Trip to WinterWake Tartu Estonia

NGO AK Rahinge Wake-club organized 23.2. WinterWake contest in Estonia Tartu. http://winterwake.rahinge.ee/?lang=en
I got invitation and decided to participate, even that I don't like contests. Normally lot of waiting and little riding. Well this time I didn't wait at all, but still little riding.)))
We traveled already on Friday first to Tallinn by Silja Cruise Liner.

We had buffet-dinner and really fun!

My companionship was focused to make something really fun and interesting.)))

In Tallinn my friend Mika Tuupola was waiting and accommodated us. Really big thanks to Mika! I just met Mika first time in ThaiWakePark January and now he accommodated us and drived to Tartu and back (about 200km/direction). Wake family is big!

Mika and his cat

On Saturday morning drive to Tartu and pool wakeboarding!!

Size of pool was good 50x25m and information was that will be Wakestation 2.0 cable, kicker and slider. Because of 2 obstacles I knew that maybe flat tricks are impossible to make. Anyway sounds really nice!

WakeStation pillar in the corner

This picture is from finals, when operator pulled riders already near the corner.

It's really something great, that somebody organizes these kind of happenings. Possible to ride little bit in winter. All things were organized really well and big thanks to organizers!! Free participating to contest, free accommodation,  free food and drinks!!! COOL!
Some criticism: Cables was installed from corner to corner, what was the biggest mistake. Simple there wasn't really enough space after landing and cable operator had to stop cable always immediately after landing.
The second mistake was too BIG kicker, especially for this kind of small space. I have seen as big in Singapore Ski360, all you who has been there now what I'm talking about.
Big kicker and really low roof and its balks bring more extreme to this game!
Especially in the beginning operator was also still training how to use cable in pool and speed was sometimes so small, that you couldn't jump over the other side of kicker.

My contest:
I came to swimming pool little bit too late and they were already calling my name from loudspeakers. So I had to go straight to the pool and be the first who was riding. I made couple warm up runs and some hs bs 360 from kicker and slider was really nice, easy to make some presses. Anyway I didn't like too slow speed, big kicker and in that the cable stopped too early in corners.
Then in qualifications I couldn't land my tricks from kicker and that's it.))) I tried even to make really small backroll to revert from water and I landed it perfectly, but out from the pool, scary!))
I knew that not chances to get finals! So not waiting, but only little bit riding.)))

Other Finnish group who were there: Santtu Sander, Markus Heikkilä and Kristiina Nyman were riding much better than me; all of them.
They were waiting whole day, because their turn was the last. At least operator knew already better how the cable works, speed was better and had possible to ride more far to corners.
After all Kristiina Nyman won woman gategory and Markus Heikkilä got to the finals.
Kristiina made nice ts fr 540 and stylish slider riding like always and Markus did really nice ts fr 720 and some fronflips from kicker in qualifications, but couldn't repeat them so clean in finals and wasn't in podium.

Kristiina showed her nice butt to us and got for sure some points for this nice press.))

Markus and nose press

Markus and Slingshot (huom. suomeksi RITSA)))

Santtu and ritsa

Santtu and roof balks start to be near!!

Somebody with ritsa

After contest there was still official afterparty, but even that we had hotels and everything we decided to drive back to Tallinn. Mika Tuupola has nice apartment in center of Tallinn and here some pictures at night and morning.

About Swimming pool wakeboarding:
In Russia St. Petersburg we have good possibilities during winter to ride almost every evening in the pool. Russian water sport pioneers have had home-made cable in pool already maybe 30 years. They have trained back in the days Trick-waterskiing and nowadays wakeboarding.
Check one clip of my riding in St. Petersburg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gw-uC-1vi8