you make a trick, come back down and than in the right moment the winch supposed to start again and pulls you back on track. I call this a fancy quater turn.

Because the operating was manually, the timing didnt work out so got. So it happend in the training that he stopped way to late and I came in with to much speed and pressure. Watch how it looked:

On the way up I twisted my knee and couldnt compete the training. In future this will not happen again because they will programm the speed, stop and start, so every rider gets the same conditions.

Contest mode
In the first qualification were 4 Heats each 4 rider and top 2 advance. Everbody had two runs and the best one counted. I had the honour to ride in the groupe with Shawn Watson (USA, he has his own Promodel), David Vervenne (european boat champ) and Steffen Vollert (german champion). Shawn won the heat no doubt, Steffen couldnt handle the kickers, I did a ambitious run, David slamed once but still went through to the semifinals. I couldnt retrace this decision but I thought its probably the best for my knee before a crash it completly.

the cologne stadion bath was packed, everybody was enjyoing the nice weather and the good show.

The semifinal from the top 8 was super a exciting  head to head battle.

Collin Harrington vs P2
Shawn Watson vs David Vervenne
Keith Lidberg vs Dominik Gührs
Parks Bonifay vs Bernhard Hinterberger

Except Parks, all americans won their battle. 

The finale of the top 4 happend in 20 minutes jamsession. Berni was killing it again and me and most of the people thought he took the title out but it come different. Keith Lidberg`s hs 720 and backside 450 transfer were bedder scored than Bernies crowmobe 5 grab and the frontside 540 grab transfer. Last year Berni also went on the second place by a close decision, when he went on the podium you saw it in his face that he was not happy with it.

Shawn Watson won probably with this trick the quaterpipe contest

The best to the end, the Best Trick Quaterpipe Contest. The world wakeboard biz didnt see something like that yet. I was so pushed and amazed when I watched it. I would love to joined the session but didnt qualify, damm... no snowboard backside Rodeo 540 try, maybe next year.

If you compare the tricks with the level of the first training, thre was such growth of improvement with  in such a short time. Bernhard made a Backflip, Parks just went high and Nico and Shawn styled it out.

 
Parks Bonifay, looks like a handplan, but come head first back into the pipe!

PR Text:

Keith Lidberg (USA) dominates Red Bull Wake The Line

The season opening for European Wakeboarding couldn’t have been better. At Red Bull Wake The Line more than 7000 spectators saw incredible Wakeboard action on a new level performed by top riders from all over the world. The obstacle setup built by UNIT Parktech including a massive quarterpipe at the end of the run offered space for tricks never seen before in wakeboarding. Towed by Sesitec’s system 2.0 the four pools in the stadionbad of Cologne made a total of 320meters of wake heaven. In the superfinal Keith Lidberg showed the best performance, winning ahead of Germany’s Bernhard Hinterberger and Shawn Watson (USA). In the wakeskate divison of Red Bull Wake The Line Jan Kissmann from Germany got first place.  

Jan Kissmann had to make his way through the Warm-up session in Langenfeld, where he got his wildcard. With his technical skills on the rails and massive spin tricks at the kicker showing late backside 180 and a frontside 540 he was clearly the winner. Second place went to Leo Labadens from France and last years winner Andy Kolb came third. The winner of the Nike 6.0 best trick award was Kevin Calvez (FRA).   

The rider lineup in the Wakeboard division of Red Bull Wake The Line included Europe’s biggest names like Bernhard Hinterberger (GER), Christian Koester (UK), David Vervenne (BEL) or Laurent Perychou (FRA) - completed by Parks Bonifay, Keith Lidberg, Shawn Watson and Collin Harrington all from the US. In the first duel at the head to head semi finals Parks Bonifay had to ride against Bernhard Hinterberger. Both showed incredible runs with many similar tricks, including a 450 transfer to the A-Frame and nice quarterpipe action. With his crow mobe 5 over the last kicker Bernhard overruled Park’s Whirlybird and made his way to the super finals. There he met up with Collin Harrington, Keith Lidberg and Shawn Watson.  The 20minutes jam session was dominated by Keith Lidberg, showing all his technical rail skills like big transfers, backside lipslides and tons of style in his kicker tricks. Last years second place Bernhard Hinterberger repeated his place ahead of Shawn Watson, who won the best trick in the quarterpipe.

The second edition of Red Bull Wake The Line has shown urban wakeboarding on a new level and opened doors for new tricks. Above all the quarterpipe in combination with system 2.0 was a brand new element in wakeboarding offering tons of possibilities.


Press Coordination Red Bull Wake The Line
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Michael Krikula