Malibu WWA PRO CARD Qualifier At Freedom Wake Park In Orlando

New Format Legitimizes Pro Wakeboarders

Glass calm water and a huge wake set the stage at Freedom Wake Park in Orlando on April 13 for the first-ever Malibu WWA PRO CARD wakeboarding qualifier, a development project by the World Wakeboard Association designed to fuel the vitality of competitive wakeboarding long into the future.

With an opportunity to secure a spot as a legitimate professional competitive wakeboarder, 20 riders competed for 16 cards on the day. The heats were stacked and the wake behind the Malibu WAKESETTER 22 MXZ was banging. In the four-man final, camaraderie outweighed the riders’ competitive nature, but they all pushed each other to throw down.

Bryant Thomas, Chad Sharpe, Oli Derome, Brian Grubb & Dean Smith

19-year-old Mike Dowdy was the favorite coming into the event and he proved why, landing a backside 720, Moby Dick 540, toeside 900, nosegrab crow mobe 540 and more, including his signature heelside double grab (nose/stale) ole’ 720.

Mike Dowdy rides to victory and scores his PRO CARD.

That run put Dowdy in the top spot as winner of the first-ever Malibu WWA Pro Card Event. Dowdy was psyched on his result and appreciates the new structure created by the PRO CARD system.

“I think the PRO CARD is awesome,” Dowdy said. “Anyone who thinks they are, or can be a pro rider now has this opportunity to prove it. I was super stoked to come out with the win at the first event and the conditions were perfect. Everyone is killing it. All my friends were out here riding as well today and we are all having fun just pushing it and becoming better riders every day. There’s definitely a movement going on with this crew and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Finalists Ben Allbright, Stephen Pierce, Christian Primrose and Mike Dowdy

The Malibu WWA PRO CARD was the first of five events for 2013. The remaining regional events will consist of PRO CARD qualifiers and the “Rider Experience,” which will be events designed to help amateurs develop into pros. Check out more at http://wwariderexperience.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats |

Wake Journal For 2013 Season

Wake Journal is back on a weekly schedule with Issue #92 released today! Check out this Pic Pocket with Dallas Friday and look for other coverage of Brian Grubb, Chad Sharpe and Malibu’s new MXZ Series ad. Subscribe for only $1.99 and get the full season delivered to your mobile device or tablet (39 issues). Congrats to Joey Meddock and James Krawczyk for killing it! Get it now at the link below:

http://wkjr.nl/app

Tags: Malibu Boats |

Malibu Pro Team Shines In TransWorld Reader's Poll

After winning the Red Bull Wake Open overall title and scoring the cover of TransWorld WAKEBOARDING's October 2012 issue, Raphael Derome landed in 8th place. With a hit series on MTV called WakeBrothers and multiple wins on the King Of Wake Tour, Phillip Soven took the 9th spot. Olivier Derome, with a prime time part in Slingshot's team video, LIPSMACK, rounded out the Reader's Poll in 10th.

After Amber Wing signed with Malibu in March 2012, this former Queen Of Wake had another stellar season on tour. Her worldwide popularity, sick style and engagement through social media helped her land in the top spot for women. Dallas Friday proved her vitality in the sport once again by securing the 3rd spot.

In wakeskating, Brian Grubb took a respectable 2nd place. With multiple podium finishes, popular web videos and appearances around the globe, Grubb had another impressive season and is showing no signs of slowing down.

VIDEO: Brian Grubb Wakeskating for Zeal Optics

This Spring, veteran wakeskater/wakesurfer Brian Grubb inked a deal with Zeal Optics and they recently put together a cool shred video of him riding at home behind his Wakesetter 23 LSV.

http://www.zealoptics.com

Brian Grubb: PRO SPOTLIGHT

Check out Brian Grubb's PRO SPOTLIGHT from the current issue of TransWorld WAKEBOARDING. CLICK HERE

Tags: Malibu Boats | Brian Grubb

Malibu and Axis Make Big Impact At Surf Expo

(photo: BillDoster.com)

Surf Expo is undoubtedly the industry's biggest weekend of the year. In 2011, Malibu Boats dug deep with intentions to make a big impact. With the launch of two new models, the Wakesetter 22 MXZ and Response TXi, all eyes were on the boats and the team was psyched to show them off.

