By Allen Halas OnMilwaukee Staff Writer Published Aug 28, 2024 at 9:31 AM

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While Henry Maier Festival Park has its fair share of excitement on the festival grounds during a typical Milwaukee summer, the water will see plenty of action on Saturday, August 31st. That’s because Red Bull will be bringing their Wake The City event to Milwaukee, featuring some of the world’s top wakeboarders charging at ramps and rails in Lake Michigan.

Wake The City is a doubles event, meaning teams of two will work side by side on the skatepark-style features placed in the water between Lakeshore State Park and the Summerfest grounds. Judges will score the runs as a team, as both riders will be paired up in head-to-head action against another team until a winner is crowned. All of the riders will be towed into the obstacles at full speed by boat. From there, you’ll see corked spins, flips, and grinds, some of which coordinated with the other rider on the lake.

Red Bull Wake The CityX

The uniquely-formatted event was first held in Milan, Italy in 2022. That was also the year that Red Bull made their first launches into Lake Michigan stateside, with their Flugtag modified flying event held at Veterans Park. The athletes for this month’s event are already excited to fly through the air with the Milwaukee skyline as their backdrop.

“I am so excited to compete at the first U.S. Red Bull Wake the City event right where it all started for me,” said Meagan Ethell, Red Bull athlete and participant via statement. “Growing up in the suburbs just outside of Chicago, Illinois, I can tell you there’s nothing better than a summer in the Midwest on the water. I can't wait to see you all there!"

More than 30 wakeboarders in total will descend upon the festival grounds, with the event free and open to the public. The field includes competitors from Europe, Canada, and beyond, so fans can expect a world class display from the action sports stars.

“From Milan, Italy, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (I’m) stoked to announce that the Red Bull Wake The City is arriving for the first time to the United States,” said Massi Piffaretti, a Red Bull athlete and participant. “All my friends and I are super excited to put on an incredible show! Can’t wait for Milwaukee to witness the energy that Red Bull Wake The City brings.”

No matter if you’re exposure to wakeboarding comes from the X Games or simply the Tommy Bartlett water shows in Wisconsin Dells, the August event is going to make for a great day on Lake Michigan. You can find out more about Red Bull Wake The City at the event website, as well as win a pair of VIP passes from OnMilwaukee on Instagram!

To give you a glimpse of what is about to go down on August 31st, check out highlights from the 2022 Milan edition.