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CamSur Rider's Cup/Wake Park Worlds Results

Austin Hair

The WWA and the Camsur Watersports Complex have put together an unprecedented week of wakeboarding competition that will have the world's top riders battling for titles in the Wake Park Worlds and CamSur Riders Cup. For the first time ever, pro men riders will be collecting points to determine an overall winner of the entire event. The divisions that will be included will be the Pro Men Wakeboard division during the CamSur Rider's Cup (boat), the Pro Men Wakeboard division in the WWA Wake Park World Championships (cable), the Obstacles Only division during the WWA Wake Park World Championships (cable) and the Pro Men Wakeboard division of the CWC Rail Park Contest (Sesitec System 2.0). The rider with the most cumulative points in these four divisions at the end of the event will collect an additional $8,000 USD!

In order to bring you the day-to-day happenings direct from this groundbreaking event, we've sent Austin Hair to The Philipines to report to you via WakeWorld on each day of the event. Not only will Austin be reporting, but he'll also be one of the competitors going for the overall title and the $8,000 in prize money. Check out a live feed of the competition along with a lot more photos at camsurwatersportscomplex.com!

Check out Austin's blog...

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6

Day 1

Well, the plane ride to get here was quite horrendous, but the minute you arrive at CWC it's totally worth it. I got in before the park opened and I went and checked out all the rails at the cable park and the winch park. The obstacles are all pretty legit. They've got two kickers and nine different rails, all designed by Pat Panakos of the Projects. The winch park is something else, though. They've got six Sesitec System 2.0 cable systems.

This is definitely the future of wakeboarding. The park looks like something straight out of a skateboard video game. They've got five of the winches dedicated to pool gaps and different rails and one just for doing air tricks. I learned S-bends on the System 2.0 and was able to learn both switch and regular S-bends at the cable park quite easily because of it. We took a quick demo set of the rails shortly after they opened at 8:00 in the morning. The System 2.0 goes back and forth quite fast and if you don't fall it can be extremely fatiguing.

After the set, Dean Smith, Andrew Adkison, Mike and Shannon from the WWA, a few others and myself had the pleasure of going on an island adventure. We hopped in the bus for the hour-long trek out to the coast. The scenery all the way there was amazing. Once we got there, we shuffled off the bus and hopped in the ferry. The ferry took about an hour before getting to the Gov's private island. However, often it's not where you're going, it's the journey. The ferry boat was decked out. I got to play captain for a few minutes and they had the cooler stocked with snacks and adult beverages.

When we arrived at the island, it was breathtaking. There wasn't any sign of structure or domestication anywhere. The beaches were covered in white sand and the water was crystal clear. After a little bit of exploring, they fired up the grill and we enjoyed some fresh cooked chicken skewers and tuna right off the sea. Not a bad first day.

Day 2

Today was the first day of the contest. No point in sleeping in over here. We were up at 5:45 for a photo shoot behind the boat. After that I grabbed a cable set before the opening ceremonies kicked off at 9:00. Competing in all four events is definitely going to wear me out. Someone had the bright idea of using paper to make hot air balloons that represented the flags for each country. It was a great idea in theory, but in reality it didn't work out so well. The paper caught fire quickly when they were attempting to release the balloons and it turned into a flag burning ceremony. None of it was intentional of course, but it was pretty amusing to watch. Of the 19 countries, only three managed to get their balloons in the air.

Then the El Ray dancers, that's the Governor's private dancers, came out for a show and brought every country's flag out. It was the actual flag this time. The ceremony gave the feeling that we were a part of the Olympics or something.

This contest is different than anything that has been done before. They are using four different disciplines of wakeboarding to determine an overall champion. There is the boat competition, the cable competition, the obstacle-only competition on the cable and the rail competition at the winch park. Riders earn points from each category that add to the overall points to determine the winner. I'm competing in all four events. I'd say there's about 8-10 of us competing in all four.

This afternoon was the first round of the rail park competition. I had former rail riders of the year Keith Lidberg and JD Webb in my heat. It went pretty well. I gapped the double kink to front board 90 out, as well as backside 270 on the hand rail. JD had some really nice back lips and Keith gapped the double kink with a toeside 270.

Afterward, we had the Arabian Nights party. Each night they are having a different themed party. Great food, great dancing and great looking women. What more needs to be said?

Day 3

Today was the first day for the Obstacles-Only event. This is the event where the riders don't do any air tricks on the cable, hence the name Obstacles-Only. It's a jam style format where four riders ride at a time in each heat. Each heat is eight minutes long. Luckily, I got all boat riders in my heat. I would hate to go against a cable rider who would tear up the kickers.

I have to say, this was probably the most fun I have ever had doing a competition. I was really feeling it. I got a full pull on every rail, was able to 270 transfer toeside and heelside, backside 450 gap over the Circa A-frame, toeside backside 5 off the kicker and landed a toe back 7 just after the eight minutes ended. It was hard to see what the other guys were doing, but I'm sure they tore it up as well. Surprisingly, they only take one from each heat and when the results came back, JD made it through with me in 2nd.

One impressive spectacle was Nick Davies, who went out there and stuck a heel back 9 about three seconds before the ending buzzer went off. Then he came around and did a switch toeside backside 9 just for fun.

Immediately after the obstacle-only was the cable contest. I learned my first air trick at the cable park in November when I heard about this event. I wanted to compete in all four events, plus cable has started to seem more fun recently. My goal was to make it past the first round, which is a little far-fetched when I've only been riding cable for four months and competing against the best riders in all of the world, but I can dream, can't I? I was pretty happy with my cable pass too. It wasn't much, but it was good for me. I stood up my run with a back mobe, blind judge, S-bend and did pretty good on the rails. I just fell on my last trick, the toe back 7.