The trade show kicked off with a bang on Thursday morning, with our booth featuring a sparkling metallic, dark blue/white MXZ and a metallic Charcoal/Reuben Axis A22. Besides talk of the perfect wakes, plush amenities and the spacious bow on the MXZ, anticipation was creeping for the 8th Annual Wake Awards that evening. Malibu went big, securing an 80-person VIP list and coming on board as a title sponsor.

Excitement set in early, during the WSIA Industry awards, where Malibu won "Best Ad Campaign." Ad creative and photography was a big focus this year, and it was an honor to take home this coveted award. Special thanks to Larry Meddock of the WSIA and our incredible photographer, Tom King. Also, congrats to Chessie Marine for their hard work resulting in the "Break Out Dealer Of The Year" award as well as Tommy's Slalom shop for winning top honors as "Retailer Of The Year." "Best Promotion" went to Active Watersports, which made a clean sweep for all three retailer awards going to Malibu dealers!

Friday's action was shared between the trade show and Malibu's on-water demo day in Windermere, just minutes from Surf Expo. Team rider Brian Grubb brought his all-black 23 LSV, which is still one of the most appealing boats on the water today. Over 20 dealers showed up from places all over the world like Argentina and Poland to get a first glimpse of the new MXZ and TXi. Eddie Trogdon, an active INT League member was on hand and we also saw appearances from owners like David Henderson and his son Hunter, (8), who just took first place in the Junior Boys division at the WWA World Championships.

The Response TXi already made its mark at the Malibu Open in August, but here, the dealers got a chance to take it for a spin, including Mark Watts from Liquid Sports in Orlando as well as Tommy Phillips from Tommy's Slalom Shop in Denver, Colorado. Tommy was impressed with his continuing tests of the Response TXi. "The TXi handles like a dream, has no wake at 15 and 22 off and very little fluff," Tommy said. "All the skiers at our ski school think it's their favorite boat of all time and I would agree. The drivers seat feels secure and you have command of the boat. There is no glare off the dash like other boats and the simplicity of the operating system is a big plus."

With deep roots in wakeboarding, going back to literally day one, Tommy knows what his customers are looking for in boat design and he likes how the MXZ accommodates everyone. "The MXZ has great wakes for all levels," Tommy said. "Very rampy, clean and smooth! The bow space is maximized and we had four people comfortable up front and they could see all the action as Chad Sharpe put on a show. Deep storage allowed us to have ten people comfortably on board with lots of gear stowed. The auto pull up feature will turn new boat owners into pros at driving their family and friends."

The Auto Pull-Up feature Tommy speaks of is another unprecedented innovation from Malibu and Indmar, and implemented into the line by Danny Gasper, Malibu's Director of Product Design. It allows a rider or skier to record the rate of acceleration they prefer, and the driver just punches the throttle and you will get the same start every time.

The MXZ's Hi-Flow ballast pumps were also a hit. The hoses were enlarged to 1-1/8" with an 1100 GPH pump, which allows an increase in filling speed from 40-50 percent. The riders on hand were impressed with the wake without having to add any additional ballast. Phillip Soven actually got to take this gem home with him.

Dealers came into Saturday's trade show amping on the new boats, and it was a great plus to be able to have them share the on-water experience with others. Lani Farmer also attended the WSIA meeting on Sunday morning, where the board of directors discussed and voted on multiple issues affecting our waterways and industry.

Overall, the Malibu staff and dealers considered Surf Expo weekend a home run. The factory is busy churning out new orders and the sales team are getting geared up for boat show season. Look for new videos from demo day in a matter of days! For any questions, please email Kevin Michael at kevinmichael@maibuboats.com



Tags:

Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakesetter 22 MXZ | Response TXi | Wakeboard Boat | Brian Grubb | Phillip Soven | Chad Sharpe | Ski Boat | Hi Flow Ballast | Surf Expo | WWA World Championships | WSIA Awards

Malibu Boats Chubby Bunny

Malibu Boats (MalibuBoats) does not recommend you try this face stuffing feat, but that didn't stop Trever Maur from shoving as many marshmallows in his mouth as he could. Shot during some downtime at the 2012 Malibu Boats Photo Shoot, Trever decided to take the left over marshmallows from the camp fire shot we had just fished to do his best Chubby Bunny impression. The object of this stunt is to fill your mouth with marshmallows and say "Chubby Bunny" after each addition. Check it out! It's a crack-up!

