Wakeboarders get a chance to shine at Hyperlite Pro Tour Tournament

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    By Lisa Dernick

    Park”s Sportsman is sponsoring the Hyperlite Pro Tour Wakeboarding Tournament at Deer Creek Reservoir”s Rainbow Bay on June 8.

    “It allows us to showcase the best talent of the state in wakeboarding,” said Randy Park, the owner of Park”s. “It gives other people an opportunity instead of just watching it on ESPN that they can go there live and be 30 feet away from watching guys get 30 feet in the air.”

    A team of four riders will represent Park”s and Hyperlite. Madison Galland, Ryan Poleman, Ed Penneger and Matt Cook are all locals on the team who ride together often. Penneger said the four like to go out to Lake Mead and work on their routines.

    “This weekend I worked on getting my tricks back down and adding a few,” Penneger said.

    Poleman, who has been riding for four or five years, has competed the past two years finishing in the top three in the majority of the tournaments. He said he does not have expectations in the upcoming event.

    “I”m going to blaze out there, do some tricks and hopefully land them,” Poleman said. “Whoever stays standing up with some good tricks should win.”

    Tricks attempted in the contest will consist of back and front rolls, tantrums, whirly birds and mobiuses, Penneger and Poleman said.

    The contest is for all ages, male and female, professionals and amateurs. There will be four levels of competition.

    The beginner and intermediate levels cost $20 to register. The advanced and outlaw levels require a $30 registration fee.

    The outlaw division is for sponsored pros. Registration takes place at Park”s.

    Riders get two attempts to land their tricks and impress the judge. Five Mastercraft boats will tow the riders. Four winners in each division will be awarded a trophy.

    Park urges everyone to come watch, enjoy and learn.

    “It allows the opportunity to see people pushing the envelope and giving them new tricks to try themselves that they might have never seen before,” Park said.

    The new tricks seen at the event can be tried out the next two days.

    Following the wakeboarding contest will be two days of demos with Hyperlite and Liquid Force boards and also HO skis.

    Hyperlite”s main attraction will be seeing Daniel Harf, the 2000 Rookie of the Year, up close. He was ranked No. 8 in Wakeboarding Magazine”s readers” poll and designed one of the best selling pro model boards in the history of wakeboarding.

    Harf will judge the event and give clinics when performing demos.

    And if all goes well, the Hyperlite Tour will make Deer Creek an annual pit stop, Poleman said.

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