Home2025 WWA Rule Book

2025 WWA Rule Book

Section 1: General Information for All Athletes

Scope of These Rules:

These rules govern the conduct and organization of the 2025 World Wake Association (WWA) events. These rules are final unless specific changes, addendums, or exceptions are distributed. It is the responsibility of each athlete, event organizer, and official to be familiar with all WWA rules.

Competition Times:

All riders must be on-site and ready to compete 90 minutes before the posted start time of your scheduled division. The WWA and/or event organizer reserves the right to change or alter the schedule at any time. Divisions may start up to one hour before the divisions posted start time. If start times are not listed per division, it is the responsibility of the rider to be aware of the flow and timings of the competition.

Athlete and Officials Conduct:

  • Personal Appearances: Athletes and officials shall agree to make appearances arranged for media and local sponsors.
  • Dress Code: Athletes and officials shall abide by the WWA dress codes at designated WWA functions. Riders agree that the organizers have the right to control or prohibit advertising material used, worn, or displayed by the rider on-site during the contest.
  • Content: All photographic, video, audio, digital, written, or any other form of content (hereinafter referred to as ‘Content’) created, captured, or produced by WWA staff, contracted staff, officials, or authorized representatives during any WWA-sanctioned event, competition, or activity shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Wakeboard World Association (WWA). This includes, but is not limited to, Content created using WWA equipment, personal equipment, or any other means, regardless of the location or platform of creation.
    The WWA shall have the unrestricted right to use, reproduce, distribute, modify, publish, display, and license such Content for any purpose, including but not limited to, promotional, marketing, commercial, archival, and educational purposes, without any obligation to provide compensation or attribution to the creators.
    Individuals creating Content as described above hereby assign all rights, title, and interest in such Content to the WWA. Any individual who is contracted by the WWA to create content will sign a separate contract, that will also include this clause. Any staff member or official, by agreeing to work during the event, agrees to this clause. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of such Content is strictly prohibited.
  • Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Any athlete, official, spouse, friend, family or spouse of athlete whose conduct is deemed unsportsmanlike, or who may cause discredit to the WWA, sponsors, or that person’s home country federation, either on or off the contest site pre, during and after the period of the contest, may be fined and/or disqualified, as determined by the WWA Chief Judge, Event Organizer and/or the WWA. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, but is not limited to: use of vulgar language in public, public tantrums, not riding to the fullest potential, failure to attend designated functions or events, consuming alcoholic beverages during competition, competing under false pretenses, such as not having a WWA membership, concealing significant injuries or health problems. A rider disqualified in this manner would forfeit prize money for that contest and all points. This paragraph shall not be construed to deny or limit any individual’s legal rights. All fines shall be paid to the World Wake Association. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from any future contests until the fine is paid.
    • Conduct and Fines:
    • Unsportsmanlike conduct: $500.00 – $1,000.00 fine and/or disqualification
    • No Bib (Pre-event or Event): $500.00 and/or disqualification
    • Improper dress: $500.00
    • All Pro division podium winners if you do not attend the Awards Banquet/Prize Giving: $500.00 fine and disqualification along with relinquishing overall series ranking points and prize money
    • Unauthorized persons on starting dock, announcers stand, or judges area: $500.00 and/or disqualification
  • Property Damage and Hotel Conduct: Any athlete or official involved in conduct which may cause damage on-site, to hotels, and/or any other property damaged by the athlete or official may be disqualified or fined. You will be responsible for all damages that occur and will be charged accordingly. Any athlete or official involved in conduct at the host hotel, which is deemed unsportsmanlike conduct, may be disqualified or fined.

Pre-Event Practice On-site:

Permission shall be granted to certain riders pre-selected by the WWA or event organizer for event-related media appearances and other occasions in the best interest of the event. The number and type of riders allowed is at the discretion of the WWA and/or event organizers. Violation of this rule shall result in a fine or disqualification from the contest.

Use of Name/Likeness:

All riders grant the WWA the non-exclusive right to use the Participant’s name or likeness in any photographs, television, or motion pictures taken of the Participant during the contest week, for the limited purposes of EVENT promotion, broadcast, and news reporting, and this right to use under this sub-paragraph shall terminate on the first day of the year 2026, except for NBC Sports or other networks that may continue to rerun broadcasts of contest coverage containing the participant’s likeness and name.

Section 2: Safety

Liability:

All WWA athletes, officials and volunteers, by their participation, recognize and accept the possible dangers inherent to wakesports competitions as agreed and accepted in the membership release of liability to this effect before riding or officiating on-site. Athletes shall submit proof of WWA membership before participation. The WWA accepts no liability for injury to WWA athletes during competition-related functions, while traveling, or in any other capacity, official or otherwise, not mentioned herein. It is the responsibility of any WWA athlete or official who discovers a potentially dangerous situation to immediately notify the WWA staff or event organizer.

Definitions:

  • Participant: The person who is participating in wakesports competition or any WWA event.
  • Accepting Party: The Participant when the Participant is age 18 or older OR both the Participant and the Participant’s parent or legal guardian when the Participant is under the age of 18.
  • Released Parties: The World Wake Association (WWA), their sponsors, event organizer(s), site owner/lessee or any of their respective successors in interest, affiliated organizations and companies, insurance carriers, agents, employees, representatives, competition officials, assignees, officers, directors, members, and shareholders.
  • Activity: Taking part in wakesports competition or any WWA event, and using wake facilities or boats for any purpose.

Risks of Activity:

The Accepting Party agree and understand that taking part in the Activity can be HAZARDOUS AND INVOLVES THE RISK OF PHYSICAL INJURY AND/OR DEATH. The Accepting Party acknowledge that the Activity is inherently dangerous and fully realize the dangers of participating in the Activity. The risks and dangers of the activity include, but are not limited to: negligence of Participant, water conditions, tides, currents, wakes, collisions with other participants, watercraft and other manmade and natural objects, weather conditions, capsizing, sinking, exposure to elements, slips and falls, equipment failure and/or defects, operator error, mental distress from exposure to any of the above, and negligence of others. The Accepting Party acknowledge and understand that the description of the risks listed above IS not complete and that participating in the Activity may be dangerous and may include other risks.

Participant Responsibility:

Participant agrees that prior to participating, Participant will inspect the facilities and equipment to be used, including Participant’s own equipment, and if Participant believes anything is unsafe will immediately advise his/her coach or supervisor and a competition official, in writing of such condition(s) and refuse to participate.

Release, Indemnification, and Assumption of Risk:

In consideration of the Participant being permitted to participate in the activity, the Accepting Party agree as follows: In consideration of Participant, or the minor for whom the parent or guardian is signing, being allowed to participate in any way in a WORLD WAKE ASSOCIATION (hereinafter known as WWA) athletics/sports program and related events and activities, Participant hereby, for himself/herself, his/her heirs, and successors and, if applicable, for the minor for whom a parent or guardian is signing does: (1) Agree that prior to participating, Participant will inspect the facilities and equipment to be used, including Participant’s own equipment, and if Participant believes anything is unsafe, Participant will immediately advise his/her coach or supervisor and a contest official, in writing, of such condition(s) and refuse to participate; (2) Acknowledge and fully understand that each participant will be engaging in activities that involve risk of serious injury, including permanent disability and death, and severe social and economic losses which might result not only from Participant’s own actions, inaction’s or negligence, and also from the actions, inactions or negligence of others, the rules of play, or the condition of the premises or of any equipment used. Further, that there may be other risks not known to WWA or not reasonably foreseeable at this time; (3) Assume all the foregoing risks and accept personal responsibility for the damages following such injury, permanent disability or death; (4) Release, waive, discharge, covenant not to sue and agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend WWA, its affiliated clubs or other affiliated organizations, their respective administrators, directors, agents, coaches, and employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, the nationals governing bodies of participating divisions, the contest officials and, if applicable, owners and leasees of premises used to conduct the event, all of which are hereinafter referred to as “releasees”, from any and all liability to Participant, his or her heirs, relatives and friends for any and all claims, demands, losses or damages on account of injury to person, including death or damage to property, caused or alleged to be caused in whole or in part by the negligence of the releasees or otherwise; (5) authorize WWA to seek, on Participant’s behalf all reasonable medical and surgical care that might be necessary if Participant is unable to authorize such care himself/herself as a result of some injury;

Minor Acknowledgment:

In the case of a minor Participant, the Accepting Party parent or legal guardian acknowledges that he/she is not only signing this Agreement on his/her behalf but that he/she is also signing on behalf of the minor and that the minor shall be bound by all the terms of this Agreement. Additionally, by signing this Agreement as the parent or legal guardian of a minor, the parent or legal guardian understands that he/she is also waiving rights on behalf of the minor that the minor otherwise may have. The Accepting Party parent or legal guardian agrees that, but for the foregoing, the minor would not be permitted to participate in the Activity. By signing this Agreement without a parent or legal guardian’s signature, Participant, under penalty of fraud, represents that he/she is at least 18 years of age. If signing as the parent or guardian of a minor Participant, signing adults represent that they are a legal parent or guardian of the minor Participant.

Medical Care:

Accepting Party authorize the Released Parties and/or their authorized personnel to call for medical care for Participant or to transport Participant to a medical facility or hospital if, in the opinion of such personnel, medical attention is needed. Accepting Party agree to pay all costs associated with such medical care and related transportation.

