The world’s best wakeboarders are amping over what could be the best event of the summer, if not ever, for the sport of wakeboarding. Tampa, Florida will host the Red Bull Wake Open, part of the Red Bull Signature Series, on July 12-14, showcasing three categories of competition: Boat, Big Air and Park.

Malibu Boats will be the official towboat of the Boat segment and has chosen team wakeskater Brian Grubb as the driver of the 22-foot, supercharged Wakesetter MXZ. As a judge on the King Of Wake Tour, Grubb is in tune with the top tier of today’s riding, and knows how a boat needs to deliver. “I just got to drive and ride behind the actual Red Bull Wake Open MXZ at Malibu’s 2013 catalog shoot and this boat is insane,” Grubb said. “This hull and the driver controls will allow us to jack up the wake and will inspire the best wake riding possible. I’m excited to see what will go down.”

This rider-influenced format will involve two passes and the rider can throw out their lower-scoring pass. Then, the run will end with a double up of their choice. The Boat event will take place on Thursday, July 12th at Sunwest Harbourtowne (a.k.a. “Blue Lake #2”). This man-made quarry sits north of Tampa and will be a great spot for photos and video, with its aqua-marine, bright blue water. Malibu’s Director Of Marketing, Nick Skally, is psyched for the event and the opportunity to partner with a powerhouse like Red Bull, “We’ve always respected what Red Bull has done with their Signature Series and unique event formats like the Wake Open are a testament to their forward thinking, progressive nature.” Skally continued, “So, when we were looking to partner with someone and tow an event, the Red Bull Wake Open was an obvious choice.”

With use of a helicopter and the best cameras in the world, the high-quality footage will be edited and featured on NBC with the other events from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 14th. Big Air will also be pre-recorded and the Park final will go down live. Malibu wishes the best of luck to team riders Phil Soven, Chad Sharpe, Olivier and Raphael Derome.

Boat Event: Invited Riders
(more to be included in Big Air and Park)
Professionals Include: Shane Bonifay, Harley Clifford, Raphael Derome, Olivier Derome, Adam Errington, Tom Fooshee, Danny Harf, Randall Harris, Keith Lidberg, Steel Lafferty, Rusty Malinoski, Shaun Murray, Chris O’shea, Aaron Rathy, Erik Ruck, Chad Sharpe, Dean Smith, Phil Soven, Shota Tezuka, JD Webb.

Schedule
Fri., July 13 (4:00pm-8:00pm)
Sat., July 14 (12:00pm-3:00pm)
(Free admission; all ages event)

Park & Big Air Venue
Tampa Convention Center
333 South Franklin Street
Tampa, FL 33602