110,000 People Enjoy World Class Wakeboarding And Live Music At Three-Day Wakestock Abu Dhabi Festival

Youngest competitor Harley Clifford becomes first-ever Wakestock Abu Dhabi Champion at sixteen, beating Rusty Malinoski, Phillip Soven and Aaron Rathy in thrilling final. Dallas Friday wins women’s competition while JD Webb is Pool Gap winner. Hip hop superstars De La Soul headline final night’s musical performances.

Sixteen year old Harley Clifford was today crowned the first ever Wakestock Abu Dhabi Champion beating three of the sport’s best riders in a world class wakeboarding final at Wakestock Abu Dhabi held at Al Sahil beach on Abu Dhabi Corniche. Dallas Friday won the women’s competition while JD Webb was victorious on the rails as Pool Gap winner.

And after the sun went down, Wakestock Abu Dhabi closed with a bang as hip hop legends De La Soul entertained thousands with their unique quirky lyrics and funky beats including some of their greatest hits ‘Stakes is High’, ‘Me Myself and I’ and ‘Breakadawn’. The free three day festival has seen jaw dropping wakeboarding action on the first stop of this year’s World Wakeboarding Association’s ‘World Wake Series’ and the evenings filled with live music from local, regional and international stars.

The results of the main wakeboarding competition:
• In first place is the youngest competitor and 2009 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour title holder, Harley Clifford from Australia. Harley rode to victory with the competition’s only toeside frontside 900.

• In second place came Canadian Rusty Malinosky, known as the "Bone-Crusher" for his sheer power and brute strength.

• American Phillip Soven, the "Iceman", twice winner of world championships, the King of Wake, and the Pro Tour Wakestock Abu Dhabi Pro Finals came in third place.

• In fourth place came Canadian Aaron Rathy, 2009 King of Wake.

John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment said:
“Wakestock Abu Dhabi has been another fantastic beachfront event, adding to the diversity of the entertainment options Abu Dhabi has to offer. The combination of gravity-defying wakeboarding tricks and a wide variety of live music acts has really resonated with people of all ages and backgrounds, and over the weekend we have seen more than 110,000 residents who have come to enjoy the event on Al Sahil Beach.”

Mark Durston, Founder and CEO of Wakestock, said:
“The atmosphere here on the Corniche has been incredible. Abu Dhabi has provided the perfect setting for Wakestock, and we have seen some first class wakeboarding here on the beautiful waters of the Arabian Gulf. It has been great to find so much local support for the sport, and I can see Abu Dhabi becoming a top wakeboarding destination in the near future.”

Wakestock Abu Dhabi is presented by Abu Dhabi Beaches, organised by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City and produced by Flash Entertainment, the Abu Dhabi-based live events company. It is an action-packed free three-day beachfront event of wakeboarding and music running until Saturday 6 March.

The event is the first stop of the World Wakeboarding Association’s ‘World Wake Series. More details can be found at Wakestock Abu Dhabi website: www.wakestock.ae.
 

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