Highlights to Include Continued Collaboration with ESPN’S World of X Games on Real Wake, Made-For-TV Pro Invitational and Throwdown Tour
VONORE, Tenn. (June 17, 2016) %E2%80%93 Building on the momentum from last year's inaugural MasterCraft Throwdown, MasterCraft Boats (NASDAQ: MCFT) has announced plans to expand this platform from a single competition into a full-blown, summer-long event series. This new format will widen the opportunities for both competitors and fans to be involved with the progression of competitive watersports as the new series will feature an online video competition, a made-for-TV pro invitational and a traveling demo tour at regional dealer locations.
Last year's inaugural MasterCraft Throwdown boosted wakeboarding and waterskiing back into the action sports spotlight by boasting the largest cash purse in the history of competitive watersports and a new world skifly record of 312 feet by long distance jumping legend Freddy Krueger. This year's lineup looks even more promising with world-class riders such as Rusty Malinoski, Harley Clifford and Shota Tezuka set to compete.
"MasterCraft has been at the forefront of competitive wakeboarding and waterskiing since the company's inception in 1968 and the company plans to retain its leadership role in shaping the future of competitive watersports," said Terry McNew, President and CEO of MasterCraft. "This new format for the MasterCraft Throwdown will continue to shine the spotlight on the athletes pushing the boundaries of competitive watersports, but it also provides a platform to encourage new participation in waterskiing and wakeboarding, as well."
The MasterCraft Throwdown series will kickoff with Real Wake Driven by MasterCraft on July 20 at XGames.com, an online competition showcasing original videos produced by the best riders and filmers in the industry all vying for X Games gold. After a successful 2015 collaboration with action-sports leader ESPN X Games, Real Wake Driven by MasterCraft returns to the Real Series lineup on World of X Games with an hour-long episode airing July 30 on ABC. Organized in conjunction with Alliance Wake, the free-flowing format of this competition will reward next-level tricks, innovative style and mind-blowing cinematography.
Another major component of the revamped MasterCraft Throwdown series will be a made-for-TV, invite-only competition pitting the best professional riders in the world against one another in head-to-head heats. Mirroring the format of last year's well-received pro event in Grand Rapids, MI, this new signature event will deliver cutting-edge action and high stakes competition to a national viewing audience.
The final element of the bigger, bolder MasterCraft Throwdown series will be a nation-wide Throwdown Tour designed to encourage both progression and new participation in watersports. Envisioned as more of a grassroots approach, MasterCraft will partner with its extensive network of dealers and team riders to focus more on inclusion rather than strict competition with a heavy emphasis on fun.
"MasterCraft boats have pulled countless world records and world champions and the new MasterCraft Throwdown series will continue to allow elite athletes to push the limits of the sport," said Jay Povlin, VP of Global Sales and Marketing for MasterCraft. "However, as part of the new format, we also want to involve the family that defines the perfect day as one spent together on the water whether that be waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing or simply tubing."
More information will be made available for each of the individual components of the MasterCraft Throwdown event series as final dates and details are solidified. In the interim one thing is certain, MasterCraft looks forward to continuing to progress the landscape of competitive watersports and build the most reliable, powerful boats trusted by professional athletes to perform at the highest level.