HERMAN GOES BACK TO BACK AT PARKS BONIFAY’S RED BULL DOUBLE OR NOTHING
Orlando hosts winner-take-all best trick competition featuring world’s top pros
The annual Red Bull Double or Nothing contest went down on Lake Ivanhoe in Orlando, Florida this past weekend, with the best wakeboarding pros from around the world competing. Each athlete was tasked with one goal in mind in the winner-take-all best trick competition; go as big as possible. This year Thomas Herman was able to pull off a double KGB, besting the rest of the competition and taking home a $15,000 prize for his second win in as many years.
Thomas made history at the event last year by becoming the first person to land a triple flip in competition. Now he becomes the first in competition history to successfully defend his title.
“It feels absolutely insane to be the first person to ever go back to back wins at the Red Bull Double or Nothing wakeboard contest,” said Thomas. “I’m super happy with how I rode today. It’s going to take me a while to process, but I can’t believe that just happened!”
This year, 7-time World Champion Meagan Ethell became the first woman to officially be invited to the event, breaking boundaries as she often does. Meagan attempted a KGB 5 but was unable to land the trick – which would have been the first time a woman landed it in competition. Meagan was not the only woman. Italian rider, Giulia Castelli, received an invite to compete after winning a wild card video submission.
Red Bull Double or Nothing – created by wakeboarding legend and Winter Park resident Parks Bonifay – recruited the best in the sport to ride behind the legendary MasterCraft XStar in the sport’s premier big air, best trick competition.
Other notable riders included second-place Luca Kidd and third-place Nic Rapa. The athletes were hitting double-ups (when two wakes from a single boat converge to form one large wake) all day, getting massive air to the cheers of the large Orlando crowd enjoying the show from Gaston Edwards Park.
No other event in the sport shows what kind of envelope pushing feats wake’s best athletes are capable of better than Red Bull Double or Nothing.
