Regional championships bring top wakesport athletes to showcase their skill in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Some of the best wakesport athletes in the world are on the water in Rockford this weekend for the Malibu Boats World Wake Association Regional Championships.

The two-day competition is hosted on two fronts, with some events at West Rock Wake Park, 1420 S. Pierpont Ave., on the city’s southwest side and others along the Rock River near Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St.

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The riders, which include world champions and longtime pros, were sure to impress. They said that Rockford, hosting the competition for the first time, impressed in return. The city was one of just three destinations in the country to host a regional championship.

“I love coming out to Rockford. The community out at the cable, every time I come, is super awesome,” said John Drieling, a pro rider for a dozen years who was the 2021 Alliance Wake Rider of the Year. “Everyone stayed, supported people, cheered each other on and that’s really special about this place. (Owner Dan Jarrett has) worked really hard to build that community and get people connected. You definitely feel it when you come out here.”

Drieling has ridden West Rock Wake Park, the 2022 Wake Park of the Year, for video parts before. This year he was here as the director of wake park operations for the WWA.

He said riders came here from Florida, Georgia, Texas and from around the Midwest.

“The park is always a highlight. It’s such a fun park to ride and I think everyone had fun on the water,” Drieling said. “To me that’s the biggest highlight is just seeing everyone smiling.”

The event continues Sunday with more events along the Rock River. West Rock opens to public for riding on Sunday.

While the competition brought some of the top wakesport athletes to the area, you didn’t have to be elite to participate. Saturday’s competition had a multitude of categories that allowed riders to compete in their own age range and experience and skill level.

“There were some people out here that I’ve never heard of, and they completely blew me away and I couldn’t stop watching when they were riding,” Drieling said.

West Rock held an event Friday that allowed contestants of all skill levels to ride with the pros in the lead up to the competition.

“We wanted to make it a two-day event so that it didn’t focus only on competition but progression wherever you are,” said Dan Jarrett, the owner of West Rock. “If you’re a first-time rider or you’re a pro athlete, there’s nothing like landing the next trick.

“So Friday everybody got paired up with a pro and really worked on their runs and any trick they were working on.”

The categories ranged from young athletes in the Rookie division to those competing in the 40+ bracket.

“It was me and five other dads just having a blast,” said Jarrett, who won the division. “I haven’t competed in a long time and it was fun. The camaraderie, the encouragement — name a sport that doesn’t thrive because of the community — and that’s what it’s all about.”

Saturday was initially slated to conclude with an after party at West Rock featuring The Danny Miller Band. That got moved to The Norwegian, 1402 N. Main St., because of an expected storm.

Before on-water events wrapped up, pro riders delivered one last display of their skill in front of other competitors and attendees.

“The crew, the people, the vibes were on another level,” said Raph Trinidad, a Red Bull pro rider and native of the Philippines who was throwing double backflips directly off the water without a kicker to conclude the event.

“Each rider was there encouraging their fellow competitors to push themselves more and help the sport grow,” Trinidad said. “This is one of the best ways to showcase the sport locally and also worldwide.”

If you go | WWA Regional Championship final day

When: 9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 23

Where: Rock River at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford

Info: Go HERE

Want to ride? West Rock Wake Park, 1420 S. Pierpont Ave., is open for normal business hours Sunday. Go to westrockwakepark.com to book time  on the cable.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas