World of X Games: MasterCraft Throwdown Presented by GM Marine Live Saturday, August 8 at 2:30 p.m.

[Horton]

http://www.ballofspray.com/images/3Logos_WoXG_MCTD_GM.jpeg

Tune into a live 90-minute broadcast of the World of X Games: MasterCraft Throwdown presented by GM Marine, on Saturday, August 8 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The live telecast will feature the world's top wakeboard athletes competing for medals and prize money, as well as a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® attempt for the world Skifly record.

MasterCraft Throwdown presented by GM Marine is a first-of-its-kind, invitation-only competition which will take place at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. The wakeboard competition will include past X Games competitors and top-ranked pros, Pro Wakeboard Tour Champions and World Champions – all vying for the largest single event prize purse in the history of competitive wakeboarding.

In addition to the wakeboard competition, officials from the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® will be on hand as waterski legend Freddy Krueger attempts to soar the length of a football field in hopes of breaking the current World Skifly Record – a record currently held by Jared Llewellyn at 299 feet set in 2000.

The MasterCraft Throwdown presented by GM Marine will also feature a live concert by Kip Moore and a full line-up of entertainment produced by Gregg Godfrey, including the Blob and Slip N'Fly. The World of X Games coverage on ABC will be hosted by Brandon Graham. Two-time X Games gold medalist Parks Bonifay will serve as an analyst and Alyssa Roenigk will provide play-by-play coverage of the event and world-record attempt.

Bringing together the biggest names on the water today, MasterCraft in collaboration with ESPN/World of X Games is proud to welcome GM Marine as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural MasterCraft Throwdown. The official MasterCraft towboats will be powered by GM Marine engines marinized by Ilmor allowing the world-class athletes to pursue world records and push the boundaries of competitive watersports. Additional sponsorship involvement being provided by Ilmor Marine, Action Water Sports, Ronix, Radar, CWB, Connelly, West Michigan Sports Commission and Spectrum Health.

The World of X Games series features a variety of X Games and athlete-focused content. For the most updated schedule and information on World of X Games, go to www.xgames.com. Check local listings for additional details.

[jcamp]

Must be brutal for a MasterCraft skier to see MasterCraft misspell his name in the official press release.

[Horton]

@jcamp Where?

[jcamp]

@Horton "Jared" Llewellyn. Wound meet salt.

[Horton]

@jcamp meh he is Canadian

 

 

(just happens to be extremely talented)

[Chef23]

Is it only going to be Freddy jumping or will there be other jumpers?

[Horton]

@Chef23 just Fred. It is one high drama record attempt

[Chef23]

That is too bad it is only Freddy. It would be nice to see 2 or 3 guys going after the record.

[Horton]

Who ever plans the event does whatever they think is best.

[Chef23]

Very true. Hopefully it will be a good show and get skiing back on TV. I just set my DVR up to record it in case I can't be home when it is on.

[Edbrazil]

Not sure; checking on it, but Jaret may not be a MasterCraft skier. Still, should get his

name right.

 

Again, strange event with one jumper and maybe one jump. But some 7 or 8 wakeboarders!

Couldn't they find a few minutes to add at least Ryan Dodd, plus add a courtesy invite

to Jaret?

 

A set of 3 jumps doesn't take very long. Especially, when wakeboarders fall mid-course, and

the boat returns to pick them up to finish the pass. Someone needs to time the amount that

is spent on wakeboard vs. ski fly. TV doesn't have to watch the return pass, just do an

instant replay with commentary between jumps.

 

But, you can't really complain when a ski event is on live network TV for the first time in

who knows when. The PAWS Tour attempted to go live, back in 1990, but that was not

network TV. I think that CBS covered the 1964 and 1965 Nationals, but not live.

 

Will be interesting if a bunch of wakeboarders run first, with the boat mega-wakes hitting

the ramp. Better use a lot more than a bunch of concrete blocks to hold it down.

