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Rachel Chan
SINGAPOREANS are making waves on the wakeboarding scene, with 90 home-grown competitors out of 101 participants at last weekend's Reef Wakefest.
Last year's competition saw 98 participants in total.
The annual watersports event is in its sixth year, and has seen athletes from Korea, China, Hong Kong and Thailand compete against Singaporean professionals such as Amos Boon, Yunos Yusop and 18-year-old Matthew Christian.
Yet, competition remains tough for Singapore's male wakeboarders, as the Reef Wakefest Men's Open top prize has consistently landed in foreign hands since the inaugural competition in 2003.
This year, Thai representative Tatsanai Kuakoonrat, 22, clinched the title for the second time in a row.
The lanky wakeboarder, who goes by the nickname "Aey", took first place yesterday, while China's Luo Jian, 22, came in second.
In third place was Hong Kong's Ronnie Cheung, 27, who, incidentally, is Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung's younger brother. The winners each took home cash prizes of $1,200, $900 and $600 respectively.
In theWomen's Open category, Sasha Christian, 15, Matthew's sister, has been the Reef Wakefest women's champion since 2004. In an impressive display - which saw her executing physically demanding tricks such as 360-degree spins - she successfully defended her title again this year, taking home the top prize of $500.
Runners-up in her category, Nadia Litz and Kalya Kee, also hail from Singapore. They won $250 and $150 respectively.
Wakeboarders are judged on execution, intensity and composition.
Sasha, a Singapore Sports School student, counts her bronze medal at the 2007 World Wakeboard Championships as her best achievement.
She will take part in the next wakeboarding competition, the Wakeboard World Cup 2008, next month.
"It'll be great to rub shoulders with the best athletes in the wakeboarding world," she enthused. She and Matthew started water-skiing when they were just three years old, moving on to wakeboarding when they were aged five and eight respectively.
Their coach, Mr Paul Fong, 43, a former water-skiing silver medallist at the 1987 SEA Games, foresees that wakeboarding will become more widespread among the next generation.
"When these wakeboarders have children, they'll introduce them to the sport and there'll be progression," he said.
He was initiated into watersports by his father, who was a professional water-skier.
Mr Fong added: "I see Singapore developing, in the long term, to be a watersports hub. As for excellence, we're really concentrating on youth development."
Thus far, only the Christian siblings have been selected to represent Singapore in the Wakeboard World Cup, which is in its fifth year.
Reef Wakefest was the opening event for Waterfest Singapore 2008, a six-week watersports festival that ends on Oct 12. Jet-skiing and sailing competitions will also take place before the festival ends.
rachchan@sph.com.sg For more information on Waterfest Singapore 2008, visit www.singaporesports.sg
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