IWWF Pan American Cable Championships
Shark Wake Park partnered with Palm Beach County Sports Commission to host the 2022 IWWF Pan American Cable Wakeboard Championships in West Palm Beach, Florida, September 21st – 25th. A collaborative project with Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation, Shark Wake Park was eager and honored to host the first International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) event here in the United States. Unified under the sanctioning of USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Federation (USAWSWS), along with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), Shark Wake Park aims to bring further awareness, growth, and opportunity for the wakeboard community here in the United States.
The IWWF Pan American Cable Wakeboard Championships brought together forty-seven competitors from the region, with six different countries represented, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and the United States. Not only was this the first IWWF competition hosted in the United States, but it also served as a qualifying event for the upcoming IWWF World Cable Wakeboard & Wakeskate Championships, hosted in Thailand, November 2022. Competitors were able to qualify individually, and US riders were given the opportunity to represent Team USA for both the IWWF Pan-Am Championships and the upcoming IWWF World Cable Wakeboard & Wakeskate Championships.
With seven divisions and top athletes from across the region, the 2022 IWWF Pan Am Cable Wakeboard Championships showcased phenomenal riding from all categories. Competitors included both men and women, and ages ranged from U11 to 30+ divisions. While competitors rode to earn their highest individual ranking within their respective division, each individual score comprised the overall tea ranking. We would like to congratulate all individual competitors, along with overall teams; Team USA took first place, followed by Team Mexico in second and Team Argentina in third.
We are extremely proud and honored to announce the outstanding performance from Team USA, including local Shark Wake Park riders Daniel Pal, Donny Graves, Bradd Kearns and Coco Mendez who all placed top three among their respective divisions. Daniel Pal took first place in the U14 division, Donny Graves took second place in the U18 division, while Coco Mendez took first place with Bradd Kearns in second place for the Open Wakeskate division. We would also like to congratulate the US riders who also earned a top-ranking spot including Preston Persichetti (2nd Place, U14), Isaic Claudio (3rd Place, U14), Jaden Garcia (1st Place, U18), Chad Forrest (1st Place, 30+), Keith Bastek (3rd Place, 30+), Trent Stuckey (1st Place), Gavin Stuckey (2nd Place) and Guenther Oka (3rd Place) in the Open Men division. Congratulation to all competitors who qualified for the IWWF World Cable Wakeboard Championships.
We look forward to supporting you along with Team USA in Thailand!
Aside from providing athletes individual opportunities here in the United States, Shark Wake Park, along with USA Waterski and Wake Sports Federation and the IWWF, aim to promote wakeboarding, and unity among the community, on a national and international level. 2022 IWWF Pan Am Cable Wakeboard Championships was the first step in introducing the IWWF organization here in the United States and providing both local and regional athletes the opportunity to qualify for the upcoming IWWF World Cable Wakeboard Championships.
We would like to sincerely thank every individual who made the 2022 IWWF Pan Am Cable Wakeboard Championships possible. We appreciate the effort from all involved and thank you for making this event truly remarkable. We are excited to continue working with USA Waterski & Wake Sports and the IWWF to host more events, to provide additional opportunities for athletes, to promote and support wakeboarding on a unified national and international level.
