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Sports

Red Bull's Wake Hits Tampa

The Garrison Channel in downtown Tampa will host the 2012 Red Bull Wake Open this weekend.

Thirty professional wake boarders will take to the waters of the Garrison Channel in downtown Tampa this weekend in a premiere event staged by energy drink giant Red Bull.

Wakeboarding, a popular surface water sport that combines elements of snowboarding, water skiing and surfing to create a high speed blend of tricks and maneuvers, traditionally using the wake of a boat as its apparatus, although boats are no longer needed (see below).

The Red Bull Wake Open crowns the best professional wakeboarder in a two day competition that includes a big air competition, similar to what you might see in a snow boarding competition, where the wakeboarder is towed at high speed toward a 50-foot ramp before pulling off an elaborate airborne trick. This part of the competition will take place tomorrow beginning at 4 p.m.

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On Saturday, the "cable" competition will consist of riders maneuvering their way through a skate park on the water and being judged based on the tricks they can pull off. This contest is done without the assistance of a boat, instead using a tow rope linked to a cable that stretches between portable towers. This event will take place from noon-3 p.m. and promises to include a multitude of high speed, high flying tricks.

To see an example of cable wakeboarding, click here.

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Red Bull seems to enjoy Tampa as a venue for its major events, staging the wakeboarding open less than a year after its marquee "flugtag" event last rocked Tampa's waters. That event has attracted more than 100,000 people each of the two times it has come to Tampa and this event is expected to do the same.

For more information on the Red Bull Wake Open, click here.

Can't make it? Turn on the television: The event will be broadcast on NBC on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. Coverage will include footage from Friday as well as live coverage of Saturday's competition.

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