Joel Wing Wins Australian Overall Championship!

Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Team Skier, Joel Wing (pictured here with Thomas Degasperi) returned from Townsville last weekend as the Australian Overall Champion. After 3 big days of competition, Joel outclassed 12 time champion, Ryan Green and young gun Tim Bradstreet to win by a massive 240 overall points. Joel had the advantage of his very own Malibu Response LXi as the towboat for the Championships "The LXi performed great all weekend, providing some great power for big jumps as well as the beautiful trick and slalom wakes we are all used to from the LXi". After a great Australian season, Joel was named as one of the six Australian team members to compete in the World Championships in Russia in July this year. Great job Joel!

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo like this one let us know. We would love to post it on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter and add it to the ever-changing Malibu Boats Screen Saver. You can also submit your photo or video through our Malibu iPhone App.

E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Video of Youngest Female Wakeboarder to Land Invert

Running the latest Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats), the Black Diamond Wakeboarding School near Sydney, Australia is the destination of national and international pro wakeboarders as well as up-and-comers, like 7-year-old Zahra Kell. This video features the school's youngest female student landing her first invert and the instructors at the Black Diamond believe she is the youngest girl in the world to do it. Zahra is definitely an inspiration and not just for her riding. Watch the video, the genuine unbridled excitement she exhibits is heart warming.

Situated at the ‘soul’ of Australian wakeboarding, Black Diamond is located just one hour from the Sydney CBD and only one hour 15 minutes from Sydney International Airport. Surrounded by luscious grassy fields, waterfront palm trees and mountains on either side of the river, Black Diamond Wakeboarding School provides the ideal environment for riding and relaxing.

With regular appearances from Australia's top riders and ‘stopovers’ from some of the world's finest, it is never difficult to draw inspiration – after all you will be riding in one of Australia's premiere locations, behind the latest offerings from Malibu Boats and in the company of some of the world's greatest wakeboarders.

Black Diamond caters to riders of all abilities, whether you have never ridden a wakeboard before or are a touring professional. From hourly lessons through to week-long camps, Black Diamond has you covered in the Sydney Area.

Keep schooling these great riders, Black Diamond! Malibu Boats is pulling for you and the great little riders like Zahra. Malibu Boats covering the world of water sports!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Black+Diamond | Wakeboard School | Zahra Kell | wakeboarding | 7-year-old | Wakesetter 23LSV | wakeboard boat | Australia | video | invert

Dean Stanbury's VLX, Australia

This Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) photo is of Dean Stanbury’s 2005 Wakesetter VLX floating on morning butter on Hawkesbury River, Wisemans Ferry, NSW Australia. Dean sent us this great photo through the Malibu Boats Malibu iPhone App.

Thanks Dean for sharing these great photos!

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo like this one let us know. We would love to post it on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter and add it to the ever-changing Malibu Boats Screen Saver. You can also submit your photo or video through our Malibu iPhone App.

E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Malibu for Limo at Wintle Wedding

This Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) newly married couple Warrick and Fabienne Wintle used their 08 Malibu Sunscape as their limo for the bride, parents and immediate family members. The wedding took place on a sanbdbank in Wellington Point, Queensland, Australia. Warrick tells us “We (the boys) were fortunate enough to spend the morning of the wedding day on the Brisbane River hydrofoiling (the girls were jealous)" This photo was taken just after the ceremony.

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate, thank you for sharing photo’s of your special day with us!

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo like this one let us know. We would love to post it on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter and add it to the ever-changing Malibu Boats Screen Saver. You can also submit your photo or video through our Malibu iPhone App.

E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Warrick Wintle | Sunscape 20 LSV | Australia | Fav Pic | Malibu Owner | boat owner | hydrofoiling | wedding photo | Wintle Family | limo

The Haps with Pro Rider Sam Thomson

Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Team Rider Sam Thomson (@SamRThomson) has been shreddin up the scene "Down Under" this winter. He sent us an email update with some cool Australian highlights and we thought we'd share. Also posted a couple shots of Sam on the Malibu Boats Flickr Channel. Check it out!