Thanks to everyone to who has helped at this year's photo shoots. We had a blast and got some great photos that will posted online soon. Thanks to our photographer Tom King and Robert Snow for shooting the Chubby Bunny video. And Thanks to Trever for the spur-of-the-moment entertainment. The Chubby Bunny video continues to provide great comic relief.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Chubby Bunny | Trever Maur | comedy | video | marshmallows | photo shoot | Tom King | Rob Snow | comic relief | Wakesetter VTX | Brian Grubb | Phillip Soven

Wakestock Adds to List of Champs

2010 Wakestock Canada pulled by the Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Wakesetter VLX added new names to the prestigious list of Wakestock Champions taking the coveted Wakestock belts and prize money: Bob Soven – Pro Wakeboard (top photo); Grant Roberts – Pro Wakeskate; Melissa Marquardt – Pro Women!

In a hotly contested Billabong Pro Wakeboard Men's final where three of the four finalists were past Wakestock Champions, it was the young American challenger Bob Soven who came out on top besting defending champ, Canadian Aaron Rathy; the two-time champ Team Malibu Factory Rider (and older brother) Phil Soven (@PhillipSoven) ; and the veteran champ Andrew Adkison!

Likewise in the Malibu Boats Pro Wakeskate final, American Grant Roberts edged out fellow countrymen and 5-time Wakestock champion and Team Malibu member Brian Grubb (@BrianKGrubb) for his first Wakestock title.

WAKESTOCK WWA (@TheWWA) WORLD SERIES PRO WAKE FINALS

BILLABONG PRO WAKEBOARD – MEN'S FINAL
Presented by Monster Energy & Malibu Boats
1. Bob Soven USA 66.67
2. Aaron Rathy CAN 58.33
3. Phil Soven USA 51.67
4. Andrew Adkison USA 36.67

SEMI-FINAL
(Top 2 advance)
Heat 1
1. Andrew Adkison USA 70.00
2. Bob Soven USA 58.33
3. Austin Hair USA 51.67
4. Trevor Hansen USA 36.67

Heat 2
1. Aaron Rathy CAN 70.00
2. Phil Soven USA 63.33
3. Olivier Derome CAN 53.33
4. Shawn Watson USA 33.33

QUARTER-FINAL
(Top 2 advance)
Heat 1
1. Bob Soven USA 80.00
2. Andrew Adkison USA 65.00
3. Nick Jones USA 43.33
4. Kyle Rattray CAN 33.33

Heat 2
1. Aaron Rathy CAN 60.00
2. Olivier Derome CAN 46.67
3. Padiwat Jaemjan THAI 36.67
4. Scotty Broome AUS 25.00

Heat 3
1. Trevor Hansen USA 80.00
2. Shawn Watson USA 70.00
3. Danny Thollander USA 60.00
4. Raph Derome CAN 46.67

Heat 4
1. Phil Soven USA 80.00
2. Austin Hair USA 66.67
3. Shane Bonifay USA 50.00
4. Dustin O’Ferrall CAN 40.00

MALIBU BOATS PRO WAKESKATE FINAL
Presented by Monster Energy & Billabong
1. Grant Roberts USA 88.33
(Spy, Fox, DVS)
2. Brian Grubb USA 84.33
(Malibu, Billabong, VZ, Red Bull)
3. James Balzer CAN 79.00
(Monster Energy, Nike 6.0, VZ, Body Glove)
4. Yan Lecomte CAN 68.33
5. Stuart Shinn USA 53.33
6. Dan Brown CAN 36.67

BILLABONG PRO WOMEN'S FINAL
Presented by Monster Energy & Billabong
1. Melissa Marquardt USA 93.33
2. Erika Langman CAN 80.00
3. Leslie Sparkes CAN 70.00
4. Kelsey Chiappa CAN 56.67
5. Steph King CAN 51.33
6. Susie Mallory CAN 46.67
7. Emily Tenwestinied CAN 39.00
8. Ally Boothroyd CAN 16.67


Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakestock | Phillip Soven | Brian Grubb | tow boat | wakeboarding | wakeboard boat | tournament | The WWA | World Series | Wakesetter VLX

Brian Grubb Featured in Billabong Commercial

Brian Grubb - You Know The Feeling from Jarrod Tallman on Vimeo.

