With athletes from 32 Countries arriving on site in the Philippines, the colorful nations flags were carried into the Deca Cable Wakeboard Park on Monday in perfect timing to enjoy a warm Tropical sunset. The combination of 201 Wakeboard Riders and 48 Wakeskaters from so many Countries made this World Championships Opening Ceremony a very special occasion. Native dancers added to the carnival atmosphere before the standing-room-only Press Conference provided the programme details for the many journalists and TV crews assembled on site.
The Qualification Rounds commenced sharply on Tuesday at 08.00hrs and ran all the way through till the sun set at 18.30hrs. These continued again on Wednesday, culminating in the awarding of the first of many medals this week. Those on stage a few hours ago to receive their awards were the Cable Wakeboard Riders in the Girls and Boys categories. In the Girls category, 14 year-old Lottie Harbottle GBR took second place in the British Nationals this year and again impressed all here with her Bronze Medal performance. Germany?s Vanessa Weinhauer took second place in the recent Europe Africa Championships and today repeated that with a Silver Medal performance. However, it was the reigning Europe Africa Champion, Sanne Meijet NED, who continued her successful 2012 season by taking the first Gold Medal to be awarded at this World Championships to now become the Girls Cable Wakeboard World Champion.
One of the most inspiring features of these 2012 Cable Wakeboard World Championships has been the very impressive mix of all the age groups from Boys and Girls all the way through to the Veterans. With the low cost of entry to the sport, the high return on investment for the operators and the environmentally friendly design of the Rixen 718m Cable system, the fact that the number of countries entered has doubled since the last World Championships shows clearly that this is a well-run activity with true global appeal.