(March 14, 2017) – The Nautique Moomba Masters kicked off the 2017 Nautique Wake Series and WWA Wakeboard World Series season with a crowd of over 400,000 fans lining the shores of Melbourne, Australia’s Yarra River. Spectacular performances by riders in WWA Pro and Jr. Pro divisions took center stage during the city’s four-day Moomba Festival behind the industry-leading Super Air Nautique G23.
As wakeboarding’s elite landed in Melbourne for the first event of the season, we entered into a new era of the sport with riders that have dedicated themselves to progression like we’ve never seen. Rigorous training programs have become common-place and the level of competition has never been so high. Once the qualifying rounds were underway, it was clear that 2017 is going to be unreal.
The wakes of 4X Wakeboard and 3X Wakesurf Boat of the Year, the Super Air Nautique G23 never fails to provide the world’s top wake athletes with the perfect launching point to push the sport’s boundaries. The Yarra’s challenging water conditions can affect even the most seasoned veteran’s, and looking to start the Nautique Wake Series and Wakeboard World Series at the top of the rankings list, riders were forced to push their limits on every pass.
Back on the water after a season-ending injury removed him from action in 2016, Australian superstar Harley Clifford left no doubt that he intends to pick up right where he left off at the top of the sport. In an inspiring display of style and technical perfection, Clifford threw down a flawless 100-point run during the quarter-final round. The only rider to accomplish the feat in recent years, Clifford previously earned a perfect score during the 2015 Nautique Masters Waterski & Wakeboard Tournament in Pine Mountain, GA.
Team Nautique athlete Mike Dowdy remained unshaken behind the industry-leading Super Air Nautique G23, scoring just behind Clifford as they moved through the quarterfinal and semi-final rounds. Semi-final Heat number two saw Nautique riders Tony Iacconni and Noah Flegel go to battle along with Cory Teunissen who would go on to take the win in the final round. The defending Nautique Wake Series champion remained consistent throughout every pass dropping a huge wake-to-wake 1080 to secure his spot at the top of the podium. Teunissen also won the Rockstar Best Trick Night competition making him two for two in 2017.
Pro Men Results:
1. Cory Teunissen (AUS) – 98.00
2. Harley Clifford (AUS) – 95.00
3. Tony Iacconi (AUS) – 83.33
The Pro Women’s competition saw Jamie Lopina and Nautique athletes Raimi Rutledge and Zahra Kell in a close race for the top spot throughout every round. At 13 years old, Australian rider Zahra Kell amazed the crowd as she poured it on pass after pass on the way to her first Pro win. Kell doubled down under the lights also taking first place in the Rockstar Best Trick Night competition.
Pro Women’s Results:
1. Zahra Kell (AUS) – 75.00
2. Raimi Rutledge (USA) – 68.33
3. Jamie Lopina (USA) – 61.67
Men’s Best Trick Winner:
Cory Teunissen
Women’s Best Trick Winner:
Zahra Kell
In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, Guenther Oka put his unique style on display to take the win with the Super Air Nautique G23 serving up perfection followed by Luca Kidd and Erik Shroeder. The Jr. Pro Women final round saw Charlie Shore taking a hard-fought win, just edging out Makenzie McCarthy in second followed by Haylee Bowman in third.
Jr. Pro Men Results:
1. Guenther Oka (USA) – 81.67
2. Luca Kidd (UK) – 71.67
3. Erik Schroeder (CAN) – 51.67
Jr. Pro Women Results:
1. Charlie Shore (AUS) – 86.67
2. Mackenzie McCarthy (AUS) – 80.00
3. Haylee Bowman (AUS) – 50.00
Dedicated to progressing the sport from the ground up, the Nautique Wake Series puts riders first, developing the stars of tomorrow and showcasing the top athletes of today with every major event held behind the Super Air Nautique G23. The Nautique Wake Series is the only event series that gives riders of all ages, gender and skill level the opportunity to compete at an elite level.
For more information on the Nautique Wake Series Click Here.
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About Nautique Boat Company: Celebrating 92 years of excellence in the marine industry, Nautique is a subsidiary of Correct Craft and has been on the waters of the world with a passion for innovation since 1925. Nautique is known to push the envelope of possibility on the water, and our owners have come to expect nothing but the absolute best. The Ski Nautique 200 has changed waterskiing with 22 world records, the G-Series has won numerous awards for wakeboard boat and wakesurf boat of the year while unlocking new possibilities in wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and our Sport Series has given families endless days on the water without compromise. Through our Nautique Cares initiatives we’re dedicated to not only making a difference on the water, but to people in need around the world. The world’s best ski boat, world’s best wake boat, and a company that cares. To learn more visit Nautique.com.
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
About The WWA: Developed for riders by riders, the World Wake Association stands as a global network of passionate representatives dedicated to the growth of towed boardsports. Since 1989 our mission and values remain true to the core of our community. Our position as the authority on competitive standards has been earned through consistent development; sanctioning and producing more than 6,000 worldwide events and counting. We are the only organization solely focused on the best interests of the sport, spearheading a collective movement on the journey to discover where wake takes you. 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. For more information on the World Wake Association, check out www.thewwa.com.