The sun was out, the sky was blue with barely a cloud to spoil the view, when the Asian Open Women Jump Preliminaries got underway at 0800 on Friday 7th October 2011.
Conditions were ideal for first jumper Hiroko Komori (JPN) who cleared 29.4m. There was much anticipation when the penultimate jumper Saaya Hirosawa cut for the ramp, pulled by the black and yellow Ski Nautique 200. Having recently smashed the Asian Women’s jump record of 41.4 with a jump in the USA of 49.6m, her best jump on the day was 42.00 to set a new Asian Championship jump record.
In Mens jump fifth off the dock Sunjiro Hagama’s(JPN) 50.6m set the benchmark with Bumgeun Cho (KOR) initially coming closest with 46.8m. The excitement built as last off the dock ‘Jumping Jimmy’ Jimin Jeong on his second jump cleared 49.1m but just fell short of taking the lead with his final jump of 50.4m.
It was straight into the Womens Wakeboard Quarter Finals heats 1 & 2 which saw Jeanne M Al Failakawi (KUW) and Kalya Kee making it straight into the semi-finals along with Samantha Bermudez (PHI) and Sunjoo Lee (KOR) in heat 2.
Friday traditions dictated there was a break in the programme for prayers before wakeboarding resumed with heats 3, 4 and 5 for the women.
Unfortunately the prayers of the riders were not answered as rain and thunder set in, still apart from a short break the hardy women kept the competition going. Han Qiu (CHN) put in a good performance with 52.33 points followed in heat 4 by Miku Asai (JPN) 50.02, along with Singapore’s Sasha Christian 47.34.
Asian Champion Chen Li-li (CHN) wrapped-up proceedings for the women with a well executed run to top the leader board with 53.35.
Titled sponsor Nautique’s green and white Super Air Nautique 210 Team Edition performed faultlessly pulling the 24 men riders again split amongst five heats.
Good performances by Matthew Christian (SGP) and Byoungrang Kim (KOR) relegated Bunyalo Jumruang (THA) to the LCQ, which in any other heat would have seen him advance to the semi-finals.
Shota Tezuka (JPN) with a score of 81 added a major competitive element to the championships and will be hard to beat. Hong Kong’s Ronnie Cheung Ho Leung secured a place in the semi-finals along with team mate Wan Ka Choi. However, competition will be tough with Tatsanai Kuakoonrat and Asian champion Padiwat Jaemjan of Thailand both securing places in the semi-finals.
The under 17 competition continues today along with the wakeboard LCQ’s and semi-finals.