Immediately after the Waterski World Cup Russia Stop,  our short TV News edit was distributed by Satellite with the help of EBU to 300 million viewers around the World.  Then, our 26 minute edited WORLD CUP TV show was completed in the ProActive Studios in Bristol, England, within four days of that champagne soaked Prize Giving Ceremony in Dubna. This was distributed to an additional 200 million viewers. That is a tight schedule !  Here you can see Des Burke-Kennedy (IWSF) and Andy Grierson (ProActive) completing the voice-over and final edit selection. With such a large global distribution programme, verifying the exact TV broadcast times is not an easy task. At this stage, we can confirm the SKYSPORTS Satellite TV World Cup schedule times for Western Europe and they are as follows. Don’t...

TODAY IS THE DAY GOOD LUCK TO CHINA – GOOD LUCK TO BEIJING – GOOD LUCK TO THE ATHLETES At exactly EIGHT minutes past EIGHT tonight in Beijing, China, on the EIGHTH day of the EIGHTH month of 2008, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will begin. We wish all involved a safe, happy, successful  and memorable experience – and we hope that all the Athletes come home with new Personal Best performances  ! Some of the numbers are awesome ! Number of TV Viewers – 4 Billion Number of Athletes – 11,000 Number of participating countries – 205 Number of events – 300 All of our World Cup Athletes know that feeling very well. The big moment has arrived. The preparations have come to an end. Now it is that lonely time when the Athlete has to perform –...

Where did the stories come from ? While the No. 1 Rider in the World today, Dallas Friday, has fully recovered from an injury earlier this year, gossip suggested that she might not attend next week’s Palm Hills Developments Wakeboard World Cup Stop at Hacienda Bay in Egypt. Today, her mother confirmed for us that Dallas is in fact in peak form and is riding very well at the moment. Having already taken the Masters and Malibu titles this year – plus the Wakeboard World Cup title in Singapore and the World Cup season title last year, this ex-gymnast is going to be as tough as ever to beat in Egypt. Watch these pages for all the action, great photos and a full report.

Having successfully completed the first Waterski Stop of the 2008 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series in Dubna, Russia last week, the event now moves on to the first 2008 Wakeboard Stop ever staged in Egypt. Sponsored by Palm Hills Developments (PHD) on the sun drenched beaches of Hacienda Bay near Alexandria in the north coast area, this Stop will have a cash prize purse of US$80,000. To add to the atmosphere of the event, all 18 male Riders and 8 female Riders will be escorted on a private visit to the Pyramids on the way to the competition site itself. This will present a first class photo opportunity. The Wakeboard Council of the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) has confirmed  that the top ranked Riders from the following countries will participate : New Zealand,...

Having successfully completed the first Waterski Stop of the 2008 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series in Dubna, Russia last week, the event now moves on to the first 2008 Wakeboard Stop ever staged in Egypt. Sponsored by Palm Hills Developments (PHD) on the sun drenched beaches of Hacienda Bay near Alexandria in the north coast area, this Stop will have a cash prize purse of US$80,000. To add to the atmosphere of the event, all 18 male Riders and 8 female Riders will be escorted on a private visit to the Pyramids on the way to the competition site itself. This will present a first class photo opportunity. The Wakeboard Council of the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) has confirmed  that the top ranked Riders from the following countries will participate : New Zealand, Australia,...

HERE IS THE DEAL. You have a parcel – and its a big one. You have to get it safely and on time to an address which is a bit far away. If it gets lost, you are goosed. Ask Ian Birdsall of MasterCraft if he gets any sleep at night during our World Cup season. Remember also that we have completed 22 World Cup Stops to date and somehow, he has still not lost a parcel !  This year, the challenge is even greater as there are new exotic and exciting World Cup Stops on the list. So pack up the MasterCrafts, get down to the docks and wave goodbye as they make their way this year to Russia, Egypt, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Qatar. Ian has added Will Furze to the globe trotting MasterCraft World Cup team this year so maybe its Will who now has the sleepless nights ! Being the official supplier...

Few sports are fortunate to have such extraordinary athletes in the persons of Freddy Krueger (USA) and Jaret Llewellyn (CAN). By any standards, these are EXTREME athletes. Freddy is a SEVEN time World Record holder. Jaret is an ELEVEN time World Record holder. There is nothing between them in talent content. This is why the world is captivated by our World Cup Jump Stars whenever they step on to that dock anywhere around the globe. They bring electricity with them everywhere. After 22 successful World Cup Stops to date, we all just want even more of this ! To highlight how close this World Cup Duel Of The Ramp Champs really is, when Jaret Llewellyn put 66.5m on tha board at our Dubna World Cup Stop, Freddy Krueger knew that in the prevailing conditions, this was virtually impossible to beat....

If you were lucky enough to be at the Dubna World Cup Stop in Russia, you would have seen it for yourself !  World Cup Champion Nicolas LeForestier is tough. Within 10 days of major surgery – biceps ligaments demolished – he arrived at Dubna with his Shortboard. As this discipline is one of the most popular in Russia, the 30,000 spectators expected action. That is almost unfair pressure. Can you believe it – with his raw stitches strapped to his body with two Jump Slings, he almost managed to land a Flip in front of the cheering spectators ! Well done Nic for trying. Right now our World Cup Shortboard star is coaching in Ireland and we hope he is back in our World Cup series very soon.

CLEMENTINE LUCINE (FRA) moved directly from her Dubna World Cup Shordboard triumph on to the French National Waterski Championships. Earlier this year she had some shoulder surgery. There were real concerns about her ability to continue at her extremely high level. As the reigning World Overall Champion, this was a pressure situation for the Champion. However, not only has she fully recovered from surgery, regained full fitness and taken the first 2008 Shortboard title in Dubna, Russia, now she has raised the roof at the French Nationals by delivering a pending new WORLD SHORTBOARD RECORD of 8440 points. CONGRATULATIONS CLEMENTINE FROM ALL THE WORLD CUP TEAM.

This was the fifth consecutive World Cup Stop in Dubna in Russia and the 22nd in the series launched by the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) in 2004. The next Stops this season will be in Egypt, Singapore, India, Malaysia and Qatar. MasterCraft will again supply all the competition boats and technical support. The World’s highest ranked athletes in Slalom, Shortboard and Jump were hosted by the rapidly expanding City of Dubna. Over 30,000 spectators packed the river-side stadium for the thrilling Finals in warm, breezy and sunny conditions. They were welcomed by Mayor Valeri Prokh of Dubna, IWSF President Kuno Ritschard and Alexandre Gornostaev, President of the Russian Waterski Federation. In the Ladies Slalom event, catching many by surprise, it was the youngest of all on...