GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Local wakeboarders with Shaun and Gina. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Wakeboard World Cup stars Gina and Shain Faccion arrived here early to share their skills with the local competitors yesterday.
The South African siblings are ranked in the top 20 in the world with Gina having achieved a world’s sixth best position in World Championship in Italy in July this year while her brother Shaun was a semi-finalist at the same championship.
Benefiting from this rare opportunity are the six local finalists Arafan Edruce, 21, Dzakri Bohari, 23, Muhammad Zahhar, 16, Muhammad Zain, 10, Hadi Hizwan, 15, and Hasfarazy, 21 – and two reserves Mohamad Azizudin, 22, and Nur Qamarina, 14.
The Malaysian Waterski and Wakeboard Federation head coach Al’Fisal Mohamed will also be on hand to drive the Mastercraft X2 wakeboard tow board while Gina and Shaun will coach the Sarawak youths in the Sarawak River today.
Gina said: “We are delighted to help Sarawak’s efforts in building this wakeboard legacy for its people. Both Shaun and I would like to contribute to the momentum.
“It’s remarkable what they have achieved already with just two months of training from zero base.”
The Sarawak Youths Wakeboard Cup event, involving these finalists from Kuching, will be held on Saturday, starting at 8am.
The main events for pro-men and pro-women riders will start their preliminary rounds tomorrow with elimination rounds on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
Stars of Florida will also be performing two waterski shows on Saturday and Sunday.
This is the first time the IWWf Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup series is organised in conjunction with the 2011 Sarawak Regatta over the same weekend.