The Asian Australasian & Asian Tournament, Barefoot and Wakeboard Championships came to a successful conclusion on Sunday 7th September 2008 after four glorious days of thrills and spills on Lake
Uiam, Chuncheon City, S. Korea.
The combined format of the Championships including the Asian Championships as well as the three disciplines, once again proved a great success with some competitors even competing across disciplines.
While the mornings were somewhat cool, by mid-mornings the sun was out glistening on the calm waters of Lake Uiam making it a skiers and riders paradise.
11 countries competed in the Asian Australasian (AA) event including Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore.
In the Asian Championships, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore were joined by Iran making for an equally competitive event.
While no AA or Asian records were broken there were numerous personal bests and a Korean national men’s slalom record achieved by Kim Dong Ha.
Tournament
The biggest surprise came when the Tournament Team Overall Results were announced. For the first time in the 23rd occasion of staging the Asian Australasian Tournament, since first held in Surfers Paradise, Australia in 1963, New Zealand knocked Australia of the top podium position to take the John Kumm Perpetual Regional Shield. “We’ve waited along time for this! With a young development squad here we’re absolutely wrapped.” commented Ed Donald, Co-President of the New Zealand Water Ski Association. Although Emma Sheers competed for Australia, the last minute withdrawal of Ryan Green, after sustaining an injury in a jump competition in London, cost them dearly.
Despite placing 3rd in the AA Tournament Team results, it was China that took gold in the Asian Tournament Team results with Japan silver and Korea bronze. With the top 3 team-members scores counting, China lost out in the AA results primarily by only having two scores count in the jump event. However in the Asian results with China winning three golds each scoring 1000 points this elevated their results above those of both Korea and Japan with two and one golds respectively. It was close and is a healthy indicator that Asian water skiing is alive and well. Hong Kong’s Jonathan Cannon finished with a bronze medal in AA men’s slalom and silver in the Asian.
Wakeboard
The wakeboard riders had an equally competitive competition which saw Australia take the team trophy with Korea 2nd and China 3rd. With twin champions in the Asians in Chen Lili and Zhang Wei, China took gold ahead of Korea with Hong Kong finishing in 3rd place. Unlike in Tournament and Barefoot where results counted for both the Asian Australasian & Asian the wakeboarders held two separate competitions. In the Asian, Chen Lili of China rode away with the gold from Singapore’s Sasha Christian, while in the men’s Zhang Wei of China held off a spirited challenge by Hong Kong’s Ronnie Cheung Ho-leung. It was a different story come the final day in the Asian Australasian with Park Sun Jun (Korea) capturing gold from Zhang Wei (China) and Ryleigh Pfiztner (Aus) bronze.
Barefoot
Australia topped the team barefoot results with team China making only their second appearance in the barefoot event relegating New Zealand to 3rd. In the Asian Championships, China beat Chinese Taipei, which made its inaugural appearance in the barefoot competition.
The facilities, conditions and hospitality provided by our Korean hosts, the Korean Water Ski Association in conjunction with the 2010 Chuncheon World Leisure Congress and Leisure Games Organizing Committee were magnificent and will long be remembered. Thank you Korea!
Barefoot
Asian Australasian Asian
Barefoot Slalom Men
G Robert Blaauw (Aus) Yang Xin (Chn)
S Brenton Crouch (Aus) Yang Wen Chih (Chn Tpe)
B Yang Xin (Chn)
Barefoot Slalom Women
G Ashleigh Stebbeings (Aus) Tao Jia (Chn)
S Tao Jia (Chn) Song Yu (Chn)
B Stacey Green (Aus).
Barefoot Tricks Men
G Brenton Crouch (Aus) Yang Xin (Chn)
S Robert Blaauw (Aus) Yang Wen Chih (Chn Tpe)
B Yang Xin (Chn)
Barefoot Tricks Women
G Ashleigh Stebbeings (Aus) Tao Jia (Chn)
S Stacey Green (Aus) Song Yu (Chn)
B Sarah Linton (NZ) Chen Chi His (Chn Tpe)
Barefoot Jump Men
G Robert Blaauw (Aus) Yang Xin (Chn)
S Brenton Crouch (Aus)
B Yang Xin (Chn)
Barefoot Jump Women
G Ashleigh Stebbeings (Aus) Tao Jia (Chn)
S Tao Jia (Chn) Song Yu (Chn)
B Stacey Green (Aus).
Barefoot Overall Men
G Robert Blaauw (Aus) Yang Xin (Chn)
S Brenton Crouch (Aus) Yang Wen Chih (Chn Tpe)
B Yang Xin (Chn)
Barefoot Overall Women
G Ashleigh Stebbeings (Aus) Tao Jia (Chn)
S Stacey Green (Aus) Song Yu (Chn)
B Tao Jia (Chn) Chen Chih His (Chn Tpe)
Barefoot Team
G Australia China
S China Chinese Taipei
B New Zealand
Tournament
Asian Australasian Asian
Slalom Women
G Emma Sheers (Aus) Qin Xiaohui (Chn)
S Toni Atkinson (NZ) ) . Saaya Hirosawa (Jpn)
B Nicki Southwell (Aus) Feng Mei (Chn
Slalom Men
G Kim Dong Ha (Kor) Kim Dong Ha (Kor)
S Garth Milicich (NZ) Jonathan Cannon (HK)
B Jonathan Cannon (HK) Lee Yong Woo (Kor)
Tricks Women
G Jiang Hui (Chn) Jiang Hui (Chn
S Song Yufei (Chn) Song Yufei (Chn)
B Hiroko Komori (Jpn) Hiroko Komori (Jpn)
Tricks Men
G Tim Bradstreet (Aus) Shi Longfei (Chn)
S Shi Longfei (Chn) Maliki Zulkarnain (Ina)
B Ryan McMillan (NZ) Kim Dong Ha (Kor)
Jump Women
G Saaya Hirosawa (Jpn) Saaya Hirosawa (Jpn)
S Feng Mei (Chn) Feng Mei (Chn
B Emily Donald (NZ) Hiroko Komori (Jpn)
Jump Men
G Min JI Hoon (Kor) Min JI Hoon (Kor)
S Scott McFadden (NZ) Shintaro Yukawa (Jpn)
B Tim Bradstreet (Aus) Yuichi Yamamoto (Jpn)
Overall Women
G Saaya Hirosawa (Jpn) Saaya Hirosawa (Jpn)
S Emily Donald (NZ) Song Yufei (Chn)
B Song Yufei (Chn) Feng Mei (Chn)
Overall Men
G Tim Bradstreet (Aus) Min JI Hoon (Kor)
S Min JI Hoon (Kor) Shintaro Yukawa (Jpn)
B Ryan McMillan (NZ) Park Sung Bi (Kor)
Team Overall
G New Zealand 6,778.87 China 6,820.26
S Australia 6,397.86 Japan 6,616.85
B Korea 6,391.91 Korea 6,534.25
Wakeboard
Asian Australasian Asian
Wakeboard Women
G Chen Lili (Chn) Chen Lili (Chn)
S Sasha Christian (Sing) Sasha Christian (Sing)
B Courtney Angus (Aus) Hong Seung Hyun (Kor)
Wakeboard Men
G Park Sung Jun (Kor) Zhang Wei (Chn)
S Zhang Wei (Chn) Cheung Ho Leung Ronnie (HK)
B Ryleigh Pfitzner (Aus) Kim Yong Il (Kor)
Wakeboard Team
G Australia 185 China 200
S Korea 180 Korea 185
B China 180 Hong Kong 125