Reno Pro Tour Stop- Day 1 of 3

Reno Pro Tour Stop

Day 1 of 3

Four-Time X Games Champ Gambles on aWin in Reno Coming Off of Injury

Date: 7/11/08Author: WSM Press Release

Reno, Nev. - One of the biggest stories to come out of the waters of Sparks Marina today at the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour was the return of four-time X Games gold-medalist Danny Harf, after he had suffered a massive hip injury earlier this year.

Harf, 23, a native of Visalia, Calif. has been out all season with a herniated disk in his lower spine, preventing the former rookie of the year from competing at the Tour's previous four stops. The hip injury took place at the infamous Billabong Bus Wall Ride photo shoot, when the 2006 Tour champion rode off the wall of a tour bus and brutally landed on the ground.

"My body felt all twisted up, I couldn't even bend over to tie my shoes," said Harf. "The doctor told me not to take any hard hits on the water for while, but I'm back now and ready to ride."
After a three-month recovery period, Danny Harf entered his first contest of the year as a wildcard in today's Pro Men division qualifying round. Harf made an impact on the water today, as he led his heat of six with a near perfect score of 98 points, an 18.5-point differential from his next closest competitor, Aaron Rathy. The two-time wakeboard U.S. national champion will advance onto tomorrow's Pro Men Round of 30 and ultimately look to win the contest at Sparks Marina.

Harf took the top spot in Reno in 2006, when the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour was last held here.

Also in the Pro Men division, the undefeated Phillip Soven ripped through his heat of five to advance past the opening-round. Soven, 19, of Longwood, Fla., has won all four previous Tour stops this year and will look to claim the first-ever unbeaten season with a win this weekend in Reno.

Wakeboarding's future stars, ages 14-18, took to the water today for the Jr. Men's Division quarterfinals, where 20 of the top amateur riders in the world competed in five heats of four. Only the top-two riders from each heat advanced onto tomorrow's semifinals, sending half the competition home packing.

Among the 10 Jr. riders advancing past the opening-round today was Jimmy LaRiche (Boca Raton, Fla.) who led his heat today with a perfect score of 100 points.

The event will continue tomorrow, Saturday, July 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and conclude on Sunday, July 13 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Sparks Marina on July 12-13 for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is a three-day carnival of water-sports action. But not all of the action takes place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons of great food and music; athlete autograph signings; chances to win free giveaways; and shopping at the most cutting-edge stores for water-sports equipment including boats, wakeboards, wakeskates, sunglasses and the latest in wakeboarding and surfing fashions.

To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to FUEL TV. For exact air dates, visit ProWakeboardTour.com.

FUEL TV is a 24/7 action-sports lifestyle network for wakeboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX and freestyle motocross. A unit of Fox Cable Networks, FUEL TV was launched July 1, 2003, and is seen in 25 million U.S. homes. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.
MasterCraft is the exclusive tow boat for the Pro Wakeboard Tour, as it has been since the tour's wakeboarding events began in 1992. Indmar Marine engines will provide the power for MasterCraft's X Series line of competition tow boats.

Rockstar is the world's most powerful energy drink. Developed to improve the recovery time of those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles, Rockstar Energy Drink is available in 10 flavors -- Original, Sugar Free, Juiced, Zero Carb, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Vanilla Light and Roasted Latte -- at convenience stores and retail grocery outlets across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom.

WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour. WakeBoarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Gator Boards, Ronix, Oakley, Reef, Ogio, Cire, Zero Off, Epiphone, Reno Tahoe, WakeWorld.com, wakeboarder.com and theliquidcircus.com.