West Chester, OH. — The 2012 Nautique WWA Wakeboarding National Championships presented by Rockstar Energy Drink concluded today by determining national champions in its final five divisions including the Men’s and Women’s pro divisions. Taking top honors in the sport’s two premiere divisions were Harley Clifford in the Men’s Pro and Amber Wing in the Women’s Pro.
Fighting off a field of some of wakeboarding’s biggest names, Clifford claimed the 2012 national title with a near flawless run that leveraged the Nautique G23’s huge wake to launch gigantic airs, on-point rail riding, massive rotations and stylish grabs. The title-clinching run held Shota Tezuka and Adam Errington at bay, who finished second and third respectively.
“I’m really happy about winning the U.S. Nationals for the third year in a row,” said Clifford. “It’s a little different not having Phil in the finals, but everyone else killed it and a big thanks to them.”
The women’s pro also saw a highly-competitive battle for the National crown and valuable Queen of Wake points. In the end, Amber Wing was just too much for the rest of the field to handle. Her winning run was a textbook formula for success in contest riding, showing the judges she has a full arsenal of tricks including huge launches off the G23 wake and a knack for drilling technically-sound rail tricks.
The Junior Pro Men’s finals was stacked full of riders frothing to make the jump to the big leagues. And by the looks of it, there are more than a few that are capable. Noah Flegel put in today’s paramount performance claiming the division’s 2012 National title. Mike Dowdy and Tony Iacconi took second and third to round out the podium.
Following the Men’s finals, fans bared witness to one of the sport’s finest spectacles: The Sony Big Air Contest. A handful of wakeboarding’s most talented riders dazzled the crowd with tricks rarely performed in a traditional contest setting. Taking first-place in the contest, Rusty Malinoski stuck a switch mute heelside 720 to walk away with the win.
The Nautique WWA Wakeboarding National Championships also saw a strong contingent of up-and-coming amateur riders put in impressive runs during all four days of competition. To award their efforts, PCM Engines cut a check for $250 for the best amateur trick at Nationals. Claiming the cash was Justin Lee in the Junior Men division, who stuck a heelside 720.
For information on the Nautique WWA National Championships presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, visit www.kingofwake.com.
The Nautique WWA National Championships, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: Correct Craft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Peavey, Mona Vie, Fox, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, PCM Marine Engines and TransWorld WAKEBOARDING magazine.
Day 4 Results Nautique WWA Nationals (Riders inbold advance)
Men’s Pro Finals
1. Harley Clifford 90.00
2. Shota Tezuka 85.00
3. Adam Errington 82.83
4. Aaron Rathy 80.00
5. Andrew Adkison 73.33
6. Rusty Malinoski 71.67
Women’s Pro Finals
1. Amber Wing 83.33
2. Meagan Ethell 78.33
3. Mellissa Marquardt 69.67
4. Raimi Merritt 63.33
5. Tarah Mikacich 58.33
6. Nicola Butler 26.67
Junior Pro Men Finals
1. Noah Flegel 82.17
2. Mike Dowdy 79.83
3. Tony Iacconi 75.00
4. Christian Primrose 70.33
5. Freddie Wayne 60.00
6. Keenan Allen 50.67
Pro Wakeskate
1. Danny Hampson 86.00
2. Brian Grubb74.33
3. Brandon Thomas 64.67
4. Stu Shinn47.33
Boys Finals
1. James Loisel 86.67
2. Tyler Highham 76.67
3. Nicholas Brown 65.00
4. Lorenzo Soprani 55.00
5. Drew Rokita 46.67
6. Zach McCauley 23.33
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 1
1. Adam Errington 75.00
2. Tony Carroll 70.00
3. Bryan Hamilton 48.33
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 2
1. Aaron Rathy 80.67
2. Jimmy Lariche 73.33
3. Jimmy Trask 54.67
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 3
1. Andrew Adkison 81.33
2. Bradley Smeele 68.33
3. Daniel Powers 60.00
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 4
1. Shota Tezuka 78.00
2. Austin Hair 61.67
3. Danny Thollander 28.33
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 5
1. Rusty Malinoski 76.33
2. Jefferson Langley 73.33
3. Oliver Derome 26.67
Men’s Pro Semifinals Heat 6
1. Harley Clifford 90.33
2. Steel Lafferty 83.00
3. Adam Wensink 60.00
About the WWA
The WWA Wake Park Triple Crown and the WWA Wake Park Series are the solely owned property of the World Wakeboard Association (WWA). The WWA also owns and operates the WWA Wakeboard World Series, WWA Wakeboard National Championships, WWA Wakeboard World Championships, WWA Wake Park National Championships, and WWA Wake Park World Championships. With 27 affiliate countries worldwide, the WWA is the global leader in the sport of wake. The WWA is a rider-formed organization dedicated to promoting and growing wake sports worldwide. It is the leading source for riders, event organizers and competitive standards. For more information on the WWA and its events, check out www.thewwa.com