Check out Team Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Pro Wakeskater Brian Grubb (@BrianKGrubb) growing up in water sports! This is a Billabong commercial created by Jarrod Tallman currently airing on FuelTV. What a great ad! Congrats Grubby, Jarrod and Billabong! Really like this one!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Brian Grubb | Billabong | Jarrod Tallman | video | commercial | FuelTV | wakeskating | pro team | water sports

Brian Grubb Firsthand Episode on Fuel.TV

Get to know Team Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Pro Wakeskater, Brian Grubb (@BriankGrubb), Firsthand on Fuel TV. The full length Brian Grubb Firsthand episode is now posted on Fuel.TV. Check it out.

FUEL TV catches up with the winningest wakeskater in the world, Brian Grubb, as he spends his summer traveling and playing in between contests.

FUEL TV’s original series Firsthand brings you up close and personal with the daily lives of today’s top action sports athletes. Follow along as they span the globe in search of untracked powder, concrete bowls, and perfect waves. From the biggest competitions to laid-back free sessions, Firsthand offers exclusive footage of world class pros pushing the limits of their riding.

Nice show Grubby! Looked like a ton of fun. Keep it up man!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Team Malibu | Brian Grubb | Firsthand | wakeskating | Wakesetter VLX | wakeskate boat | wakeboard boat

Brian Grubb on Fuel TV's Firsthand

16 action-sports athletes including Team Malibu Boats Pro Wakeskater Brian Grubb (@BrianKGrubb) will be featured in the new season of Fuel TV’s Firsthand. Grubb's episode airs on Sunday, November 22 at 8:00pm EST and 5:00pm PST.

Grubb has traveled across the United States wakeskating behind Malibu boats (@MalibuBoats) and living life in front of the Firsthand cameras. We caught up with Grubb in Portland at WakeJam as he just finished filming a segment for the show at Radar Lake. from there he and camera crew traveled up to Sea Fair in Seattle, WA and then on to the Malibu Pro Team Challenge for more filming. Grubb also traveled to Lake Tahoe, CA to capture more riding for the show and the list goes on. We can't wait to see his Firsthand episode on November 22.

FUEL TV’s original series Firsthand brings you up close and personal with today’s top action sports athletes. Follow along as they span the globe in search of untracked powder, concrete bowls, and perfect waves. In a super-sized Season 11, catch a personal look at the lives of Mike Mo Capaldi, Mat Rebeaud, Damien Hobgood, Lance Mountain, Ryan Nyquist, Brian Grubb and many more.

“FUEL TV’s viewers love watching Firsthand because they get a chance to know the athletes on a personal level and not in the typical professional interaction,” says Scott Paridon, FUEL TV vice of production and development. “In the new season, Firsthand will cover top names like surfer Damien Hobgood, legendary skater Lance Mountain, BMX legend Ryan Nyquist, and motocross champion Chad Reed. This exciting new season gives the viewers a detailed and diverse look at the athlete’s lives as they travel around the world.”

Firsthand Season 11 Schedule:
Damien Hobgood 10/11/2009
Kerry Getz 10/18/2009
Keala Kennelly 10/25/2009
Torey Pudwill 11/1/2009
Will Tant 11/8/2009
Ryan Nyquist 11/15/2009
Brian Grubb 11/22/2009
Marie-France Roy 11/29/2009
Craig Mast 12/6/2009
Alex Gray 12/13/2009
Mike Mo Capaldi 12/20/2009
Anthony Napolitan 12/27/2009
Laura Hadar 01/03/2009
Chad Reed 01/10/09

Tags: Malibu Boats | Fuel TV | Firsthand | Brian Grubb | wakeskating | wakeskate | TV show | Action Sports | Chad Reed | wakeskate boat |

Team Malibu's Dallas Friday and Brian Grubb Win Rider's Choice

The results of WakeWorld.com Rider's choice awards were posted this morning and Team Malibu Boats took two of the top three awards. World Champion Pro Female Rider Dallas Friday wins an amazing 9th Top Female Wakeboarder honor from WakeWorld.com viewers. Malibu Boats Pro Wakeskater Brian Grubb (@BriankGrubb) is back on top in the Top Wakeskater catagory reclaiming his thrown from last year's winner Aaron Reed. Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) would like to congratulate Dallas and Grubby on their WakeWorld.com (@WakeWorld) Rider's Choice Awards. Way to go! Your both a fan favorites and Malibu Boats favorites too!

