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Soven, Wing, Powers win PWT in Fort Worth

Phillip Soven Wins in Fort Worth on 22nd Birthday

Wing, Powers Come Up Big in Texas

Fort Worth, Tex. – Despite the blistering 98° weather today, wakeboarding’s top pro riders turned up the heat in Texas to wrap up one of the most exciting stops yet on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink. The final rounds of action, held on the waters of Texas MasterCraft’s Lake Moser, were filled with upsets that ultimately led to three winners being crowned in Fort Worth.

The Pro Men’s division kicked off the Pro Tour’s last day in Texas with preliminary rounds, narrowing the field of 20 riders down to six for the final rounds of action.

Among the six finalists was defending Pro Tour titlist Phillip Soven, who celebrated his 22nd birthday today. The birthday boy faced off in stacked heat that included his younger brother Bob Soven, current points-leader Harley Clifford, former world champ Rusty Malinoski, world-record holder JD Webb and Canadian rail-master Olivier Derome.

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The scorching weather and constant riding fatigued most of the finalist, causing several unfortunate falls. However, top seed, Harley Clifford, managed to put together what appeared to be a winning run, but not before the birthday boy could blow out his candles to narrowly edge out Clifford 95.50 to 95.00.

“This is an awesome birthday present,” Soven joked about his win today. “I worked really hard to win this contest and I’m excited to be leaving Fort Worth with the win.”

Today’s win marks Soven’s second consecutive victory in Fort Worth. Clifford and Rusty Malinoski rounded out the podium, respectively.

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Phillip Soven has now twice won a Pro Tour contest on his birthday. The now 22-year-old Florida native captured his first-ever Pro Tour stop win on his 15th birthday in Reno, Nev.

With today’s win, Soven breaks the tie with Harley Clifford in the Pro Tour standings to take the top spot with 190 points.

In the Pro Women’s division, all eyes were on Nicola Butler to see if she could set the record for most consecutive Fort Worth tour stop wins at four during today’s finals. The current world champion was on pace to set the record, but suffered a crucial fall on a Tantrum, giving the edge to Amber Wing, with her stand-up run.

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Wing took first place today with a score 66.67, less than seven points more than Butler’s score of 60.00. Melissa Marquardt rounded out the podium in third place.

“I thought Nicola had it; I was cheering for her,” said Wing. “But I did my run, stood up both my passes and came out on top. I’m really pumped to win this tour stop.”

With today’s win, Wing leads the Pro Women’s Queen of Wake point standings with 290 points. Butler and Marquardt also round out the top three in the standings, respectively.

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In the Jr. Pro Men’s finals, the division almost saw an exact repeat of the Pro Tour season opener, with Dylan Prideaux, Josh Twelker and Shota Tezuka returning to the last round of action. Rounding out the four-man final was 2010 Jr. Pro Tour runner-up Daniel Powers.

Shota Tezuka, the current points-leader, appeared to have the edge in the competition, but Daniel Powers’s Heelside 720 off the double up helped surge the 2011 Masters winner to the top of the podium, winning his first Pro Tour stop of the season.

“It feels awesome,” Powers commented on his win today. “Coming off a win at the Masters was a good confidence booster for me, especially after what happened in Acworth.”

Tezuka and Twelker rounded out the podium, respectively.

With today’s win, Powers sits in fifth place overall in the Jr. Pro Men’s point standings with 143 points. Tezuka remains the points-leader with 190 points.

Also walking away a winner in Fort Worth today is Thailand’s Padiwat Jaemjan, who won the Rockstar Energy Drink Big-Air Kicker Contest, a $1,000 cash prize, after landing a massive Cab Glide.

With the second stop of the 2011 season all wrapped up, the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will now head to Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 10 & 11. Additional 2011 Pro Tour venues include Acworth, Ga., Monroe, Wash., and Knoxville, Tenn.

June 4 – Final Results:

Pro Men

Final Round – Heat #1

1    Phillip Soven    USA    95.50

2    Harley Clifford    AUS    95.00

3    Rusty Malinoski    CAN    80.00

4    Olivier Derome    CAN    70.00

5    JD Webb    USA    46.67

6    Bob Soven    USA    36.67

Pro Women

Final Round – Heat #1

1    Amber Wing    AUS    66.67

2    Nicola Butler    GBR    60.00

3    Melissa Marquardt    USA    52.67

4    Raimi Merritt    USA    50.00

5    Anna Hajek    USA    41.67

6    Emily Durham    USA    35.00

Jr. Pro Men

Final Round – Heat #1

1    Daniel Powers    USA    92.75

2    Shota Tezuka    JPN    83.00

3    Joshua Twelker    USA    82.25

4    Dylan Prideaux    AUS    82.00

Pro Men

Semifinal Round – Heat #1

1    Bob Soven    USA    86.67

2    Phillip Soven    USA    68.33

3    Rusty Malinoski    CAN    65.17

4    Tony Carroll    USA    56.67

5    Steel Lafferty    USA    51.67

Pro Men

Semifinal Round – Heat #2

1    Harley Clifford    AUS    85.00

2    Olivier Derome    CAN    75.00

3    JD Webb    USA    63.33

4    Aaron Rathy    CAN    56.00

5    AJ Racinelli    USA    40.00

Jr. Pro Men

Semifinal Round – Heat #1

1    Joshua Twelker    USA    92.50

2    Dylan Prideaux    AUS    91.25

3    Jacob Valdez    USA    81.50

4    Kyle Evans    USA    71.00

5    Paulie Koch    USA    63.75

Jr. Pro Men

Semifinal Round – Heat #2

1    Daniel Powers    USA    96.25

2    Shota Tezuka    JPN    89.25

3    Michael Dowdy    USA    81.50

4    Morgan Pederson    USA    68.75

5    Marc Kroon    NED    64.25

Pro Men

Quarterfinal Round– Heat #1

1    Aaron Rathy    CAN    73.33

2    Rusty Malinoski    CAN    68.33

3    Padiwat Jaemjan    THA    60.00

4    Trevor Hansen    USA    50.00

Pro Men

Quarterfinal Round– Heat #2

1    Bob Soven    USA    75.00

2    Tony Carroll    USA    66.67

3    Austin Hair    USA    58.33

4    Danny Thollander    USA    55.00

Pro Men

Quarterfinal Round– Heat #3

1    Olivier Derome    CAN    76.67

2    Steel Lafferty    USA    68.17

3    Andrew Adkison    USA    65.00

4    Jason Bannatyne    CAN    51.67

Pro Men

Quarterfinal Round– Heat #4

1    Phillip Soven    USA    78.33

2    AJ Racinelli    USA    68.33

3    Kyle Rattray    CAN    62.67

4    Jeff House    USA    48.33

Pro Men

Quarterfinal Round– Heat #5

1    Harley Clifford    AUS    83.33

2    JD Webb    USA    68.33

3    Nick Jones    USA    51.67

4    Tom Fooshee    USA    43.33

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