Knoxville, Tenn. - Fans packed the shores of Volunteer Landing in Knoxville, Tenn. today, as the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour rolled into town for its first day of action this weekend, June 27 & 28.

The top 40 pro riders from around the world hit the water today for the opening rounds of the two-day-long contest, competing in ten heats of four, with only the top two riders in each heat advancing onto to tomorrow's quarterfinals.

Among the 20 riders to advance today was defending Pro Tour titlist Phillip Soven, who posted a score of 100-points. Canadian ripper Chad Sharpe also made an impact today, ending a recent cold streak by leading his heat.

Both Soven and Sharpe will hit the water tomorrow, along with 18 other riders for the quarterfinals.

In the Jr. Pro Men division, 20 amateur rippers hit the water for their quarterfinals, competing in five heats of four. With only the top two riders in each heat advancing, half the competition was cut from the contest to set up tomorrow's 10-man semifinal. Among the ten riders to advance past the opening round was Aussie Mitch Langfield, who posted the highest score of the day with 98.50.

Riders will hit the water again tomorrow, June 28 (9:30am to 3:30pm) for the final day of the event.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate on event dates for $10 (general admission), $5 (ages 6-12) or free (ages 5 and under).

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Fla. The Pro Tour has the support of the following sponsors: MasterCraft, Rockstar Energy Drink, Mona Vie, the U.S. Air Force, Indmar, Billabong, Hyperlite, CWB, Ronix, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Oakley, Ride the Wake, FUEL TV and Allisports.com.

MasterCraft is the exclusive tow boat for the Pro Wakeboard 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.

Rockstar is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, Rockstar is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles - from athletes to rock stars. Rockstar Energy Drink is available in eleven amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla. Rockstar Energy Shots are available in Wild Berry and Tropical Punch flavors. Rockstar Energy Drink is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, and throughout the United Kingdom.

Media Partners To catch all the high-flying, rail-sliding, water-sports action of the King of Wake series, tune in to FUEL TV - the official television partner of the King of Wake. WakeBoarding, published by Bonnier Corp., is the official magazine of the King of Wake series. Read about all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and news.

King of Wake Viewed as the world's elite pro wakeboarding circuit, the King of Wake series has attracted the sport's top athletes from throughout the globe. With more than $300,000 in prize money over the eight-event season, athletes compete during the course of the year to be named the "King of Wake" - an award based on points accumulated at each stop of the series. Events include the Wake Games, the WWA Wakeboard National Championships, the WWA Wakeboard World Championships and all five stops on the Pro Wakeboard Tour. The King of Wake is organized by World Sports & Marketing - the leading wake events producer since 1988.

Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production and a consumer facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, Maloof Money Cup, AMA Motocross Championship, King of Wake series and the Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. More information can be found at allisports.com.

Day 1 Results

Pro Men Qualifier (top two in each heat advance)

Heat #1
1. Trevor Hansen (USA) - 94.25
2. Austin Hair (USA) - 88.25
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3. Anthony Hollick (USA) - 87.50
4. Derek Grasman (USA) - 50.75

Heat #2
1. Jimmy LaRiche (USA) - 94.50
2. Dean Smith (AUS) - 92.75
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3. Keith Lyman (USA) - 80.50
4. Nick Jones (USA) - 72.25

Heat #3
1. Chad Sharpe (CAN) - 97.00
2. Nick Davies (ENG) - 93.00
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3. Kyle Alberts (USA) - 72.00
4. Randall Harris (USA) - 64.00

Heat #4
1. Adam Errington (SCT) - 95.00
2. Danny Harf (USA) - 93.50
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3. Chris Dykmans (USA) - 79.50
4. Paul Hernaez (FRA) - 72.00

Heat #5
1. Rusty Malinoski (CAN) - 98.50
2. Jeff Weatherall (NZL) - 87.25
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3. JD Webb (USA) - 84.25
4. Alex Scgaliotti (USA) - 54.25

Heat #6
1. Bryan Hutton (USA) - 96.50
2. Olivier Derome (CAN) - 88.00
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3. Kirby Liesmann (USA) - 80.50
4. Zane Schwenk (USA) - 64.50

Heat #7
1. Phillip Soven (USA) - 100.00
2. Robby Carter (USA) - 84.75
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3. Dylan Miller (CAN) - 82.50
4. Kyle Rattray (CAN) - 72.75

Heat #8
1. Andrew Adkison (USA) - 90.25
2. Corey Bradley (USA) - 86.50
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3. James Hindes (USA) - 82.25
4. Danny Thollander (USA) - 80.75

Heat #9
1. Harley Clifford (AUS) - 93.75
2. Shawn Watson (USA) - 86.25
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3. Alex Hamrick (USA) - 82.00
4. Josh Sanders (AUS) - 78.00

Heat #10
1. Aaron Rathy (CAN) - 98.50
2. Troy Mackey (AUS) - 91.50
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3. Sam Thomson (AUS) - 76.25
4. Nick Weinacker (USA) - 73.75

Pro Men Quarterfinals (top two in each heat advance)

Heat #1
1. Daniel Powers (USA) - 94.25
2. Jarrod Askew (AUS) - 93.75
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3. Gunnar Shuler (USA) - 76.75
4. Stephen Pierce (USA) - 75.25

Heat #2
1. Steel Lafferty (USA) - 91.25
2. Kyle Evans (USA) - 87.50
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3. John Jeffries (USA) - 83.50
4. Danny Burnstein (USA) - 77.75

Heat #3
1. Phillip Aslinger (USA) - 94.25
2. Steven Cahail (USA) - 89.75
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3. Johnny Tobaben (USA) - 83.25
4. Freddie Wayne (USA) - 58.75

Heat #4
1. Mitch Langfield (AUS) - 98.50
2. Nick Galotifore (USA) - 89.50
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3. Pierce Homsey (USA) - 61.00
4. Hunter Stich (USA) - 56.00

Heat #5
1. Bob Soven (USA) - 95.00
2. Michael Dowdy (USA) - 84.25
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3. Alex Graydon (USA) - 82.25
4. Joshua Twelker (USA) - 78.50