Visit WakeWorld.com to read the entire Rider's Choice Article.

Tags: Malibu Boats | WakeWorld | Dallas Friday | Brian Grubb | Rider's Choice | fan favorite | Top Female Wakeboarder | Top Wakeskater | wakeskating | wakeboarding

Malibu Riders Taking Home Wake Awards

Malibu Riders Dallas Friday, Brian Grubb & Matt Manzari took home huge Wake Award honors from Wakeboarding Magazine last week during Surf Expo in Orlando, FL. Dallas earned Best Rider and Grubby too Best Video Performance and Team Malibu Boats' Matt Manzari captured Wakeskate Move of the Year with a boardslide backside flip. Way to go Team!

Best Women's Rider
This female ripper kills it in all aspects including contests, exposure, photos, video sections and progressive riding. ’06 Winner: Dallas Friday / ’07 Winner: Amber Wing / ’08 Winner: Nicola Butler

5. Raimi Merritt
4. Melissa Marquardt
3. Nicola Butler
2. Amber Wing

And The Winner Is: Dallas Friday

Best Video Performance – Wakeskate
This is awarded to both the rider and producer, with consideration given to both the level of riding and filming/editing. This is a new category for 2007. ’07 Winner: Aaron Reed / DVS – N.A.R.L.A. / ’08 Winner: Danny Hampson Volume Wakeskate Videos

5. Ben Horan / Scene One / Fun Boots
4. Nick Taylor / Scene One / Fun Boots
3. Brandon Thomas / A.V.E. / Rewritten
2. Andrew Pastura / Scene One / Fun Boots

And The Winner Is: Brian Grubb (@BriankGrubb) / Billabong / Out of the Pond

Oakley’s Move Of The Year: Wakeskating
This award is for the single most impressive, sickest, innovative and progressive move pulled all year, with categories for wakeskating. The winner was chosen by the WAKEBOARDING Magazine. Wakeskate MOY Runners Up:

James Balzer - Toeside Wake-to-wake Kickflip
Russell Brightwell - 360 shove on Spillway Wall Ride
Russell Brightwell - Varial Flip
Travis Doran - Front Big
Justin Forest - Hard Flip
Brian Grubb - Bomb Drop Billabong Bus
Brian Grubb - Wake-to-wake Indy Back Big
Danny Hampson - Backside Big Spin
Reed Hansen - Wake-to-wake Heelside Frontside 540
Reed Hansen - Wake-to-wake Backside 540
Ben Horan - Backside Tail Slide to Backside Big Spin
Dieter Humpsch - Wake-to-Wake Frontside Flip
Kyle Hyams - Backside Big Spin Down Spillway
Chris Kallas - Wake-to-wake Backside Big Spin 360
Matt Manzari - Board Slide Varial Flip
Andrew Pastura - Backside 360 Kickflip
Andrew Pastura - Switch Grapeflip
Andrew Pastura - Switch Front Big Heel Flip
Grant Roberts - 360 Shove
Stu Shinn - Wake-to-wake Shove Catch Shove
Nick Taylor - Backside Big Spin
Nick Taylor - Switch Flats Backside Flip

And The Winner Is — Wakeskating: Matt Manzari, Boardslide backside flip

Visit WakeboardingMag.com for more information on the Wakeboarding Magazine Wake Awards.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakeboarding Mag | Dallas Friday | Matt Manzari | Brian Grubb | Team Malibu | Wake Awards | Surf Expo | pro riders | wakeboarding | wakeskating

Team Malibu's Brian Grubb Wins Wakestock Canada

Team Malibu took the #1 wakeskate spot with Brian Grubb's win at Wakestock. Way to go Grubby! Tweet Brian some props on Twitter @BriankGrubb. Team Malibu Boats Pro, Phillip Soven nearly won the wakeboard competition as well, but just missed the top spot. You did great Phillip! Tweet Phill some atta boys @PhillipSoven. Wakestock was a super fun event for the crowd and all of the riders. Malibu Boats congratualtes all riders on a great showing. We were happy to pull and sponsor the biggest wakeboard competition on the continent! Brian Grubb photo taken by Richard Roth for WakeWorld.com.

