Empire U

Arizona St. Wake Devils are 2011 Team of the Year!

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

What's it like to hold the title of Collegiate Wakeboarding Team of the Year? As amazing as it is to hold the title of Hottest Girls on Campus See here

Congratulations to the Wake Devils for this achievement!

The award is given to the collegiate team who shows much more then just the ability to ride. Yes, this year it happen to land on the number 1 team in the nation, but there was much more behind Team of the Year then that.

Arizona State attended 2 Collegiate Wake Series stops in 2011, Chico CA, and Tampa FL. Both events were more then 13 hours away from home. They brought 13 riders to each and took 2nd place at both. They showed great sportsmanship, comradery and attitude.

"When we look at the club we see a model team. They get their paper work in on time, act like a family, and come to the events ready to have a great time," said Rob Mendieta President of Empire Wake.

Ryan Platt and RJ Pabon have been the major leaders of the team, however everyone on the team has stepped up in their own way; whether it is finding a new sponsor, recruiting new members, raising money for the team and most importantly letting the team use their parents boat. This semester has been huge because they really transformed into a team. They support each other like family and would do just about anything for each other.

ASU will be at the Collegiate Wake Championships in Las Vegas NV hoping to hold on to the number 1 spot.

Once again CONGRATULATIONS to the Arizona State Wake Devils!

Oh yea, did I forget to mention they know how to Dougie?

Collegiate Cable Tour -Hydrous

2012-01-08T19:44:00.002-08:00

HYDROUS - April 14th 2012

This is the right way to end the first year of the Collegiate Cable Tour. The final stop at the 2012 Cable Park of the Year - Hydrous

The weekend begins with some riding at Hydrous from 7 til close on Friday Night. CWB, and Hyperlite will be onsite with demos for riders to try out. The pre party will follow at a location to be determined as we are closer to the event.

Saturday morning Hydrous will open at 8am for riders to come warm up. The park will be open to the public from 8am until 10am.

9am is registration for each rider. Registration fee is $40 per member.

10am the event begins.

We will be pulling riders non stop until 3pm followed by awards and 2 hours of free riding and more demo gear from CWB and Hyperlite.

Make sure your team checks out the rules and info within the Collegiate Cable Tour Packet!

Your team must also be registered with Empire Wake to participate in this event.

Special thanks to our local supporters:

Orlando Watersports Complex March 31

2012-01-08T19:43:00.004-08:00

Orlando Watersports Complex

March 31st 2012

You just can't have a legit cable tour with out a stop at one of the worlds most iconic cable parks, OWC.

The CTRL crew will be out on site to help host the middle stop. Keith Lidberg has really been a big help in making everything unique and new.

All college riders are welcome to compete. Park opens at 8am and riders will begin at 10am. The event will run 4 hours straight.

Entry fees are $40 and each rider will get 2 passes. Top riders will qualify for a final and top 3 will win prizes from our sponsors.

Registration begins at 8am.

CWB will have demo boards out and riders can test out the VIBE before and after the event.

Also the event will qualify the best teams for the Collegiate Cable Championships in Raleigh NC in September 2012.

Come out and be a part of the first Collegiate Cable Tour!

After the event we are all hanging out at the park and riding for a few hours.

If you are looking for some more action, the first stop of the gravel tour will be in the boat lake same day. 2012 Gravel Tour

Collegiate Cable Tour - Texas Ski Ranch

2012-01-08T19:42:00.001-08:00

Texas Ski Ranch

March 24th 2012

Welcome, Welcome to the Collegiate Cable Tour and the first ever national college level tour! We are proud to have TSR, one of the original cable parks in the nation, as our first stop.

Texas Ski Ranch has always been a special park to us since it is right in our backyard here in Central Texas and the Austin area. The staff down there has always been great and it looks like that is going to continue.

TSR has hosted many of the worlds largest cable events already. It is an honor to be invited to host this tour here among all the other legendary contests.

Look for some great times at this event with demos from CWB, Hyperlite, Slingshot and CTRL.

We will be at the park from 8am until they shut it down! Following the contest will be free riding and an open park for spectators and the college athletes.

Once the sun sets, the music starts and the party begins. Thanks to Wahoo's being at the park there is plenty of great food and drinks.

Registration will begin at 9am for all riders.
10am Beginners will hit the water.

Midday we will take a lunch break and open the cable up to everyone. Riders will be able to demo product from some of the sponsors.

After an hour break the finals will begin and we will finish up by 5pm.

The park will open back up to the public and we will stick around for the rest of the night.

Entry fee is $40 per participant.

Riders will place 1st -3rd in each division and take home some great prizes from our partners.

After all the points are added up there will be a team winner and all teams will be placed in a national ranking!

Teams who ride an event will be invited to Collegiate Cable Nationals TBA in September 2012.

Make sure you download the packet so you can see at the details and rules.
Collegiate Cable Packet

Looking forward to making this first year epic! Thanks to the support of the Cable riding community.

BuyWake.com Collegiate CO-OP

2011-12-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

BuyWake would like to invite your school to participate in an exclusive Collegiate Wake Club discount program. Buywake.com provides current members of collegiate wakeboard teams with a legit discount for purchasing equipment and accessories.

GROUP BUY PROGRAM
Under the group buy program and entire collegiate wakeboard team can purchase product from a single manufacturer at discounts from 40%-60% of MSRP. Group buys must be submitted via email by the collegiate wakeboard team president to Billy@buywake.com

We at Buywake.com work directly with the manufacturer to obtain substantial discounted prices on behalf of your college wakeboard team. Once a final discount breakdown is arrived at, it is provided to the team president for approval. Next, once payment is received at Buywake.com the order is submitted to the manufacturer directly and the entire group buy is shipped factory direct to a single address within 2 weeks from the date the group buy is finalized.

INDIVIDUAL RIDER PROGRAM (IRP)
Under the Individual Rider Program, individual members of college wakeboard teams are eligible to receive a 20% discount on individual orders that would ship directly from our wearhouse. This 20% discount applies only to current year models, non sale products (sale items will be sold at current listed price). All orders fulfilled under the IRP are subject to the standard Buywake.com shipping rates (most orders submitted under the IRP qualify for free shipping). It is required that a current club roster is on file at Buywake.com prior to the IRP order. IRP orders must be called in by the college wakeboard team president or by a team representative on the roster.

To participate in the Buywake.com collegiate wake club discount program or for more information please call Billy Witcher at 800.709.9253 or email Billy direct at Billy@buywake.com

The Collegiate Cable Tour

2011-11-23T09:01:00.001-08:00

Collegiate Cable Tour Teaser from Rob Mendieta on Vimeo.

Empire Wake is proud to present the Collegiate Cable Tour! The tour launches in March of 2012 and will hit Orlando Watersports Complex, Hydrous Cable Park, and Texas Ski Ranch.

This exciting tour is open to all collegiate wakeboard clubs and any new collegiate cable club. Riders must be with one of these clubs to participate on the tour.

The first year will be a 3 stop tour starting and ending in Texas with a trip to OWC in the middle. The events are open to any club registered with Empire Wake and there is no limit on the number of team riders per team.

All riders will be scored and a team total will be tallied at the end of the day. Schools will be ranked nationally and the top 8 will be invited to the Collegiate Cable National Championships in September that year.

