Exploring the foothills and surrounding beauty of Idaho, the Malibu WWA Rider Experience West was an unforgettable weekend. Hosted by Idaho Watersports, the wake community converged on the pristine waters of Broadside Harbor Ski Lakes for Freeride Friday along with Malibu pro athletes in preparation for the Malibu WWA Regional Championships West. The first blind athlete to compete in the history of the World Wake Association (WWA) hit the waters alongside contest veterans and other first-time competitors on Saturday. Closing out a fantastic weekend on the water, the stoke was at an all-time high for Surfgate Sunday with another gorgeous day to match the perfection of Malibu’s endless waves.

“We had an amazing weekend for our first time in Boise, Idaho and are excited about all the new faces and families we were able to share the weekend with. We saw an incredible field of amateurs, paired with many firsts and lots of smiles that lasted all weekend long. It’s events like the Malibu Rider Experiences that remind us of why we do what we do, said WWA Executive Director Corrie Wilson.

The WWA West Regional Championships represented what wake is all about with riders experiencing competition for the first time, making the starting dock a party to meet new friends and future champions. Broadside Harbor Ski Lakes played the perfect host to all the action, creating an amazing atmosphere paired with perfect conditions all weekend long.

Scott Leason (USA) broke wake history as the first blind competitor to compete in a WWA contest. Leason earned his first-place finish with a half cab and linking all different 180’s for a score of 80.00 in the Adaptive Standing division. In addition to wakeboarding, Leason is also a champion blind surfer, water-skier, and Ironman competitor in the U.S.

Jr. Pro Men’s rider Luca Kidd (GBR) took his third Jr. Pro win of the year with a massive nose grab crowmobe 540, completing a final score of 83.33. Kevin Duffy (USA) scored 77.67 with some stylish riding that included a nose grab heel 7 and a H/S B/S 7. Jake Hill (USA) rounded out the podium in third with 68.33 points sticking a huge stalefish roll to blind. Elle Christensen (USA) and Zoe Luquette (USA) put on a show for the crowd in the battle for the Junior Women division gold. Christensen took the win with two passes full of inverts to score 86.67. Luquette landed her first ever T/S front roll to earn a second-place score of 70.00.

Surfgate Sunday provided riders and families with an incredible time shredding behind Malibu’s amazing 24 MXZ on the newest Ronix Wake products. New surfers were hooked, getting first-class instruction from Malibu Pro riders along with some local shredders who dialed in some big tricks. The Malibu WWA Rider Experience heads North to Detroit, MI July 14 – 16 for the fourth stop of the world’s most popular rider development series. To find a Rider Experience event near you visit:https://www.thewwa.com/rider-experience/.