Nic Rapa
Nic Rapa. Image Credit: Organisers

Abu Dhabi: Australian star Nic Rapa has promised a weekend supershow at the 2019 IWWF World Wakeboard Championships in Abu Dhabi as the sport’s biggest talents fight it out for gold medal glory.

The five-day event reaches its climax in the UAE capital where the world wakeboarding elite have been in brilliant form this week, and Rapa, one of the sport’s top professional athletes, says the best is yet to come over the next 48 hours.

“A lot of the guys I compete with throughout the year at pro events are here in Abu Dhabi, so it’s definitely going to be a showdown between the riders, who do this for a living,” said the 22-year-old Aussie, who leads the way in the Open Men qualifiers.

“Everybody will be giving it a red hot go, and it’s going to be a great weekend for spectators.”

Rapa, who splits his time between Sydney and Florida where he has just built a home, is relishing the battle with fellow-Australian Tony Iacconi, Japan’s Shota Tezuka, Britain’s Luca Kidd and Italian Massimiliano Piffaretti, gold medal winner at last month’s ANOC World Beach Games.

They are among the leading professionals in action in Friday afternoon’s Open Men quarter finals, with the semi-finals and final to follow in a spectacular Saturday programme at Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangroves Promenade.