Miscellaneous:

The Accepting Party further agree and understand: (a) Participant will not engage in any activities prohibited by any applicable laws, statutes, regulations and ordinances; (b) this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida and the exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any claim arising out of this Agreement shall be the state courts located in Polk County, Florida and Accepting Party expressly agree and consent to jurisdiction in said courts; (c) Participant grants to WWA, the non-exclusive right to use Participant’s name or likeness in any photographs, television or motion pictures taken of Participant during, training, competition, demos, or other WWA event for the purpose of EVENT promotion; (d) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any and all prior contracts, arrangements, communications, or representations, whether oral or written, between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof; and (e) the Accepting Party understand and acknowledge that this Agreement is a contract and shall be binding to the fullest extent permitted by law. If any part of this Agreement is deemed to be unenforceable, the remaining terms shall be an enforceable contract between the parties. It is the intent of the Accepting Party that this agreement shall be binding upon the assignees, subrogors, distributors, heirs, next of kin, executors and personal representatives of the Accepting Party.

Safety Equipment:

All contestants shall wear a U.S. Coast Guard – Approved life jacket or a life jacket that will absolutely float a contestant who is unconscious. A “Wet Suit” jacket shall have a locking device in addition to the zipper closure. A “Pull Over” or “Side Entry” jacket shall have a locking device, zipper, or a drawstring. All contestants hitting any obstacles in the water must wear a helmet (protective headgear) is defined as an article of apparel whose manufacture and use is solely for the purpose of protecting the head from injury.

Fallen Riders:

Because of the public nature of some sites, and for the safety of the Athlete, fallen riders shall utilize safety craft in lieu of swimming and/or walking ashore unless otherwise directed by WWA Representative.

New Sites:

In the case of sites new to the WWA, whether they have hosted an event or not, they shall be inspected by the WWA, an official and/or an athlete representative (if furnished to the WWA at no cost) well in advance of the scheduled competition. This shall be for the purposes of determining site layouts and special site preparations needed to eliminate any safety hazards. The WWA reserves the right to make revisions at any time.

Section 3: Equipment

General: Handles, Non-Stretch Ropes, Wakeboards, Wakesurfers, Wakeskates, Helmets:

Personal handles, ropes, wakeskates, wakesurfers, and wakeboards are the responsibility of the individual participants. Handles, ropes, wakeskates, wakesurfers, and wakeboards are subject to checks by the officials/dock starter before riding. Helmets are required for wakeboarding and wakeskating if features are used. A helmet (protective head gear) is defined as an article of apparel whose manufacture and use is solely for the purpose of protecting the head from injury. If any athlete uses any feature without a helmet they will be disqualified from the WWA Event.

Wakesurf:

To foster creativity, progression, and accessibility within wakesurfing, the WWA prioritize general guidelines over strict rules regarding board length and size. This approach encourages diverse riding styles.
Wakesurf equipment including Skim and Surf style boards and their fins are typically recognized by the following parameters:

  • Skim Style Boards: The Skim Style discipline, which utilizes boards characterized by minimal thickness, lower volume, reduced rocker, and minimal fin configurations (typically less than 2 inches and often no fins).
    • Skim Style riding involves a more technical approach, emphasizing speed and control through flatter surfaces in conjunction with sharper perimeter rails.
  • Surf Style Boards: The Surf Style discipline, which utilizes boards characterized by increased thickness, higher volume, pronounced rocker, and fins (typically more than 2.75 inches and with multiple fins).
    • Surf Style riding involves a more forceful approach, leveraging the power and drive of larger fins in conjunction with sharper rear rails.
  • Board Preference: To encourage innovation and the organic development of wakesurfing, board length and size are unrestricted guidelines, not strict rules.
    • Riders may choose the length of the board used in both Skim Style and Surf Style disciplines, based on their personal preference and discretion.
    • Judges shall evaluate riders solely on their performance, skill, and execution of maneuvers, without consideration of their board selection. The choice of board shall not influence scoring, provided the board meets the requirements of the respective division.
  • Fin Size:
    • SURF STYLE Fin Size Guidelines: All Surf Style boards must have fins. The fin size for Surf Style shall adhere to the following requirements:
      Pro/Semi-Pro/Open Divisions:Minimum of 4 inches for the two primary fins.Trailer fins smaller than 4 inches are permitted.
      Masters and Amateur Divisions: Minimum of 2.75 inches for the two primary fins.Trailer fins smaller than 4 inches are permitted.
      Youth, Beginner, and Entry Level Divisions: Fins smaller than 2.75 inches are permitted for the two primary fins. Trailer fins smaller than 4 inches are permitted.
      These fin size guidelines are in place to ensure fair competition within the Surf Style discipline, while still allowing for the natural progression and creative development of the sport.
    • SKIM STYLE Fin Size Guidelines: Skim Style boards may have fins or no fins. The fin size for Skim Style shall adhere to the following requirements:
      Pro/Semi-Pro Divisions: Fins not to exceed 2 inches. Maximum of 3 fins permitted.
      Masters and Amateur Divisions: Fins not to exceed 2 inches. Maximum of 3 fins permitted.
      Youth, Beginner, and Entry Level Divisions: Fins larger than 2 inches are permitted. Maximum of 3 fins permitted.
      These fin size guidelines are in place to ensure fair competition within the Skim Style discipline, while still allowing for the natural progression and creative development of the sport.
    • All fin measurements refer to the depth (height) of the fin from the base to the tip.

Equipment Restrictions:

  • For all divisions, the WWA reserves the right to limit or prohibit the use of any equipment, wakeboard or wakesurf design, modified boards, etc., which if used would result in an unfair competitive advantage or present an unreasonable risk of injury. All equipment can be inspected at the time of rider check-in by WWA officials if required.
  • Wax/Adhesive: If required, a Wakesurf board will be inspected where a WWA official’s hand will be placed on the board in any area where the riders’ feet may contact the board. If the board lifts with the official’s hand, the rider will be asked to remove the wax/adhesive and have the board reinspected. If the rider refuses to remove the wax/adhesive, they may be disqualified from the competition and given zero for the competition ranking. If the rider has any wax on their feet or board, the rider is expected to be cautious not to transfer any product to the staging boat, jet ski, or competition boat.

Equipment Protest:

The equipment inspection process is handled through the official protest process. If equipment does not meet the standard requirements outlined, the rider will be given a chance to correct and have the board reinspected before the rider’s run. If the correction is not made, the rider will be disqualified from the event and given a zero for the competition ranking. If there is a competition protest it must be reported within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the division.

Supplied Bibs:

Athletes may be required to wear a WWA-supplied bib during media riding, qualifying, actual competition, and interviews. The bib will remain the property of the WWA until after the Finals; however, it will remain in the Athlete’s possession. If an athlete is not wearing a bib while competing they can be disqualified and/or fined from the tournament. Riders must wear their assigned bibs; no borrowing or lending is authorized due to age restriction of some riders unless WWA management grants permission. Failure to abide may result in a possible fine. If a bib is lost and another bib must be supplied, even for a temporary period, a five hundred dollar ($500.00) fee will be charged. No modifications of bibs or addition or deletion of lettering or logos on bibs are allowed, except as authorized by WWA. Bibs inadvertently damaged during the course of riding will be replaced by WWA at no cost. If a bib becomes stained or damaged to the point where it no longer looks presentable in the eyes of the WWA, the rider will be obligated to wear a replacement bib supplied by the WWA.

WWA Supplied Wristbands:

Athletes may be required to wear a WWA-supplied wristband at all times on-site and event off-site functions as needed. A wristband will be placed on the rider’s arm at registration and should not be removed until after the event is over. If a wristband is lost and another wristband must be supplied to the athlete, a ten-dollar ($10.00) fee will be charged to the athlete. If a wristband is damaged, bring it back to the Director of Registration and a new one will be given to the rider at no cost. No borrowing or sharing is authorized. Failure to abide may result in a possible fine.

Section 4: Qualifications

Membership Requirements:

All Athletes must be current competitive members of the WWA. Prior to competing, Athletes must accept the WWA contract and understand the nature of the sport and its special risks, particularly in the professional format. Prior to competing, Athlete must submit to the Director of Registration the required forms (Information questionnaire, Online Check In Form* Contract, Waiver, W9 or W8). It is the responsibility of the Athlete to register with the WWA designated person and show proof of WWA membership and qualifications before riding.

Entry Fee:

Entry fee is due at the same time as the entry form. The entry fee per event is indicated on the Official Entry Form, including any late fees that may apply.

Entry Deadline & Late Fee:

Entry deadlines are listed on the Official Entry Form as well on the event web page. A Late Fee must be paid prior to riding if the entry form (including payment) was not received by the Director of Registration on/or before the date indicated (on the entry form) as the “2 Week Entry Deadline” or other applicable time table. The final deadline to sign up for a contest is subject to the Director of Registration. In some instances, a maximum number of riders that could sign up may be instituted with prior notice from the Event. After the maximum number is reached, no riders shall be allowed to sign up.

Cancellation:

If an entrant desires to cancel his/her entry for whatever reason(s), he/she is required to notify the Director of Registration or event organizer, in writing no later than two weeks prior to the event. If an entrant abides by the required cancellation deadline, the entry fee will be refunded ONLY if the entry cannot be rolled over to another tournament. Cancellation of entry will be accepted only by email in order to be eligible for the full refund.

Concussion Policy:

If the boat crew suspects a rider has a concussion or head injury they will immediately radio for the safety staff. The safety staff will evaluate the athlete and determine if they suspect the rider has a concussion. If the safety staff suspects a concussion the rider will be removed from competition immediately. If the athlete is a minor the WWA staff will notify the parent or guardian at this time. WWA recommends that the athlete be evaluated by a health care provider experienced in evaluating for a concussion. The athlete will not be allowed to participate in a WWA event until they provide a written letter from the Healthcare provider giving them clearance to resume participation.

Fines:

All unpaid fines must be paid prior to participating in the Event.