Each event is broken up into 5 divisions: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Womens and Wakeskate. The criteria are as follows:

Beginner – Features plus up to 1 air trick

Intermediate – Features plus up to 3 air tricks

Advanced – Features plus up to 5 air tricks

The tour already has some major support from Pat Panakos, the Wake Park Project, Shred Ready, Ten-80, 3, Smith Optics, Hydrous Cable Park, and Orlando Watersports Complex.

If your club is interested in participating please email us at: EmpireWake@gmail.com for the events packet and more info on how to get your club registered!

We are really looking forward to this exciting tour coming this spring. Come Ride with Us!

2012 Collegiate Cable Tour Dates:

March 24th - Texas Ski Ranch

March 31st - Orlando Watersports Complex

April 14th - Hydrous Wake Park

Alpine Stars designer Tyson White

2011-11-22T12:23:00.001-08:00

When most people think of Alpinestars racing comes to mind. There is nothing wrong with that. They make some of the top racing gear on the market. You can see drivers such as Ken Block (Rally), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR), and Carl Edwards (NASCAR).

They also are teamed up with Travis Pastrana and a list 3 miles long of big names in SuperCross, FMX, Street Racing, and more. Legit enough for you?

Enough about racing, let's kick back to the more laid back atmosphere of Wakeboarding. This is something pretty new to Alpinestars. Thus enter Tyson White, the general manager and designer.

The water tight PR team at the main office in Torrance CA, let me infiltrate their high security private company to speak with Tyson about what is going on with their new line. I believe it was Tyson, at least, even though the interview answers are somewhat suspect and resemble an experienced team of veteran writers who knew how to make every answer sound perfectly fitting such as a football player thanking God before each interview....

Tyson became involved with the industry in 1995. He had worked for companies such as Rip Curl, Burton and Analog before striking gold in 2009 when he had the good fortune of meeting the owner of Alpinestars. Tyson was exposed to how powerful the brand was (globally) and was inspired to join the amazing team.

Q: Who is the mastermind?

White: Well I would like to first thank God..(Just kidding we made that part up)

Actually Tyson White: "In 1963 it was the company founder Sante Mazzarolo. He passed the torch to his son Gabriele about 20 years ago, who has run (and grown) the company very successfully ever since. They have shared a very amazing legacy together – beginning with making the world’s best motorcycle boots, and when Gabriele Mazzarolo took over he expanded into the other major sports in racing such as Formula One, Nascar and now we sponsor the world’s best athletes in these and other sports. Between the father and the son they represent nearly 50 years of innovation."

Q: Alpinestars is an independent privately owned company. Did you participate in the"Occupy Wall St" movement yet? Or, I guess "Occupy Torrance?"

White: "Ha ha... No, but we were just in NY recently and witnessed it first hand. Being a privately owned company, Alpinestars has the ability to operate more freely than some of the publicly-traded companies we compete with in Action Sports. We can in many cases move much quicker, and more importantly, we can stay true to the core values of the company without worrying simply about profits, quarterly reports and shareholders. That’s a huge benefit to me, and I’m really stoked that we can do that. It’s all about the product and staying true to who we are as a brand."

Q: Will there be an Alpinestars banner held up? "Team Occupy"?

White's PR Team: "Not there, but at many other events around the world you can see our flag flying."

Q: Your new HD Boardshorts are amazing! What inspired you to head in this direction?

White's PR Team: "We have a special place in our heart for boardshorts - not just because we like to surf and ride - but also because in action sports it’s a category where you can really push the envelope in technology and innovation which is, above all else, the core of this amazing brand."

Q: When I think of your corporate office I think of a SportsCenter commercial. Do you all walk around in motorsports gear as you work?

Actually Tyson White: "Only on “Moto Mondays”. In fact, I’m sitting at my desk in a pair of Tech 10 MX Boots right now."

Bikini and boardshort Thursdays are always better at the Alpinestar office! If you haven't seen the line check out their website - Alpinestar.com

Thanks Tyson and the PR Team at Alpinestars for taking the time for our quick interview!

Empire Wake has truly enjoyed the support and we are pushing this brand for a reason. It isn't often you have the pleasure of working with a private company that has a staff on point from top to bottom. We have seen the brand change in the action sports world just in the past 2 years. We know the crew will keep pushing the limits and making one of the top brands in the world.

Check out some of the line below:
HD Boardshort
Travel Gear
Women's Clothing

Arizona State Wake Devils Back with a Vengeance

2011-11-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

After a few years of falling off the map, the Arizona State Wake Devils are back and as strong as ever. Back in 2004 when collegiate wakeboarding was new, this team had the likes of Jimmie Wolf. They were always a top team at nationals and one to watch out for.

In 2011 they have reformed and participated in CWS - Chico and CWS- Tampa. Rolling with 13 members to each event they rode hard, made podium in numerous divisions and found themselves ranked number 1 in the country.

The club has a wide array of riders from a solid women division up to J.P Bray and Ryan Pratt in the Advanced division. The rest of the club is well divided up giving them an edge in each division.

They don't yet have any open riders, but we expect the next few years for that to change and really see these guys take off.

Arizona State came in second in Chico as a team and second in Tampa behind the defending national champs.

Can't afford a club boat? Here is another option

2011-11-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

Every team is in a different situation. Some have the blessing of a school that will help provide a boat so the club can grow and improve. Others, the school acts like they don't exist even though an average of $1000 of a students tuition money is put toward club sports...($1000 per student x 20,000 students= ... you do the math)

Empire Wake suggest a better approach than buying a club boat. A boat equals payments, maintenance, upkeep, gas, and drivers. This is a lot to ask from a club right now. This simpler approach is seeming to work for some clubs and the more we think of it, doing it right is going to create jobs for graduating members and help progress the collegiate level.

The answer: find a local rider or dealer with a boat and driver. Chances are that a wakeboarder has a crappy job and wants to be on the water all day. Your club is a dream come true! Offer this boat owner $50 - $60 an hour to pull your club (plus gas). Now he has a full time job on the lake making $200-$300 a day. That is more then any sandwich shop will ever pay. He gets to be on the water with cool wakeboarders and gets to ride himself.

Now with some money to upkeep his boat, gas paid, some hot college girls, and his boat payment covered, you have one happy wakeboarder with a killer job.

The club benefits? You have a nice wakeboard boat, a driver, and you don't have the responsibility of dealing with the headache involved in being a boat owner.

This is a win win! You riders graduating college and have a boat or plan to get one, you're welcome for the career idea of a lifetime.

Good luck! If you need help locating a driver and boat we might be able to help. Hit us up on email.

Build your club a legit website

2011-10-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Now a days, it is just as important to have a legit website as a cell phone number. Remember your club is like a business. If you want sponsors to take you seriously, and you want new members to join you have to have some place they can see all that you are doing. Facebook is cool and all, but it only last as long as a president who takes the password with them when they graduate.

Websites don't have to cost you a fortune, and you don't need to spend all your time creating them yourself. Devin Tatro, a long time rider of Empire Wake is who can help. He is dialed in to the sport and loves building these sites. We are pleased with what he has done for us!

With a site you can bring in new revenue, update members, add photos, and let the rest of the college wakeboard world know what you are up too. We see some cool things your clubs are doing, but it is nearly impossible to find out until it is way after the event.

Contact Devin and make things happen! You will see a big change once you have this going.
DevinTatro@gmail.com

Please let us know when you are up and running so we can let other clubs see what you are doing!

A day with the Sac State I-5 Camels

2011-10-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Heading out to the Collegiate Wake Series stop 4 in Chico California, my travels took me to Sacramento California. This has been a city on my list of places to visit for almost 10 years. Drew Glickman, the President of the club, picked me up from the airport in his '83 Toyota station wagon, a perfectly appropriate ride for the atmosphere of this town.

