Updated Athlete List and Schedule for Red Bull Wake Lab 2009 Featuring Sesitec’s System 2.0

Matt Hickman | Events, Interviews, Uncategorized

On April 3 and 4, the city of Tempe will play host to the biggest and most innovative wakeboarding event ever devised as Red Bull Wake Lab descends smack dab in the middle of Tempe Town Lake. Created as an experiment to see how far the boundaries of the sport of wakeboarding could be pushed, the groundbreaking event will take place in conjunction with the Circle K Tempe Music Festival. Influenced by the design of the modern skateboarding skate park and snowboarding snow park, a massive wakeboarding wake park was constructed to include a mix of hand rails and transfer rails, ramps, an elevated floating pool and a 16-foot high quarterpipe. The result, a massive floating skate park, dubbed “The Wake Lab,” allows riders to perform sets of tricks that were once impossible, raising the sport to never-before-seen levels. And don’t expect to see any boats on the lake towing the riders; a revolutionary cable pulley system, the Sesitec System 2.0, will tow athletes back and forth across the lake and the Wake Lab’s various rails, pools, ramps and quarterpipe courtesy of The Wake Park Project. 
 

FRIDAY, APRIL 3rd: 

4:30p: Doors Open to Public 

4:30p-6:30p: Pro Wakeboarding Demonstrations 

5:30p: Red Bull Air Force Skydiving Demo 
 

SATURDAY, APRIL 4th – COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Noon: Doors Open to Public 

12p-3p: Quarterfinals Competition 

3:15p: Red Bull Air Force Skydiving Demo 

3:00p-4:00p: Semifinals Competition 

4:45p: Red Bull Air Force Skydiving Demo

5:30p-6:30p: Final Round Competition 

8:15pm: Awards Presentation

Invitee List:

1. Parks Bonifay

2. Aaron Rathy

3. Oliver Derome 

4. JD Webb 

5. Keith Lidberg 

6. Collin Harrington 

7. Shawn Watson 

8. Shane Bonifay 

9. Chad Sharpe 

10. Danny Harf 

11. Adam Errington 

12. Tom Foshee

 

Qualifier List:

1. Gabe Lucas 

2. Yannick Tibo 

3. Trevor Hansen 

4. Robbie Jacques 

5. Rusty Malinoski 

6. Erik Ruck

7. Philip Soven 

8. Mike Ennen 

9. Kevin Henshaw 

10. Jimmy Lariche

11. Tino Santori 

12. Pat Panakos 

 

PRE QUALIFIER LIST:

1. Jimmy Wolf (Ariz.) 

2. Benjamin Christensen (Ariz.)

3. Norbert Vasko (Hungary) 

4. Mike Schwenne (Fla.) 

5. Kyle Rattray (Fla.)

6. Kris Salteski (Fla.)

 

WILDCARDS:

Scottsdale, Arizona Qualifier

1. Kaesen Suderhoud (San Diego, Calif.) 

2. Larry Taylor (Glendale, Ariz.) 

3. Kyle Alberts (Orlando, Fla.) 

4. Tyler Killingsworth (Canyon Lake, Calif.) 

 

WILDCARDS:

Sacramento, California Qualifier

1. Justin Fisher (Cannon Lake, Calif.) 

2. Robbie Carter (Chico, Calif.) 

 

Competing Red Bull Wake Lab Athlete Bios:

Parks Bonifay

Discipline: Wakeboarding
Hometown: Lake Alfred, FL
Residence: Clermont, FL

- Set a Guinness world record at 6 months as the youngest person to ever to water ski

- Has a koi fish named Billy Ocean

- Part owner of Ronix wakeboards

In 1996, Parks Bonifay won the inaugural wakeboard competition at the X Games. He was 14 and hasn’t stopped pushing the limits since. Known for combining flawless old-school technique with radical, 21st century creativity, he just keeps getting better and better. Parks is the first rider to be captured on film stomping a 1080 and the only rider to throw the double-back roll cab mobe. He has taken wakeboarding to both the tropic and the arctic—throwing down jibs on icebergs off the coast of Canada and pulling into one of the world’s most notorious surf breaks at Teahupoo, Tahiti – on his wakeboard! He is a five-time Pro Tour champion and was Wake Boarding magazine’s Rider of the Year in 2003 and 2004. With his fearless exploration into the uncharted frontiers of ocean wakeboarding, he’s leading the progression of his sport, a story that will be told in the documentary chronicling Parks’ evolution due out in 2009.
 

Adam Errington

Discipline: Wakeboarding
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

- Born in Ullapool, Scotland

- Gets his adrenaline rush from bungee jumping and skydiving

- Won U.S. Nationals in 2005 with broken ribs

Adam Errington takes his role as one of wakeboarding’s fastest-rising stars in stride. The 2007 Rookie of the Year improved his competitive and creative edge to finish 2008 ranked fourth overall in the Pro Wakeboard Tour standings. If the rapid success brings increased expectation and anxiety, Adam doesn’t feel it. “I’m the type of person who does well under pressure,” the 20-year-old says. “I don’t get stressed out. I like competition.” And competition likes him. In 2008, Adam racked up podiums, including third at the Wake Games and first at Wakestock in the United Kingdom. When not competing, he has appeared in videos like Red Bull’s Blackout and Sean Kilgus’ Drive, traveled to Australia and Panama, and taken up skydiving. This season, Adam hopes his relaxed and smooth riding style will garner him a top-three spot on the Pro Tour as well as more videos and photo shoots.
 

JD Webb

Discipline: Wakeboarding
Hometown: Anna Marie Island, FL
Residence: Auburndale, FL

- Featured on Discovery Channel’s Stunt Junkies

- Was given the key to the city of Orlando, FL

- 2008 Rail Rider of the Year

Wakeboarder J.D. Webb has already won some of the biggest prizes in wakeboarding and holds a world record for biggest gap jump on a wakeboard— more than 70 feet over the Lake Eola fountain in Orlando—but he’s already got his eyes set on bigger prizes. For starters, this 2004 Rookie of the Year wants to take Rider of the Year honors from his friend and mentor Danny Harf, and he’d like to claim the Pro Tour title on his way there. “My first goal is the same as it ever was—to help the progression of wakeboarding, whether it’s inventing new tricks, getting new people into the sport, or taking down the Pro Tour title, and to just really ride my best all year,” says J.D.