Refund due to Injuries:

In the event of illness or injury during the week preceding the event, the affected rider must contact the Director of Registration. If you do not make contact before your name is listed on the running order you will not receive a refund. The Affected rider must present a signed doctor’s excuse to the Director of Registration for review for full refund. Any falsification will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct. The doctor’s note MUST be received no later than 5pm EST (21) twenty-one days from the start of the event date in order to receive a refund. After that date no refunds will be granted.
AFTER COMPETITION BEGINS: If an Athlete is unable to compete due to an injury, after riding in the qualifying round and/or subsequent rounds of a contest, his/her spot is left vacant. An Athlete who is unable to compete in a subsequent round shall receive Ranking List points and placement for the last place position of the round in which they are unable to compete. No replacement rider will be placed in that position in the next round.

Competition Divisions:

Divisions of competitions are broken down by sex and age brackets, with the exception of the Adaptive, Ability Based, Open and Pro divisions. Age as of January 1 of the current year will be used to determine age bracket. All athletes must compete under their sex assigned at birth. The only time an athlete can ride in another division is if they move to a harder division of competition. Both the Chief Judge and Event Organizer must approve the move to another division. Athletes can only compete in one division per discipline, with the exception of specialty divisions such as the Mom and Dad Surf divisions.

  • In the event of a protest of age or sex: Awards for the division under protest will be held for a period of 14 days.
    • A protest of age or sex may only be resolved with one of the following:
      The presentation of an original, unaltered birth certificate that clearly establishes an individual’s age and/or sex at birth.
      A sworn statement from the person’s personal physician addressing the rider’s age or sex at birth.
    • Failure of any athlete to respond within the 14 days will result in disqualification of such athlete from the event.
    • All costs associated with the formal protest of age or sex are the responsibility of the participant in question.
  • Open Divisions:
    • The event host/organizer may offer Open Men and Open Women divisions. These divisions shall only be entered by a participant’s sex assigned at birth.
    • An event host/organizer, in their sole discretion, may also offer an Open division. This division, if offered, will be open for any age, any sex to compete without proof of sex assigned at birth.
  • Merging Divisions:
    • Divisions may be created or merged at the sole discretion of each contest director.
  • Amateur Divisions:
    • All divisions except pro are considered amateur age group competitions.
  • Youth Divisions:
    • All divisions under the age of 13 are considered youth age group competitions.
  • Pro Divisions:
    • Only pro divisions pay cash prizes.
    • A WWA Pro Membership is is required to compete in a Pro Division
  • Adaptive Standing Divisions:
    • Adaptive Standing Divisions (wake and surf): Has either a limb deficiency (athletes with a total or partial absence of bones or joins as a consequence of trauma, illness or congenital limb deficiency – arm or leg) or is visually impaired.
  • Adaptive Sitboarding Divisions:
    • Adaptive Sitboarding Divisions (wake and surf): Rides seated, has lack of the use of his/her limbs below the waist. Unable to stand to surf. Parapalegics.
  • New Divisions:
    • New divisions may be opened at the discretion of the event director if there are 4 or more confirmed participants for that division at least 30 days prior to the start of the event. Contact info@thewwa.com in regards to opening a new division.
  • Centurion World Series of Wake Surfing
    • Athletes can only compete in one division per discipline.
    • If the athlete switches divisions mid-season, all prior scores will be dropped, and new scoring will be started in that division for the remainder of the season.
    • In order to qualify for the Centurion World Wake Surfing Championship, athletes must compete in 3 events in the qualifying division. Each and every mid-season change of division, the rider forfeits all previous events and must qualify again in the division he/she last competed.
    • Upon every mid-season division change, the athlete’s previous scores become zero. This is the case regardless of division or if an athlete returns to a division.
      Division Move Up: Athletes must have competed in the next lower division for one season and earned the ranking in that division to be invited to move up a division at the following year’s World Wake Surfing Championship. This will be an invitation, not an obligation and it is not mandatory for the athlete to move up. However, after two consecutive seasons in the same division, if an athlete exhibits extraordinary skill relative to the other riders in that division, they may be asked to move up a division. This is at the discretion of WSWS event organisers, chief judge and the WWA.
  • WSWS Division Outline:
    • Masters: Men & Women (separate by gender) both Surf & Skim
    • 35 plus years of age
    • Pro: Men & Women (separate by gender) both Surf & Skim
    • Pro Card Invite Criteria
    • Podium placement at Centurion World Wake Surfing Championship in semi-pro division prior year.
    • Ranked in the top 3 in Semi-Pro in WSWS in the previous season.
    • Exceptions: An Amateur athlete that exhibits extraordinary skill may make a formal request to skip the requirements, ultimately the Semi-Pro Division, to be granted their Pro Card. These situations will be looked at on a case-by-case basis by the WWA and must be submitted via email to info@thewwa.com
    • Semi Pro: Men & Women (separate by gender) both Surf & Skim
    • Amateur: Men & Women (separate by gender) both Surf & Skim
    • Adaptive: Men & Women seated, standing, and prone are combined, unless we have more than two athletes per style, in that case, we will separate them by physicality.
    • Youth: Boys & Girls (separated by gender) combined Surf & Skim
    • 12 years or under
    • Open Men Foil
    • Open Men Foil – Straps
    • Open Women Foil
    • Open Women Foil – Straps

WWA Wakeboard National Championships Qualification:

All riders must compete in their respective WWA Regional Championships to be invited to the 2025 WWA Wakeboard National Championships. The 2025 WWA Wakeboard National Championships will be capped and open by invitation only. The WWA reserves the right to open invitations to fill the field of any and all divisions not considered full. (International riders may claim any open spot when registration is open to fill the field. An international rider may podium and receive the award, but will not claim the title of WWA Wakeboard National Champion.

WWA Wakeboard World Championships Qualification:

  • Registration for non-U.S. riders is open for registration.
  • U.S. riders that competed at the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard National Championships will need to claim their spot for the WWA Wakeboard World Championships by Friday, August 18th at 5:00 p.m. EST. The WWA reserves the right to open invitations to fill the field of any and all divisions not considered full.

Nautique Masters Wakesurf Championships Qualification:

The winners of each division at each stop of the 2025 Nautique Wakesurf Series will automatically secure an invite to the Nautique Masters Wakesurf Championships. Riders that have competed at any of the previous 2025 Nautique Wakesurf Series stops must claim their spot for the Nautique Masters Wakesurf Championships by Monday, August 9th at 5:00 p.m. EST. Registrations will then be opened and subject to fill the field after this deadline. Registrations to fill the field will be notified via the email address they registered with once their entry is confirmed. The 2025 Nautique Masters Wakesurf Championships will be capped. The WWA reserves the right to open invitations to fill the field of any and all divisions not considered full.

Centurion World Wake Surfing Championships Qualification:

  • Competitors must compete in at least three Centurion Wake Surfing World Series events to qualify for the World Championships.
  • A competitor’s top three scores will be used to calculate the invitation to the World Championships
  • The top 10 rankings in each division will be invited, given the athlete met the event minimum criteria.
  • The Reigning Champion for Pro division only will be invited back to defend their World Championship title if they have competed in at least three stops on the WSWS current season, no matter what their current ranking.
  • The ranking at time of invitation will be used for the World Championships seeding.
  • When the first round of invitations is announced, athletes have 72 hours to accept and register.
  • A second round of invitations will go out after the first 72 hours have expired.
  • Registration will close 72 hours after the second round of invites have been sent.
  • The WWA reserves the right to invite wild card athletes to World Championships.
    If an athlete switches divisions mid-season, all previous scores will be
    dropped, and new scoring will be started for that new division for the
    remainder of the season.
  • For every mid-season change of division;
    • The rider forfeits all previous qualifying events and must re-qualify in the division they competed in order to complete the three events required to qualify the Centurion World Wake Surfing Championship.
    • The riders previous scores become zero which is the case regardless of division or if an athlete returns back to a division.

Section 5: Competition

Competition Times/Preparedness:

  • All athletes must sign in with the WWA representative or the Score Keeper 90 minutes or more before the posted time for their division with a current WWA Membership completed. Any athlete age 18 and over, must sign themselves in, no one else (parent or guardian) may do that. The WWA and the chief judge reserves the right to have the final decision on the rider being eligible to ride. The WWA/Event Organizer reserves the right to change/alter schedule at any time. If you have already signed in, the WWA recommends that riders be on site at least two hours before the scheduled start of their division.
  • Any division can start up to 90 minutes prior to posted start time.
  • For more information on rider preparedness requirements, please refer to Section 5(g)

Identical Riding Conditions:

Since wakesports are outdoor sports, and are designed to appeal to an audience as well as provide a competition, time-consuming measures to assure identical and/or ideal riding conditions will be at the sole discretion of the WWA Chief Judge only. Re-ride requests will not be allowed if they are based on variations in conditions.

Severe Weather/Rough Water Conditions:

  • Decisions regarding “Severe Weather” shall be the responsibility of the WWA Staff and only the affected Athletes. The “Severe Weather” provision applies not only to rough water per se, but to any weather and water conditions that make riding significantly more difficult or may seriously affect performances.
  • The WWA Staff shall determine any modification to the riding specifications that may be needed in the interest of safety and providing a fair and attractive event. Such modifications may include but are not limited to changes in boat speed, boat pattern, course length, and format. Once a round of an event has been designated and riding has started, the “Severe Weather” designation shall apply to all Athletes in that round, even though conditions may improve.
  • No event, exhibition, or media demonstration shall be started or continued when electrical storms are in the immediate vicinity.

