The World Wake Surfing Championships have arrived in an unexpected location, the Arizona desert. At Lake Pleasant, nearly 100 athletes from countries including China, Japan, Canada and Russia are competing for championships in their respective divisions.
Among the international field is local 14-year-old Bentlee Shafer from Peoria, who is making waves in her first appearance at the world championships.
“I go to Mountain Ridge High School, right now I'm 10th in the whole world, and I just made it to finals," Shafer said.
Shafer competes in the women's 14-35 division, facing athletes twice her age. Despite the age gap, she has her sights set on advancing her skills at the championship level.
"I'm hoping to accomplish my 360, but really just hoping to carve through and get some jumps, really," Shafer said.
Wake surfing requires athletes to let go of the rope initially pulling them up from the boat, and maintain momentum by carving the waves created by the vessel.
"When you think about it, there's a lot of physics involved, a lot of technique involved, then the next level is learning the tricks, the ollies, the rotations," said Mike Viland, the announcer for the championships.
Shafer qualified for the championship runs earlier in the week. On Wednesday, she attempted her 360 but just missed dropping back into the wake.
However, a strong second pass earned her an overall fourth-place finish in her division, a significant achievement for Shafer in her debut at the world championships.
"I've never been to worlds, this is my first time. I find it crazy, I love it here, that's a huge achievement honestly because that means in the whole world, and that's just huge to me," Shafer said.
The World Wake Surfing Championships continue at Lake Pleasant through Friday.
