Organizer: World Sports and Marketing

Wakeboarding is yet another sport which has exploded in the past decade and become what is today's fastest growing water-sport. A relative new comer, wakeboards evolved from a combination of surfboards and a water ski. Initially, the boards had no straps and definitive noses and tails (similar to a surfboard). It wasn't until 1993 that a twin-tip board was designed and remains the standard shape used today. Wakeboarders continue to push the limits of gravity and speed. Riders are towed behind a boat, spinning, flipping, and twisting off of the boat's wake.

Last year, San Francisco responded eagerly to wakeboarding, probably because they didn't have to get into the chilling waters. Spectators numbering over 4500 overflowed from the stands onto the shoreline. It was the largest crowd at any X Games Wakeboarding event and we expect even more this year! Eight men and 8 women will compete in the 2001 Summer X Games. All competitors will take two runs consisting of two passes.

New Look for X Games Wakeboarding:

Wakeboarding fans at the X Games are going to get an eyeful when they take in this year's contest in Philadelphia. Several sliders will be dotting the run, giving the event a street skating/snowboard park feel for the first time. The riders will have to show mastery and diversity on these obstacles if they want gold to hang from their neck.

Dead center in the middle of the course sits the "Slaughter Box," the most ominous of the bunch. This multiple-use structure offers each rider a variety of choices on how to use the apparatus. They can simply slide across the flat deck surface, but more inventive riders will find themselves atop the PVC pipes on the back, some ten feet above the water.

At the end of the first pass, the riders will encounter the kicker, a ramp slider that boosts the riders 50 feet down course while they reach an altitude of 10-15 feet. Simple grabs look stylish coming off the kicker, but inverts and multiple-rotation spins are where the high scores can be found.

At the other end of the course, the riders will be able to hit the slider, a 30-foot- long horizontal sliderail sitting four feet off the water. While not as imposing as the other obstacles when viewed from shore, the slider is a challenging piece of equipment where riders attempt to get a "full pull" across the entire length, and those with skills will try a nose press or spin while up on the pipes.

2000 Results:
Men
Gold: Darin Shapiro (USA)
Silver: Shaun Murray (USA)
Bronze: Shane Bonifay (USA)

Women
Gold: Tara Hamilton (USA)
Silver: Dallas Friday (USA)
Bronze: Meaghan Major (USA)

Competition Info | Who to Watch For | 2001 Recap

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