We took a quick trip downtown and I got a real feel for how great this place was. The city was beautiful and had a laid back vibe. There is an outdoor mall that leads to Old Sacramento and possibly a future location of a wake stop. The best part of all is the short hour drive to South Lake Tahoe.

Later that night I met up with the backbone of this club, Jen Barth. She may be just the Team Manager and Treasurer, but the chemistry that her and Drew have together is why Sac State is one of the best run teams in the country. Just ask them about the rail jam in 2011 they built on campus.

Jen came to Sac State for the very reason of the wakeboard club. When she toured the campus she saw the remnants of the club rail jam that year. That was all it took. She quickly took charge with Drew and they are keeping this team going though emotions and passion. She said her favorite part of the club is how close everyone is on the team. "It is just the atmosphere of college wakeboarding and how everyone is so excited," Jen explained.

This was very clear to me as I was invited to ride along during a club practice before the event. Being in the boat with Matt Tonne, Jen Barth, Blake Myers and team coach Chad McInnis was a great experience even for me.

Sac State is one of the few clubs with an ideal boat situation. Thanks to the support of the Aquatic Center and Chad, the team can practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am -2pm. The Aquatic Center supplies the boat and the team pays a flat fee for gas. Chad was a Sac State Wake Club Alumni 2009 so he understands the program and is happy to give back.

We took some photos, everyone got a set, and headed to Chico for the stop. It was an awesome experience getting to know this team. They are a solid program and have some great leadership and comradery of this team. I look forward to seeing how they do over the next few years.

Sac State Photo Shoot

Texas A&M Cleans up in Dallas

2011-10-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

From the aftermath of 90 collegiate riders who took to the lake in Dallas, rises the new Texas leader, The Texas A&M Aggies from College Station TX. The team took the top podium spots in Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. They put 2 more up there with a 3rd in Beginner, 2nd in Intermediate and 2nd in Skate.

This team had been shaky for the past 2 years running middle of the pack. They didn't make the trip to the Championships in Long Beach, dropping them out of the top 10 end of season. It looks like they are organized and ready to dethrown state champs Texas Longhorns.

So far they have a good jump on that. The club took 1st overall this past weekend on Lake Lewisville, beating out a very strong North Texas.

All three teams are heading down to Beaumont for the 5th stop of the tour. They will meet again to push the rankings even harder.

Collegiate Wake Series Atlanta

2011-10-04T12:36:00.001-07:00

The weather this year cooperated just enough to make it the best of the past 4. We were blessed with 70 degrees and sunshine. The water stayed warm and the riders were hot!

MarineMax's 2011 Super Air Nautique 230 was the official towboat that pulled the 56 riders. The wake was cranking up and the passes were nice and long. When the water settled it was Hunter Drury from Florida State who took the top spot of the event. Josh Bank of UF was right on his tail but fell on his 720 to take 2nd place. Justin Fletcher of Georgia Tech finished out the podium.

Monster Energy kept the day going with the combined announcing efforts of Levi Dills, Cole Vanthof and Rob Mendieta. At one point a spectator took home a year supply of Monster Rehab from winning the event raffle.

Cayley Erickson (FSU) took first in womens even though she didn't stick her backroll until the next day. Kevin Havemeier (UF) crushed the competition in the Advanced Division throwing four inverts and Mike Bank of Florida took home the victory in Intermediate.

The top 3 riders took home prizes from Buywake.com, Alpine Stars, Smith Optics, and Rusty Clothing.

It was an amazing event to kick off the year before heading north to Louisville KY, and Taylorsville Lake. The vibe once again was rockin' during the event and after at the campgrounds. This is truly and event you want to attend each year.

Big thanks to MarineMax and Nautique for being out with boats, support and Kyle Rattray who came to ride a demo for everyone.

Teeki Bikini was on site with their hot ladies and samples. They raffled off one on Satruday to a lucky winner.

It was a great weekend and a big event. Check out the photos and see the entire list of winners below.

2011 Collegiate Wake Series Photos

Open:

1. Hunter Drury FSU

2. Josh Bank UF

3. Justin Fletcher GT

Advanced:

1. Kevin Havemeier UF

2. Jared Nadal FSU

3. Seth McCann UF

Intermediate:

1. Mike Bank UF

2. Ryan Schumacher FSU

3. Stewart Albert GT

Womens:

1. Cayley Erickson FSU

2. Ericka Miller UF

3. Meaghan Holton FSU

Beginner:

1. Chadwick Morris FSU

2. Justin Young GCSU

3. Anthony Kennedy UGA

WakeSkate:

1. Marcus Knox UF

2. Nick Kljucaric GT

3. Clint Kainec FSU

Georgia

2011-10-04T11:54:00.003-07:00

Ohio State

2011-10-04T11:54:00.001-07:00

Illinois State

2011-10-04T11:53:00.003-07:00

South Carolina

2011-10-04T11:53:00.001-07:00

LSU

2011-10-04T11:52:00.003-07:00

CSU Northridge

2011-10-04T11:52:00.001-07:00

Central Washington

2011-10-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

The CWU Wakesports club consists primarily of wake boarders and wakeskaters both male and female and range from beginners to experts in skill level. Some benefits of membership include social events, opportunities to ride and tremendous deals on gear from several well known companies in the industry.

Although the club is relatively young, the club is fairly competitive amongst clubs in the region. In 2010 the club placed third as a team at Collegiate Regionals and was invited to compete at the national tournament. The club’s expectations are high this year with a majority of the team returning. The team recently hosted an event and is qualified to compete at Empire Wake's Collegiate Wake Series Championships for 2011-12.

CWU Wake on Sports on Lake Sports

CWU WAKE SPORTS

Contact info:
CentralWakesports@gmail.com

Steven F Austin

2011-10-04T11:49:00.002-07:00

UT San Antonio

2011-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is the second year for the UTSA wakeboarding club. The team was formed in 2010 by Brian LaBarbera and John Phillips. In the first year of their creation they have gained sponsorships with Texas Ski Ranch and Sail and Ski Boat Dealership. This team also hosted one of the few cable contests at Bethy Creek Resort called The Dockside Marine Collegiate Cable Jam. Schools from all over Texas came to compete for Cash and Swag prizes. UTSA Wake started their first year with around 20 members and have grown tremendously in just a year. This team is a major cable riding team due to their daily practices at Taxis Ski Ranch but that doesn’t hurt them behind the boat. The team rides weekly at Lake Medina as well. So keep your eyes pilled for this team , they are coming out to make a statement in the wake scene.

Oklahoma State

2011-10-04T09:07:00.001-07:00

The Oklahoma State University Wakeboard Team started 20+ years ago as a waterski club and has morphed into a competitive Wakeboard Team. Within the last three years, the team has become more competitive. To date, the team has competed at Boarder Wars, USA Nationals, USA Collegiate Nationals. Currently, the team has become popular enough in the state and region, wakeboarding has become a recruitment adventure drawing students to OSU. With years of experience there is no doubt this team is one to watch out for .

East Carolina

2011-10-04T09:06:00.003-07:00

University of North Carolina

2011-10-04T09:06:00.001-07:00

The UNC Wakeboard Club was born out of the UNC Waterski and Wakeboard Club in the spring of 2011. Club founders Ryan Page, Zack Phillips, and Winn Wright had decided that wakeboarding deserved some of the spotlight that the club’s skiers had held for so long. They wanted to get wakeboarders competing in a real wakeboard series, rather than just hanging with the skiers. Thus, UNC Wake was born.

