ONE WAKEBOARD MASTERS
Villach / Silbersee
AUSTRIA

 
 
(Photo - Mike Ranz)

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party pics


(Photo - Mike Ranz)
The ONE Wakeboard Masters - finals of the 2002 MasterCraft European Wakeboard Pro Tour gave the vast crowds of spectators gathered in Villach/Silbersee, spectacle that they will never forget. The finals of the 2002 Tour will be remembered as Europe's biggest and most extravagant wakeboard event ever.
As the world's top riders gathered at this picturesque lake in Austria they all knew what they were aiming for: to become the 2002 European Wakeboard Pro Tour Champion and vie for the huge prize purse that was awaiting them.
Once again Pro rider, Rodo Vinh-Tung (FRA) proved that he really is the best by once again taking first place in the competition and overall tour winner title, performing an excellent run with a huge Bat Wing, Off Axis 5, Whirlybird and Back Roll to Blind - and that was just his first pass! South African Matt Lammers (RSA) made the long journey from Johannesburg worthwhile by stealing 2nd place from

regular tour-goer Nick Heaney (GBR). Matt wowed the crowd with a variety of tricks including a Pete Rose and Big Worm - 2 complex manoeuvres which we rarely see on the Tour. Up and coming rider from Tahiti, Jesson Vedel took 4th place and narrowly missed podium position with a great run including landing an Off Axis

  

(Photo - Mike Ranz)

720 - a trick not too many riders can perform with consistency. The Open Men division at this final stop was always gonna be Julien Bonnet's (BEL) crowning event, riding super consistently with a win at every stop there was no one to touch him for the overall glory. The only one who could get close was Michael Callebert (BEL), another fantastic rider with a great future ahead, Michael has been biting at Julien's heels all summer but just couldn't quite catch him in the race for overall Tour champion.




Final Stop and Overall Tour Winner - Rodo Vinh-Tung

Open Men winners

Pro Ladies Winners

Pro Men Winners

The crowds turned out to cheer on the winners and join in the fun at the end of tour party........


sssss
.......... and Oh what a party
IT REALLY WAS !!!!!




  As for the Pro Ladies, Caroline Jansson (SWE) and Justine Charriere (SUI) have been swapping podium positions all year. Louise Moore (GBR) has also been right there at the top with them, but an unfortunate injury kept her out of one of the stops and she wasn't able to make up the extra points she would need to take her higher than a 3rd overall. Caroline took a win in the UK and Louise took a win in Italy, and although Justine hadn't managed a first place at any of the individual stops she had gained enough to come out as joint overall Tour champion with Caroline. Between the on-water action, there were dazzling displays from wakeboarders and barefooters plus awesome displays of boat driving by Martin James in the MasterCraft X-Star. The banks were lined with trade stalls and helicopters buzzed overhead with TV crews and photographers all angling for the best shots. It took the Red Bull sky diving team swooping in on finals day to take the crowds attention off the water and turn it skyward, even if only for a short while. They leaped out of helicopters and plunged towards the waiting crowd at death defying speeds, pulling their shoots at the very last minute, base-jump style, landed and bowed to a rapture of applause and casually walked away like it's something we all do all the time!.

As the daytime events came to a close, the evenings took over, with lakeside bars opening up and live bands pumping out the big beats way into the early hours

The prize giving ceremony had marked the end of the tour for 2002 but nobody was ready to go home just yet, and the end of tour party was about to kick off and everyone intended that it went off with a bang. ALthough the goodbye's always seem to be a little sad, the parting words from all involved were very clear and very simple: SEE YOU HERE NEXT YEAR!