Nor Cal Hyperlite represents at Wake Lab Qualifier

Red Bull Wake Labs Qualifier Video

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After a blistering week of sunshine and preparation the RedBull Wakelab qualifier event went down in Marysville under relentless clouds, wind and the occasional shower.  Nor Cal Hyperlite Team riders Jason Callen, Jon Haddox, Josh Wilson, Scott a.k.a Squirrel Starkweather and Hyperlite Legion riders Brodie Chaboya, Dan Bright & Trever Maur were joined by A-Teamers Mike Schwenne and Jacob Valdez and by Alex Scagliotti, a member of the Legion Team from Bend, OR, to compete for a chance to win a trip to Phoenix, AZ for the Mega Event, RedBull WakeLab.   

As the team converged on the dirt field one thing was obviously missing, water in the pools.  The day before, all the pools were full and the creators of the mini lab were able to test rails and dial them in.  Over night however, nature took its course and the ground absorbed a lot of the water.  Armain, the event brain child and RedBull gooru was busy getting these pools filled and by 1pm the chance of a lifetime was underway.   

Both Dan and Jon wussed out due to unrelated injuries that were never confirmed, so it was up to Schwenne, Valdez, Callen, Maur, Squirrel, Chaboya, Scags & Wilson to make a push for the finals.  From the 4 heats of 5 semi final events 4 of our riders made the grade.  Since Schwenne already had a coveted ticket to Phoenix, thanks to Red Bull, he gave up his finals spot to another rider and then the main heat went down.  Where carnage had ruled the semis, style and upping the ante reigned supreme in the finals.  Valdez, Scags, Squirrel held their own laying down consistent stylish hits in the finals, but came up short as only 2 athletes were awarded the chance to compete in Phoenix.    

The greatest part of the qualifier was seeing a couple hundred people gathered in a dirt lot on a rainy day as stoked as can be enjoying some great wakeboard action and getting psyched for a great season in Nor Cal! 

Some side notes to the contest that are worth mentioning are listed;

1. Josh Wilson lives less than a mile away and still managed to get lost finding the place.
2. Squirrel rocked his old Milk Van but hasn’t yet found new stickers for it, you’d think he knows someone by now.
3. Trever won the most colorful getup award which he’ll be taking into the season with pride.
4. Chaboya was in good spirits even after disturbing news of his ancestors was released the week prior by none other than Marchiniak.
5. Callen’s truck broke down, had to get it towed to a shop before he hitched a ride to the event and later it was confirmed he just ran out of gas.