Event Schedule:

  • WWA reserves the right to modify the schedule of events to make Pro Men and/or Pro Women finals the top priority. All changes will be made to serve the best interest of the event.
  • The WWA will put forth its best effort to complete each and every competition event and declare winners. At the sole discretion of the WWA and only as a last resort, rounds may be postponed or combined as necessary to complete events and establish winners.
  • The entry fee will be returned or transferred to another event in the future to the affected Athletes if no rounds of an event are held.
  • When an event has been terminated and providing at least one full round of that event was held, placements and Ranking List Points will be calculated. This shall not apply if an event was altered in such a manner as to create an unfair situation. Final decision is solely the discretion of WWA.

Reduced Prize Money Provision:

The WWA reserves the right to reduce the cash awards in the case of a terminated or incomplete event. WWA reserves the right to cancel the event entirely and pay no prize money or reschedule the event at another time.

Boat speed:

Riders must inform the driver the speed he/she desires. It is the rider’s responsibility to make this clear. The same rule applies when referring to what height and length the rope should be attached when applicable.

Rider Preparedness:

The rider must be in his/her bindings, with a rope that will not interfere with the rider being ready to ride when the boat returns to the dock. Any rider who fails to be on immediate hand & in condition to ride when it is his/her turn in the running order, the rider can be disqualified.

Safety Equipment:

  • All contestants shall wear a U.S. Coast Guard – Approved life jacket or a life jacket that will absolutely float a contestant who is unconscious. A “Wet Suit” life jacket shall have a locking device in addition to the zipper closure. A “Pull Over” or “Side Entry” life jacket shall have a locking device, zipper, or a drawstring. All contestants hitting any features in the water must wear a helmet (protective head gear) is defined as an article of apparel whose manufacture and use is solely for the purpose of protecting the head from injury.
  • Disqualified for Safety – Any athlete not wearing an approved life jacket during their run and any athlete not wearing an approved helmet if hitting obstacles may be disqualified. The athlete will not receive any scores for the run they are disqualified in and will rank last place in the heat they are disqualified in.

Communication to the Boat, Operator, or Safety officials:

The rider shall use the standardized WWA signals and not cause the tow method (boat, cable, winch) to stop, if possible. Deliberate use of delaying tactics will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and will subject the rider to fines or disqualification. The following signals apply in addition to well-known riding signals. Use in combination as applicable;

  • Thumb(s) up means go faster
  • Thumb (s) down means go slower
  • Pointing at an item of equipment means a problem with the equipment
  • Pointing back toward object means debris in water
  • A fallen rider must motion to the towboat or safety team to come back to you if injured and/or in danger.

Equipment Failure:

For any equipment failure, the rider has five (5) minutes to repair the equipment. The judge will call the Chief Judge for the clock to begin and he will count down to the judge the time. The Chief Judge will have the final say on if equipment has failed. Equipment can either be repaired on the boat or at the dock if needed. Time starts either when the rider is on the back of the boat for an on-boat repair or when the rider steps on the start dock for a dock repair. If the rider chooses to return to the dock he/she cannot repair the equipment until the rider is placed on the dock. If the rider starts repairing the equipment on the boat his/her time starts at that moment. The rider must be on the boat & repair completed before the time elapses or his/her ride is over. The athlete will resume the run at the same location they were picked up in the water. An equipment failure is counted as a fall.
When the rider realizes they have an equipment failure they can throw the handle. After the repair they will resume their run where they threw the handle. If an athlete falls and then discovers an equipment failure, they will resume the run at the location of the fall after the equipment failure has been remedied. If the rider falls and then gets back up and realizes their equipment is broken they have the chance to throw the handle without being charged with a fall. If the rider tries a maneuver and then realizes their board is broken they will be charged with a fall.
A rider can also wave off his run if he throws the handle before he/she enters the course before the first pass only if there is a problem such as the rope being on the wrong ring to fix it with no penalty. A wave off is not counted as a fall.

  • For any equipment failure in WWA Wake Park event formats the following guidelines are to be followed;
    • Traditional Wake Park format: shall follow the equipment failure guidelines as outlined in section 5(j)(i). In the case of a ‘no falls’ heat format, the equipment failure, if it causes a fall, will be counted as a fall. No re-rides will be granted for equipment failure in this scenario.
    • Features Only Wake Park format: a rider experiencing equipment failure shall be permitted to repair the equipment for the duration of the heat timer. Once the heat timer expires no additional riding time shall be granted.
  • Notwithstanding the provisions herein, the Chief Judge, Event Organizer, and the WWA reserve the exclusive right to make final determinations regarding equipment failures and the granting of re-rides. Such determinations shall be made at their sole and absolute discretion and shall be binding and conclusive.

Section 6: Judging

Overview:

All riders will be judged using the DRIVE system. Judges will be using an Overall Impression system to evaluate/ analyze the rider’s runs. Judges will be looking for the most versatile rider by breaking it down into difficulty, risk, intensity, variety and execution. (
Three or more judges should be used to judge an event. Judges may judge from the boat or from the shore, or a combination of both.
Wakesports are subjectively judged sports. There are no predetermined points for any tricks and each contestant is free to perform whichever tricks in whatever order he or she desires. There is no maximum or minimum number of hits or tricks required, although riders are encouraged to make the most of the time and course allotted. Riders are not judged on the number of tricks performed, but rather the quality. Each trick is scored on its own merits, regardless of technical difficulty and only as part of an entire run.

Scoring:

There will be three judges. Each judge’s score will be worth 33.3 percent of the overall score. The judge will give each rider a score from 1 to 10. The three judges’ scores will be averaged together to come up with an overall score out of 100. There will be no predetermined values for placing. Each judge will analyze the rider’s runs based off of the DRIVE criteria and score them appropriately. Judges will be able to reward as well as penalize riders according to the performance of their runs.

D.R.I.V.E. Criteria:

Each judge will analyze a rider’s runs based off of the D.R.I.V.E. criteria and score them appropriately.

D – difficulty
R – risk
I – intensity
V – variety
E – execution

WAKEBOARD, WAKE PARK, WAKE SKATE

  • DIFFICULTY:
    • Trick Difficulty (Technical Difficulty)– This is simply defined as how difficult each trick is based on a number of variables. Spins, slides, rolls or flips including spins, grabbing your board, handle passes and the way a rider lands all subjectively define how difficult certain tricks are in comparison to others.
    • Number of rotations
    • Combos (combining tricks, adding spins, grabs etc)
    • The direction a rider spins in relation to the trick. Frontside or backside (blind)
    • Switch vs. regular stance
    • Handle pass vs. landing wrapped
    • Grabbed or not
  • RISK:
    • Linking difficult tricks
    • Trick difficulty in relation to the course.
    • Risk – A rider opening their run with a technically difficult trick would be considered high risk. Risk is also demonstrated by how a rider performs their tricks and whether or not they display a sense of “putting it all on the line” in order to better their opponents.
    • Trying to full pull a long rail rather than transferring and tapping the end
  • INTENSITY:
    • Here judges look for how big or high the rider is taking each of their tricks. This is typically noted on the judges sheet by a plus sign, “+”. If the trick was incredibly high, and the judge will place 2 plus signs next to it on the judges sheet, “+ +”. The same goes for tricks done small that may have a minus “-“ sign.
    • Wake to wake vs. out in the flats
    • Gaps vs riding onto rails.
  • VARIETY:
    • A variety of tricks performed in a pass is what judges are looking for in order to determine the most versatile rider. Wakesports have categories of tricks such as: straight airs/glides, spins, inverts/flips and rails/obstacles. A good pass should have tricks from each of these categories and be well rounded. This shows a rider is skilled at all types of maneuvers and therefore showing variety in their riding.
    • Were the tricks all based on the same trick? (roll, roll 2 rev, roll 2 blind, kgb = similar)
    • Were the grabs different?
    • Did the rider spin both directions?
    • Were the rails slid differently? (boardslide v lipslide, heelside v toeside)
  • EXECUTION:
    • Completion of the Trick – This is essentially how the trick was performed in the air or on the rail and that the rider is in control. Control and poise during the middle of a trick shows the rider is confident in that trick and thus it is well executed. Control and completion of a trick also means that the rider is performing a trick he/she set out to complete. Example: If a rider attempts to do a 360 and bobbles halfway through the trick and only performs a 180, it shows they are not in control.
    • The Landing – This is simply how clean the landing was of the trick. If the rider butt checks, falls off the rail, bonks the rail, drags a hand, switches 180 to avoid falling, or looks out of control after they have landed this can negatively affect the execution category.
    • Perfection – Judges are looking for how “clean” or how perfect EACH trick was performed in the passes. Judges look at the approach, the body position, rotation of the trick, the axis of the body, head position, handle position, clean grabs not slaps, speed to which the trick was performed. A rider completing their routine without falling also demonstrates perfection.
    • FLOW: Flow is when a rider can execute their tricks together to make them look like they connect smoothly from one to another. For instance, when a rider lands a trick switch and then cuts into the wake to do the next trick in the same switch position. A rider that does not flow well would do things like constantly hopping from switch to regular or vice versa in their transition between tricks, starting the pass late, or finishing a pass early. Dead water is not showing flow or composition.
    • Personalization: Did the rider customize or adapt tricks…make them their own?

WAKESURF, WAKEFOIL

  • DIFFICULTY:
    • Trick difficulty (Technical Difficulty) – This is simply defined as how difficult each trick is based on a number of variables. Spins, carves, turns, airs, grabbing your board and the way a rider lands all subjectively define how difficult certain tricks are in comparison to others.
    • Number of rotations
    • Combos (combining tricks, adding spins, grabs etc)
    • The direction a rider spins in relation to the trick. Frontside or backside (blind)
    • Switch vs. regular stance
    • Grabbed or not
  • RISK:
    • Linking difficult tricks
    • Trick difficulty in relation to the course.
    • Speed, Power and Flow of trick(s) as appropriate to the discipline
    • A rider opening their run with a technically difficult trick would be considered high risk.
    • Risk is also demonstrated by how a rider performs their tricks and whether or not they display a sense of “putting it all on the line” in order to better their opponents.
  • INTENSITY:
    • Judges look for how big or high the rider is taking each of their tricks as well as the speed, power and commitment that goes into the trick. This is typically noted on the judges sheet by a plus sign, “+”. If the trick was incredibly powerful, and the judge will place 2 plus signs next to it on the judges sheet, “+ +”. The same goes for tricks done small or weak may have a minus “-“ sign.
  • VARIETY:
    • A variety of tricks performed in a pass is what judges are looking for in order to determine the most versatile rider. Wakesurfing has categories of tricks such as: airs, turns, carves, tech tricks, etc. Surfing both frontside and backside as well as switch and regular. A good wakesurf pass should have tricks from each of these categories and be well rounded. This shows a rider is skilled at all types of maneuvers and therefore showing variety in their riding.
    • Were the tricks all based on the same trick?
    • Were the grabs different?
    • Did the rider spin both directions?
    • Did the rider show more than one ‘style’ of wakesurfing?
  • EXECUTION:
    • Completion of the Trick – This is essentially how the trick was performed and that the rider is in control. Control and poise during the middle of a trick shows the rider is confident in that trick and thus it is well executed. Control and completion of a trick also means that the rider is performing a trick he/she set out to complete. Example: If a rider attempts to do a 360 and bobbles halfway through the trick and over-spins it shows they are not in control.
    • The Landing/Trick execution – This is simply how clean the landing/completion was of the trick. If the rider butt-checks, drags a hand, over-rotates to avoid falling, or looks out of control after they have completed a trick this can negatively affect the execution category.
    • Perfection – Judges are looking for how “clean” or how perfect EACH trick was performed in the passes. Judges look at the approach, the body position, rotation of the trick, the axis of the body, head position, clean grabs not slaps, speed to which the trick was performed. A rider completing their routine without falling also demonstrates perfection.
    • FLOW: Flow is when a wakesurfer can execute their tricks together to make them look like they connect smoothly from one to another. For instance, when a rider lands a trick switch and then approaches the wake to do the next trick in the same switch position. A rider that does not flow well would do things like constantly hopping from switch to regular or vice versa in their transition between tricks, starting the pass late, or finishing a pass early. Dead water is not showing flow or composition.
    • Did the rider customize or adapt tricks…make them their own?

General (all disciplines):

  • Creativity of course management and time is crucial in achieving a smooth, fluid, flowing run. Riders that take the time to plan out their run, plan the path they are going to take will be rewarded in this area. Riders that can link creative tricks/maneuvers will also be rewarded. Judges will be looking for riders that use up the full time, and length of the course. Wasted water will reflect negatively towards the rider’s score.
  • Judges will only score tricks successfully landed in all disciplines. A majority decision from the judges will determine if a trick counts in a run. In general, if a rider completes the trick and continues smoothly and as planned in the correct direction of travel, it will count as landed. However, if the trick is deemed as not completed cleanly or smoothly then execution will be considered.
  • Falls will be evaluated into the score based on how you did against the other riders in your heat. Falls are simply a missed trick and course time is lost. You will not be judged down for falls, but this can take away from the overall look and flow of a rider’s run.

Judge Qualifications:

  • LEVEL 1 JUDGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
    • Has attended a WWA judge’s clinic and /or has been taught by a certified WWA chief judge.
  • LEVEL 1 JUDGES ARE ELIGIBLE TO JUDGE THE FOLLOWING:
    • Any grassroots contest up to pro division with cash prize.
  • LEVEL 2 JUDGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
    • Has judged under a WWA chief judge at two Nationals or World Championship competitions.
    • Has judged at least three (3) grassroots contests in one season sanctioned by the WWA.
    • Has been approved by two WWA chief judges to advance to Level 2.
  • LEVEL 2 JUDGES ARE ELIGIBLE TO JUDGE THE FOLLOWING:
    • Any grassroots contest up to pro division with cash prize.
    • Any pro contest with cash prize under one WWA chief judge.
    • Able to act as chief judge at any contest without a money prize for any division other than pro.
  • LEVEL 3 (CHIEF JUDGE):
    • Has attended three WWA judging clinics.
    • Has judged under two chief judges at two Nationals, Worlds, or World Series events.
    • Has been approved by two chief judges to advance out of level two to level three.
  • LEVEL 3 (CHIEF JUDGE) RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
    • Able to judge any WWA-sanctioned contest.
    • Responsible for any protest and has the final word in the settling of these protests (collaboration with other officials in a vote unless rules stipulate otherwise).
    • Responsible for all forms and official standings to be properly filled out and returned to the WWA for filing.
    • Ensures scoring and placement are to WWA rules.

Protests (All divisions):

  • Any protests may only come from the rider, or the rider and a representative if they are under 18 years of age.
  • Before protesting, a rider may choose to look over the Judge Sheet Results page in WWA Rideline to see the official scoring and placement of each judge. If all of the judges scored the heat the same way, the chief judge or chief scorekeeper may let the rider know that the results are final and a protest will not be allowed.
  • At this time, if the rider would like to file a protest, he/she must fill out a “rider run sheet” including the tricks he/she performed immediately following and up to 30 minutes after the release of the official results. The posted release time will be on file with the scorer. A rider may request for this official time.
  • The Chief Judge will then review the rider run sheet and score sheets to ensure the judges have the tricks written down correctly. If the tricks are correct, the Chief Judge may dismiss the protest. If the chief judge finds a discrepancy on the judges score sheet he will meet with the judge immediately. The judge will make sure that the discrepancy is addressed on his sheet and he will re-evaluate his scores to make sure his scores and placements are correct. If they are certain of their decision the issue is over. The results are final. If the judge makes a change the chief judge will have the score keeper record the change and post new results. There may or may not be a change in placements after a judge changes his score.
  • If needed, all Judges will meet with the rider to discuss the protest. This is not a requirement and may be determined by the Chief Judge.
  • The Chief Judge will make their best efforts to communicate the results of the protest to the rider within 20 minutes of the protest being presented. The Chief Judge has the final say in the protest. No rider, parent, family member, sponsor, spectator, etc. is allowed to approach the individual judges on protest issues verbally or electronically.
  • Only the chief judge should be approached. Any rider or parent, coach, sponsor, etc., found harassing judges or using profanity during the protest will not be tolerated and will be subject to the code of conduct and applicable fines.
  • If a rider would like to educate themselves for the future they may do so after the event is over. If the rider is present at the end of the competition the chief judge will make their best efforts to provide feedback in an appropriate manner if requested.
  • Riders can ask permission to enter the judge’s booth and are encouraged to ask the Chief Judge when they are available to review their ride for future education and competition performance. The Chief Judge will as necessary refer to the judging or scribe sheets prior to the agreed upon review time.
  • If Protest from the water – The protest needs to come by radio to the Chief Judge. The WWA Chief Judge will be on hand to hear the protest. The Chief Scorer will record the Protest on the Official Protest form until the rider is able to sign and complete the form. The Chief Judge will take the proper steps to solve the protest. The rider must state protest either prior to resuming his/her pass, or, prior to the next athlete beginning their pass. It is the rider’s responsibility to clearly communicate this while on the water.
  • All judges will make their best efforts to be at the Chief Judge’s station immediately following the last event each day and will remain there for 20 minutes after the release of the official results to answer questions. There may be situations when the judges are forced to leave the site before or right at the end of the event. Therefore the chief judge and remaining judges will be responsible for making the final decision.
  • All riders are permitted one (1) protest during a season. If a rider submits a rider run sheet/protest form it will be counted as a “protest”. If the protest is won by the rider then he/she does not use up their protest. If the protest is not valid the rider loses their protest for the season. If a rider has used their protest and feels they were scored incorrectly they may file an additional protest, however this protest must be accompanied by $200 in CASH. If the rider’s protest is valid the $200 will be returned. If not, the WWA keeps the $200. A rider may protest this way as many times as they would like.
  • All other forms of protest, not explicitly mentioned above, are to follow the same protest process detailed in this section.

Section 7: Heats and Seeding

Ties:

  • Will be broken by placements. The first tie breaker will go to the rider with most first places. The second tie breaker will go to the rider with most second places and so on until the tie is broken.
  • Due to the use of heats, there will most likely be ties in positions, and thus all Athletes involved in the tie will receive the Ranking List points of the tied place.

Regular Competition Format:

  • Wakesports shall be contested in one, two, three or four rounds including qualifying/quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Rounds can be altered due to weather, number of entries, television or any other applicable situation as designated by the event Director and Chief Judge. The WWA will determine the number or rounds.
  • Wakesports use the heat format. In quarter final rounds, positions are determined by the Athlete’s seeding numbering, which is determined by the aforementioned. All riders must compete in the order of the posted running order. If an athlete rides out of order his/her scores will not be counted.
  • After the preliminary round, seedings are determined by position finished in the previous round. If both riders had the same identical final position in the previous round, you would go back to the round before that, and the round before that before going to the seeding on the original running order used for the first round. (For example, if rider A and rider B both finish first in their heats in the semifinals, and you had to determine who was the top seed in the finals, you would go to the quarterfinals finish, if both A and B finished first in their quarterfinals also or if there was no quarterfinal round, you would go back to the seeding on the original running order used for the quarterfinals.)
  • If there are two riders with equal seeding (including all riders with no seeding), the order will be selected at random

Running order:

The number of rounds will be determined by number of entries. All riders must compete in the order of the posted running order. If an athlete rides out of order his/her scores will not be counted.

