Dean Smith Wins the Malibu Boats Tokyo Pro Presented by Rockstar
Lake Alfred, Fla. (August 23, 2015) – Dean Smith became the most recent winner in the Wakeboard World Series as he combined a mix of huge technical tricks and spins to claim the Malibu Boats Tokyo Pro Presented by Rockstar title. All put the riders put on a show for the crowd at Odaiba Beach in Tokyo as Malibu Team rider Dallas Friday won the tightly contested Pro Women’s division.
“I’m so pumped to have my son on the podium today to celebrate the win,” said the new dad, Smith. “I’ve never had a feeling like it in my life! Having a kid has put a lot of things in perspective, and given me new motivation. JD made jokes about this, but it has been true! I think it made it even more special having him (JD) next to me on the podium too.”
The day started with the Pro Men’s semifinals, as 18 riders were competing for the six spots in the finals. Each of the three semi’s featured fierce competition as everyone rode well. In the first heat it was Smith and JD Webb just edging out Oli Derome. The second heat was arguably the toughest of the three as everyone put in a great ride. When the dust settled it was Raph Derome and Phil Soven who took the most advantage of the wake behind the Malibu Wakesetter 22 MXZ to advance. In the third heat Japan’s Toshiki Yasuri put in another standup ride but it wasn’t enough to advance against WBWS series leader Harley Clifford or Steel Lafferty.
With the Pro Men’s finals set, the Pro Women took to the water with everything on the line. The six rider final had all of the women raising the bar for their competition. Friday was the last to ride in the final and she knew she had to stomp a run better than 92.67 that Raimi Merritt posted. Friday was up to the challenge as she had a nearly flawless run, scoring a 97.00 to take the crown. Malibu Boats team rider Tarah Mikacich rounded out the podium. With the win, Friday now leads the WBWS season standing as well as the Malibu Evolution Pro Series standings.’
“It’s been a truly incredible weekend and experience here in Tokyo,” said Friday. “I am thrilled to take a win here at the Tokyo Pro behind the Malibu 22 MXZ. There’s nothing like feeling relaxed, calm and collected out on the water when competing. It makes the win all the better when you can go out and just ride and have fun, and that’s what it was all about for me this weekend.”
The Pro Men’s final was just as exciting as the women’s as the fans on the shore were standing for most of the contest knowing that any of the six riders could take the win. Clifford took an early fall opening the door for the other riders and Smith came charging through to score a 93.33 to take the win. Webb and Soven finished second and third respectively. With their podium finishes Soven stands in second in the WBWS standings with Webb third.
There were two additional prizes on the line as Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored the women’s Best Trick and the men’s Best Double Up. Melissa Marquardt nailed a wrapped toe side backroll to blind to take the win with Smith continuing his winning ways with a heel side 900 to win the best double up.
As the organizer and sanctioning body of the Malibu Tokyo Pro Presented by Rockstar Energy, the World Wakeboard Association would like to thank all our partners who make this event possible, including Malibu Boats, Rockstar Energy Drink, FLAX and, Billabong.
Results
Malibu Boats Tokyo Pro Presented by Rockstar Energy
Odaiba Beach – Tokyo, Japan
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Pro Men
Semi Finals Heat #: 01
1 Dean Smith AUS 85.00
2 JD Webb USA 81.00
3 Oli Derome CDN 76.00
4 Tony Carroll USA 67.00
5 Stephen Pierce USA 58.33
6 Austin Hair USA 48.33
Semi Finals Heat #: 02
1 Raph Derome CDN 91.33
2 Phil Soven USA 83.33
3 Parker Siegle AUS 80.00
4 Mike Dowdy USA 75.00
5 Massi Piffaretti ITL 70.00
6 Daniel Powers USA 53.33
Semi Finals Heat #: 03
1 Steel Lafferty USA 88.67
2 Harley Clifford AUS 78.33
3 Toshiki Yasul JPN 70.00
4 Jefferson Langley USA 51.67
5 Noah Flagel USA 46.33
6 Cory Teunissen AUS 43.33
Finals
1 Dean Smith AUS 92.33
2 JD Webb USA 84.33
3 Phil Soven USA 76.67
4 Raph Derome CDN 66.67
5 Harley Clifford AUS 56.33
6 Steel Lafferty USA 51.67
Pro Women
Finals
1 Dallas Friday USA 97.00
2 Raimi Merritt USA 92.67
3 Tarah Mikacich USA 89.33
4 Nicola Butler GBR 80.00
5 Melissa Marquardt USA 63.33
6 Taylor McCullough USA 43.33
Pro Women Best Trick: Melissa Marquardt (Wrapped Toeside Backroll to Blind)
Pro Men Best Double Up: Dean Smith (Regular Heelside Frontside 900)
About Malibu Boats
Malibu Boats is the world’s largest manufacturer of watersports towboats, owning over a third of the worldwide market share. Malibu sells the Wakesetter and Response models—as well as the Axis Wake Research brand—through a global dealer network. With some 450 employees and three manufacturing facilities, in California, Tennessee, and Australia, Malibu builds boats to help you live a #lifewithoutlimits on the water. [NASDAQ: MBUU] | @malibuboats | #evolutionproseries
About Rockstar
Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles – from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 25 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com
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About the WBWS
The Wakeboard World Series will offer the largest payout the sport has seen in its 26-year history with a total of $425,000 to be handed out to the men and women throughout the series. This increase is just one of many avenues that the WWA have stepped up to further legitimize wakeboarding along with an increased focus on attracting media, sponsors, and consumers. This year’s Wakeboard World Series is the largest World Series in recent years, making it the only true global wakeboard series. The 2015 Wakeboard World Series will travel to four rounds within the United States as well as Mexico, Brazil, Canada, a return to Japan, and for the first time, the WWA World Championships will be held in Portugal.
About the WWA
The World Wakeboard Association is the global leader in wake sports sanctioning. The WWA owns and operates the WWA Wakeboard World Series, WWA Wake Park World Series, WWA Wakeboard National Championships, WWA Wake Park National Championships, WWA Wakeboard World Championships, WWA Wake Park World Championships, WWA Wake Park Triple Crown, WWA Pro Card and WWA Rider Experience. With 27 affiliate countries worldwide, the WWA is a rider-formed organization dedicated to promoting and growing wake sports worldwide. It is the primary source for riders, event organizers and competitive standards. For more information on the WWA and its events, check out www.thewwa.com