[E_T]

@Edbrazil how long does it take when a jumper false to get picked up, finish the run to the end of the lake and back up to the nest hit? Someone should time that

[Horton]

English?

[Horton]

I think this is more like an Evel Kneviel* vib. Build up the crowd and then one huge jump.

 

*I suspect Freddy is more like Lance Murdock than Kneviel

[MattP]

Freddy is on site!

 

https://instagram.com/p/5940NDCIjc/?taken-by=will.roberts124

[Edbrazil]

To E.T.: if Freddy has a pass or fall, from what I understand, that is it. No 2nd chances. Could

be wrong about that His time on air would be 5 minutes or less.

[Horton]

@Edbrazil My spies reports tell me it is one attempt live on TV but he may get 3 more attempt after the live "show".

[MISkier]

The current weather forecast is good for Saturday. Could also possibly be a slight headwind for some lift. That video looks like he has it dialed in.

[Tevskis]

super bummed to find out that Fred is the only one "invited" to play.... It is a super opportunity for the sport and I can't wait to see us get back to the "primetime" live TV spots the sport should be in.... I mean Chess on ESPN... come on!!! It is just a little deflating to only see one guy, get one shot over the ramp. too many things can happen before the ramp, putting a TON of pressure on Freddy to hit big red on THAT cut in order to spotlight his talents correctly....

[MattP]

@Tevskis lets just be happy there was a skier invited to the show!

[rawly]

Remember when Eric Perez was just a side show on his Hyperlite during the waterski competitions on TV. Times have changed. Maybe they'll reverse ?

[Edbrazil]

 

Even before Eric Perez, there was a guy with a proto-wakeboard, called something like the

Ski Kat. If he could do a wake jump with a 180 without falling, that was about the limit of his

skills. That may have been around 2006. Who would have predicted how wakeboard took off?

For sure, Perez and later Shapiro led the way.

Shame that the Throwdown event includes a bunch of wakeboarders, but just one jumper, and

apparently only one jump.

Ahhh, for the good old Tour days and the Hot Nights TV.

[Horton]

@Edbrazil 2006? Tony Finn mid 80s

[MrJones]

I thought Jaret was a Nautique guy. (Could be wrong)

One skier is better than no skier, but it seems that 3 guys with 2 jumps each would have been more entertaining. Guess I am used to thinking "tournament" vs. show.

[Than_Bogan]

The one thing I can't quite grasp is why they would limit it to one live attempt.

 

I'd liken it to some years ago Tony Hawk was trying to do a 900 in a vert ramp. Even though I have no clue about skateboarding, I was drawn in because of the "oh so close" vibe of his first few attempts. I ended up watching the entire special and he eventually landed one.

 

If Freddy busts out 270, then 285, I'm thinking even someone who has no clue what is going on (which frankly includes me with my 3 lifetime trips over a jump ramp) will be drawn into the "chase."

 

But anyhow, glad to see ANY 3-event on a major network.

[MattP]

Think of it like a Red Bull New Year No Limits where an athlete tries to complete some major feat and only gets one chance. Did Robbie Kenevil get multiple attempts to jump the Gran Canyon? The wakeboard guys are there for a contest. Freddy is there to set a WR & Guinness world record as well. Different set up between the two events.

I know Friday is stoked to have the chance to get another shot at the world record.

[Tevskis]

good perspective @MattP

[Than_Bogan]

Bah I hate it when @MattP makes sense.

[Broussard]

@MrJones Jaret is now a MasterCraft skier

[Horton]

How many times did Lance Murdock get to jump Springfield Gorge?

[Tevskis]

Lance Murdock didn't jump springfield gorge did he? @Horton wasn't he the inspiration for Barts danger daredevil work, making Bart want to jump the Gorge? and to answer the question Bart and homer made it on Homers second attempt.....

[Horton]

@Tevskis you caught me. I don't really know.