Ranking List:

A Ranking List point system, which awards points for placements, will be used.

1st – 100

13th – 35

25th – 12

2st – 90

14th – 31

26th – 11

3rd – 80

15th – 27

27th – 10

4th – 75

16th – 23

28th – 9

5th – 70

17th – 20

29th – 8

6th – 65

18th – 19

30th – 7

7th – 60

19th – 18

31th – 6

8th – 55

20th – 17

32th – 5

9th – 51

21th – 16

33th – 4

10th – 47

22th – 15

34th – 3

11th – 43

23th – 14

35th – 2

12th – 39

24th – 13

36th – 1

 

Event Seeding:

  • Example of pattern of heats:
    • Heat #1: Seeds 6, 7, 18, 19, 30 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
    • Heat #2: Seeds 5, 8, 17, 20, 29 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
    • Heat #3: Seeds 4, 9, 16, 21, 28 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
    • Heat #4: Seeds 3, 10, 15, 22, 27 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
    • Heat #5: Seeds 2, 11, 14, 23, 26 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
    • Heat #6: Seeds 1, 12, 13, 14, 25 (running order; you reverse seeds so higher seed go last)
  • Other numbers of competitors are determined with the same format.
  • In the preliminary round, positions are determined by the Athlete’s seeding numbering, which is determined by the ranking list and/or criteria used by the event organizer. All riders must compete in the order of the posted running order. If an athlete rides out of order his/her scores will not be counted.
  • After the Preliminary round seedings are determined by position finished in the previous round. If both had the same identical final position in the previous round, you would go back to the round before that, and the round before that before going to the seeding on the original running order used for the preliminary round. (For example, if rider A and rider B both finish first in their heats in the semifinals, and you had to determine who was the top seed in the finals, you would go the quarterfinals finish, if both A and B finished first there also, you would go back to the seeding on the original running order used for the quarterfinals.)

Rankings:

  • WWA Wakeboard World Series and Nautique Wake Series Overall Rankings
    • The season series championship for Wakeboard World Series and other WWA event series when applicable will be determined by combining all points from all of the events in the individual series. In the event that event(s) are forced to cancel or postpone, the WWA reserves the right to adjust the overall ranking calculations accordingly for the prior season.
    • In case of a tie for the top spot, here are the criteria to break the tie:
    • The first tiebreaker is the rider who took home the most 1st place finishes.
    • The second tiebreaker is the rider who has the most 2nd place finishes.
    • The third tiebreaker is the rider that finishes highest at the final tour stop.
    • For any series championships payout, a rider must compete in a minimum of at least two of the events to be eligible for prize money payout.
  • WWA Series Championship
    • The season series championship for Wakeboard World Series and other WWA event series’ when applicable will be determined by combining all points from all of the events in the individual series.
    • In case of a tie for the top spot, here are the criteria to break the tie:
    • The first tiebreaker is the rider who took home the most 1st place finishes.
    • The second tiebreaker is the rider who has the most 2nd place finishes.
    • The third tiebreaker is the rider that finishes highest at the final tour stop.
    • For any series championships payout, a rider must compete in a minimum of at least two of the events to be eligible for prize money payout.

Section 8: Prize Money

Prize Money Breakdown:

The Prize Money breakdown will be determined on an event-to-event basis. The breakdown information will be kept with the Director of Registration for the athletes review.

WWA Overall World Series Prize Money Breakdown:

  • The WWA Wakeboard Prize Money will be guaranteed $5,000, then any entry fee from the outlined WWA owned property (WWA Boat Regionals, WWA Boat Nationals, WWA Boat World Championships, & WWA WBWS) will have 5% of those entry fees equally split between the Men’s and Women’s divisions.
  • The WWA “Traditional” Wakepark Prize Money will be guaranteed $2,500, then any entry fee from the outlined WWA owned property (WWA Park Regionals, WWA Park Nationals, WWA Park World Championships, & WWA WPWS) will have 5% of those entry fees equally split between the Men’s and Women’s divisions.
  • The WWA “Features Only” Wakepark Prize Money will be guaranteed $2,500, then any entry fee from the outlined WWA owned property (WWA Park Regionals, WWA Park Nationals, WWA Park World Championships, & WWA WPWS) will have 5% of those entry fees equally split between the Men’s and Women’s divisions.

Prize Money for Ties:

When there are ties that are not settled by the above formulas, the money for the placements in question shall be combined and distributed equally rounded off to the nearest dollar. No extra prize money beyond the total amount specified shall be awarded.

Dispersing of Prize Money:

  • All money due to the athletes for a particular event shall be mailed to the athletes within 30 days of all correct and completed paperwork being received by the WWA office after the tournament to an address specified by the rider. The WWA is not responsible for incorrect payment information provided, or when handwriting is not legible. Prize money will be paid directly to the appropriate rider only, except when a rider files a request with WWA for his/her prize money to be paid into a trust fund, to a parent or guardian, or to a national federation, etc. No other person will be authorized to pick up prize money for another rider, unless previously authorized by that rider in writing. Overall prize money will be paid within the first 30 days of the following year.
  • Prize Money limited to qualified riders – Prize money will be paid to the riders who qualified as listed on the Prize Money Breakdown sheet only. No other prize money will be paid to any rider beyond the listed number of riders on the sheet. Example: If the Prize Money Breakdown sheet lists “8” riders, only eight riders will receive prize money. Prize money breakdown is subject to change based on the number of heats/structure.

Section 9: Event Formats

Wakeboard & Wakeskate Standard Format:

  • Overview:
    • Riders will perform a subjectively judged two-pass run, where the boat will travel each pass in a straight path along the course in each direction. Each Rider will be scored on the total use of the course. At the end of the second pass, riders may be given a double up in the direction of their choice.
    • Contestants may perform any number of tricks they choose, in any order they wish within the course unless specified by the chief judge. Riders will be judged on the difficulty and proficiency of the moves executed, how big they take tricks, variety of tricks performed, technical difficulty, use of obstacles (where appropriate) within the course and the creativity and fluidity of the run.
    • Event organizers may also choose to add bonus scoring elements to a run such as a bonus trick or double up. This bonus element will be added at the end of a pass, or only included in selected rounds, such as finals at the discretion of the chief judge and event organizers.
  • The Course:
    • The course should be between approximately 1200′ and 1500′ (360m to 460m) long, marked at either end of the lake by boat course buoys. (Similar to 24 mph (40 kph) for 28-30 seconds) There will also be a fall buoy positioned three quarters of the way along the course on the second pass. It is the contestant’s responsibility to be aware of where these buoys are located at each event. The event organizer and/or chief judge may opt not to use the ¾ buoy given a safe double-up area even in the event a rider falls at the end of the course.
  • The Run:
    • The rider will leave the starting dock and scoring will begin with the first trick when the boat reaches the first course buoy. At the end of the first pass, the boat will turn immediately after passing the end course buoy to turn around and re-enter the course.
    • Riders will be judged on tricks initiated within the course plus the double up if applicable. Riders may initiate a move prior to the buoy but must land the move near or at the buoy to receive credit for the trick. There must be a majority by all scoring judges to discredit a move for “out of course”. Riders must be ready for the boat to turn immediately after the second course buoy. No re-rides will be awarded for the boat turning during a trick at the ends of the course.
    • The rider will continue their run after their first wake fall from the place they fell, unless the first fall occurs after the ¾ fall buoy when there is no double up planned. A second wake fall finishes the run immediately. NOTE: The chief judge may remove the three quarters buoy and/or the event organizer in the event there is enough room to safely perform a double up in the event a rider falls at or near the end of the course.
    • Each contestant is free to perform tricks in whatever order they desire as permitted in their division. There is no maximum or minimum number of tricks required for amateur divisions, although riders are encouraged to perform big tricks. Pro divisions are limited to four (4) tricks per pass. Riders should emphasize quality over quantity, while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. These abilities should include, but are not limited to, performing a variety of moves, taking each move to its limit, hitting double ups and showing creativity and fluidity in the routine. Every wake trick the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the routine. Each contestant will be judged only against the other riders in the heat, using the subjective style categories ONLY to arrive at a single combined score.
      There will be NO re-rides granted for less than perfect double up patterns or perceived speed variations of the boat. Re-rides may be granted at the sole discretion of the chief judge for equipment failure, or due to gross driver error.
  • Communication:
    • It is the sole responsibility of the rider to communicate to the driver before leaving the dock the proper speed of the boat. Riders must also communicate any specifics of the double up wanted i.e.…open or closed. There will be NO re-rides due to miscommunication. Benefit of doubt will go to the rider.
    • Riders may change the direction of the double up by clearly signaling to and receiving confirmation from the boat before the end of a pass.
    • In the event of a double up given in the wrong direction, the rider must wave off the double up and not attempt a trick. If a trick is attempted, the rider has accepted that as their double up. If a rider waves off the double up and doesn’t attempt anything, the boat will travel back down the course, turn around, and go back to complete the correct double up. There will be no re-ride for turbulent water created by this action.
    • The rider must accept the second attempt of the double up and cannot waive off the second attempt.
  • Falls:
    • A rider may have one out of course fall only before the start of his/her first pass. A fall between the first and second pass, being the first out of course fall, may also be used as the riders out of course fall.
    • Each rider may also have one handle throw before the start of his/her first pass. This will count as their one out of course fall.
    • For wakeboard divisions, a rider can have a maximum of two falls during a run. A second wake fall will end the run. Should a fall occur, the driver will pick up the rider as quickly as possible. The rider will not be picked up after his second wake fall, or after a fall that occurs beyond the three quarters point of the second pass, unless a double up is still to come. The point after which a rider will not be picked up will be clearly marked with a buoy. Upon a second wake or ¾ buoy fall, the run is over and the boat will return to the dock. Wakeskate divisions will receive one additional fall for a maximum of three falls during a run.
  • Judging:
    • All riders will be judged using the DRIVE criteria. Judges will be using an Overall Impression system to evaluate/ analyze the rider’s runs. Judges will be looking for the most versatile rider by breaking it down into difficulty, risk, intensity, variety and execution.
      D – difficulty
      R – risk
      I – intensity
      V – variety
      E – execution
    • Three or more judges should be used to judge an event. Judges may judge from the boat or from the shore, or a combination of both.
    • Wakesports are subjectively judged sports. There are no predetermined points for any tricks and each contestant is free to perform whichever tricks in whatever order he or she desires. There is no maximum or minimum number of hits or tricks required, although riders are encouraged to make the most of the time and course allotted.
    • Riders are not judged on the number of tricks performed, but rather the quality. Each trick is scored on its own merits, regardless of technical difficulty and only as part of an entire run.
    • Judges can record on personal devices for the sake of evaluation for their judging ONLY.
    • Recordings may or may not be used by judges for review of riders’ runs. Judges’ are not allowed to share any recordings from the boat in any capacity without the express consent of the event organizer.
    • All judges for a division are required to stay on property for at least 1 hour after judging a division.
    • It is the judge’s responsibility to notify the Chief Judge if they have a conflict of interest in judging an athlete in a division they are scheduled to judge for.
    • Riders should emphasize quality over quantity while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. For example, it is better to perform 10 ‘big’ moves than 14 ‘small’ moves. Every move the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the run.

