Wakeboarder Gentry posts runner-up finish at world championships – Hickory Daily Record

Posted On: September 10, 2020

Wakeboarder Gentry posts runner-up finish at world championships

Anyone who has spent much time on the west end of Lake Hickory has probably seen Hudson Gentry flipping and spinning on his wakeboard. The 10-year-old started wakeboarding on his fifth birthday and has been competing since he was 8, spending the better part of his summers training on Lake Hickory.

Additionally, Gentry trains on Lake Norman with his coach, Stephen Pierce, and spends time training at Freedom Wake Park in Orlando, Florida, as well. He has also recently been training with current Professional Wakeboard Tour rider Tony Iacconi as part of the Ti Wake Academy.

In August, Gentry competed in the World Wake Association’s United States National Wakeboard Championships at the Barefoot Ski Ranch in Waco, Texas. Despite being the youngest participant in a field full of talent, he was able to make it to the finals and finish in second place in the 10-to-13-year-old division.

Courtesy of his finish during nationals, Gentry advanced to the WWA World Wakeboard Championships at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, during the last weekend in August. While he suffered an unexpected fall on his most consistent trick during the semifinals, he recovered to qualify for the finals, again taking home a second-place finish.

Gentry’s success in 2020 came on the heels of a third-place finish in the 2019 WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Wakeboard Championships in the boys’ 9-and-under division. Those championships were held in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

You can follow Hudson’s progression on Instagram @hudmanwake.

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