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Harf Looks to Repeat as MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour Kicks Off Its 16th Season

Orlando, FL – Danny Harf knows all about winning titles, and once he’s won one he likes to win that title again. Look at his record: four-time X Games champion, two-time national champion. For 2007, he has his eyes on another repeat, this time the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour title.

Harf begins his defense of his first-ever Pro Tour season title May wake-20 just outside of Atlanta in Acworth, Georgia, as the MasterCraft Pro Tour begins its 16th season as the premier tour of the sport. Once again, what experts call the “best traveling wakeboard show in the world” makes stops in five cities across the United States and Canada. Along the way, these boarding stars will make appearances in Fort Worth, Texas, the Twin Cities in Minnesota and Kelowna, British Columbia, all following the opener in Acworth. The final stop of the tour will be in Portland, Oregon, July 21-22.

The format for 2007 will be similar to last year’s head-to-head bracketed format, which drew raves from riders and fans alike. One format change we’ll see is that all 40 riders will first compete in a qualifier before the winners are placed in a 16-rider head-to-head format where they are ranked 1 through 16. From that bracket, single-elimination head-to-head match-ups bring the field down to a round of eight, then a round of four, then a match-up between the two surviving riders.

Harf, who proved to perform better in clutch situations than any other rider in the dangerous and grueling head-to-head format of the tour, is the favorite to repeat. Harf’s ability to win on tour (he won three of five stops in ’06) is even more impressive as he doesn’t compromise his style in contests situations. That style has launched him into stardom on the tour and is appreciated by the entire wake community.

“He is one of the best spinners in the sport, consistently throwing toeside 900s, heelside 720s and switch heelside 720s in his run,” said Kevin Michael, senior editor of WakeBoarding magazine. “He has a good mix of inverted moves, spins and style, plus can ride at a high level on rails, making him the all-around favorite for the title.”

Harf is not alone in his favorite role for 2007. Other top stars to look for include Tino Santori, Phillip Soven, Andrew Adkison and Rusty Malinoski. All have the credentials to win the title — King of Wake World Cup winner Santori; Adkison, the defending and two-time world champion; Soven, an X Games title holder; and Malinoski who missed winning the Tour and World Cup season titles by mere points.

The Pro Men’s division and Rip It JX Series Championship for junior wakeboarders will be featured at all five events on the Pro Wakeboard Tour in 2007. The Pro Women’s division will be featured in two events, the season-opening event in Atlanta and the Pro Tour’s season finale at the Portland event.

MasterCraft will be the exclusive tow boat for the Pro Tour, as it has been since the Tour’s wakeboarding events began in 1992. Indmar Marine Engines will provide the power for MasterCraft’s X Series line of competition tow boats. Rip It energy fuel is the exclusive sponsor of the JX Series, the proving ground for amateur male riders wake and under.

The official magazine of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is Wake Boarding, the premier publication for the sport. The Pro Tour also has the support of the following: U.S. Air Force, Rip It, Indmar, Sea Doo, Verizon Wireless, Hyperlite Wakeboards, Billabong, Oakley, Reef, Gator Boards, CWB, Liquid Force, G-3, Epiphone, Wakeworld.com and Wakeboarder.com.

For detailed information on the stops, go to www.prowakeboardtour.com

2007 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour schedule

Dates City Site Location

May wake-20 Acworth, GA Dallas Landing/Lake Allatoona

June 1-3 Fort Worth, TX Texas MasterCraft

June 16-17 Twin Cities, MN Island Lake

July 7-8 Kelowna, BC, Canada Waterfront Park

July 21-22 Portland, OR Blue Lake Park