After heavy recruiting, the UNC Wakeboard Team looks to make their debut in the Collegiate Wake Series this season. They are a fresh new team and look forward to seeing a lot of great talent come for this school .

Georgia Tech

2011-10-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Teeki Bikinis are going to be onsite.

2011-09-27T07:44:00.001-07:00

Looks like we have found a much better line to support! Thanks to the local rep and good friend of Empire Wake, we are going to be promoting this line which is a way better fit for wakeboards, and water sport enthusiast.
They aren't just hot, they are made from recycled material and were started by being hand sewn in Wilmington NC. Now the company has exploded and is based out of Cali where it all happens.

Here is their story: (from the owner)
I started this crazy bikini making venture in the fall of 2008. The idea was to have functional fashionable ecoconscious bikinis.
I was born and raised in North Carolina, I have a twin sister Brittany who is awesome, and younger bro who is very good at wakeboarding, and the coolest parents around. I grew up in the water, riding horses, and fabric shopping with my stylish mom. Since 15 I have dreamed of cute bikinis. Literally. I knew that I had to make bikinis. So after high school I drifted off to California to make it happen.
I went to F.I.D.M and had multiple internships and jobs in the industry prior to the birth of teeki. I apply the knowledge that I have gained from school and work everyday.
My designs and my business are very partial to the things that I love the most in life. To tap into a few, art is beautiful, I love fashion, I create when I travel, music. and I am obsessed with COLOR which plays a big part in my designs.
Life. This is my inspiration. I hope that you enjoy my work.

Check out there website and see what the rave is all about! www.Teekilove.com

Teams

2011-09-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

East Division:
University of Kentucky

University of Tennessee
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Ohio State
Ohio University.
Cincinnati University

Mid Atlantic:
NC State University

University of South Carolina
UNC-Wilmington
Virginia Tech
UNC
Eastern Carolina

Southeast:
Gainesville St

Georgia College
Florida State University
Florida Gulf Coast
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of South Florida
University of Georgia

MidWest:

Baylor

North Texas
Texas Tech
San Angelo State
Oklahoma State
Stephen F. Austin

South:
Louisiana Tech

Texas A&M
University of Louisiana Monroe
University of Louisiana Lafeyette
University of Texas
LSU
UT San Antonio
Sam Houston St

West:
Arizona State
Boise State

Central Washington
Chico State
Long Beach St
University of Oregon
Washington State
California State University Northridge

Washington State

2011-09-26T19:45:00.003-07:00

Virginia Tech

2011-09-26T19:45:00.001-07:00

University of Vermont

2011-09-26T19:44:00.005-07:00

University of Texas

2011-09-26T19:44:00.003-07:00

Texas Wake was established to promote the culture of wakeboarding and
facilitate an individual’s ability to participate in the great sport. At the same time, Texas
Wake aims for lifelong friendships among members. We are the official wakeboarding
club for UT Austin.

It started a few years ago when a few friends with a common interest in the sport noticed there was no wakeboarding organization at UT. They decided it would be a great way to spread the sport to the university.

Since 2007, Texas Wake has grown to over 100 members and continues to grow each year.
At the heart of Texas Wake is the club's goal of furthering the enjoyment of the sport for all its members, as well as building enduring friendships amongst them.
Hook 'Em Horns!

Texas Wake has made a mark in only 4 years. Their most recent accomplishments are:
2010 took the Collegiate Wake Championship title held in Austin, Texas hosted by
Empire Wake.

2011 they took 3rd place at the Collegiate Wake Series held in Long Beach, Cali. hosted by
Empire Wake.

2010 took 1st place at Collegiate Wake Series Regional stop, Lake Lewisville, Texas.

2010 took 1st place at the annual CTC, hosted by University of North Texas and SetX
Lake.

2010 took 1st place at CWS Regionals held in Dallas, Texas hosted by Empire Wake.

2009 took 2nd at Collegiate Nationals

2008 took 2nd at Collegiate Wakeboard regionals: South

2008 took 1st at SMU Collegiate Challenge

University of Tennessee

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University of South Florida

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University of South Carolina

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University of Oregon

2011-09-26T19:42:00.005-07:00

UNC-Wilmington

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University of Louisiana Lafeyette

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University of Louisiana Monroe

2011-09-26T19:41:00.003-07:00

University of Kentucky

2011-09-26T19:41:00.001-07:00

The Kentucky Wake club has over 30 members each semester and is constantly growing. They are currently planning a winter trip that will be 5 days of fun in Orlando!

Their riders range from beginner to open, but the club is all about fun and just enjoying being on the water. Learning something new, and being around good friends is all they are about.

UK has competed in the ALT Games the past few years and have done fairly well. This
year will be the first year they will be atteding Empire Wake's Collegiate Wake Series Championships!

They will be the co-host with Empire Wake as we expand the Collegiate Wake Series to the midwest region.

University of Florida

2011-09-26T19:40:00.003-07:00

San Angelo State

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Sam Houston St

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The Sam Houston State University Wakeboarding club was created and started by
3 students at SHSU who love the sport and lifestyle of Wakeboarding. John Goodchild,
The Sam Houston State wakeboard club was created by Aaron Snow, and Hunter Adams in 2010. They currently have about 10 members and are looking to build to a solid club. Registration is open to any Sam Houston student loves to learn how to wakeboard or would like to learn.

The club currently rides out in Riverside TX at the Bethy Creek Resort which is owned
and operated by Randell Vincent JR. Out there they shred on the Endless Ride Cable
system which is a two tower system. They also catch boat sets from time to time on the
Trinity River which is what Bethy Creek Resort connects into. All days of the year the water is flat and the water is deep to hold any consistent wake you throw on it.

This year they are just looking to grow their organization and get the lifestyle of
wakeboarding out there. They will be competing at the regional event in Beaumont TX in 2011.

Southern Methodist

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North Texas

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University of North Texas Wake Club has been around for 6 years. They have been in rebuilding mode this year as they have a new president, Justin Troth.
The club helps host the Collegiate Wakeboard Challenge at SETx Lake in Beaumont Texas each year.The last accomplishment the club had was in 2009 when the club made it to the collegiate wake series championship held in Austin, TX.

Louisiana Tech

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Long Beach St

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Florida Gulf Coast

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Boise State

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Baylor

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Baylor Wake was founded in the fall of 2009, the team stumbled upon the collegiate wake series with four riders and little to no money in their pockets. After competing at the CWS Beaumont stop Baylor Wake qualified for the CWS nationals. The team started recruiting heavily, picked up a few members and some sponsors along the way and theres be nothing but bright futures ahead of the team.

Arizona State

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Texas Tech

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Texas Christian University

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Texas A&M

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Rollins College

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North Texas

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NC State

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Florida State University

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Florida State wakeboard club has been on fire since they began riding the Collegiate Wake Series. The team consistantly has over 150 riders in the club, and brings on average of 20 to any regional event they enter.

They own a 2001 Malibu Wakesetter that stays on the Reservation the team practices on. This is a rare benefit most club can't offer. Practices are open at anytime to riders, but the team usually practices between 2pm and 6pm Monday through Friday.

The club has talented riders who are able to drive and teach new members and existing members looking to improve.

There are many social events as well including meetings. It is a great place to meet other wakeboard enthusist. The club travels to the regional Collegiate Wakeboard events and always bring lots of members and have an amazing time.

