2007 MASTERCRAFT PRO SLALOM

AUGUST 4,5 2007

 15 OPEN WOMEN AND 26 OPEN MEN TOOK TO THE WATERS OF SKYVIEW LAKE TO PRODUCE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE SLALOM EVENTS IN RECENT HISTORY. IN SATURDAY’S PRELIMINARY ROUNDS, 39 OFF WAS RUN 13 TIMES BY 9 DIFFERENT OPEN MEN. THE TOP SCORES FROM SATURDAY CAME FROM NICK PARSONS AND JEFF RODGERS WITH 2 ½ @ 41. THE WOMEN SKIED JUST AS STRONG, WITH 38 OFF BEING RUN 5 TIMES WITH 2 SKIERS TIED WITH 2 @ 39 OFF. THE FIELD OF 15 OPEN WOMEN AND 16 OPEN MEN ADVANCED TO SUNDAY’S FINALS. CONDITIONS WERE AS PERFECT AS THE ZERO-OFF TIMES THAT WERE RECORDED.   THE OPEN WOMEN SKIED FANTASTIC ESPECIALLY THE FINAL FOUR.

APRIL COBLE ELLER MATCHED WITH JILL KNUTSON. BOTH SKIERS RUNNING THE 38 OFF LOOP AND JILL EDGING OUT APRIL WITH 2 BUOYS @ 39 OFF TO TAKE 3RD PLACE. NATHALIE HAMRICK AND KAREN TRUELOVE MET HEAD TO HEAD IN THE FINAL PAIRING. WITH NATHALIE GOING 1ST SHE MANAGED A STRONG 5 @ 38.

THE DOOR WAS OPEN FOR KAREN TO TAKE THE CROWN BUT SHE FELL SHORT WITH 3 ½ @ 38. SO NATHALIE HAMRICK TOOK HOME A LARGE CHECK FOR $7500.

THE OPEN MEN COMPETITION WAS THE MOST EXCITING EVENT WE COULD HOPE FOR. THE ROUND OF 16 WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY THOMAS DEGRASPERI RUNNING 39. MOVING TO THE FINAL 4 SKIERS  PLACED DEGRASPERI AGAINST CHRIS ROSSI. ROSSI PUT UP A HUGE 5 @ 39 AS THE FIRST SKIER OUT. BUT DEGRASPERI AGAIN RAN 39 OFF FOR THE 5TH STRAIGHT TIME TO ADVANCE TO THE FINALS. IN THE OTHER SEMI-FINAL, CHRIS PARRISH RAN A LARGE 2@ 41, BUT WAS NOT ENOUGH AS JAMIE BEAUCHENSE ROUNDED 3 BALL FOR A ½ BUOY WIN. THE FINALS WERE SET WITH DEGRASPERI OUT FIRST. FOR THE 6TH TIME IN 2 DAYS HE RUNS 39. NEXT JAMIE FOLLOWS HIM DOWN THE LAKE MATCHING THE 39 OFF PASS. THOMAS THEN POSTED AN AMAZING 3@ 41 TO SET THE BAR FOR BEAUCHENSE. BUT JAMIE DECIDED THAT THIS WAS HIS DAY. ROUNDING 3 @ 41 AND HEADING TO 4 WAS HIS GOAL. HIS FIST IN THE AIR AND A CONFIDENT STARE @ THE CROWD AS HE ROUNDED 4 BALL FOR THE WIN. THANKS TO ALL THE SKIERS, OFFICIALS, MASTERCRAFT, MASTERCRAFT OF CHARLOTTE, AND ZERO OFF FOR HAVING THE CONFIDENCE IN SKYVIEWLAKE TO HOST THIS EVENT. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 30 SPONSORS THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. OUR WEBCAST #’S WERE ALMOST 24,000 VIEWERS FROM 17 COUNTRIES. THE EVENT WAS WELL BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS. WE HOPE EVERYONE INVOLVED FELT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.

DANA REED   TOURNAMENT ORGANIZER      PRO SLALOM EVENTS