Knoxville, Tenn. – The top professional wakeboarders from throughout the globe are headed to Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville this weekend, Aug. 13 & 14 for the final stop of the 2010 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. Over the past few months, more than 50 pro riders have been competing on the five-city tour in a points race for one of the most prestigious crowns in wakeboarding – the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour title.
 
“We’ve been competing this entire season, waiting to get to Knoxville to see who wins it all,” said current points leader Phillip Soven. “Knoxville is going to be a tough contest for sure because it’s everyone’s last shot at winning. As the points leader, I just need to stay calm, stay focused and lay down my run.”
 
Soven, 21, of Longwood, Fla., held the Pro Tour title for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008, but lost it last year to Australian phenom Harley Clifford, who captured the 2009 title in his rookie year.
 
Clifford, 16, is the Pro Tour’s defending titlist and could have a repeat season with a successful finish in Knoxville, as the young Aussie only trails Soven in the standings by a mere 15 points.
 
“Harley and I have been going back and forth this entire season, battling each other, trying to take the lead in the standings,” said Soven. “It’s going to come down to the wire. We’re both hungry to win, we’re both competitive and we both can’t afford to hold anything back.”
 
The season-ending event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, with Pro Men qualifiers set to begin at 12:30 p.m. The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will kick off the morning in Knoxville with opening rounds for the Jr. Pro Men’s division, followed by the Pro Women’s division.
 
The Pro Women’s division does not crown a Pro Tour titlist, as the female riders only compete at two stops on the five-city tour. However, Knoxville serves as the fourth event in the five-stop Queen of Wake series – an all female pro wakeboarding circuit.
 
Former Queen of Wake crown bearer Nicola Butler is poised to reclaim her title, as she currently leads the series standings with 290 points. With defending titlist Dallas Friday out the rest of the season with a leg injury, Butler’s toughest competition comes from 17-year-old Raimi Merritt. Merritt sits behind Butler in the standings with 245 points, and will look to overthrow Butler in Knoxville to take the lead in the series.
 
“Nicola is obviously a gifted rider, but I feel this is my season and I want to win it all,” said Merritt. “My goal this weekend is to have fun and try to podium, but if I really want to turn things around, I know I need to win in Knoxville.”
 
In addition to the Pro Men’s division, the Jr. Pro Men will also be finishing their season in Knoxville. Florida native Nick Galotifore leads the Jr. Pro Tour standings with 370 points. Fellow Floridians Daniel Powers and Steel Lafferty, round out the top three riders, respectively. All three riders are in contention to win their first Jr. Pro Tour title, and will have their fate decided for them in Knoxville.
 
The Knoxville tour stop will wrap up on Saturday, Aug. 14, with the ticketed event starting at 11 a.m.
 
Following the conclusion of the event, Indmar Marine Engines and the MasterCraft Boat Company invites the general public to join the athletes at the Bijou Theater for the 2010 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour Party. Doors to the Theater will open at 9 p.m.
 
For more information on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, including news, daily schedules, tickets, TV info, photos, videos, athlete bios, results, standings and more, visit allisports.com.
 
The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla., and has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Overton’s, Indmar, Peavey, Mona Vie, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Byerly, Oakley, Sayiwon’t, Epiphone, WakeBoarding magazine, Fuel TV and Allisports.com.
 
About MasterCraft
MasterCraft is the exclusive tow boat for the Pro Wakeboard Tour, as it has been since the tour’s wakeboarding events began in 1992. Indmar Marine engines will provide the power for MasterCraft’s X Series line of competition tow boats.
 
About ROCKSTAR
ROCKSTAR is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles - from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in thirteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, Roasted Light Vanilla, Cola, and Recovery. ROCKSTAR ENERGY SHOTS are available in Wild Berry and Tropical Punch flavors. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout the United Kingdom.
 
About FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the action sports lifestyle network for skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, motocross, and wakeboarding. Through its original and commissioned series and specials, short-form content, films, and prestigious event coverage, the channel features action sports athletes, emerging musicians, celebrities, and breaking news. FUEL TV was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 30 million U.S. homes. FUEL TV has networks in Australia (FUEL TV Australia) and Portugal (FUEL TV Portugal) and its content is viewed in more than 50 countries around the world.
 
About WakeBoarding Magazine
WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the Pro Tour. Read about all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and news.
 
About King of Wake
The King of Wake is the world’s elite pro wakeboarding series, attracting the sport’s top athletes from throughout the globe. Over the course of a season, athletes compete for the ultimate wakeboarding crown in a series points race of eight events throughout the United States to see who rules the wake. The 2010 series consists of the Wake Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard World Championships and all five stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour. The King of Wake is organized by World Sports & Marketing – the leading wake-events producer since 1988.
 
About Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action-sports tours and events, multimedia production and a consumer-facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the King of Wake series, Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship and Gatorade Free Flow Tour. Alli Productions creates original content, produces and presents content with partners and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes.