Stop # 2 - Whirlybird !

The first amateur UAE Wakeboard Tour continued this past weekend with Stop # 2 at Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi. The Golden Tulip Resort offered a traditional and rustic desert location with some great water conditions for our riders over the two-day event. Men, women and children aging from 7 to 52 took to the water and impressed the judges with their skills including lots of upside-down maneuvers behind the Mastercraft sponsored boat! The standard of riding from participants is rapidly improving since Stop # 1 held at the end of February at the Umm Al Quwain Marine Club. Junior rider, 16 year old Harry Cook from Sharjah stormed up the ranks from 7th to 3rd place in the Men’s Division, as well as securing the Junior Title for both Stops!
“It’s great to see our local riders training hard and improving so quickly. The fight for podium positions are very closely contended which makes for an exciting battle in the Overall Tour Standings!” says Chief Judge & former 2001 World Wakeboard Champion, Emma Jones.
Riders are competing for the chance to win a year’s sponsorship in 2010 with Oakley sunglasses, O’neill Surfwear & Hyperlite wakeboards. The event is the first of its kind in the UAE and has attracted keen wakeboarders from throughout the GCC including The Kuwait Wakeboard Team who travel to support each event. Their dedicated and friendly team is captained by Mr Bader Aljihayem who, incidentally, is leading the field in the Men’s Division after two first place victories till date including an impressive array of tricks which would rival many Professional Wakeboarders!
The 2009 UAE WAKE TOUR will continue to hit the best wakeboarding spots in the UAE. The next stop is May 8 & 9 at the home of Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club. With a truly majestic backdrop of Emirate’s Palace, the Corniche is the perfect place to check out the “adrenaline fuelled” watersport of wakeboarding and wakeskating. The event is free for spectators and welcomes amateur wakeboarders of all ages and abilities for a minimal entry fee. For more information or an entry form please contact Emma on 0501578452 or emma@alboommarine.com

STOP # 2 RESULTS

GROMS POINTS FOR OVERALL
1ST MICHAEL DECLERCQ 1000
2ND TOM COOK 800
3RD LOIS DENHAM 700
4TH JAD 600
5TH SACHIO KEKATI 500

JUNIORS
1ST HARRY COOK 1000
2ND DREW GIBSON 800
3RD ELLIOTT DENHAM 700

WOMENS
1ST TRACEY ORR 1000
2ND JEANNE AL FAILAKAWI 800
3RD HELEN PRIESTLEY 700
4TH MAJORI FOURIE 600
5TH JENNY WELLS 500
6TH JESSICA DECLERCQ 450
7TH LINDSAY DAVIDSON 400


MENS
1ST BADER ALJIHAYEM 1000
2ND PAUL THOMAS 800
3RD HARRY COOK 700
4TH SALEH AL DUWAISON 600
5TH DREW GIBSON 500
6TH JIMMY BARRAT 450
7TH CHRIS RODEL 400
8TH MOHAMMED AL SHAWAF 350
9TH VINNY GLOVER 300

MASTERS
1ST SASCHA BRANDMAIER 1000
2ND ANTONIO KEKATI 800

WAKESKATE
1ST VINNY GLOVER 1000
JACK DENHAM 800
MICHAEL DECLERCQ 700