A Cranbrook wakesurfer has been crowned a world champion.
Dagen Duczek, one of eight riders in his junior division at the World Wake Surfing Championship in Utah this past weekend, used a phenomenal second run to catapult into first place for the world title.
“It was amazing,” Duczek said. “I was riding against some unbelievable riders and I knew I had to lay it down out there,” says Duczek. “I’m so thankful to my brother for pushing me all season, my dad for driving me all summer, all my sponsors and family for believing in me and supporting me. I met so many great people. The surf community is like a family and it was an experience I will never forget. I can’t explain how it felt at the end of my run on Saturday.”
For his first run, Duczek laid down a solid run, finishing first in his heat and advancing to a four-rider final the next day. During his final run, he threw down a bunch of technical tricks such as a 360-shuv, backside 180, switch big, revert 360, and back big spin — the first junior to land the back big in a competition.
The event featured 140 riders from 11 countries competing in 17 different divisions over three days. Riders have to be be ranked in the top-eight of their respective divisions in order to qualify for the world championship.
Duczek and his brother Ryder ride and train at Tie Lake, BC. They are Phase 5 team riders and would like to acknowledge and thank the many local sponsors who have made their season possible including Rocky Mountain Agencies Ltd., Boston Pizza Cranbrook, Hockley Real Estate, Alfred Hummel Contractor Ltd., Just Liquid Sports, Hebditch Contracting Ltd., Rocky Mountain Appraisal, Snap-On Tools (Jeff Fancy Proprietor).
trevor.crawley@cranbrooktownsman.com
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