El Gouna Red Sea Hosts Egypt's First-Ever Cable Wakeboarding Nationals, Naming the Country's First National Cable Wakeboarding Team

El Gouna Red Sea, a year-round vibrant town by Orascom Development Egypt, held Egypt's first-ever Cable Wakeboarding Nationals at Sliders Cable Park, a landmark championship bringing together leading international riders, El Gouna Red Sea-born athletes and watersports fans, while serving as the official platform for selecting Egypt's first national cable wakeboarding team.

The championship took place under the supervision of the Egyptian Sailing & Water Ski Federation and organized by Buzz Events, the events arm of The Buzz Egypt, an Egyptian marketing company.

Riders competed across six divisions: Minis (8 and under), Under 11 Boys, Under 14 Boys, Under 14 Girls, Open, and Masters (30 and over).

Cable wakeboarding sees riders strapped into boots on a board, towed across the water by an overhead cable system. Using the cable's pull along with ramps, rails and other course features, athletes execute jumps, spins and aerial tricks, with routines judged on execution, intensity and composition.

The competition witnessed strong performances across all divisions, with Kareem Ahdy taking first place in the Open category, followed by Finn Flugel and Andrea El Garf. In the Under 14 Boys category, Adam Gadallah claimed first place, ahead of Kai Kenny Smith and Jason Baddour, while Tala Rostom topped the Under 14 Girls category, followed by Aisha Zakaria and Mia Kinney Smith. Tajj Rostom secured first place in the Under 11 Boys category, with Noah Piercy and Marwan Zakaria completing the podium. In the Masters category, Dalal took first place, followed by Omar Abdel Fattah and Ahmed El Deeb, while the Minis category saw Nurella finish first, followed by Mila Shouky and Tamara Abdelfattah.

In a milestone for the sport, the competition also served as the selection platform for Egypt’s first national cable wakeboarding team. The selected team includes Kareem Ahdy, Andrea El Garf and Noah El Dali in the Open category; Andrea El Garf, Sydney El Dali and Noah El Dali in the Under 18 category; Adam Gadallah, Jason Baddour and Adam El Safty in the Under 14 Boys category; Tala Rostom, Aisha Zakaria and Laila El Safty in the Under 14 Girls category; and Tajj Rostom, Noah Piercy and Marwan Zakaria in the Under 11 Boys category. All the athletes selected for the national team are members of the El Gouna Red Sea community, reflecting the growth of the town’s watersports community and its role in supporting and developing local talent.

More than simply hosting the championship, El Gouna Red Sea has long served as a catalyst for the sport's growth in Egypt. Sliders Cable Park, one of the region's leading cable parks, has spent years nurturing local riders alongside international talent, running training programmes for beginners and young athletes, and giving the sport a permanent home on Egyptian shores. The destination's active coastal lifestyle, from kitesurfing and sailing to windsurfing, diving, snorkeling and fishing, has made watersports part of everyday life in El Gouna Red Sea rather than a seasonal attraction, and it is this year-round culture that allowed wakeboarding to take root and flourish here. That legacy was on full display at the Nationals, where members of the local community who train regularly at Sliders competed for a place on the national stage alongside seasoned international riders, reflecting the accessible, inclusive sporting culture El Gouna Red Sea has worked to build.

Alongside the competition, the day featured prize presentations, sponsor activations, music, food and entertainment, creating a full-day experience for athletes, families, spectators and visitors. Prize money was awarded in the Under 14 Boys, Under 14 Girls and Open divisions, while competitors in the Minis, Under 11 Boys and Masters divisions received gift bags from event sponsors.

Modern wakeboarding took shape during the 1980s, drawing on waterskiing, surfing and snowboarding influences. The cable format later expanded through purpose-built parks and is now contested internationally, with particularly established competitive scenes across Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.

With Egyptian Sailing & Water Ski Federation and Sliders Cable Park and its own community of riders leading the way, El Gouna Red Sea has once again shown why it stands at the center of Egypt's watersports story, not just as a host, but as one of the driving forces behind the sport's future in the country.