Wakeboard meet draws elite cast

MANILA, Philippines - The world’s top wakeboarders and wakeskaters gear up for an explosive showdown when the Cable Wakeboard Championship is held Nov. 6-11 at the Deca Wakeboard Park in Clark, Pampanga.

Organized by the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation, in collaboration with the Wakeboard and Waterski Association of the Philippines, the event features the likes of Australia’s Angelika Schriber, Germany’s Dominik Gührs, Steffen Vollert and Frédéric von Osten, Great Britain’s Nick Davies, Israel’s Lior Sofer, and The Netherlands’ Denise de Haan who will dispute top honors in what is considered to be two of the most popular and fastest growing water sports today.

With 300 participants from about 10 countries, the championship will have two events – wakeboarding and wakeskating. Wakeboarding is categorized into boys and girls division, as well as men’s and ladies’ in junior, Open, Masters and Veterans levels.

Wakeskating, on the other hand, is classified into men’s and ladies’ sections in the Junior and Open levels.

The Filipinos’ bid, meanwhile, will be bannered by Samantha Bermudez, Carlo Dela Torre and Mark Griffin, who will be competing in the open women’s and men’s wakeboard, as well as Moe Gomez in the open men’s wakeskate.

To be held for the first time in the Philippines, the event will not only foster sportsmanship and camaraderie among international riders but will also help boost tourism for the country and put the newly opened Deca Wake Park in Clark on the map of the international wakeboarding circuit.

Also, with wakeboarding shortlisted for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics, the competition is highly significant for the international wakeboarding community as members of the International Olympic Committee will be at the games to evaluate the merits of cable wakeboarding as an Olympic event.

The 2012 Cable Wakeboard World Championships is made possible by Smart, Deca Homes, RipCurl, Monster Energy Drink, Stoked Inc., Gatorade, Bacardi and Devant LED TV.