The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour 2014 will feature only the Pro Men's division at all four events.
The largest and most storied professional wakeboarding circuit in the world has redesigned its format for the 2014 season.
With an exclusive focus on the sport's premier division, along with a restructured contest heat advancement system and athlete qualifying standards, the MasterCraft Pro Tour has laid the groundwork to produce the most competitive and entertaining wakeboard events on the planet.
Additionally, athlete eligibility for the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour has been adjusted to ensure a dynamic and competitive field of riders at each event.
The 2014 Tour will feature a collection of the world's top ranked Pro Men wakeboarders, intriguing wildcards entries and several up-and-coming athletes from the Junior Pro Series going head-to-head at four of the country's most proven competition venues.
"During the offseason, we met with some of the most respected minds, and most talented athletes in wakeboarding to develop a strategy that ensures world-class competition and progression are paramount on the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour," explains Chris Bischoff, Pro Tour competition director.
"The format changes achieve these objectives and will also bring exciting new storylines from contest to contest."
Contest structure on the Pro Tour will remain a heat-to-heat qualifying system with riders seeding determined by their ranking. However, new rules will reward riders who win heats one and three allowing them to bypass the next round.
Riders who do not win in heats one and three will not be automatically eliminated. They will be placed in rounds two and four and have a second chance to advance in those heats.
Last year's wakeboard world champion, Rusty Malinoski has been vocal in support of the new Pro Tour format.
"Wakeboarding has seen a ton of progression over the past few years. I think the new format tweaks will help our sport showcase the best riders at the biggest contests and give the fans the most bang for their buck," stated "The Bone Crusher".
The 2014 MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour | Schedule
Acworth, GA | Dallas Landing/Lake Allatoona | May 17
Lathrop, CA | Mossdale Quarry Lakes | June 28
Monroe, WA | Lake The | July 12
Grand Rapids, MI | Millennium Park | August 16