After one and a half’s day familiarisation the waterski and wakeboard competition kicked off on Thursday afternoon, the 11th June 2015, with the wakeboard semi-finals for men and women. After a one hour interruption due to a thunderstorm warning the competition continued with the waterski tricks preliminary rounds, concluding with the wakeboard last chance qualifiers.
The six women riders representing Indonesia (INA), Malaysia (MAS), Thailand (THA), Singapore, (SIN) and the Philippines (PHI) were split amongst two heats with two immediately progressing to the finals and the third rider getting a second chance through the last chance qualifier (LCQ). Mutiara Maulidina (INA) topped heat 1, while Sasha Christian (SIN) in heat 2, with a score of 61.45, looked the one to beat.
Adam Yoong-Hannifah (MAS), aged seven, was first off the dock in men’s wakeboard and looks to have great potential for the future. Samuel Chua (SIN) put in a good pass finishing with a score 60 to progress straight into the finals with Mark Griffin (PHI) who topped the heat with 68.33. The two Thai riders Tatsanai  Kuakoonrat and Padiwat Jaemjan dominated heat 2 with 68.33 and 75 respectively.
Perhaps not unexpectedly it was Aaliyah Yoong-Hanifah (MAL) that dominated the open ladies tricks breaking the 1997 Sea Games trick record with a score of 4840. Mutiara Maulidina (INA) finished 2nd with 2,480 points with Sabelle Kee (SIN) 3rd with 2110.
Padiwat Jaemjam of Thailand demonstrated that he’s equally comfortable on a trick ski as with a wakeboard to score 2560 points whilst former F1 racing driver Alex Yoong of Malaysia likewise  remembered a trick or two to score 2730. It was his young brother Aiden Yoong-Hanifah, aged nine,  who impressed most with a score of 3050. Finally it was the Indonesian Dimas Ridho Suprihono and Kadir Fabrianto with 3960 and 4730 respectively who topped the leader board.Â
With just two competitors in the women’s LCQ both progressed to the final whilst amongst the six men riders in LCQ Alek Hanief (INA) and Joshua Tay (SIN) both qualified for the finals.
Friday 12th June 2015
Bedok Reservoir was like glass when the women’s slalom preliminaries got underway.
The eleven-year old Aaliiyah Yoong-Hanifah (MAS) again demonstrated her considerable maturity with a competent 2 buoys at 55kph on a shortened 14.25m line to set a personal  best (PB) in competition. Sasha Christian (SIN) then put the pressure on her Singapore team colleague Kalya Kee with an impressive 3 buoys at 55kph shortened to 13m. Unfortunately Kalya failed to respond falling early leaving Christian in prime position.
In the men’s slalom preliminaries Alex Yoong (MAS) again demonstrated his skiing skills with a credible 2 buoys at 58kph on a 13m line. Ade Hermana (INA) then edged ahead with 2.5 buoys on the 13m line. His colleague Indra Hardinata then raised the bar with 4 buoys. Mark Leong (SIN) responded to the challenge to put Singapore in prime contention for both slalom medals with 2.5 buoys at 12m to again set a new SEA Games record as well as a new Singapore national record.
Unfortunately with the wind picking up the jumping was postponed and to keep to schedule it wnt straight into the wakeboard finals. Mutiara Maulidina (INA) with a score of 43.11 took silver ahead of Maiquel Selga (PHI) whilst Sasha Christian secured her first gold of the Games for Singapore with 59.00.
The scores for the men’s wakeboard finals were much closer with third off the dock Tatsanai Kuakoonrat putting in an intense pass but missed out on his toe-side 900 but still scored a credible 72.11. Next off the was Mark Griffin (PHI) who guaranteed at least 3rd place with a score of 69. All eyes were then on the final rider Padiwat Jaemjan who pulled out all the stops and despite one fall clinched gold for Thailand with a score of 79.33.
It was then straight into the women’s trick finals where Mutiara Maulidna (INA) was unable to improve on her first round of 2480, Sabelle Kee (SIN) scored 2620 to take bronze and beat her mother’s long standing Singapore national record.  Nur Alimah Priambodo (INA) then secured at least silver with 2930. It was all down to the young Aaliyah Yoong-Hanifah to secure glory for Malaysia. After a skilled display of hand and toe tricks she topped out with a score of 4850 and gold for Malaysia to again set an improved SEA Games record..
 Following in his sister’s footsteps nine-year old Aiden Yoong-Hanifah improved on his first round score with 3180 to secure bronze for Malaysia. Dimas Suprihono (INA) put the pressure on his country man Kadir Febrianto with a score of 4130 to which Febrianto responded with 4280 to clinch gold and silver for Indonesia.
A prolonged presentation ceremony for the wakeboard and trick medals meant there was no time for the jump competition, so the day concluded with the quarter finals of the wakeboard team overall competition.
Skiing resumes tomorrow with the slalom finals and more intense competition. Â Â Â