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Malibu Open 2001

The Facts:

When? June 8-10 ****

Where? Joilet, IL Water’s Edge

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Directions to the site: O’Hare International Airport to site: From the airport take I-294 south to I-55 south. Take I-55 south to the Wilmington exit (exit 241). Take a left off the exit and follow that about 4 miles until the road ends, which is Rt. 53. Take a right onto Rt. 53. Go about 1&1/4 of a mile to the first light, which is Peotone Rd (CR-25). Take a left onto Peotone Rd. and the site is a 1/4 mile up on your left. ****

How to enter. Click below:

The Pro Wakeboard Tour Daily Schedule: TBA **** Where to stay: Hampton Inn 3555 Mall Loop Drive Joliet, IL 60431 (815) 439-9500 & Hampton Inn 1521 Riverboat Center Dr. Joliet, IL 60431 (815) 725-2424 **** Directions from Hotel to Site: From 3555 Mall Loop Drive: Take a left onto US-30, merge onto I-55 South, take exit 241, bear left onto CR-44(N. River Rd.), turn right onto SR-53, turn left onto CR-25 (W. Peotone Rd.) From 1521 Riverboat Center Drive: Take a left on Riverboat Center Blvd., turn left on Houbold Rd., bear right onto I-80, take exit 133, turn right onto S. Richard St., turn left on US-52, take S. Cedar Rd., turn left on CR-25 to Peotone Rd. Over the past two years Malibu Boats has raised the ceiling for water sports tournaments, but in 2001 they plan to punch right through, with the Malibu Open. The 2001 Malibu Open will invade Water’s Edge, just outside Chicago, in Joilet, Illinois June 8th, 9th and 10th. In 1999 and 2000 Malibu illustrated the potential of a truly successful water sports competition with the U.S. Open Water Ski and Wakeboard Championships. The records kept coming. During Malibu’s stint as the exclusive tow boat and the event organizer, the U.S. Open was host to more record-breaking performances than ever before. Even with those successes, Malibu knew it could be better. Bob Alkema, President and CEO of Malibu Boats, summed up the Malibu attitude toward success with one statement, Nothing is ever as good as it can be. This explains the inception of the Malibu Open. This year’s event will be jammed with world-class water sports athletes who will get their chance to soar behind Malibu’s elite performance class boats. Slalom competitors will slice through the neatly formed wakes of the Malibu Response LX, while wakeboarders launch into colossal aerial stunts behind the Wakesetter VLX. In addition, ski fly will debut in a Malibu tournament and reach new heights with the introduction of Malibu’s latest smoking gun, coming later this spring. Don’t forget Malibu boats are powered Indmar Marine Engines, the top inboard engines on the market. Indmar Marine Engines is the official inboard power of Malibu Open as well as the Malibu Just Ride Series. Spectators will have a neck-stiffening view of the Malibu Open from between two record-capable tournament lakes. Running simultaneously, these two lakes will surround the crowd with in-your-face water sports. This means no breaks in the action. Fans won’t have a chance to catch their breath between the big-air stylin’ of riders like Darin Shapiro and Gerry Nunn and the sharp cuts of slalom greats Andy Mapple and Kristi Overton-Johnson. Finally, attentions will be directed overhead to behold ski fly without a delay for ramp setup. Thanks to this new dual format, the action will commence in the late morning between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day, and things will wrap up as early as 4:00 p.m. This means fans won’t be stumbling innto the event still wiping the sleep from their eyes and then sneaking out early when the day gets too long. There will even be time for the fans to demo Malibu’s fleet of world class boats and/or participate in clinics with the pros when the action wraps up at the end of each day. I’ve been to my fair share of water ski and wakeboard events, and it’s hard to stick around all day to see everything, said Lani Farmer, Marketing Manager for Malibu Boats. This is an exciting format for everyone. What a great location, too. We’re right in the middle of the country, which will ensure that all the top athletes will be there, and the fans will get to see them. Who knows? Maybe we’ll set a trend in the way water sports events are staged. Setting trends is nothing new for Malibu.

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Determined to spread the wealth, Malibu is not holding out on the prize money. Athletes will be competing for their share of a whopping $100,000. The purse will be divided among the three disciplines of men’s and women’s slalom, ski fly and wakeboard.

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