Read the entire Wakestock event recap on WakeWorld.com.

The final day at Wakestock was highlighted by sunny, hot weather and calm water, although an early morning thunderstorm threatened to put a damper on the day's festivities. Once the storm cleared, the day kicked into high gear as the world's best wakeboarders and wakeskaters took to the water of Collingwood Harbour to battle out the final rounds of the WWA World Series for an overall prize purse of $25,000 and the coveted Wakestock belts.

The action got under way in the Malibu Boats Pro Wakeskate Championships with a six-man semifinal. Leading the way into the final round was past Wakestock wakeskate champs, Stuart Shinn and Brian Grubb. They were also joined by Wakestock rookies Grant Roberts and local Ontario rider Dan Brown. In the end, it was Grubb walking away with the win; his 5th Wakestock title overall.

Up next was the Billabong Pro Wakeboard Championship, which saw a 16-man quarterfinal cut down to an eight-man semifinal. Canadians made a strong showing by filling up half of the field with Rusty Malinoski, Aaron Rathy, Olivier Derome and Raphael Derome all advancing.

The four-man final was comprised of the hottest riders in the world at the moment; Phillip Soven, the WWA World Brian Grubb (pic: Richard Roth)

Series overall points leader, Aaron Rathy, the King of Wake overall points leader, Harley Clifford, the PWT overall points leader and Bob Soven, the Jr. Men's PWT point leader. Buoyed on by the hometown crowd, Aaron Rathy had two flawless passes, which included a Heelside Wrapped Back 7 and a Toeside Backside Off-axis 5 to take home the Wakestock title.

"This is unreal. I'm super stoked to win Wakestock," claims Rathy. "Especially considering how good everyone was riding here. The Wakestock crowd is so big and so close it really makes riding a lot of fun. Rusty [Malinoski] told me that I'm only the third Canadian ever to win along with him and Jeff Heer so it feels good to be in that company."

Wakestock is presented by Monster Energy in association with Billabong, Malibu Boats, Coors Light, Gordon Bar Marine, Paris Marine, SBC Skateboard Magazine and SBC Wakeboard Magazine.

Billabong Wakestock Pro Wakeboard Finals
1. Aaron Rathy, CAN
2. Phillip Soven, USA (Team Malibu)
3. Harley Clifford, AUS
4. Bob Soven, USA

Malibu Boats Wakestock Pro Wakeskate Semifinals
1. Brian Grubb, USA (Team Malibu)
2. Grant Roberts, USA
3. Stuart Shinn, USA
4. Dan Brown, CAN

Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakestock | Canada | Brian Grubb | Phillip Soven | wakeboarding | wakeskating | tournament | Wakesetter VLX | wakeboard boat

Team Liquid Force Wins Malibu Pro Team Challenge

The 3rd Annual Pro Team Challenge wakeboard competition presented by Monster Energy Drink and Malibu Boats took place Sunday, August 3rd at the Bow Lake Watersports Complex just North of Seattle, Washington. The site was beautiful and the weather was epic as two of the sport's premiere teams got set to battle head-to-head for a chance to take home the Malibu Cup Trophy and bragging rights as the best team in wakeboarding for the next 12 months. Team Liquid Force reigned supreme!

Check out the Malibu Pro Team Challenge photo gallery on WakeWorld.com.

New to the competition this year was the addition of wakeskating to the line-up. Also, the wakeboarding discipline was revised from a traditional contest pass to a more rider friendly freeride format. The rail jam discipline featured three obstacles; a 60-foot A-Frame, an 80-foot rooftop rail and the 50-foot Monster Energy C-Rail.

The event featured two-time defending champions Team Hyperlite led by the Bone Crusher, Rusty Malinoski. Rusty was joined by teammates Jimmy LaRiche and Jacob Valdez on wakeboard and Team Malibu's Brian Grubb holding things down on wakeskate. They were gunning for the 3-peat and they rode hard to defend their title against the challengers on Team Liquid Force. Team Malibu's Kevin Henshaw was the Team Captain for LF and he was joined by the always-animated Bob Soven and the face of wakeboarding in the Pacific Northwest - Mike Ennen. James Balzer was their wakeskater as they set their sights on de-throning the Champs.