WWA Wakesurf & Wake Foil Standard Format:

  • Overview:
    • Riders will perform a subjectively judged two-pass run, where the boat will travel each pass in a straight path along the course in each direction. Each Rider will be scored on the total use of the course.
    • Contestants may perform any number of tricks they choose, in any order they wish within the course unless specified by the chief judge. Riders will be judged on the difficulty and proficiency of the moves executed, how big they take tricks, variety of tricks performed, technical difficulty, and the creativity and fluidity of the run.
  • The Course:
    • The course should be between approximately 750′ to 900′ or 230-275 meters long which is about 45-60 seconds, marked at either end of the water by boat course buoys.
    • There will also be a fall buoy positioned three quarters of the way along the course on the second pass. It is the contestant’s responsibility to be aware of where these buoys are located at each event. The event organizer and/or chief judge may opt not to use the ¾ buoy.
  • The Run:
    • The rider will leave the starting point and scoring will begin when the boat reaches the first course buoy. At the end of the first pass, the boat will turn after passing the end course buoy to drop the rider, turn around and re-enter the course. Riders will be judged on tricks initiated within the course. Riders may initiate a move prior to the buoy but must land or complete the move near or at the buoy to receive credit for the trick. There must be a majority by all scoring judges to discredit a move for “out of course”. Riders must be ready for the boat to turn immediately after the second course buoy. No re-rides will be awarded for the boat turning or stopping during a trick at the ends of the course.
    • The rider will continue their run after their first and second wake fall from the place they fell, unless the fall occurs after the ¾ fall buoy. A third wake fall finishes the run immediately.
    • Each contestant is free to perform tricks in whatever order they desire as permitted in their division. There is no maximum or minimum number of tricks required, although riders are encouraged to perform big, clean, well executed, powerful tricks. Riders should emphasize quality over quantity, while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. These abilities should include, but are not limited to, performing a variety of moves, taking each move to its limit, and showing creativity and fluidity in the routine. Every trick the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the routine. Each contestant will be judged only against the other riders in the heat, using the subjective categories ONLY to arrive at a single combined score.
  • Communication:
    • It is the sole responsibility of the rider to communicate to the driver before leaving the dock to verify the proper speed of the boat. Riders must also communicate any specifics i.e.…side of the wake that will be surfed, transfers, etc. There will be NO re-rides due to miscommunication.
  • Falls:
    • A rider may have one out of course fall only before the start of his/her first pass. A fall between the first and second pass, being the first out of course fall, may also be used as the riders out of course fall. A rider may switch boards between courses.
    • Each rider may also have one handle throw before the start of his/her first pass. This will count as their one out of course fall. A rider attempting a trick out of the course will count as an in course fall. The out of course fall cannot be used as a warm up.
    • A rider can have a maximum of three falls during a run. A third fall will end the run.
    • Should a fall occur, the driver will pick up the rider as quickly as possible. The rider will not be picked up after a fall that occurs beyond the three quarter point of the second pass. The point after which a rider will not be picked up will be clearly marked with a buoy. Upon a third wake or ¾ buoy fall, the run is over and the boat will return to the starting point.
  • Judging:
    • All riders will be judged using the DRIVE criteria. Judges will be using an Overall Impression system to evaluate/ analyze the rider’s runs. Judges will be looking for the most versatile rider by breaking it down into difficulty, risk, intensity, variety and execution.
      D – difficulty
      R – risk
      I – intensity
      V – variety
      E – execution
    • Three or more judges should be used to judge an event.
    • Each contestant shall be judged on one complete, individual run. That run will be compared against other runs from the same heat and ranked only against those runs.
    • There are no predetermined points for any tricks.
    • The judging of this routine begins when the rider leaves the dock, enters the course and drops the rope, whichever occurs later, and ends when:
      a)The time/run allotted expires
      b)The rider reaches the maximum number of falls allowed under the event’s competition format.
    • Judges can record on personal devices for the sake of evaluation for their judging ONLY.
    • Recordings may or may not be used by judges for review of riders’ runs. Judges’ are not allowed to share any recordings from the boat in any capacity without the express consent of the event organizer.
    • All judges for a division are required to stay on property for at least 1 hour after judging a division.
    • It is the judge’s responsibility to notify the Chief Judge if they have a conflict of interest in judging an athlete in a division they are scheduled to judge for.
      Riders should emphasize quality over quantity while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. For example, it is better to perform 10 ‘big’ moves than 14 ‘small’ moves. Every move the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the run.
  • General:
    • Riders may use two different boards in their run. Boards may be swapped between passes or during a pick up from a fall.
    • Riders may request transfers on the waves at any point during their run. There is no limit to the number of transfers. There will be no re-rides for miscommunications on transfers.

World Series of Wake Surfing Format:

  • Overview:
    • Riders will perform a subjectively judged two-pass run, where the boat will travel each pass in a straight path along the course in each direction. Each Rider will be scored on the total use of the course.
    • Contestants may perform any number of tricks they choose, in any order they wish within the course unless specified by the chief judge. Riders will be judged on the difficulty and proficiency of the moves executed, how big they take tricks, variety of tricks performed, technical difficulty, and the creativity and fluidity of the run.
  • The Course:
    • The rider is responsible to ensure they know where the officials and check-in tents are on arrival to site. Here they can request the location of start / finish course buoys on the event waterway. This information will also be communicated by the Chief Judge in the riders meeting
    • Course Length will be a minimum of 45 seconds and up to a maximum of 55 seconds per pass as established by the baseline settings of the official towboat
  • Baseline settings
    • Baseline settings per event these will be announced by the Chief Judge via a rider information email, and at the rider check-in or during the rider briefing before the event.
    • This baseline setting allows the rider to adjust only the speed and/or the wave adjusting center tab.
    • It is the rider’s responsibility to make sure that this is clearly communicated to the boat driver and head boat judge in the boat at the time of the run.
    • Any protest related to speed must be made by the competitor at the time it occurs.
  • The Run:
    • To start the run, the rider will be picked up by boat at the designated starting area giving the rider and boat enough distance to get to full speed and a wave is formed before hitting the start buoy.
    • Competitors must choose which side they will ride (starboard or port) at registration and must confirm with the boat driver what side they will be riding on before being pulled up.
    • The rider is on the course when the rider reaches the start buoy.
    • The rider is off course when the rider passes the end buoy.
    • If the trick is started before the end buoy and completed past the end buoy, the trick will be counted in scoring.
    • Once a rider has passed the end buoy, the rider is to cease all tricks or combos in a reasonable time and follow behind the boat to set up for a second pass. The boat will turn around and pick up the rider for the second pass.
    • If the rider falls just before the end buoy and the boat driver does not feel that they will have enough time to get the boat up to full speed, the boat driver will continue past the buoy while the pick-up vessel takes the rider to the end starting point.
    • On the second fall, per pass, no matter where on the course, the rider will be picked up and taken to the end buoy starting point for the next pass. If a second fall occurs during the return run, the rider will be picked up and returned to the starting/check-in dock.
    • In the event of a boat malfunction and a backup competition boat must be substituted in the middle of a division, the entire division will be rerun.
    • In the event the wave was not formed before the buoy or is set to the wrong side for the athlete, it is an automatic rerun. The athlete will be told to fall off the wave and will be brought back to the starting point of that pass.
  • Communication:
    • It is the sole responsibility of the rider to communicate to the driver before leaving the dock to verify the proper settings of the boat. Riders must communicate any specifics before they begin, i.e.…side of the wake that will be surfed and speed. There will be NO re-rides due to miscommunication.
  • Falls:
    • A rider is allowed up to two falls per pass. Four falls in total.
    • Falls before the start buoy on both passes count with or without the rope, unless the boat driver or head boat judge deems it as driver error.
    • After a rider falls, a competitor may only swim to his/her board. However, if your board moves far away from where you fall, the boat judge may elect to call the jet ski to bring your board to you.
    • If a rider swims back up the course to increase course length, the rider may be disqualified and given a zero score for their run that day.
  • Judging:
    • All riders will be judged using the DRIVE criteria. Judges will be using an Overall Impression system to evaluate/ analyze the rider’s runs. Judges will be looking for the most versatile rider by breaking it down into difficulty, risk, intensity, variety and execution.
      D – difficulty
      R – risk
      I – intensity
      V – variety
      E – execution
    • Three or more judges should be used to judge an event..
    • Each contestant shall be judged on one complete, individual run. That run will be compared against other runs from the same heat and ranked only against those runs.
    • There are no predetermined points for any tricks.
    • The judging of this routine begins when the rider leaves the dock, enters the course and drops the rope, whichever occurs later, and ends when:
      a)The time/run allotted expires
      b)The rider reaches the maximum number of falls allowed under the event’s competition format.
    • Judges can record on personal devices for the sake of evaluation for their judging ONLY.
    • Recordings may or may not be used by judges for review of riders’ runs. Judges’ are not allowed to share any recordings from the boat in any capacity without the express consent of the event organizer.
    • All judges for a division are required to stay on property for at least 1 hour after judging a division.
    • It is the judge’s responsibility to notify the Chief Judge if they have a conflict of interest in judging an athlete in a division they are scheduled to judge for.
    • Riders should emphasize quality over quantity while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. For example, it is better to perform 10 ‘big’ moves than 14 ‘small’ moves. Every move the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the run.
  • General:
    • Riders may use two different boards in their run. Boards may be swapped between passes or during a pick up from a fall.
    • Riders may NOT request transfers at any point during their run.