In 2011 FSU Wake was preseason 4 and just won the Collegiate Wake Series Atlanta stop. Each year in the spring they head to The Collegiate Wake Series Championships. This will be the third year straight.

If you would like to sign up, check out the website and facebook pages for more info.

FSU Wakeboard ended up ranked #2 in the Nation.

We also received First at the Atlanta regional.

Georgia College

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Gainesville St

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Chico State

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Founded in August of 2006, the Chico State Wakeboard Team’s goal was to represent California State University Chico at sanctioned collegiate tournaments. 5+ years later, and a few new teammates, the team is going strong. Their goal is now to keep a reputation as a dominate wakeboard powerhouse on the west coast. This year Chico plans on winning another major wakeboarding Championship. They have the talent and the heart t to become National Champions. Chico lost a key rider in Raequel Hoffman this past year, however with one door being shut, two others were opened. Justin Payton and Rob Wray, two new riders to the team, are absolutely killing it this season. With multiple 5’s, Tantrum to blind, whirly bird, tootsie roll, roll to blind, kgb, multiple versions of Glides and much more, these two riders are bringing about a new level to thier team. Brandon Hassfeld (sponsored by Liquid Force and new member of the toeside backside 360 club), Travis Briscoe (just landed a 720) , Daniel Indelicato (just landed switch toeside backside 1), Jordan Raber (super close to landing 3’s and backroll), and Diana Fleenor (Nor Cal Hyperlite Team Rider and throwing back rolls) are all back on the team for this upcoming year. This team is seriously stacked with raw talent and well me a force to recon with at nationals.

Central Washington

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Central Florida

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Belmont

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belmont team

Rules

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RULES!

Empire Wake's Collegiate Wake Series Rules

A school must be an acknowledged club at their stated university or community college. They must abide by the regulations of the club sports department under what defines a school club.

Each rider must be a part time or full time enrolled student at their team’s school. If a rider is riding for University of Texas, then that rider must be enrolled at the University of Texas for the entire season. We no longer specify what part time means.

A rider doesn’t have to be at a qualifier to compete in the Championships. It is up to the team to decide who the best riders are to take.

If a rider transfers in mid year or second semester they may ride at the Championships

If a student graduates in December, in the middle of the season, then the rider may ride until May graduation. That student must have ridden in the qualifier that same year. The roster of each school can be checked at any point during the season. If a rider is found to be an ineligible rider during an event then that team may be disqualified for that season.

A team must register with the Collegiate Wakeboard Series with their intent to compete. This will help us know what schools have teams, and be able to offer benefits included with membership. The fee is $200 per season and is good from the time paid until April 30^th that following year. Teams who do not pay will not be allowed to participate.

Each team must register each year to update that club still exist. Please refer below to find out cost schedule.

Each rider must register at each event they compete in. The entry fee is $40 per person.

All riders must pay BEFORE they compete that day.

There is no limit to the number of events a school or rider can compete in.

To earn a spot in the finals a school must compete at least once during the year at any qualifying event.

If a school competes at more then one event then they will better their seed for nationals. Even if a school competes at 2 events and places 3^rd at both, they will be seeded higher then a school who only rides one event and gets 3^rd. Therefore the more you compete, the better seed you will get. Top school gets top seed in finals.

There are no bad attitudes allowed. Unsportsman-like attitudes will result in disqualification of that rider if sever enough. This decision is made by the staff.

No Sandbagging (riding in a division below your skill level). You will be bumped to the appropriate division, looked down upon, and scored against the correct division.

DIVISIONS:

There is no pro division in college sports because professionals cannot technically be a collegiate athletes. This is also why there will be no individual payouts to athletes and only school teams.

Beginner – 180s and 1 invert and grabs.

Intermediate – Riders are allowed 4 inverts and 360’s. No spins over a 360 are allowed. Also no mobes are allowed in this division. If a rider can execute a mobe, judges will assume that rider is “sandbagging” and be bumped a division.

Advanced- Riders are allowed 7 inverts and 540 spins. Mobes are not allowed.

Open – This is a division anyone can ride in. This division gets the most points for a team. There are no limitations on inverts or spins.

Women’s – Must be female. It is encourages each team ride at least one women to score more points for a team. In the national finals each team will need a women rider.

Wakeskate – No bindings.

POINTS:

Every team that paid registration fees and participated in a qualifier will be invited to the CWS Championships.

First 16 teams to pay entry fees for CWS Championships will be the ones to go. The brackets will be filled out according to your national ranking at the time.

Therefore if the number 2 team is the highest ranked team to compete at the Championships they will be bumped to the number 1 seed.

Teams not only ride against each other at each event but also against the rest of the country. Since there is a consistent scoring system in place and all events are scored the same, Empire Wake staff determines who is ranked where according to overall score and rider ability.

No team is GUARANTED a spot at nationals. You must fulfill all the requirements.

Teams riding more then one event will have a better chance at being placed top 16.

Teams can only bring 8 riders to nationals. There is no specific division requirement. Bring your strongest riders.

Rider Weight:

Beginner division riders scores are multiplied by 1.

Wakestake division riders scores are multipled by 1.

Intermediate division riders scores are multiplied by 1.5

Women’s division riders scores are multiplied by 2

Advanced riders scores are multiplied by 2.5

Open riders points are multiplied by 3.

Therefore it takes 3 beginner riders to equal an open rider.

If a school brings more riders then they have a better chance then a school who only brings 2 open riders.

Below is the points to place system used.

1st	120	19th	18
2nd	100	20th	17
3rd	90	21st	16
4th	80	22nd	15
5th	70	23rd	14
6th	65	24th	13
7th	60	25th	12
8th	55	26th	11
9th	51	27th	10
10th	47	28th	9
11th	43	29th	8
12th	39	30th	7
13th	35	31st	6
14th	31	32nd	5
15th	27	33rd	4
16th	23	34th	3
17th	20	35th	2
18th	19	36th	1

JUDGING:

Judging will be based on a 2 judge system. The scores are 4 parts worth 25 points each totaling 100 points. The criteria are as follows:

Style: How well does a rider add his or her own style to their run. Grabs, pokes, and tweaks, are a few examples. It is making wakeboarding look aesthetically pleasing. The essence of style is a combination of smoothness and being unique.

Composition: Judges look for the riders’ ability to perform a fluid, creative run. Repeating tricks and lacking variety in your run may hurt your score. This is where a rider shows his mastery of wakeboarding. The second is part of competition is how technical the rider’s run is in comparison to the other riders in the same division.

Execution: How clean does each rider execute his or her run. Missed grabs, not riding away clean from a spin and butt-checking may hurt your score.

Amplitude: We want you to take tricks big! The bigger the better.

The judges are educated and knowledge they are the judges and not the announcer or other staff members. If you have questions, please ask someone BEFORE you ride

RUNS:

In the qualifying events, each rider is given one run with 3 falls.

The tow boat will be weighted the same though the entire division never changing until a new division.

Riding conditions and other boat wake will not be a cause for a re ride. Only the judges and head coordinator can decide if a rider receives a re ride at any time. Majority rules in this decision.

During Collegiate Championship Finals, a new set of rules will be issued on number of team riders allowed to advance. A team format will be created before the event and distributed to each school competing. Please refer to these new rules before the event.

ENTRY FEES:

There are no team fees for qualifying events. Just individual entry fees:

$40 per person

The fee for the championships will be all inclusive and established in January that year.

WWA and USA Wakeboard Insurance are NOT required.

BENEFITS:

Each registered team will be allowed to compete in any “Collegiate Wakeboard Series” event.

Registration is $200 for each club to join. Money will go back into events.

A registered team is entitled to sponsor and supporter discounts.

Registered school can be invited to the Championship Wake Series Finals.

Start A Club

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Start A Club!

This page is dedicated to helping clubs start,and grow stronger. We will be posting information from other clubs who are succeeding.

Some areas will be writing a constitution, fundraising, club days, and how to get sponsored

We ask that clubs please email us content for this page such as a copy of their constitution.

How to structure your club the best!

Each club has their own system. The teams that are doing the best with organization have certain possitions they fill. We hope that in the next 3 years all clubs will have the same basic structure.

Here are the offices we hope you set up and fill.

President:

The head of the club. Gets all paper work into the school on time. Sets up a meeting spot and time each week or month. Keeps the website and and facebook page updated. Checks the Club Gmail account each day.

Team Manager:

Sets up club days, and is in charge of getting the club to events. This person books hotels, rental cars, flights, etc. The are also incharge of getting sponsors and maintaining them. This person is also needs to keep up with club equipment.

Vice President:

This person should be ready to take over the club at any time. They are to preform the duties of the President if they are absent. If the President resigns, this person becomes the acting president. Empire Wake feels it is best to have this person be an underclassman and be preped to take over the club when the President graduates. Your club needs to have someone prepared to take over so transitions are smooth.

Treasurer:

The most trusted person in the club! This person handles both on campus accounts and off campus accounts. They need to be ahead of the game to make sure to ask the school for funds far enough in advance to get them. They need to keep records of where the money is going and how it is coming in.

ASK YOUR SCHOOL FOR MONEY
Don't be afraid to ask your student government or your sports club council to help your team pay dues and entry fees. All schools have a budget for this that comes from tax dollars and student fees that you are required to pay.
It is important to have a presentation prepared ahead of time so when you ask you look professional and serious
If you know your budget that you need then make sure you list where the money is going.
Good Luck, and see you next season!
If you want to help with this, please email us at EmpireWake@gmail.com
Don't be afraid to charge club dues!
Clubs, it isn't bad to have high club dues. However you need to make sure the dues come with perks. If your club charges $300 a year, then you need to make sure you have plenty of time riders can ride. This should also include entry fees at any events as well for those who compete. Some clubs around the nation have these fees and they still have huge clubs.
If your club doesn't have a boat, look into hiring a local to pull. Pay that person for their time per week as long as he pulls club riders. Most of the time people are happy to make $200 a week and have people to ride with everyday. You will still need to cover gas, but now you have a boat for your members and you can charge a higher club due.

If your club is one of the teams fortunate enough to have a boat, club dues need to be higher as well. The cost of the boat payment needs to be made, plus maintaining the boat when it breaks or needs basic maintenance. Some clubs charge towards $500 when they have a boat to use.

If you are one of those struggling clubs that charges only $40 a semester to ride on the team, and wonder why you can't afford to go places, maybe you should up it a little for some more income to run your "business." After all, a collegiate team is much like a business. Just make sure you offer the perks with the money. We found people are willing to pay more upfront then a little every time you do anything as a team.

FUNDRAISERS
Chili's has a fundraiser that they offer any club. It is easy and only takes a little work on your clubs part to get the word out. Have a member go into a Chili's ask for the GM and ask him about the fundraiser off where they donate a % of sales back to the club. He has some forms your team needs to fill out and decide which night is WAKE CLUB night.
Your club will need to get as many people to Chili's on that night since the more money they make the more your club gets back!

The University of Kentucky had their basketball team sign some basketballs that they will be raffling off. This is a great idea especially if you have a solid sports program at your school.

Universities hire student clubs to work at games and pay your club a decent amount of money for the help. You will have to speak to your sports dept about how to make this happen.

Clothing sales are the best! Not only can you make a good profit off of selling shirts, hats and hoodies, but it gets your team more in the public eye. This promotes growth of the club and generates more revenue.
Get a sick website!
Devin Tatro is a long time rider for Empire Wake and also the builder of our newest site. It was awesome to work with him and I assure you he is in budget.
Having a good page for your teams helps get more sponsor dollars and more riders to join. Give him a shout on Facebook or Email him at DevinTatro@gmail.com

If you want to help with this, please email us at EmpireWake@gmail.com

Register

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Club & Rider Registration

In order for your club to participate in the 2012 Collegiate Cable Tour, you must be a registered team. Please download and read the packet that includes all the details about the tour thus far.

The cost per club is $200 unless you are a registered Collegiate Wake Series team. Please discount $100 if your team rode the 2011 Collegiate Wake Series.

Registration forms will be uploaded soon!

Collegiate Cable Tour Packet
Collegiate Registration
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to participate in the Collegiate Wake Series and benefit from all it has to offer, your club must register. Please download the following packets to understand more about Empire Wake and the Collegiate Wake Series.

Collegiate Team Registration
Individual Rider Registration

School Registration for 2011-2012 is $200 per team.

If a rider is riding for a school that does not have an official club, please contact us for further information. You will only be able to compete as an individual representing your school.

All riders at all events much fill out this packet!
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Standings

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Week 6 2011

1. Arizona State
2. Chico St
3. University of South Florida
4. Texas A&M
5. Sac St
6. North Texas
7. Florida
8. Long Beach St
9. Georgia College
10. Texas
11. Baylor
12. Florida State
13. Sam Houston State
14 Georgia
15. Kentucky
16. Central Washington
17. Texas Tech
18. Oklahoma State
19. Georgia Tech
20. Oregon

* The rankings are accurate through Nov 12th 2011

Final Rankings (2010 - 2011)

1 - University of South Florida
2 - Chico St
3 - University of Texas
4 - Florida State University
5 - Baylor
6 - Oregon
7 - University of Louisiana Monroe
8 - University of Florida
9 - Texas Tech
10 - Central Florida
11 - Virgina Tech
12 - Texas A&M
13 - Steven F Austin
14 - Louisiana Tech
15 - Sam Houston State
16 - University of North Texas

The AllianceWake.com article about the standings: Click Here

Las Vegas

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2012 Collegiate Wake Championships!!
April 18th - 22nd Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lake Las Vegas and Montelago Village Resort would like to welcome the Collegiate Wake Series Championships!

The event is set up in a bracket style format with 16 teams going head to head until just 1 remains the Champion of all of Collegiate Wakeboarding.

Each team is allowed 8 riders. 7 will be in a single division and 1 must be a female (Totaling 8). The 2 female riders go head to head for some bonus points while the other 7 ride 1 division placing 1 thru 14.
Each place receives points (i.e. 1st = 200 pts, 2nd = 160 pts, 3rd= 120pts..). Once all the riders are placed, the team scores will be added up and the winner will move on.

There will be 4 days of action on Lake Las Vegas. We will promise you this, it will be the sickest wake event you have participated in. Expect a Vegas style atmosphere.

There is lots to do in the area. Expect a packed weekend of activities thanks to FlightLinez, Red Bull, and some other local supporters.

The brackets will be adjusted so the highest place teams will ride against the lowest. (1st place vs. 16th, 2nd vs. 15th)

The final 4 will be held on Sunday. The top 2 teams will be taking home the prizes and a little something special!

Everyone is invited! All rooms are booked through Empire Wake and we are happy to book extra rooms at our special rate. Even if your team does not make the cut, you are still welcome to come be a part of this epic week.

The rooms can be booked by families at the Aston Montelago Village make sure to ask for the code 1093ve

We will be posting a landing page next week to make this even easier.

Each team invited will receive 2 rooms, a ride to and from the airport, lunch and dinner, social events, and more. There is no need to rent a car.
All teams must purchase their own flights however.

This event is one for the ages so start fundraising now so you are ready to register when the time comes! We look forward to the best Collegiate Wake Championships to date.

Stay posted for more info as it is released....

Schedule:

April 18th: Teams arrive.
Check in from noon on.
8 pm Dinner in the Banquet room

April 19th: Round 1
10am - 8 teams go head to head
11:30am - Lunch
5pm - Wake event over
6pm - Dinner
9pm - 70's Party! Dress up there will be prizes!

April 20th: Round 1.5
10am - 8 teams go head to head
11:30 - lunch
5pm - wake event over
6pm - Dinner
9pm - Bon Fire on the lake

April 21st: Elite 8
10am - Rider in the water TBA
11:30am - Lunch
5pm - wake event over
6pm- Dinner
7pm - TBA
9 pm - Event party

April 22nd: Final 4
11am - Semi Finals begin
12 pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Finals
4pm - Awards and the celebrations begins!!

There is lots of extras being planned. Here is one set up for Friday. Discounts will be offered to everyone involved with the Collegiate Wake Championships.
A private shuttle will pick up and drop off at the Aston Montelago Village at 8am and 2pm. 14 people can go at each time. The total round trip is between 3 and 4 hours.
To reserve a spot email us at EmpireWake@gmail.com

FlightLinez will be offering a raffle pack each day for 2 lucky people to win!

Tampa

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It couldn't have been a better ending to the third season of the Collegiate Wake Series. Thanks to the support of the riders, teams, and sponsors, we have set ourselves on top of the college wakeboard world.

This event proved to be yet another major step in that quest. Seven teams from 4 states come to Tower Lake in Tampa Florida to leave one last impression on their national rankings. The site was perfect, the weather perfect, the atmosphere perfect, and the water was perfect.

By the end of the day Arizona State showed why they traveled 2,160 miles to compete in their second stop of the Series. Ok, it was that and the fun they had at OWC and McCormicks's Cable Park.

Arizona State, who is new to the CWS this season finished 2nd in Chico CA not but a few weeks before. This wasn't enough. They came to Tampa with 13 riders to finish 2nd again. This would leave them right where they wanted to be, 1st in the nation!

University of South Florida, whom snuck in last minute to the event, again showed that they are ready to defend their 2010 Championship Title from Long Beach CA. Lewis Link (open division 1st place) and Ryan Hedstrom(open division 3rd) place, lead the team to an impressive weekend win. Spensor Bass (2nd Advanced), Seth Stinson (1st Intermdiate), Dan Verchot (1st Beginner), and Steven Nason (3rd Skate) all added to the combined team score.

Georgia College, Georgia Tech, Florida and Florida State all made their second appearences at this event as well. Unfortunately a less then impressive FSU dropped hard in the rankings. This team is not as tight and together as in the past 2 seasons.

Josh Bank came up second in open making sure the Gators had some points added. Last season Florida was ranked 1st going into the Championships. They currently sit seventh.

Marine Max of Clearwater came in big at this event securing the Collegiate Wake Series will stay in Tampa for years to come. Marine Max has been a major part of the tour this year and we look forward to working with them more and more!

Thanks for the great event and year: Buywake.com, Alpine Stars, Ten-80, Rusty Clothing, Smith Optics, Indo Board, Nautique, Shred Ready Helmets, and WetSounds!

CWS Tampa Photos

Winners:

Open:
1. Lewis Link USF
2. Josh Bank UF
3. Ryan Hedstrom USF

Advanced:
1. JP Bray ASU
2. Spensor Bass USF
3. Kevin Havemeir UF

Intermediate:
1. Seth Stinson USF
2. RJ Pabon ASU
3. Todd Scott ASU

Womens:
1. Cayley Erickson FSU
2. Erika Miller UF
3. Chelsea Clark ASU

Skate:
1. Cole Kraiss AUS
2. Clint Kainec FSU
3. Steven Nason USF

Beginner:
1. Dan Verchot USF
2. Robby Campell GCSU
3. Charles Brady UNC

View Larger Map

Beaumont

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Nov 5th - 6th 2011
SETx Lake

The issues on the second day of the event didn't slow down the vibe that SETx always provides. Over 100 people were on site to enjoy the weather and see the riders battle a tough day on a very small lake (Thanks to the worst drought in Texas history).

Monster Energy was on site keeping it going with plenty of drinks and some great games like Cornhole, and pong . There were contest and prizes for the winners, even corn hole winning team took home some cash!

Womens, Intermediate, and Beginners all got a chance to ride. Only half the advanced was able to go as the sun set early on the day. The top 3 spots were hooked up from Rusty Clothing, Alpine Stars, Smith Optics, Shred Ready Helmets and Buywake.com

When the sun went down, the event got louder and bigger. All the teams gathered around the camp fires sharing stories, telling jokes and made new friends.

Local Texas companies Direction and Phatsax Clothing were on site all day showing the teams their new products and gaining support. Both were really great to work with and will be seeing them again in 2012!

Big thanks to Dockside Marine again for donating the Nautique 230! Nautique has been a continuing supporter of Empire Wake though the 2011 season.

Collegiate Wake Series Beaumont Photos

We appreciate the understanding of the all teams and riders that battled through the weekend with us. We wish things always went perfectly, but the attitudes of the collegiate scene continue to be the best in the sport.

Chico

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Chico CA
Oct 22nd 2011

In the past the Western Division has been on the weaker end of the collegiate wakeboard teams. They seemed to have enough of that this weekend in Chico California! The division nearly doubled in size as they all met in Villa Lagos for the 4th stop of the Collegiate Wake Series.

The private lake owned by Eric Pettinger was absolutely perfect. Not to mention the blessing of having the Payton family to help us out when we couldn't bring our gear this far out. It took the entire day to pull the 80 riders from the 7 schools. No big deal though, it let us have one of the best podium photo shoots of the year.

Chico State once again showed why every year they are top 3. They swept open and posted riders in every single division. For the past 2 years they have come up short for their Collegiate Wake Series Championship bid. in 2009 they came in second to University of Texas and in 2010 they had to ride with an injury against University of South Florida in the finals.

There is a good chance this will be their year. They are loaded and after the performance this weekend look for a jump in the rankings. Rob Way, Chad Payton, Travis Briscoe, and Justin Payton have vengeance on their mind. Will 3rd time be the charm?

The weekend also hosted some great new clubs. Arizona State is back together and making a statement. They will be in Tampa November 12th with us to jump their national ranking. Also Julie Robinson brought Boise St over from Idaho. Both teams made the long drive just to be a part of the Collegiate Wake Series.

It was truly an epic weekend as Chico CA did not disappoint. Big thanks to Red Bull and Jason Glaser for the after party that was easily the best party of the tour. All the teams were there and got a chance to meet each other and celebrate what we are claiming is the best division in the country for 2011.

