Heading into the Malibu Factory Smoky Mountain Pro, analyzing the competitive wake landscape goes beyond current rankings and recent performances. A look on Instagram proves the progression train continues to gain speed with the top 10 regularly hitting some insane new trick or line. It’s exciting; you never know who is going to come out of nowhere with a double or 1080 in their arsenal to cause a major upset. As we sit today, there is a 55 point spread among the top seven ranked riders on the WWA Wakeboard World Series with five remaining events. There is no playing it safe and as every winning run seems to consist of pure magic. These athletes have departed the realm of simply being really good, redefining what it means and what it takes to be great. | 
