Dublin Student takes 6th at Wakeboard World Cup

Having taken the Bronze Medal at the World Games in Colombia last summer, David O'Caoimh (20), from Killiney, Dublin, managed to achieve an impressive 6th place at the Wakeboard World Cup which was just held in Mandurah, Australia.

The World Cup Series, which is an 'invitation only' event and just twenty of the world's top male riders are invited. The Series attracts around 100,000 spectators at each stop.

Four times Irish National Wakeboard champion, O'Caoimh has taken a gap year from UCD to achieve his dream of making it to the very top of his sport and is spending most of the year training and competing overseas.

'I'm so happy and delighted that all my training has paid off' said O'Caoimh , "And I'd like to thank my sponsors Monster Energy, Billabong, O'Brien Wakeboards and Xtreme Gene, who help to make it all happen."

With an estimated 30 million active water skiers and wakeboarders world wide, wakeboarding is the most rapidly growing water sport in the world and was shortlisted for the 2020 Olympics. It is hoped that the sport will be in the 2024 Games.

Video link to his semi finals run - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5qF0liTG4&feature=share&t=2m26s

*Wakeboarding is derived from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing. It involves the wakeboarder being towed behind a specially designed speedboat at speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour. The rider uses the wake of the boat to perform flips, spins and combinations of both.