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After winning in 2005 and 2006, the Bone Crusher Rusty Malinoski claimed his third Pro-Am title in four years, after taking the top spot in today's Pro Men finals at the Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship in Portland.
The now three-time Pro-Am wakeboard champion took on fellow countryman Aaron Rathy (Nanaimo, B.C.), two-time wakeboard world champ Andrew Adkison (Panama City, Fla.) and two-time wakeboard World Series champion Daniel Watkins (Gold Coast, Australia), who respectively rounded out the podium, to clinch the win in the finals.
“I’m just so stoked right now, winning three of the last four Pro-Ams,” said Malinoski. “I’ve been riding well and this win should give some real momentum going into the next contest.”
Bryan Hutton may not have won today, but he didn’t leave empty-handed either. Hutton won the Rockstar Energy Drink Best Trick Award, a $1,000 bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a Backside 360 onto the funbox to Backside 360 boardslide to 270 out.
Fans at Blue Lake Park witnessed history in the making today, as Nicola Butler, 16, (Cape Town, South Africa) won her fifth consecutive contest, after taking the top spot in Pro Women’s Division finals at the Tigé Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. Butler’s fifth straight win marks the most consecutive victories any pro wakeboarder has won in a single season.
To claim her first Pro-Am title, Butler beat out five other talented female rippers, including former Vans Wakeboarding Pro winner Melissa Marquardt (Canyon Lake, Calif.) and rookie phenom Raimi Merritt (Lantana, Fla.), who respectively rounded out the podium.
“It’s just been such awesome season so far and it doesn’t get better than being five for five,” said Butler. “I’m going to take things one day at time, but winning the Pro-Am today will definitely help going into the next contest.”
The top-four shredders in the contest battled it out on the water today in the Pro Wakeskate finals. All eyes were on current wakeskate world champion Reed Hansen (Groveland, Fla.), as the Florida native was looking to repeat at the contest and become the first pro wakeskater in history to ride away with two consecutive Tigé Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship titles.
Hansen looked to be putting on demo with his riding today, but Stuart Shinn (Bradenton, Fla.) managed to pull-off the upset and ride away with the win. Hansen finished in second-place, followed by Brian Grubb (Nashua, N.H.) and Grant Roberts (Alamo, Calif.). Today’s win marks Shinn’s first Pro-Am title.
Wakeboarding’s future superstars hit the water today for the Jr. Men’s finals, where six young, talented rippers were all vying for their first Tigé Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship title. Fans lined the shores today to see if local Oregon rider and Jr. Men’s finalist Alex Scagliotti (Bend, Ore.) would take home the win on hometown waters.
Scagliotti wasn’t able to ride away with the win today, but fans were left too disappointed, as he podiumed in third-place, trailing Julian Cohen (Windermere, Fla.) in first and Daniel Powers (Orlando, Fla.) in second. Cohen’s win marks his first Pro-Am title.
Cohen’s success didn’t end with Jr. Men’s title today, as the Florida native won the PCM Amateur Best Trick Award as well. The Award is $500 bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest by an amateur rider with his Toeside 720.
In the amateur divisions, four riders claimed their first-ever Pro-Am titles today as well. Tyler Heinze finished in first-place in the Open Men’s Division, Kyle Evans took home the Amateur Boys title, Danni Patraitis took the top spot in the Amateur Women’s Division, and Tanner Champion captured the Amateur Wakeskate title.
Sunday, June 22 – Final Results:
Pro Men - Finals Heat 01
1 Rusty Malinoski CAN 94.00
2 Aaron Rathy CAN 87.75
3 Andrew Adkison USA 81.75
4 Daniel Watkins AUS 76.50
Pro Women - Finals Heat 01
1 Nicola Butler UK 93.25
2 Melissa Marquardt USA 81.75
3 Raimi Merritt USA 75.75
4 Amber Wing AUS 72.00
5 Andrea Fountain NZL 65.50
6 Emily Copeland Durham USA 61.75
Pro Wakeskate - Finals Heat 01
1 Stuart Shinn USA 56.67
2 Reed Hansen USA 50.00
3 Brian Grubb USA 33.33
4 Grant Roberts 20.00
Jr. Men (14-18) - Finals Heat 01
1 Alex Scagliotti USA 93.50
2 Daniel Powers USA 85.00
3 Thomas Olson USA 79.00
4 Julian Cohen USA 100.00
5 Ben Albright USA 85.75
6 Gunnar Shuler USA 78.25
Open Men - Finals Heat 01
1 Tyler Heinz USA 56.67
2 AJ Haynes USA 51.67
3 Trevor Ermer USA 46.67
4 Hunter Hansen USA 36.67
Amateur Wakeskate - Finals Heat 01
1 Tanner Champion CAN 80.00
2 Cody Prizer USA 60.00
3 Aaron Huntley USA 30.00
Amateur Boys - Finals Heat 01
1 Kyle Evans USA 61.67
2 Cooper Swink USA 52.78
3 Daniel Pate USA 37.22
4 Cody Prizer USA 33.33
Amateur Women - Finals Heat 01
1 Danni Petraitis USA 48.44
2 Taylor McCullough USA 40.00
3 Anna Hajek USA 26.11
Pro Men - Semifinals Heat 01
1 Daniel Watkins AUS 97.75
2 Bradley Smeele NZL 92.25
3 Dustin O’Ferrall CAN 80.00
Pro Men - Semifinals Heat 02
1 Aaron Rathy CAN 93.75
2 Austin Hair USA 93.25
3 Jimmy LaRiche USA 83.00
Pro Men - Semifinals Heat 03
1 Andrew Adkison USA 93.50
2 JD Webb USA 92.75
3 Trevor Hansen USA 83.75
Pro Men - Semifinals Heat 04
1 Rusty Malinoski CAN 97.75
2 Adam Errington SCT 89.50
3 Bryan Hutton USA 82.75
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