Collegiate Wake Series Chico CA Photos

Open:
1. Justin Payton- Chico St
2. Rob Way - Chico St
3. Chad Payton - Chico St

Advanced:
1. Eddie Roberts - Central Washington
2.Travis Briscoe - Chico St
3. JP Bray - Arizona St

Intermediate:
1. Jordan Handel - Chico St
2. Jason Glaser - Chico St
3. Matt Tonne - Sac St

Womens:
1.Madison Luell - Oregon
2. Julie Robinson - Boise St
3. Mariana Tiff - Chico St

Beginner:
1. Patrick Mahonny - Central Washington
2. JT Higgins - Chico St
3. Justin Eckenroad - Oregon

Skate:
1.
2.
3.

Louisville

2011-08-26T13:45:00.001-07:00

Louisville KY
Oct 8th
Taylorsville Lake

Kentucky has landed on the top 5 states in the nation in our book. The glassy lake, vibrant trees beautiful women and 1 wild time has made this event a must for next year! The event started Friday night at Taylorsville Lake National Park where the teams camped out and got a chance to meet each other. The midwest is a new region for the Collegiate Wake Series this year and we wanted to do it right from day one.

Saturday was solid on the lake with perfect water and some great riding. Kentucky Boatworks and Monster Energy were on site to keep the hype going. There were over 20 riders from 3 schools representing the region. It was UK Wake Team president Ryan Gillen walked away with the overall win. Blair Keffer of UGA took the women's division. It was Alex Hendren (UK) that handled the Intermediate with no problem, Cody Flesch in beginners with the win and Anthony Kennedy wrapped up the day with 1st in Wakeskate.

The celebration continued in Lexington as Kentucky Wake hosted us for a great night on campus. The event will be back in the region next year, but look for a move from Taylorsville Lake.

All the riders were loaded with over $100 in prizes each. Alpine Stars, Ten-80, Smith Optics, Buywake.com, and KY Boatworks really took care of everyone. If your team didn't make this event this year you really missed out. Kentucky and Georgia both have a chance to be invited to Las Vegas for the Collegiate Wake Championships.

Dallas

2011-08-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

October 15th 2011

Lake Lewisville
First off, we want to give a huge shout out to Red Bull for coming in big on this one. And BIG is the right word for the weekend. From 8 schools came 90 riders to make the Dallas stop the biggest event Empire Wake has ever hosted!

The day kicked off with 30 beginner riders. These guys are allowed 1 invert and any array of grabs and 180 spins. James Bayliss of Texas A&M took on the challenge and took home first place.

Next up was the Women's Division with 23 riders. This also was the largest womens division we have ever had in a single event. It is great to see the growth going on. They battled it out through the mid day sun and canon fire from the Pirate Festival right behind us. It was Kelley Cabaniss of the University of Texas coming out on top.

With the day over half way done just after 2 divisions the Intermediate riders took to the water. Once again Texas A&M took the podium with 1st and 2nd place from Jordan Dunn and Trevor Akers.

As the sunset on the day we pulled the last riders to the last second. Mark Seaman from A&M won the Advanced Division throwing down an S Bend, Toeside 5, Houchie Glide and many more.
It took all that to beat our Brandon Kee of UT and Reid Paxton from Oklahoma State.

The biggest win of the day came at the very end from Sam Houston State. With the Nautique 230's wake kickin' Cole Clements beat out Matt McCaleb who feel on his Crow Mobe allowing Cole to take it all.

With the sunlight gone the teams headed over to Hydrous Wake Park for the celebration and after party. However the riding wasn't done. The wakeskater who ran out of day light were put under the lights in a jam style format. Quinn Kauffman crushed it all giving Sam Houston State another win and podium spot.

The riders were hooked up with gear from Buywake.com, Smith Optics, Ten-80, Shred Ready, and Alpine Stars.

Huge thanks to my staff who worked unbelievable hard to get through all those riders. Danny Sherrill of Buxton Marine, Smiddy and Cody Grant were on point driving and judging through the long 9 hours.. Also too Brooke Halboth from North Texas stepping up and lending a hand.

The tour heads to Nor Cal and Chico State next week...stay tuned for the new rankings.

Collegiate Wake Series Dallas 2011 Photos

Alliance Wakeboard Mag article on CWS DALLAS

Open:
1. Cole Clemente - Sam Houston St
2. Justin Troth - North Texas
3. Matt McCaleb - Oklahoma State

Advanced:
1. Matt Seaman - Texas A&M
2. Brandon Kee - Texas
3. Reid Paxton - Oklahoma State

Intermediate:
1. Jordan Dunn - Texas A&M
2. Trevor Akers - Texas A&M
3. Clay Dizzle - Texas Tech

Womens:
1. Kelley Cabaniss - Texas
2. Annie Elias - Texas
3. Caroline Crocket - Texas Tech

Beginner:
1. James Bayliss - Texas A&M
2. Cole Blair - North Texas
3. Ryan Wolf - Texas A&M

Wakeskate:
1. Quinn Kauffman - Sam Houston St
2. Grant Davis - Texas A&M
3. Rease Bouland- San Angelo St.

CWS Dallas Photos 2010

Atlanta

2011-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Buford, GA

October 1st 2011

Empire Wake once again converged on Sunset Cove, Lake Lanier Island for the first stop of the 2011 Collegiate Wake Series. Five teams from Florida and Georgia met to have a great time and battle for their right to head to Las Vegas NV and the Collegiate Wake Series Championships.

The weather this year cooperated just enough to make it the best of the past 4. We were blessed with 70 degrees and sunshine. The water stayed warm and the riders were hot!

MarineMax's 2011 Super Air Nautique 230 was the official towboat that pulled the 56 riders. The wake was cranking up and the passes were nice and long. When the water settled it was Hunter Drury from Florida State who took the top spot of the event. Josh Bank of UF was right on his tail but fell on his 720 to take 2nd place. Justin Fletcher of Georgia Tech finished out the podium.

Monster Energy kept the day going with the combined announcing efforts of Levi Dills, Cole Vanthof and Rob Mendieta. At one point a spectator took home a year supply of Monster Rehab from winning the event raffle.

Cayley Erickson (FSU) took first in womens even though she didn't stick her backroll until the next day. Kevin Havemeier (UF) crushed the competition in the Advanced Division throwing four inverts and Mike Bank of Florida took home the victory in Intermediate.

The top 3 riders took home prizes from Buywake.com, Alpine Stars, Smith Optics, and Rusty Clothing.

It was an amazing event to kick off the year before heading north to Louisville KY, and Taylorsville Lake. The vibe once again was rockin' during the event and after at the campgrounds. This is truly and event you want to attend each year.

Big thanks to MarineMax and Nautique for being out with boats, support and Kyle Rattray who came to ride a demo for everyone.

Teeki Bikini was on site with their hot ladies and samples. They raffled off one on Satruday to a lucky winner.

It was a great weekend and a big event. Check out the photos and see the entire list of winners below.
2011 Collegiate Wake Series Photos

This event will be back last weekend of September 2012. Marine Max, and Monster will be back with us and we will make it better then this year!

Open:
1. Hunter Drury FSU
2. Josh Bank UF
3. Justin Fletcher GT

Advanced:
1. Kevin Havemeier UF
2. Jared Nadal FSU
3. Seth McCann UF

Intermediate:
1. Mike Bank UF
2. Ryan Schumacher FSU
3. Stewart Albert GT

Womens:
1. Cayley Erickson FSU
2. Ericka Miller UF
3. Meaghan Holton FSU

Beginner:
1. Chadwick Morris FSU
2. Justin Young GCSU
3. Anthony Kennedy UGA

WakeSkate:
1. Marcus Knox UF
2. Nick Kljucaric GT
3. Clint Kainec FSU