Halie Wetherington
reporter@greenepublishing.com
A group of Madison County local athletes will be competing in Wakeboarding Nationals put on by the World Wake Association (WWA), in Winter Haven, Fla., on Wednesday, July 28, to Saturday, July 31, after high-scoring performances at the South regional competition. Regionals were held this past weekend, Saturday, July 10, and Sunday, July 11, at Lake Weir in Ocala, Fla. They competed against several other wakeboarders from across the country to earn a spot in the national event.
The five athletes in mind are: Frank (Cinco) Glas (9), Bowen (BoBo) Glas (11), Harrison Glas (16), Brinson Rye (21) and Jeremy Deen (25). At regionals, three out of the five competitors placed in the top three for their section. Cinco and Rye both placed third while Deen placed second within their division, and all five will be attending Nationals in hopes of making it to the WWA World Championships starting on Wednesday, Aug. 25, to Saturday, Aug. 28, in Pine Mountain, Ga.
This group has been perfecting their craft at Cherry Lake, and are thrilled to have the opportunity to show what they can do in a larger setting. “The experience has honestly been a dream come true,” Rye said. “There's so much talent throughout the sport and it's amazing to watch and compete against these individuals that have such high skill levels.” He also added, “It's great to have our whole group going, considering we all train three to five times a week, and it now has paid off for all of us.” Their dedication to the sport has shown in the events in which they have competed. Leading up to regionals, there were several smaller competitions to prepare the wakeboarders and allow them to put their training to use. This season, so far, has consisted of the “GA Wake Series” in Lanier, Ga., along with the “Thigh High Wake Contest”, in Orlando, Fla.
For the upcoming competition, Cinco is hoping for a win, but is also “super excited to go ride and have fun! My favorite thing about wakeboarding is trying new tricks, making friends and being able to do it with my family.” After training for several days out of every week, this group appears to resemble a family and will be cheered on by those in Madison.