[Tevskis]

:D @Horton

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/X6oGknVG-rM

[Horton]

@Tevskis my favorite Simpsons ever

[oldjeep]

Good show, only disappointing part was when the winner skipped his second run - isn't that supposed to be the no holds barred because it doesn't matter what happens run?

[MISkier]

@Tevskis, that ambulance part of the Simpsons clip reminds me of an incident when I was a teenager. A driver had slid his car sideways into a phone pole at about 50 mph at the end of our street. The passenger side hit (no one sitting there) and the car essentially wrapped itself around the pole so the front and back of the car were touching. We lived about 1500 feet from the hospital. There was one traffic light between us and the hospital. Somebody didn't stop for the sirens at that light, broadsided the ambulance with the injured driver in it, and flipped the ambulance over onto the hospital lawn.

 

Everyone survived and recovered, but that original driver had a really bad day.

[MattP]

@oldjeep wakeboard ended early because Harley did not take his second pass but because it ended early Freddy got 2 jump attempts instead of 1.

[klindy]

@MattP ironically nearly 1/2 of the actual air time was spent on the starting dock, the return (non-riding pass) or picking up the fallen rider. As would be typical even in a traditional 3 event tournament, the actual skiing time was pretty short.

 

What strikes me with the jump event over the years is its "non stop". No stops at either end to shorten the rope or change skis. Once your off the dock you generally keep going (unless you need to collect all your gear after a yard sale). Add to that the easy to understand format and inherently understood danger and jump (ski fly or traditional) is a pretty good TV event.

 

Long time participant or first time at the lake and everyone seems to try to "guess the distance". Interesting that we watched a wake board tournament for 80 minutes and Freddy for less than 10. Yet the post event airtime is all about the last 10 minutes.

 

Awesome event and opportunity for waterskiing.

[MattP]

I got this video from a spectator on site not the best quality but listen to that crowd who knows nothing about Ski Fly but the people are all on their feet and amazed by what Freddy did. I think it is time to bring back Ski Fly in a controlled manner.

 

https://youtu.be/PBlR7eBB02k

 

@klindy you are right. I was thinking that dueling trick skiers next to each other who could get in way more than 4 tricks in that length of the lake would have been cooler to watch. If they fall they are out and if they survive the run get to take another pass back to the dock.

[Chef23]

Watching it yesterday it seemed like they treated it similar to a regular jump round. Freddy had at least 2 jumps yesterday. I thought it was really cool and hope it brings more. I am fine with him getting the 312 on Friday if the conditions were better.

 

I thought the wakeboarding was kind of dull. The tricks they do are huge but only 4 in a pass. They had plenty of time on the show to add in a couple of trick skiers. That would have been way better than seeing some guy go off a kicker in a knee board or drive motor cycles into the water.

 

It was a good start hopefully they get another event with some waterskiing in it.

[Dirt]

The event was great. Congrats to Freddy. I think it would have been much better as pre-recorded event. It would have showcased the record breaking jump, eliminated all the downtime mentioned above and edited out anything that was boring.

[ALPJr]

Great to see the sport on tv again! I thought the wake event was pretty cool. Moved along at a good pace , good angles and good announcers. 304 looked like 3 miles very cool !!!

[Edbrazil]

Does anyone remember having water skiing live on network TV? I've been around for a while,

and I don't. I worked the Tour in the "Hot Summer Nights" era. The PAWS Tour in 1990

attempted to go live, with mixed results. Not a major network like ABC, if I remember correctly.

[Edbrazil]

Pretty amazing that Freddy did a 300+ distance on his first jump on live TV, and with

the wind dead calm. Vs. the ideal light headwind that he jumped 312' in the day before.

95.0 meters. Is 100 meters somewhere on the horizon?

[igkya]

I remember watching the PAWS tour on TV. Way too much downtime for the casual watcher, but I enjoyed it. Don't recall what the network was (Outdoor life?) but it wasn't one of the majors.