The world’s premier professional wakeboarding circuit, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, is set to kick off its 17th season on May 16-18, 2008, in Acworth, Ga. at Dallas Landing Park. Acworth is the first of five stops for the nationwide Pro Tour, which means riders are looking to start the season off right in Acworth.

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is a season-long points chase toward the tour title and the Indmar Performance Award, a $10,000 cash bonus to the top points earner in the Pro Men’s Division and a $5,000 prize for the Pro Women’s Division winner.

The contest combines aspects of snowboarding, water skiing and skateboarding. Riders strap themselves onto a wakeboard, which looks like a broader version of a snowboard. The riders are then pulled behind a boat as in water skiing, up and down the course at a speed of approximately 25 mph. Like a street course for skateboarding, the course has ramps and rails. In addition to rail tricks, riders perform aerial stunts, soaring 20-plus feet in the air off the wake that the boat creates. These moves are scored by a panel of judges, with the highest possible score being 100 points.

The field of top riders in the Pro Men’s Division includes reigning Tour champion Phillip Soven (Longwood, Fla.), Four-time X Games gold medalist Danny Harf (Visalia, Calif.) and 2008 Wake Games winner Rusty Malinoski (Humboldt, Saskatchewan), as well as two-time wakeboard world champion Andrew Adkison (Panama City, Fla.) and the Peach State’s own Corey Bradley (Gainesville, Ga.).

On the Pro Women’s side, ESPN ESPY winner Dallas Friday (Orlando, Fla.) highlights the field of female riders. Friday will be joined by current women’s wakeboard world champion Amber Wing (Sydney, Australia), X Games gold medalist Emily Copeland Durham (Denver, Colo.) and the 2008 women’s Wake Games champion Nicola Butler (Cape Town, South Africa).

Not all the action will take place on the water. On land, fans will experience tons of great music and food; athlete autograph signings; chances to win free gear; 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. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all three days.

Tickets can be purchased at Dallas Landing Park on May 17-18 for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under). To purchase tickets in advance, visit www.prowakeboardtour.com. General-admission tickets are buy one get one free online only until May 16, 12 p.m. EST.

Limited parking will be available at Dallas Landing Park on May 17-18. Shuttles will be provided from downtown Acworth. For more information on the event, contact the Acworth Parks and Recreation Department at 770-917-1234 or visit www.ProWakeboardTour.com.

To catch all the wakeboarding action from home, tune in to Fuel TV. For exact air dates, visit www.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 24 million U.S. homes. To subscribe to Fuel TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit 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.

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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, Cire, wakeworld.com and theliquidcircus.com.