHELLE ANTHONY 500
6TH JENNY WELLS 450
7TH MELISSA SWATS 400
8TH AIYAH MARAHA 350
MENS
1ST BADER ALJIHAYEM 1000
2ND MOHAMMED AL SHAWAF 800
3RD PAUL THOMAS 700
4TH DREW GIBSON 600
5TH SALEH AL DUWAISON 500
6TH YOUSEF AL MUHAILANI 450
7TH HARRY COOK 400
8TH FERAS AL SHARAWI 350
9TH YOUSEF AL HADEED 300
10TH RUDI DU PLESSIS 250
11TH RAMSEY AWWAD 200
MASTERS
1ST SASCHA BRANDMAIER 1000
2ND THOMAS MEGNA 800
WAKESKATE
JOINT 1ST
MICHAEL DECLERCQ 1000
JACK DENHAM 1000
VINNY GLOVER 1000