Hi Everyone,

This is an email to let you know what's been happening this season, what I've achieved and what I have planned for the future. From now on I'm going to send these little updates more regularly, maybe fortnighly [Aussie for 4 weeks] or monthly depending on how busy I've been.

I've had a successful year with lots of competitions, newspaper articles, magazine shots, my first cover, an award and 2 new sponsors. In mid-September Marlon Platt from Wake Magazine came to my home in Lake Conjola and we shot for 3 days for a cover shot and 9-page story. In late November I spent a week in Echuca coaching, driving and riding at the Malibu Just Ride Elite Camp at Brett Sands Watersports on the Murray River. Last weekend I spent 2 days at Del Rio Resort in Wiseman's Ferry for a Malibu owners reunion where I did coaching and demo's, and helped out with a barbeque for all the owners. 2 weeks ago I did my first Interview for a US magazine Alliance, It's called a Coming Up interview and is intended to showcase the new up and coming riders who ride in the US. In February at the annual Riders Choice Awards I was given the "Best New Talent" award.

This season I rode in as many competitions as I could, including grass roots event's and went to 4 NSW rounds and 1 ACT round. I wasn't able to make the 5th NSW round because it clashed with the Moomba Masters and ended up 2nd overall for the series. The first big pro event for the season was Wake Wars in Adelaide, where I finished in 4th. Then a few weeks later was the Pro Am at Stoney Park, Port Macquarie coming
5th. I also competed in 4 events at Brostock in Penrith which were cable orientated, and finally at the Moomba Masters in Melbourne finishing 5th. There's definitely room for improvement in competition's, I've been training hard, and have the ability to do much better, but just need to get my head right on the day, which is something I've been focusing on.

This season I picked up 2 new sponsors, the first was Capix helmets, and the second is a wetsuit company called Hi-Fi. Hi-Fi is a new company that are developing high quality wetsuits and vests. They haven't launched their brand yet, but you will be seeing more from them in the future. From here I am heading to South Australia tomorrow to do some riding at another Malibu Just Ride Tour stop, and then spending a week down there preparing for the Nationals, and then shortly after will be heading over to the states for the beginning of the US season and to ride in the US Pro Tour.

Thanks for all your help and support!

Cheers,
Sam Thomson

PS - Here's a cool trick I landed yesterday

Thanks for the update Sam! Glad to hear you're doing so well. Keep it up! Malibu Boats is pulling for you! In more ways than one...

Tags: Malibu Boats | Sam Thomson | pro rider | Team Malibu | wakeboarding | pro wakeboarder | Australia | down under | wakeboarding video | Wake Magazine | wakeboard boat | Wakesetter | Just Ride Tour

Malibu Boats Towing WWA Pro-Am

The WWA Australian Pro-Am has confirmed that Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) and Red Bull energy drink are on board. Book your Australian accommodations soon, because the WWAA PRO AM is just around the corner. Stoney Park in NSW is going to be run off it’s feet with most of Australia’s, and some of the world’s most talented wakeboarders when the Australian PRO AM takes to the water on the 29th of Jan, 2010.

The organizers of the WWAA Pro Am are jumping out of their boots with excitement after confirming a tow deal with 2009’s Industry nominated, most popular Wakeboard boat company – Malibu. The 1st ever WWA Australian PRO AM will be starting out on the right foot, by choosing Malibu to tow their January World Title qualifying event. Malibu will be bringing three brand new 2010 VLX Wakesetter’s and will tow every division from the un-weighted <9’s all the way up to the fully loaded PRO Men and Women. The new hull design of the 2010 Malibu VLX is set to raise some eyebrows with the early response to it’s re-designed wake shape gaining unanimous acclaim with all those that have already had the pleasure of riding behind it.

In addition to our brand new tow partner, we are also wrapped to announce that we will be working exclusively with Red Bull again in 2010. For almost a decade, Red Bull have been the dominant force in Energy Drink supply for the entire Action Sports industry, and it is our pleasure to have them on-board in 2010 to support the 1st ever WWA Australian Wakeboarding PRO AM. Other sponsors confirmed to be in for the PRO AM are, Jet Pilot, Yamaha Australia, Dragon, DeJa Vu & Fluidcore.

