2025 Irish National Wakeboard Championships – Event Report
Another successful edition of the Irish National Wakeboard Championships took place at the ever-welcoming Newferry Waterski Club, showcasing top-tier talent and community spirit in equal measure. With 16 riders participating across multiple categories, the event brought together novices, veterans, and elite competitors for a thrilling weekend on the water.
Friday Practice – Calm Before the Storm
Practice sessions began at 5:00 PM on Friday, with both the G23 and X2 boats in use. Riders enjoyed near-perfect flat water conditions until sunset around 9:00 PM, giving everyone a solid warm-up opportunity.
Saturday Competition – Full Spectrum of Weather
The competition kicked off Saturday morning with a 9:30 AM riders' briefing, followed by first pulls on the water at 10:30 AM. The event followed a 3-run format, with the best two scores counting towards final rankings.
The Novice and Under-14 categories led the day, riding behind the X2 in mild chop and increasing wind. They were followed by the Veterans and Masters divisions, and then the Open Ladies and Open Men. All divisions managed to complete two runs by 3:30 PM. Some riders opted out of their third run due to increasingly erratic weather—downpours interspersed with sunshine and persistent gusts of wind.
Competition Results – Irish Nationals 2025
Under 14 Boys
1st: Darragh Hennessy
Under 14 Girls
1st: Alex Conley
Junior Women
1st: Zara Conley
Junior Men
1st: Zac Conley
2nd: Sam McClintock
Novice
1st: Martin Hennessy
Veteran Women
1st: Jeanette McCleave
Veteran Men
1st: Peter Stewart
2nd: Gavin Prunty
3rd: Thijs Van Rosmalen
Masters Men
1st: Paul Johnston
2nd: David Coates
Open Women
1st: Alice Murray
Open Men
1st: David O’Caoimh
2nd: Julian Zebedee
3rd: Brodie Stewart
Finale and Thanks
The final rides concluded around 7:00 PM, followed by a prize-giving ceremony. As always, Newferry Waterski Club outdid itself in hospitality. Riders and spectators were treated to generous helpings of food and drink, including the now-legendary homemade scones and rocky roads.
Special thanks go to:
· Gary McClintock for the use of his G23 and his rope-handling heroics
· Andy McQuiggan for coordinating and driving throughout the day
· Linda Johnston who kept scoring accurate and fair as chief calculator
· The emergency services for their presence and support
In all, it was a well-organized and thoroughly enjoyable event—despite the Irish weather doing its best to interfere.