With the arrival of the first Stop of the 2006 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup in Doha, Qatar, next week, the main sponsors, Qatar Marine Sport Federation, Aspire and MasterCraft, are taking trend setting steps to maximize the impact in the region.

Spectators on the Palm tree lined 7.5km Corniche walkway overlooking the blue waters of the Persian Gulf, will enjoy the skills of the top ranked Wakeboarders and Shortboarders from 17 countries in the April 21/22 World Cup. It has just been announced that two other major related events will also take place as a direct result of this World Cup programme. Both are an example of the real impact of this World Cup series created by the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) two years ago. Its influence is gathering significant momentum.

Aspire (Academy of Sports Excellence) hit international headlines recently when they opened the world’s largest indoor Sports Dome in Doha. This enormous structure covers 290,000 sq.m. – over 3 million sq.ft.  The Sports Dome will play a central role in the Asian Games scheduled for December in Qatar. The Academy will hold an open day to look for fresh footballing talent on April 15th. Following that, they have invited two Waterski and Wakeboard legends to run an intensive training course for 110 young boys and girls from the area during the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup next week. These will be Patrice Martin, six time World Overall Waterski Champion and multiple World Record Holder, and Rodo Vinh-Tung, three time European Protour Wakeboard winner and also winner of the Wakeboard World Games and European X Games. Both will provide the highest level of instruction for the youngsters aged between 6 and 19. The students will be presented with a certificate by their instructors. This event will be featured by the local TV and media organizations.

On April 22nd, also during the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup, a special Arab Waterski Slalom and Wakeboard Challenge will take place beside the nearby Diplomatic Club in Doha. Intensive competition is expected over this two round event.

When the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup first arrived in Qatar in 2004, few could have anticipated the rate at which local interest would grow.  The IWSF President, Kuno Ritschard, stated today in Switzerland that the combined impact of the Aspire Children’s Coaching Programme, the Arab Slalom Challenge, the support of Qatar Marine Sport Federation plus the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup on April 20/22, is precisely what was hoped for when the World Cup series was first launched. Qatar has set an example for the next 2006 World Cup Stops in France, China, Russia, Northern Ireland and Singapore.

The IWSF also announced that every Stop of the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series will be available on DVD throughout 2006. Each will present the edited TV show which will be broadcast throughout the season. For those who may have missed any of last year’s televised World Cup shows, all the Stops of 2005 are now available on one compilation DVD. Details of how to purchase copies are at http://www.pro-active.co.uk/shop/shop_active.html

Web Sites :
IWSF : http://www.iwsf.com/
WORLD CUP : www.iwsftournament.com/wordpress
QMSF : http://www.qmsf.com/
MasterCraft : http://www.mastercraft.com/