With a nearly flawless first run in the final heat, Pro Wake Tour veteran Guenther Oka locked in the number one spot and held onto it for the entire second round to seal the win at the second stop of the PWT in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday. Guenther’s smooth riding and his blend of technical tricks executed with style put him on top of the podium. Previous event winner and young gun Sam Brown, linked together some solid moves but ended up falling on both of his final runs which took him out of contention for the podium. Tour standout and incredibly consistent performer, Nic Rapa landed in the second spot for the second week straight with Cory Teunissen landing in third. Another up and comer, Thomas Herman made his very first appearance in the finals this week marking his best performance yet. Massi Piffaretti has been riding incredibly this season with a set of new moves he hopes to unwrap for the PWT finals but has been plagued with falls.

After the first event in Katy, TX the riders knew that they were not going to make it to the finals, let alone the podium if they were not pushing it and putting all of their best moves into their runs. That meant that the spectators were given an amazing show, but the day was also littered with a number of big names going down with falls as they were pushing so hard.

The crowd on hand at Oak Mountain State Park was one of the biggest crowds we have seen in years as enthusiasts and families came out to see the riders throwing it down. With Skier’s Marine as the local pro shop and Supra Boats dealership, they rallied the entire Birmingham water sports community to come out for an incredible day at the lake.

Picturesque Double Oak Lake in Oak Mountain State Park just outside of Birmingham, Alabama offered the most ideal conditions and the Supra SA 550 once again delivered a perfect wake for all of the athletes to perform at the upper most level of their abilities.  With the boat providing the ultimate platform for these riders to showcase their talents it leaves the rest up to them and the riders delivered with some exceptional performances!

Pro Wakeboarding Winner – Guenther Oka 

PRO WAKEBOARDING FINALS

Semi Finals
Heat 1
1st – Guenther Oka 80.00
2nd – Massi Piffaretti 70.00
3rd – Cory Teunissen 67.33
4th – Fynn Bullock 61.67

Heat #2
1st – Nic Rapa 88.33
2nd – Sam Brown 76.67
3rd – Thomas Herman 60.00
4th – Shota Tezuka 57.00

With Oka’s win, there are now 4 riders in the chase for the season overall championship – Rapa, Teunissen, Oka and Brown. With the next event being a digital event where the riders submit their lines on video and have the time to perfect their submissions, we are going to see some of the best wakeboarding lines ever created going live on at www.prowakeboardtour.com in a few weeks.

Be sure to tune in next week for the full show and recap of this Birmingham event on the PWT YouTube channel to see the full runs and get the insight from the riders on how it went down and how they felt about it.

In Pro Wakesurfing the 3 time Pro Wakesurf Tour Champion Sean Silveira once again showed that in a live event he is the man to beat. His variety and diversity are extremely hard to match as he balances his run with an amazing array of technical tricks as well as big air maneuvers.  Right behind Silveira once again was incredibly consistent Camron Swanson, then rounding out the podium was Tyler Stewart, who we did not see at the first event this year.  Both of these guys are killing it also.  The level of surfing is at an all time high and it will be interesting to see if Silveira can keep up this level of consistency to take home his 4th PWT overall tour title.

Sean Silveira

In Pro Wakesurfing the 3 time Pro Wake Tour Champion Sean Silveira put down what is likely the most technical, smooth and stylish wakesurfing competitive run ever landed. The shape of the Supra SA 550 wake was absolutely spectacular which allowed these guys to stomp nearly perfect runs. Right behind Silveira were the technically strong Swanson Brothers from Arizona. These three may very likely be in every final this year.

PRO WAKESURFING FINALS

PRO WAKESURFING SEMI-FINALS

Jr Pro Winner – Jamie Huser

In the Jr Pro Final, Swiss born Jamie Huser was the standout for the day with dominant wins in the semifinals and finals. In Jaden Reichl’s first PWT event ever he was able to lock in the number 2 spot and Parker Swope rounded out the podium.  These up and comers are the future of the sport and it is awesome to see the incredibly high level of riding they are throwing down!

JR. PRO FINALS

1st Jamie Huser 86.67
2nd Jaden Reichl 73.33
3rd Parker Swope 60.00
4th Cody Hunnicutt 55.00

Congratulations to all of the Pro Wake Tour athletes for your amazing riding, specifically our three event champions – Guenther Oka, Sean Silveira and Jamie Huser. Don’t miss the next Pro Wake Tour event online on August 2nd.

OTHER RESULTS
PRO WAKEBOARD QUARTER FINALS RESULTS

Heat #1
1st – Guenther Oka 84.50
2nd – Fynn Bullock 79.33
3rd – Noah Wildman 71.00
4th – Tony Iacconi 60.00

Heat #2
1st – Cory Teunissen 87.67
2nd – Massi Piffaretti 85.33
3rd – Luca Kidd 81.67
4th – Ulf Ditsch 61.67

Heat #3
1st – Nic Rapa 80.00
2nd – Thomas Herman 65.00
3rd – Tyler Higham53.33
4th –  Jake Hill 48.33

Heat #4
1st – Shota Tezuka 71.67
2nd – Sam Brown 69.00
3rd – Jake Pelot 66.67
4th – Kai Ditsch 51.67

Pro Wake Tour Partners:
In addition to title sponsor Supra Boats, the Pro Wake Tour is sponsored by: Indmar Marine, Roswell Marine, Boatmate Trailers, PTM Watersports, JL Audio, Gatorstep, Zero Off, Acme, Fat Sac Ballast Systems, Connelly, Liquid Force, Zulz Bags, Leus, Apex Canvas, Universal Products, Transhield, Marine Products International, Piedmont Plastics, and BH Electronics.

About Skier’s Choice Inc.
Skier’s Choice, Inc. is the manufacturer of Supra and Moomba performance inboard wakeboard, wakesurf and waterski towboats. Supra has been a leader in the inboard industry since 1981. The Supra brand is synonymous with innovative styling, luxurious interiors, highest construction quality, and unsurpassed wake performance. The Moomba brand delivers quality and performance far above its class. Moomba offers the best wake performance technology and none of the fuss. The company is privately held and is based in Maryville, Tennessee. Skier’s Choice encourages all boating participants to learn and follow safe boating practices. There are risks associated with boating and water sports activities. Be mindful of the risks, familiarize yourself with the environment, know your limits and conduct yourself accordingly.

About Alliance MultiMedia
The Pro Wake Tour is powered by media partner Alliance MultiMedia; @alliancewake, alliancewake.com & Alliance Wake Magazine: wakeboarding and wakesurfing’s movement and lifestyle. Known globally as the leader in watersports media, Alliance puts our readers and viewers at the most incredible destinations and events with the world’s best athletes and sport influencers.  Check out www.alliancewake.com

About Wakeboarding Magazine
With an emphasis on high-quality photography, in-depth interviews with top riders and reviews on all the latest gear, Wakeboarding inspires its audience with fun and relevant content, anchored by expert boat analysis, quality instruction and how-to features. Its mission is to lead, connect and inspire by enlisting the talents of the most experienced professionals in the industry across multiple media channels. For more information, visit www.wakeboardingmag.com.

For more information please visit – www.prowakeboardtour.com or email Chris Bischoff – Chris@prowaketour.com