The event kicked-off at around 11am with the wakeskate competition and Balzer was the first competitor to hit the water. Each rider would get two five-minute runs and would be judged on their best of the two. The conditions were perfect and the crowd was ready to see some pro-level skating. Balzer did not disappoint with a smooth run that included a clean wake-to-wake H/S Backside 180, T/S Backside 180 and several Indy shuv-its. Next up was Team Hyperlite's Brian Grubb, who Rides for Malibu Boats, the winningest skater in the history of the sport and always a threat to take down any competition he enters. Grubb was in his element behind the Malibu wakeboard boat that pulled the competition.

After the wakeskate competition, Malibu Boats pro team rider Chad Sharpe, who was driving the event, strapped on his board to ride for the crowd as we dialed in the tournament boat for the wake competition. Next up was the wakeboard freeride session and all of the riders were amped to show the enthusiastic Northwest crowd their best stuff. With each rider getting a five-minute run and no-limit or point deductions on falls, there was no holding back. The format gave each rider an opportunity to reach deep into their bag of tricks and try things normally not pulled out in a regular contest run. Bob Soven was the first rider to hit the lake and he opened his run with a HUGE one-handed Raley while pointing directly at the crowd…the crowd loved it!

Read more about the Malibu Pro Team Challenge Recap on WakeWorld.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Pro Team Challenge | Chad Sharpe | Brian Grubb | Kevin Henshaw | wakeskating | wakeboarding | rails | wakeboard boat | Wakesetter VLX | Wakesetter VTX | wakeboard tournament | Bow Lake | Liquid Force | Hyperlite

Wakeboarding Mag Asks Malibu's Brian Grubb 20 Questions

1. How did you become pro? I guess just riding and being in the right place at the right time. Hanging out with Byerly and those guys. I was wakeboarding at the time, and I did a few pro events and made a little money doing that, but that's about the time I started wakeskating too, and I wanted to see where it took me, and that's when I started hanging out with Byerly and he helped me out a lot along the way.

This interview was posted by Wakeboarding Magazine, written by Craig Kotilinek and the photo was taken by Spencer Smith.

2. What made you switch over from wakeboarding to wakeskating? Probably the biggest thing was riding at the cable park and hitting rails. We'd seen it in the mags growing up, but I only really started hitting rails when I went to the cable park. That's when I really started to fall in love with the sport and I really wanted to start pushing it to the next level.

3. What was your favorite trick when you first turned pro, and what's your favorite now? My first trick that I really got consistent and thought was a hard trick was probably the toeside shove indy. My favorite trick now is a wake-to-wake backside big spin.

4. Who is your favorite rider and why? My favorite rider is Scott Byerly. I watched him growing up since I was really little and then being able to meet him and ride with him and become really good friends with him over the years is really cool. And even to this day he's still ripping. He hasn't lost it a bit.

5. What is the hardest thing about being a professional wakeskater? Probably all the travel, but that's also the best thing. We get to go all over the world and do all these crazy trips just because we're riding our boards. We're away from home a lot and it takes its toll, but it's definitely worth it.

6. What would you be doing if you weren't a pro wakeskater? Oh man I don't even know. I went to college and got a degree, but I haven't had any desire to use it at all. Liberal Studies from UCF; it's pretty much an undecided degree. I'd be living in Orlando, though, and doing something.

7. What is your biggest goal to accomplish this year? This year I really want to win Worlds. I haven't won it for a couple years — or actually about five years — and I really want to win it this year. I've been second for a lot of years, but I really want to win it one more time and I think this will be my year.

12. What's one thing you couldn't live without on a daily basis? I like riding everyday, so maybe my Malibu.

14. Who are your sponsors? Hyperlite, Billabong, Red Bull, Malibu, Von Zipper, Kustom Shoes, Watermans Sunscreen and Performance Ski and Surf.

18. What's your favorite way to ride? PWC, cable, boat? I like riding behind my Malibu VLX the best. I like going big. I like hitting double ups and hitting big wakes with long ropes. The higher you can go the better. I like hitting rails and stuff too, but if I had to pick one thing to do exclusively, it would be riding behind the boat.

To read this entire interview visit the "20 Questions with Brian Grubb" article on WakeboardingMag.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Brian Grubb | Wakeboarding Mag | 20 Questions | interview | wakeskate | wakeskating | wakeboard boat | Wakesetter VLX | Team Malibu