Orlando, Florida (September 29, 2002) - Darin Shapiro
has won more events than
anyone in the history of the pro wakeboarding, but the 2002
Mountain Dew WWA Wakeboard
World Championships, the third and final stop in the Vans Triple
Crown of Wakeboarding
series will forever hold a special place for Shapiro.
In winning the Vans Triple Crown of Wakeboarding Season Championship,
Shapiro earns a new Ford Ranger FX4, a highlight in anyone's
life. But for Darin, the truck represents far more because he
has decided to give the truck to his brother Jarrett Shapiro.
"It's a great thing for me," said Shapiro of his victory in
the Vans Triple Crown Season Series. "But I think he needs something
really great in his life right now."
Jarrett Shapiro's wife, Connie, is in a life and death battle
with lung cancer. She has been taking chemotherapy treatment
to fight the illness with some positive results, but the fight
is not over.
In the competition for the World Championship, Shapiro finished
second on Sunday at Orlando WaterSports Complex to Erik Ruck,
capping off an excellent season for Ruck. Ruck adds the World
Championship to the Pro Wakeboard Tour season championship,
a title he won earlier this year. Danny Harf finished third
in the event, making Harf one of the best big event riders in
the sport.
In the women's World Championship Tara Hamilton was the big
story, taking the home the victory behind the Super Air Nautique
wakeboard boat, the exclusive towboat of the World Championships.
Hamilton, the most decorated rider in the history of women's
wakeboarding, has been battling injury for the past two seasons,
missing the majority of 2001 and 2002. The victory for Hamilton
is her first victory since the 2000 X Games and signifies her
full recovery.
Hamilton's was not the only comeback in the women's competition.
The Worlds was one of the best events in the past two years
for 1999-2000 World Champion, Maeghan Major. Major finished
second on the day. Dallas Friday, who was of competition in
the early part of 2002 with a cracked vertebra, came in third
on the day.
The Ford Ranger FX4 was not the only thing Shapiro took home
on the day. In all, Shapiro captured the biggest piece of the
5,000 given away at the Mountain Dew WWA Wakeboard World Championships.
In the Sea Doo best trick contest, Shapiro took first place
on the day and the season series to earn a 2003 Van's Triple
Crown Edition GTX 4TEC Sea Doo.
When asked if Shapiro would be giving the Sea Doo away as well
he said, "No, I need that Sea Doo. I'm going to hold on to that."
Sea Doo was very generous on the day, not only providing a new
model for Shapiro, but also for the 2002 Women's Vans Triple
Crown of Wakeboarding
Champion, Dallas Friday. This marks the first season Sea Doo
has been involved with the Vans Triple Crown of Wakeboarding
Series.
Since the World Championship is the last major event of the
season, the Wakeboarding World Cup presented by Loogy Lube was
also on the line with Shapiro taking home this title as well
along with the ,000 bonus. Emily Copeland took home the women's
world cup and ,500 in prize money.
Two other World Championships were decided on the day in the
amateur ranks. In the Junior Men's division JD Webb, long touted
as one of the best young riders in the world, lived up to that
billing, winning his first Junior Men's World title. Jonathan
Nadolski, a strong competitor in the Junior X Series in 2002,
finished second and Steve McKinley finished third.
In the Boys division Corey Minor took home the top spot, edging
2002 National
Champion Robert Soven who finished second and Bradey Price who
finished third.
Pro Men Finals
1 Erik Ruck (WI) 71.66
2 Darin Shapiro (FL) 70.40
3 Danny Harf (FL) 70.00
Froggy Soven (FL) 67.03
Parks Bonifay (FL) 66.41
Shane Bonifay (FL) 62.01
Jeff Weatherall (NZL) 46.15
Daniel Watkins (AUS) 43.69
Pro Women Finals
1 Tara Hamilton (FL) 58.13
2 Maeghan Major (NC) 56.88
3 Dallas Friday (FL) 56.76
Melissa Marquardt (CA) 49.02
Lauren Loe (TX) 48.66
Leslie Kent (FL) 48.36
Cheryl Newton (CA) 39.73
Lauren Harf (FL) 34.17
Jr Men Finals
1 J D Webb (FL) 65.94
2 Jonathan Nadolski (FL) 64.07
3 Steve McKinley (CAN) 60.59
Tino Santori (CO) 59.02
Jeff House (TN) 54.19
Kyle Murphy (CA) 52.26
Wes Brisco (FL) 39.67
Robert Bonifay (FL) 25.22
Boys Finals
1 Corey Miner (FL) 57.35
2 Tadpole Soven (FL) 55.79
3 Bradey Price (CAN 53.91
4 Reed Hansen (FL) 51.24
5 Derek Conway (CA) 47.56
A.J. Racinelli Jr (CA) 30.00
Pro Men Semifinals
(top 4 each heat advance to Finals)
HEAT # 1
1 Froggy Soven (FL) 68.44
2 Shane Bonifay (FL) 68.20
3 Parks Bonifay (FL) 64.74
4 Jeff Weatherall (NZL) 60.26
Keith Lyman (FL) 60.09
Josh Sanders (AUS) 60.00
Andrew Adkison (FL) 59.06
Shawn Watson (FL) 57.01
HEAT # 2
1 Danny Harf (FL) 63.80
2 Erik Ruck (WI) 63.60
3 Darin Shapiro (FL) 61.54
4 Daniel Watkins (AUS) 61.13
Loren Levine (WI) 55.01
Trevor Hansen (FL) 54.47
Gerry Nunn (FL) 54.14
Ricky Gonzales (FL) 38.67
Sea Doo "Best Trick" Competition
1 Darin Shapiro (FL) 21.0
2 Erik Ruck (WI) 18.1
Shane Bonifay (FL) 16.0
Froggy Soven (FL) 13.0
Mountain Dew/Sea Doo Wakeskate
1 Brian Grubb 58.24
2 Scott Byerly 48.27
3 Thomas Horrell (FL) 42.88
4 Drew McGurkin 41.35
The Mountain Dew WWA Wakeboard World Championships presented
by Ford Trucks are
made possible through the proud support of additional partners:
Vans, Xbox, Right
Guard Xtreme, Wake Boarding Magazine, Fox Sports Net and NBC
Sports. The Vans
Triple Crown Series? features the world's top athletes participating
in premier
venues throughout North America for the top prize purse in each
of six Core Sports?
disciplines: Skateboarding, Wakeboarding, BMX, Freestyle Motocross,
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