Nick Davies was in my heat and he went out there and just put on a demo. He did 313 to 540, switch mobe, Pete Rose off the kicker, killed the rails and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember. Donald Shelbrick rode extremely well in my heat, making it on to the next round also.

Then they had the rock 'n' roll themed party at 7:00. There are a lot of talented musicians here who also wakeboard. I'm one of them if you take Guitar Hero into consideration. They had a huge projector showing the Guitar Hero behind the person playing up on stage. We had a little competition going with that to see who could get the highest score. One of the cable riders also got up and sang karaoke while the band played live and sounded amazing. Another guy got up on stage and sang while playing guitar. He also sounded pretty darn good.

Day 4

The last heat of the rail park competition got pushed till today and it was with both JD and Tom Fooshee. Both of these guys are the top two contendors for the overall wake champion, JD having made it through in cable. Keith Lidberg is also positioned very well to take home top honors. Both Tom and JD killed it at the rail park, but the judges, being the good friends that they are with the guys, won't tell them which one of them made it through. So, as all of the other results have been posted, JD and Tom remain in suspense. I have a feeling this competition will come down to the wire.

Next, we started the boat contest. I entered into wakeksate as well, making it five separate competitions while I'm here. Dean Smith and Nick Davies both had killer runs on the boat lake. Dean did a massive crow mobe and Nick Davies stood up his pass and crammed in about a thousand tricks. Right as I was about to hop off the dock, a giant thunderstorm rolled through and the contest got pushed back till tomorrow.

At night we had the retro party. The retro-themed party was pretty much a shout out to 1975. They played disco themed music the whole time and everyone dressed up in their best retro attire. They had a contest for the best costume where they gave away 5000 pesos (100 bucks) to the best dressed girl and guy. Seeing everyone on stage was quite a spectacle. One guy wore a blue pair of super man undies with a black whig. I don't know how wearing underwear only is retro, but he pulled it off. They also had the world premiere of the cable video Hypnose. The editing was a bit strange, but the movie was pretty sick.

Day 5

Today was definitely the best day here so far. The cable semis took place first and the riders were throwing down. I've heard that this has definitely been the most insane riding any cable contest has ever seen. Tom Fooshee and Nick Davies definitely stood out as the two to beat. JD Webb, Phil Soven, Tom Fooshee and Sam Collins all qualified for the obstacles-only contest.

Next, we had the boat contest. My heat was pushed back until today because of the storm last night, so we rode first. Kyle Rattray went in front of me and Phil Soven was behind me, so I knew it was going to be tough. Kyle went out there and killed it with a stand up pass, so I knew I was gonna have to ride good. I opened up with a backside 5, a back mobe and a 7 for my first three tricks, and was feeling pretty good. Then I went for a toe 9 off of the double up and got smoked, but I was able to land a few more pretty good tricks my second pass. When the scores came in I just barely had Kyle beat. It was such a relief to make it through.

I decided to ride wakeskate about ten minutes before the event started. I haven't wakeskated behind the boat in about a year. But, somehow I was able to put together a halfway decent run with some wake-to-wakes, a three shuv and wake-to-wake backside 180. Of course, Nick Taylor, Reed Hansen and Andrew Pastura killed it. But, I still ended up in 5th place.

Then the boat contest resumed for the semifinals. There was a bit of an upset when Nick Davies edged out Trevor Hansen and Cory Bradley. Keith Lidberg had possibly his best contest run. He was on fire. Keith was imediately followed by Dean Smith's best contest run. Normally, Lidberg would have made it through no problem, but Dean answered Lidberg with a handful of mobes in the flats, a toe 7 and a switch heel 9 off the double up.

I was also very pleased with my run, doing a lot of the same stuff from before, but also landing a tantrum to blind in the flats this time and sliding the rails a lot better. I stood up my pass till the very last trick. Then Andrew Adkison rode after me and, of course, killed it. JD was after him and was seeded to win the whole thing, but I think the exhaustion had set in by that point and he wasn't able to put it together. Andrew went through and I got second in the heat, which put me 5th overall and some prize money in my pocket.

That makes the finals Nick, Dean, Andrew and Phil. Even though I didn't make the finals, I still feel really blessed to have done well behind the boat in both wakeboard and wakeskate, all the while hanging out in the Philippines.

Spring Fling was the theme of the party tonight. Don't ask me how they come up with the themes, but everyone was given masks to wear as they walked in and I think they were dressed as "high schoolers," whatever that means. It was still a great time though, as always.

Day 6

Today concluded the final day and I am quite sad to leave. I didn't get to take many photos because I was shooting a lot of film. However, I did get to ride in the helicopter and it was sick! I've never been in a helicopter before. I got to take a ton of photos and got a little bit of footage.

Obstacles-only went off today with Tom Fooshee taking home the win. Dean Smith came in second with a switch 270 all the way over to the rail on the other pool. Keith Lidberg really shined with a toeside backside 450 ollie to the down slope on a large rail.

Then it was a bitter battle between Tom and Nick Davies in the cable head to head finals. Davies just barely edged out Tom with his standup pass and moves like a heelside backside 9 off the kicker.

The real shocker, though, was Dean's run on the boat lake. He absolutely killed it with a switch heel 9 off the double up, crow mobe, front mobe and KGB all way way out in the flats. He shocked Phil a little who fell once. Dean took first, Phil in second and another shocker with Nick Davies making third. Andrew Adkison placed fourth.

For final results from all the weekend's events click here.

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