The official website is now online and we are expecting the entry nominations to flood in with big name such as former APTW champion Dean Smith, Aussie and US Pro Tour Champion Harley Clifford, Mens 1 World Champion Sam Thomson, and World Junior Champion Bradley Teunissen all confirmed to be riding in the Australian PRO AM.

Record crowds for Stoney Park are expected for the January 29-31 weekend with Live bands, FMX demo’s and wakeboarding expo sites already set in stone for the event along with all the action expected to take place on the water.


Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu Australia | WWA | Pro-Am | Stoney Park | NSW | Australia | wakeboarding | Wakesetter VLX | official tow boat | wakeboard competition

Malibu Australia Just Ride Elite Camp Sign-ups

Brett Sands Watersports is presenting the Malibu Just Ride Elite Camp in early December this year up on the Murray River at Brett’s renowned school in New South Whales, Australia. Aussie Wakeboard Legend Chris O'Shea has teamed up with Brett and his longtime sponsor Malibu Boats for three x 5 day wakeboard camps in December 2009.

Chris O' Shea - A true icon for progression in the sport of wakeboarding - along with other guest Team Malibu riders will be coaching & riding at Brett Sands' Watersports Centre at Echuca/Moama over the course of the three week period.

David Thorpe, Marketing Manager of Malibu Boats said ”This is a great opportunity to link up two of our most highly regarded Team members and connect them into one event." The Just Ride Elite Camps will allow the rider the environment to challenge themselves and take his or hers riding to the next level." Thorpe added, "We hope the camp pushes riders into the professional ranks and helps further progress the sport of wakeboarding here in Australia."

There will be three action packed 5 day live in camps with Chris O. Riders will get 3 sets of riding each day behind the all new Malibu Wakesetter VLX along with a daily tramp session with one of the most elite and progressive riders in the sport.

Accommodation and lessons will all run from Sands' waterfront property, meals are also included in the camp. Riders will eat and breathe wakeboarding for each of the camps with O'Shea. There will only be 6 riders at each camp so spaces are limited. Riders will also be able to demo wakeboards while riding at Brett Sands Watersports, they will have a range of Hyperlite and Ronix wakeboards from the River Front Shop on Location at the camp to ride.

For further information about the Camp go to Brett Sands Watersports or to make a booking call them on 0354 82 1851.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu Australia | New South Whales | Brett Sands Watersports | Chris O'Shea | wakeboarding | elite camp | wakeboard camp | Just Ride | Just Ride Camp

Siegele's 3rd Helps Aussie Team to Gold in Korea

Team Malibu Boats Australian Rider Parker Siegele returned from the 2009 IWWF World Championships in Chuncheon City South Korea with two medals wakeboarding. Parker scored third as an individual and helped Team Australia bring home gold beating out 26 other countries in the team competition. Way to go Parker! Your Malibu mates in the States are super proud of you man! Keep it up!

Parker wrote this great account of his trip to the Wakeboard World Championships in South Korea so we thought we would share it.

It all started back in July when I left South Australia to travel north and train in warmer weather as a lead up to the worlds. Things were going pretty well riding most days until early August I sustained a hairline fracture in my tibia. This meant that I had to have some time off of the water and there was a chance if it didn’t heal I could not go to Korea. This was a massive disappointment to me. Fortunately a week and a half of intense physio and rest saw it mend to the point I could get back on the water. This gave me a few days back on the water before flying out to Seoul.

On reaching Seoul the Aussie team traveled to Chuncheon and had a few days of getting to know the town and its people. The heats and semis started and I progressed through to the finals. The day of the finals saw huge winds and really choppy water, after being perfect all week.

I reached the podium and came third in the finals. The Aussie team scored the gold team medal against 26 countries. The night carried on with the Aussie team all getting pushed in the pool by fellow team mates. Australia winning the gold and me getting on the podium was definitely one of the highlights of my wakeboarding!

Next for me – heading back to South Australia (home) and back to school. on October I will start my training for SA competitions and the Junior Pro Tour, it has been a huge ride!!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Australia | Team Malibu | Parker Siegele | Korea | Worlds | wakeboarding | tournament | wakeboard boat