The Spectacular “O’Neill Wake The Line presented by Relentless Energy Drink” (waketheline.com) Wakeboard event stunned the 8000 strong crowd under a burning hot sun at the incredible setting of sold out Stadionbad Cologne.
The atmosphere throughout was thick with tension from the awe inspiring head to head format and the brand new, extremely technical and demanding set-up created by UNIT Parktech (unit-parktech.com) yet again. Featuring the Tech-Series as well the new and improved stair set, the abilities of the riders were pushed to the limit throughout the day, every one of them raising their game round by round.

Year on year the level of boarding and skating pushes further ahead and this year’s event was no exception. Bigger airs out of the much bigger quarter pipe, presses in every direction, bigger and more technical rotations on to and off rails not to mention several double flips going down alongside a whole host of 900s.

With many new faces in the line-up because of the new qualifying series of events held in the US and Europe, the big names were under a lot more pressure. Reigning champion Nico Von Lerchenfeld, succumbed to this pressure in the second round of head to heads against fellow UNIT Parktech rider Steffen Vollert, who made it through the Langenfeld qualifier to squeeze ahead of Nico, into the Super Final and secure a third place finish.

It was the Raph Derome Show all the way through though, with not a single waiver in any round. Doubles, 900s and some of the most insanely technical and tweaked out rail hits ever witnessed. Seasoned O’Neill Wake The Line competitor and more than capable rail rider, Kevin Henshaw pulled out a run that under any other circumstances would have run away with a clear win, but this time securing him second place at arguably the most closely fought WTL in it’s 5 year history.

Not to be outdone, the huge Stadionbad crowd were left with their jaws on the floor with the wakeskate superfinal, Daniel Grant, retaining his title to yet again prove he is the man of the moment when it comes to skate.

RESUL TS:
Wakeboard:
1. Raph Derome (CAN) 2. Kevin Henshaw (CAN) 3. Steffen Vollert (GER)
Wakeskate:
1. Daniel Grant (THA) 2. Lukas Suess (GER) 3. Jan Kissmann (GER)