Women dropped from the Pro Tour…

[E_T]

of Wakeboarding

 

Late last week MasterCraft sent out a press release that the Pro Women's Wakeboard Tour just got the axe as well as the Jr. division from the MasterCraft King of Wake series. The only events currently scheduled where these riders will be able to compete in the U.S. will be at Masters, the Nautique Orlando Wake Games, and WWA Nationals(Nautique) and Internationally at Moomba Masters(Nautique) and the Mandurah World Cup (MC) both of which are in Australia. There will only be 4 Pro Wake stops for the men in the US in 2014 compared to 5 in previous years on the PWT.

There is Women's slalom, jump and trick is happing all over the world along with Jr.’s competing at many events like the Masters, Moomba, Malibu ProAm, Malibu Open, California ProAM, Mandurah World Cup, Reunion Island World Cup, San Gervasio ProAm to name a few. The word on the street is that MasterCraft has also dropped it's Pro Women's Wake Team. Many of todays top Pros started in the Jr. Division of the tour. Be grateful for the events that you have that support not only the men but the women and the Jr.’s who are the future of your sport. With the new X-Star hitting the water last year and the Nautique G series it looks as though Nautique is taking a more serious outlook on the future and women’s pro wake talent on the water. The way it looks right now water skiing is doing far better in the way of providing its elite athletes a stage to perform in their sport around the world. Also remember where the funding and R&D money tends to flow from into the skiing world. 2014 is truly a step backwards in the world of wake. Skiers this is a reminder of how fortunate you are and your pros are for the continued support from all over the world and throughout the industry. Hopefully this is not foreshadowing the future of waterskiing.

 

A petition has been started that has already gained over 800 signatures that reads:

 

 

Wakeboarding is a non-gender specific sport with a developing following among young, healthy active women. In a world where women are encouraged to follow their dreams they need role models to follow. Removing the Pro-women division from the Pro Tour sends a message to current and aspiring riders that no matter how hard they train and progress they will never be considered elite in this sport. We call on King of Wake, Rockstar and MasterCraft to change this decision and send a message that women are encouraged to continue to push the envelope in this sport. Fans deserve to see these stylish riders in action and the riders deserve the exposure, experience and purses that the Tour offers.

 

To: MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, Competition Director Arne Clow, Team and Event Manager Steve Mateus, Director of Core Sports Return a Pro-Women division to the 2014 Tour.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Release from MC

MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour to Focus Exclusively on Men’s Pro Division in 2014

 

Orlando, FL. — The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, the largest and most storied professional wakeboarding circuit in the world, has redesigned its format for the 2014 season and will feature only the Pro Men’s division at all four events. With an exclusive focus on the sport’s premier division, along with a restructured contest heat advancement system and athlete qualifying standards, the MasterCraft Pro Tour has laid the groundwork to produce the most competitive and entertaining wakeboard events on the planet.

 

Additionally, athlete eligibility for the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour has been adjusted to ensure a dynamic and competitive field of riders at each event. The 2014 Tour will feature a collection of the world’s top ranked Pro Men wakeboarders, intriguing wildcards entries and several up-and-coming athletes from the Junior Pro Series going head-to-head at four of the country’s most proven contest venues.

 

“During the offseason we met with some of the most respected minds and most talented athletes in wakeboarding to develop a strategy that ensures world-class competition and progression are paramount on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour,” said Chris Bischoff, Pro Tour competition director. “The format changes achieve these objectives and will also bring exciting new storylines from contest to contest.”

 

Contest structure on the Pro Tour will remain a heat-to-heat qualifying system with riders seeding determined by their ranking. However, new rules will reward riders who win heats one and three allowing them to bypass the next round. Riders who do not win in heats one and three will not be automatically eliminated. They will be placed in rounds two and four and have a second chance to advance in those heats.

 

Last year’s wakeboard world champion, Rusty Malinoski has been vocal in support of the new Pro Tour format. The “Bone Crusher” recently stated, “Wakeboarding has seen a ton of progression over the past few years. I think the new format tweaks will help our sport showcase the best riders at the biggest contests and give the fans the most bang for their buck