Australians blitz all challengers to take Round One of the Australian Pro Tour of Wakeboarding
Saturday 6 January 2007

Sydney riders Dean Smith and Amber Wing held out some of the world’s best to take top honours at the first leg of the 2007 Air Nautiques Australian Pro Tour of Wakeboarding (APTW) held at Twin Lakes in Mulwala today.

In what turned out to be an all Australian final, 22 year old Dean Smith withstood some seriously strong competition from both local and international riders with a talented American contingent that included world number one Shawn Watson as well as last year’s overall winner Kiwi, Jeff Wetherall and three times Aussie Pro Tour Champ Daniel Watkins.

Local Wagga Wagga rider Brett Eisenhauer performed well in front of a home crowd to make it through to the quarter finals but was eventually bumped out of the competition by young gun Aussie Mitch Langfield, the 15 year old making his mark early on the Tour by ousting World number one Shawn Watson in the head to head competition.

Judges are calling the 2007 Tour the toughest yet with such a strong international showing, especially the American’s who lead the world in wakeboarding. The next three Stops are set to provide some spectacular action.

Australian rider Amber Wing took out the top honours in the women’s comp holding out Canadian Sunni Anne Ball and fellow Sydneysider Hayley Smith coming in third.

With Wakeboarding now Australia’s fastest growing sport, the APTW continues to grow in popularity from both riders and spectators. Each stop on the Tour is hotly contested with more than $50,000 in cash up for grabs over the five week series.
Riders move to Melbourne’s Caribbean Gardens for Round Two on 14 January, then on to the Sydney International Regatta Centre for Stop 3 on 26 January where the ATPW will be the centrepiece of the annual Australia Day celebrations and the final Round will be held in the heart of Brisbane, right on the river at South Bank on 4 February.

Results