Wake Park Standard Formats:

These rules are intended as guidelines only, event organizers are encouraged to adapt and develop the formats to fit their course, time or other logistical issues while keeping safety as the primary objective. These formats can be used for wakeboarding and/or wakeskating.

Features Only Wake Park Format:

  • Overview:
    • All riders in a heat will compete against each other at the same time in a subjectively judged, timed heat. The number of competitors in a heat will depend on the number of cable carriers. As all riders in the heat are on the water at the same time, each rider should wear a distinctly colored bib or easily identifiable marking to allow judges to assign scores to the correct rider.
    • Contestants may perform any number of tricks they choose in any order they wish.
    • Riders will be judged on the difficulty and proficiency of the moves executed, how big they are going,, technical difficulty, use of obstacles and creativity and fluidity.
      Judges will be placed in “zones” around the cable course and will judge each rider only on tricks performed within that zone and rank each rider against the others in the heat. Zones may be assigned as apparatus, corners, straights or any other method at the discretion of the chief judge.
    • The single best trick performed in each zone will be scored. The amount of hits on a feature is negligent to the final score. (IE. if a rider does 1 hit and never hits the feature again, they will receive the same score as if they did that 1 hit, and then all succeeding hits are of lower quality. All that matters to the score is that single best hit)
  • The Course:
    • The course shall be a timed course within the boundaries of the cable system, with the time starting when the last rider in the heat leaves the dock, until time runs out. The heat will end immediately when the timer goes off, regardless of where riders are on the course.
  • The Run:
    • All riders will leave the starting dock on individual carriers and begin their pass when the last rider is on the water. Riders will be judged on tricks initiated within each judging zone or apparatus. Judging will stop immediately when time expires. If the timer goes off and a rider is currently on the feature, that trick will be scored. If they are still edging into the feature, that trick will not be scored.
    • The riders will continue their run after any falls by returning to the start dock and using the next available carrier. There is no limit to the number of falls, as long as the rider can get back on the course before the time expires.
  • Falls:
    • There is no limit to the number of falls during the time allotted. In case of a fall, riders will return to the starting dock and re-enter the course using the next available carrier.
    • No rider may enter the course after time has expired. Riders may not use any outside assistance in getting back to the dock.
    • A fall is defined by the rider being in the water either without the handle, or being dragged through the water with their board behind their hips.
    • If a rider is being dragged through the water with their board behind their hips and ATTEMPTS to get back up to riding position (known as a tumble turn) the riders entire run will receive a zero, and it is up to the chief judges discretion as to whether the rider will be disqualified
  • Judging:
    • Each rider’s single best trick in each section will be scored. Judges will keep track of every trick a rider executes in the zone during a given time. After time expires, the single best trick for each rider will be scored by each zone judge. The judge will then compare scores for all riders in the heat and will rank them from first to last. This placement will determine the points they receive on the feature. The quality of the tricks will be determined using the D.R.I.V.E criteria in relation to the trick done on that feature.
    • Each contestant shall be judged on tricks done within each zone. The number of and division of zones are at the event organizers or head judge’s discretion. At least 3 judges are recommended and more than one judge can be used in each zone. They will be compared against other riders in the same heat and ranked only against those riders.
    • The single best trick performed in each zone will be scored. The amount of hits on a feature is negligent to the final score. (i.e., if a rider does 1 hit and never hits the feature again, they will receive the same score as if they did that 1 hit, and then all succeeding hits are of lower quality. All that matters to the score is that single best hit)
    • There are no predetermined points for any tricks. The judging of this run begins when the last rider is on the water and ends immediately when time expires.
    • Once placement for each zone is decided by the judges, the riders will receive predetermined points based on their placement. The trick does not earn points, but the placement does. Each zone judge’s points will be added together to deliver a total score for the run.
    • Due to judges independently scoring each section and one trick counting per section, composition and variety do not affect your score, both in a single section and between sections.
    • Re-rides may be granted at the sole discretion of the head judge for failure of the cable system only and will be for every rider in the entire heat. The heat will reset and will start from the beginning.
    • Judges can record on personal devices for the sake of evaluation for their judging ONLY.
    • Recordings may or may not be used by judges for review of riders’ runs. Judges’ are not allowed to share any recordings from the boat in any capacity without the express consent of the event organizer.
    • All judges for a division are required to stay on property for at least 1 hour after judging a division.
    • It is the judge’s responsibility to notify the Chief Judge if they have a conflict of interest in judging an athlete in a division they are scheduled to judge for.

Traditional Wake Park Format:

  • Overview:
    • Riders will perform a subjectively judged one single lap or a distance in the course determined by the chief judge. Each Rider will be scored on the total use of the course including obstacles and air tricks.
    • Contestants may perform any number of tricks they choose, in any order they wish within the course unless specified by the chief judge. Riders will be judged on the difficulty and proficiency of the moves executed, how big they take tricks, variety of tricks performed, technical difficulty, use of obstacles within the course and the creativity and fluidity of the run.
  • The Course:
    • The course shall be a lap around the cable system, with the lap starting as soon as the rider comes off the dock. The chief judge will determine where the run ends.
  • The Run:
    • The run will begin off the dock, unless otherwise specified by the chief judge, and end at the end point decided by the chief judge.
  • Falls:
    • If a rider falls, their run is over. A fall is defined by the rider being in the water either without the handle, or being dragged through the water with their board behind their hips.
    • If a fall is due to a cable malfunction, the rider will receive a rerun. It will be up to the chief judges discretion, as to whether the riders run starts where the malfunction happened, or if the rider restarts the entire run from the beginning.
    • If a rider is being dragged through the water with their board behind their hips and ATTEMPTS to get back up to riding position (known as a tumble turn) the riders entire run will receive a zero, and it is up to the chief judges discretion as to whether the rider will be disqualified
    • In the case of a format with pickups, each rider will be allowed one pick up. The chief judge will determine a ¾ marker after which riders will not be picked up regardless of how many falls they have made.
  • Judging:
    • All riders will be judged using the DRIVE criteria. Judges will be looking for the most versatile rider by breaking it down into difficulty, risk, intensity, variety and execution.
      D – difficulty
      R – risk
      I – intensity
      V – variety
      E – execution
    • The scoring is divided into 3 different sections: Kickers, Rails, Flats. The 3 sections are given a percentage of importance determined by the chief judge after analyzing the course. Final scores will be a weighted average of the scores received in each of these sections according to the determined percentages of each section.
    • Three or more judges should be used to judge an event. All three judges each input a score for the kicker, rails, and flats sections. These scores are then averaged together and multiplied by the section percentage to determine the score for that section.
    • Composition and variety of tricks will be carried over among categories. If you do a backmobe on the flats, and then a backmobe on the kicker, you will be penalized in both the kicker section AND the flats section. For more details see composition sheet.
    • Wakesports is a subjectively judged sport. There are no predetermined points for any tricks and each contestant is free to hit whichever obstacles and perform whichever tricks in whatever order he or she desires. It is up to the event organizer to determine if there is a maximum or minimum number of tricks or hits required, although riders are encouraged to make the most of the time and course allotted. Riders are not judged on the number of tricks performed, but rather the quality.
    • Each contestant shall be judged on one individual run. That run will be compared against other runs from the same heat and ranked only against those runs. Riders are not judged against themselves or their reputation, past performances, expectations or abilities. Tricks from one run will not influence the score from the other riders run.
    • The judging of this run begins when the rider leaves the dock and starts their first trick within the defined start and finish course parameters. The run ends when:
    • The time/run allotted expires
    • The rider reaches the maximum number of falls allowed under the event’s competition format.
    • Judges can record on personal devices for the sake of evaluation for their judging ONLY.
    • Recordings may or may not be used by judges for review of riders’ runs. Judges’ are not allowed to share any recordings from the boat in any capacity without the express consent of the event organizer.
    • All judges for a division are required to stay on property for at least 1 hour after judging a division.
    • It is the judge’s responsibility to notify the Chief Judge if they have a conflict of interest in judging an athlete in a division they are scheduled to judge for.
    • Riders should emphasize quality over quantity while demonstrating the range and limits of their abilities. For example, it is better to perform 10 ‘big’ moves than 14 ‘small’ moves. Every move the rider performs will be evaluated in the scoring of the run.
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