By By EDWIN MODLIN II
Staff Writer
INT League Wakeboarding comes to Bath Creek and brings in the crowds for an eventful day of sun, water and big air yesterday.
Wakeboarding is an ever changing sport that allows riders to express their personality, style and sheer passion for the sport as they catch some big air as they compete in North Carolina’s INT located at Wayne Woolard’s home on Catnip Point Road.
Yesterday marked the sixth event for North Carolina’s INT Wakeboarding Contest, but the first time it was held at Bath Creek. The event included wakeboarding, wakeskating and kneeboarding, with novice, junior and expert level competitors.
“There are only two events left to determine who gets the invitation to the U.S. Championships,” Tim Richardson, even coordinator said. “As far as we know, that competition will be held at Sunset Lakes in Groveland, Fla. from Oct. 13 to 16.”
Richardson added the reason the event was held at Bath Creek and not on the Pamlico River in Washington is because of water conditions, as the Pamlico is only 10-feet deep in areas that creates smaller wake.
“Here in Bath Creek, the water’s deeper and allows the wake to form bigger for a more rideable wake,” he said. “Letting the riders get bigger air and perform better quality tricks.”
As each trick is graded on a degree of difficulty they have a point value, and then are added up together to sum up the riders score.
The scoring of points is based on how many tricks or variations a wakeboarder performs, such as grabs, two-wake tricks, set-up tricks, inverts as well as how difficult the trick is to complete.
You would have to be a wakeboarder to understand the names of the tricks, such as: bunny hop, powerslide to blind, bunny hop back side, backside spin, and so many more that make any other sport seem remedial.
Competitors like Andy Ceh, David Head, Caleb Sherman and Corbin Minor were just some of the junior class athlete wakeboarders who wowed the crowd with their tricks and how smoothly they pulled them off, as did hotshot kneeboarder Andrew Filer.
Registration for the competition began at 8 a.m. and the competition began at 9 a.m. with a cost of $40 adults and $35 for juniors.
“We really appreciate and want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped out,” Richardson said. “Our events would not be possible if not for the gracious volunteers who judge, drive, set up and tear down, help in registration and dock start.”
According to Richardson, the competition went off with great success. To find out more about INT League Wakeboarding log onto www.intleague.com/northcarolina or call Tim Richardson at (336) 598-4140.