Wednesday, 04 August 2010 16:46
Wakestock is the biggest wakeboarding event in existence and, for 2010, the third stop in that most prestigious of tours, the WWA Wakeboard World Series. Matt Crowhurst was there. Pictures by Sim Bradley.
To take the World Series title is to be one of the greatest wakeboarders of all time - so for the wider wakeboard community to stamp its approval on an event that is at the core of British wakeboarding is a big deal. For us boarders, it was gonna be great to get the chance to stand alongside legends like Randall Harris, Aaron Rathy and Phillip Soven - and while it meant we’d have to work hard to compete, there was a palpable buzz as we made our way to the hallowed lands of the Lynn Peninsular, Cardigan Bay on the northwest tip of Wales.
We headed straight to the festival site between Pwllheli (the town where the main boat event is held) and Abersoch (where the party began 11 years ago). The festival atmosphere had already kicked in but we held ourselves back for the next morning and the onset of practice day, where we would see a massive influx of riders from all over the world.
Thursday’s practice was followed by Friday’s ‘Amateur Qualifying’ day, where again, we saw a level of quality way better than any previous year. And with our girls battling it out under sunny skies, this was exactly the start we needed to ramp up the riding action for the weekend. With the qualifiers for the Saturday decided, it was everyone to the rave square for the likes of Fedde LeGrande and Eric Prydz, who would see us through until the break of dawn.
Game time
As game time hit North Wales, all focus moved back to Pwllheli Marina, where the masses were waiting for the world-class wakeboard action they had been promised. The sport’s best riders would be going all out for the ten places in Sunday’s final - and with a ‘Who’s Who’ list of international boarders, wrestling with the Relentless Leviathan and the 16-foot high roof-top rail, this was going to be an epic battle.
As game time hit North Wales, all focus moved back to Pwllheli Marina, where the masses were waiting for the world-class wakeboard action they had been promised. The sport’s best riders would be going all out for the ten places in Sunday’s final - and with a ‘Who’s Who’ list of international boarders, wrestling with the Relentless Leviathan and the 16-foot high roof-top rail, this was going to be an epic battle.
The Girls’ Final got the action started and, although a strong wind was chopping up the water quite badly, the ladies still pushed hard. Miss Butler was the first to get the crowd cheering for more as she bashed out a good array of tech moves. Amber Wing then cranked it up another notch, schooling the rails once again and knocking out a Moby Dick and Whirly along with an array of solid grabs, spins and flips. But it was most definitely going to be between Argentina’s Robbie Rendo and reigning Wakestock Champ, Charlotte Bryant, for honours.
With so many big name riders from the UK and abroad, Relentless Wakestock 2010 was definitely the most ‘international’ it had been’. Randall Harris had made the trip and he absolutely tore the course apart with that unmistakable style, some serious hang time and that ‘special something’ that makes Randall the legend he is. Having been bitten by the Wakestock bug a few years ago, Australia’s Dean Smith also ruled his heat to move through. Andrew Adkison, who landed in the UK just hours before he had to ride, still came up with the goods to make the finals. But the out-and-out best performance came from the last rider of the day, current WWA Wakeboard World Series Champion, Phillip Soven, dropping a Toeside 720 straight out the blocks, G-Spot and Whirly 5 right at the end of his run - cleaning out any chance of another rider taking the heat victory.
The last four heats
Finals day saw the wind howling way stronger than before and rain adding to the bite. Four heats of four riders would fight it out for the four places available in the final, the top man from each group going through. Dean Smith, Austin Hair, Aaron Rathy and Phillip Soven were the guys to come out on top and, despite the conditions leveling the playing field quite a bit, this was probably an expected line-up, considering their form so far this season.
Finals day saw the wind howling way stronger than before and rain adding to the bite. Four heats of four riders would fight it out for the four places available in the final, the top man from each group going through. Dean Smith, Austin Hair, Aaron Rathy and Phillip Soven were the guys to come out on top and, despite the conditions leveling the playing field quite a bit, this was probably an expected line-up, considering their form so far this season.
Deano would lead the final charge and, though he wrestled with it as best he could, he had no luck at all with the shape of that wake, as it disappeared between the chop every time he tried to launch off it. Austin faired much better and looked very tidy on the rails. But then the two stand-out riders from the previous day laid it all on the line. Rathy looked at home on the rails and somehow pulled out a clean stand up run. Soven was going to have to work hard but, from the moment that 720 was stomped, it never looked in doubt. Although Rathy would have come out on top with his Rail score, Phil just went ballistic off the wake, adding a Whirly 5 and Tantrum to Blind to that 7, as well as a long list of other big manoeuvres.
The finale
Now back at the festival site, the wind had died and the sun had come out. Crystal blue skies it seemed would see off our Wakestock weekend, and the biggest crowd to date lined the edges of the pool gap. Rathy settled the score, knocking out Soven, to meet up with Christian Koester (AKA CK) in the final, who took the Pool Gap title last year. This was definitely a battle to savour and it was incredibly tight. Hammer after hammer was dropped, but ultimately it was the Canadian’s limitless consistency that saw him through. Aaron Rathy took home the win and a lot of great memories from the best Wakestock to date . . .
Now back at the festival site, the wind had died and the sun had come out. Crystal blue skies it seemed would see off our Wakestock weekend, and the biggest crowd to date lined the edges of the pool gap. Rathy settled the score, knocking out Soven, to meet up with Christian Koester (AKA CK) in the final, who took the Pool Gap title last year. This was definitely a battle to savour and it was incredibly tight. Hammer after hammer was dropped, but ultimately it was the Canadian’s limitless consistency that saw him through. Aaron Rathy took home the win and a lot of great memories from the best Wakestock to date . . .