Originally: Posted on Sunday, June 23, 2002 @ 16:43:24 MDT by superjett on LiquidXFreestyle.com
The sun was hot, the fans hotter, but the action in the water was hottest at Wihala Beach for the first round of the Liquid X Freestyle Tour. Adrenaline TV rolled off “enough footage for two shows” in their own words.
First, The Coolest Move Award went to Typhoon Tommy Nutall for an incredible arial on his Seadoo as he did a complete 360 spin above the seat before landing and driving it out.
Best Wipeout had three contenders. First, Darin Jett was the front runner when his gunwale caught a ripple on a sharp left turn in shallow water that sent him flying and the ski towards Michigan. Next, El Chef tried hard to impale his teammate Greg Brock in Liquid Doubles when they transitioned to two on one in their routine. Greg bounced off the ski, rolled off the hood and disappeared in the wake. The winner came in the second run when Khan Funk brought everyone to their feet with an unbelievable high speed crash aboard John Smith’s boat(both live to ski again in one piece thank you!).
The Showmanship Plaque rode home with Matt Bol as his flashy style and handsome smile stole the round.
The story of the day was, MATT BOL, and JOHN SMITH. They drove in together, and left with the top two spots! The deceivingly choppy water helped cause a record number of penalties, as the scoring in both rounds was tight. Matt hit his moves on the money all day as he was obviously on a mission from the moment he arrived. Matt was one ecstatic rider, who obviously cherished the moment when he was announced as having won the day.
All over him was John Smith, new comer to the tour. He sent a message to everyone concerned, as his barrel rolls were by far the biggest, highest and cleanest of the day. He ran hard, very hard, as his competitiveness raised the energy level of all the riders. Keith Head, finished in third place in his tour debut. Keith’s routines were sharp and consistent, but he lost points in the judges eyes on showmanship, the difference maker at the bottom line. Four tenths of a point separated the top three spots. There were three Head Enterprises boats in this competition, which says alot for his boats. Mack Shwab ran deep and hard, avoided most of the “bad” water and finished fourth overall.
Typhoon Tommy Nutall made a great showing for the “couch” riders and finished fifth with an excellent combination of agility and speed, punctuated by alot of showmanship. The second biggest surprise was Gary Burtka, defending Champion, finishing in sixth place. Gary’s first run was plagued by penalties in the choppy water. His second run pushed him from 9th to sixth, albeit short of his usual riding skill.
Darin Jett, despite taking a death penalty in the first run for that spectacular wipeout, pulled it together nicely for a fine second run (despite engine problems) and finished in seventh place. Greg Brock slipped in the standings from sixth to eighth in the second run. In the first run he was very much as ease in the familiar water, but fatigue set in after the first run and Doubles match.
Another surprise was a disappointing ninth place finish for Khan Funk. His boat experienced electrical problems, and was beached. John Smith showed true sportsmanship and let Kahn use his boat to compete in both rounds. Riding the unfamiliar boat did not help him in his quest to repeat his 2nd overall of last year. Devin Hoover finished tenth, and completed his first barrel roll in a competition. He was as happy as a clam in water, especially when he was escorted off the beach and home by two bikini clad fans! You don’t have to finish first to be a winner.
Tommy Nutall and Gary Burtka took first place in the first ever Liquid Doubles competition. Most riders were too drained by the withering heat/sun to compete in Doubles. Still, dispite Niksic’s attempt to cash in on Brocks life insurance policy the duo pushed Nutall and Burtka. Relates Nutall “That was the most fun I ever had in a competition. The Doubles were way more fun than I thought they would be.”
The Endurance Ride was a disappointment as few riders showed up for this event. An early morning thunderstorm in Indiana helped reduce the field. The Charity Beach Barbeque went very well as hundreds were treated to grilled treats from Sausages by Amy, Paradise Iced Tea, The Sara Lee Corp., Nabisco, Pepsi, and M.T. Foodservice.
Results:
1. Matt Bol
2. John Smith
3. Keith Head
4. Mack Shwab
5. Tom Nutall
6. Gary Burtka
7. Darin Jett
8. Greg Brock
9. Khan Funk
10. Devin Hoover
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