 |
 Rusty and Nicola Win Big at Pro-Am June 23, 2008 After winning in 2005 and 2006, MasterCraft rider Rusty Malinoski claimed his third Pro-Am title in four years, after taking the top spot in today's Pro Men finals at the Tig Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship.
The now three-time Pro-Am wakeboard champion took on fellow countryman Aaron Rathy, two-time wakeboard world champ and MasterCraft rider Andrew Adkison (Panama City, Fla.) and two-time wakeboard World Series champion Daniel Watkins (Gold Coast, Australia), who respectively rounded out the podium, to clinch the win in the finals. To see Malinoski’s winning run, click on the link below to go to WakeBoarding Magazine online:
"I'm just so stoked right now, winning three of the last four Pro-Ams," said Malinoski. "I've been riding well and this win should give some real momentum going into the next contest."
Another MasterCraft rider, Bryan Hutton, who has been a Cinderella story of sorts, may not have won today, but he didn't leave empty-handed either. Hutton won the Rockstar Energy Drink Best Trick Award, a $1,000 bonus for landing the most impressive trick of the contest, a Backside 360 onto the funbox to Backside 360 boardslide to 270 out.
But that was not all – not by a long shot. Fans at Blue Lake Park witnessed history in the making today as yet another MasterCraft athlete, Nicola Butler, won her fifth consecutive contest, after taking the top spot in Pro Women's division finals at the Tig Pro-Am Wakeboard Championship. Butler's fifth straight win marks the most consecutive victories any pro wakeboarder has won in a single season.
To claim her first Pro-Am title, Butler beat out five other talented female rippers, including former Vans Wakeboarding Pro winner Melissa Marquardt and rookie phenom Raimi Merritt, who respectively rounded out the podium. To see Butler’s winning run, click on the link below to go to WakeBoarding Magazine online:
"It's just been such awesome season so far and it doesn't get better than being five for five," said Butler. "I'm going to take things one day at time, but winning the Pro-Am today will definitely help going into the next contest." Images courtesy of WakeBoarding Magazine    |
