2024 California Pro Am: Final Highlights – Waterski Pro Tour Stop 9
Catch all the action from the finals of the California Pro Am.
Month: August 2024
Watch: The Dark Horse of Water Skiing | Ski or Die TV
VideoThe Dark Horse of Water Skiing: Elizabeth Montavon
Join professional water skier Elizabeth Montavon for an inside look at what it takes to excel in one of the world’s most competitive and demanding sports. From early morning ski tuning to intense training sessions on the water and in the gym, this docushort captures a day in Elizabeth’s life as she balances her passion for the sport with the support of her family and fans.
But it hasn’t all been easy — Elizabeth opens up about the challenges she faces, including dealing with online trolls and navigating the bottleneck that’s holding water skiing back from reaching its full potential. Through it all, her determination and the overwhelming support from her fans keep her pushing forward.
In Remembrance of Franz Kuhn (1935-2024) | IWWF
RepostFranz Kuhn – 1935 to 2024
Image: IWWF
We are saddened to inform the waterski world about the passing of Franz Kuhn who was the European Confederation President for many years.
The IWWF appreciates Franz’s many years of good service and send its deepest condolences to his family on their lost.
RIP, Franz.
Please read his obituary below
Full obituary at IWWF.
Waterski Pro Tour Resumes: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
NewsWaterski Pro Tour Resumes: Key Stories, Standings, and Schedule as 2024 Season Restarts with the California Pro Am
Image: @jmommer2
By Jack Burden
The 2024 Waterski Pro Tour’s thrilling season is set to resume with the California Pro Am at Shortline Lake. Leading the pack, skiers like Jaimee Bull, William Asher, and Team Syndicate aim to hold on to their top spots, while the battle for the season championship in jump heats up.
As the tour returns after its summer break, here’s everything you need to know heading into the final six stops of the 2024 season.
What’s Happened So Far?
It’s been almost six weeks since Corey Vaughn secured his maiden victory in England. Now, the world’s best skiers are back on the water in Elk Grove, preparing for the California Pro Am finals this Sunday. The stakes are high as world champion Jaimee Bull seeks to close out her fourth consecutive season championship.
The men’s slalom division is especially competitive, with veteran Asher feeling the pressure from up-and-coming talents like Rob Hazelwood and Cole McCormick. Meanwhile, California marks the first of four jump events that will close out the season, leaving the question of who can challenge veterans like Freddy Krueger and Ryan Dodd still unanswered.
Men’s Slalom: A Tight Race
Asher began the season in dominant form, winning the first three Pro Tour events he entered. However, his momentum faltered with a runner-up finish at San Gervasio and an uncharacteristic sixth-place finish in his home country under the lights.
The big winner on that day was Vaughn, who became the oldest man ever to win his first professional slalom title at the Oxfordshire Pro Am. So far, 2024 has been one of the most competitive men’s slalom seasons in recent memory, with six different winners across the Waterski Pro Tour and legacy Masters events.
Freddie Winter, the reigning world champion, started the season strong with a victory at the Moomba Masters, but a series of disappointing performances ended with a season-ending injury at the Monaco Slalom Cup. Similarly, world record holder Nate Smith has only competed in three professional events in 2024, opting to focus on work commitments instead, and has not looked his best when he has competed.
This has left the field wide open for rising stars like Rob Hazelwood and Cole McCormick, as well as veterans like Jonathan Travers and Vaughan, who have each registered wins this year and sit inside the top eight. With five slalom events remaining in 2024, Asher remains the man to beat, but the competition is fierce.
Can Bull Secure Her Season Championship?
Jaimee Bull holds a commanding 76-point lead over Allie Nicholson at the top of the women’s standings. Manon Costard trails Bull by over 150 points in third place, while last year’s runner-up, Regina Jaquess, is over 200 points behind in eighth. Both Costard and Jaquess seem too far behind to mount a late-season charge.
However, with five events left and only the top six events counting toward total points, Jaquess, the world record holder, could still pose a threat now that the tour has returned to her home turf in the U.S.
Jump Battle: Can Poland Challenge the Old Guard?
There has been only one jump event on the Waterski Pro Tour in 2024, but Joel Poland leads the standings after winning under the lights in Louisiana. Adding to that his victory at the US Masters, Poland boasts a perfect record this year.
Freddy Krueger, competing in his 30th season of professional jumping, is second in the standings but still seeking his first win of the year.
With four of the five jump events still to come, young challengers like Taylor Garcia, Luca Rauchenwald, and Florian Parth have plenty of opportunities to make their mark on the tour.
Women’s Jump: Is There Any Stopping Straltsova?
Jacinta Carroll’s retirement has left a significant gap in the women’s jump field, but Hanna Straltsova is quickly filling it. Straltsova has won two out of two events this year and hasn’t lost a professional jump tournament since May 2023. She consistently outpaces the competition, making it hard to imagine anyone catching her for the rest of the year.
However, the women’s jump field is the strongest it has been in some time with the return of Brittany Wharton, Lauren Morgan, and Valentina Gonzalez from injury. There may still be more excitement to come.
What’s Next?
There are six Waterski Pro Tour events remaining, four of which are multi-discipline tournaments. The season resumes with two events in quick succession, starting with the California Pro Am, followed just three days later by a midweek event in Saskatoon, Canada.
After a month-long break, the tour continues with back-to-back events in Central Florida in late September/early October before another Florida doubleheader in late October/early November to close out the season.
Interspersed throughout will be three professional overall tournaments, part of the WWS Overall Tour, with the next event running alongside the Canada Cup next week.
The final event of the season, the Miami Pro, is a five-star event with the highest single-discipline prize purse of the season, promising additional drama and crucial points for championship battles.
The Waterski Pro Tour resumes after the summer break with the California Pro Am at Shortline Lake on August 24-25. Catch all the action live on YouTube.
Watch: 2024 Herb’s Cup | Radar Skis
Video2024 Herb’s Cup
In the spirit of creativity, progression, and just plain fun times on the water, the 2024 Herb’s Cup.
At the intersection of competitive fire and creative spirit lies Herb’s Cup, Radar Skis annual slalom event held in honor of our visionary, who paved our storied path, Herb O’Brien. This event allows us to illustrate our unique waterski ethos, a marriage of progressive creativity and full-bore fun.
The rules, while anything but traditional, are straightforward. With 8 minutes on the clock competitors do what countless skiers around the globe are doing on any given day; ski the most buoys on the shortest line possible. You need to run a full pass to advance to the next, but if you fall or miss, do it again until the clock runs out.
With the banks lined with the Pacific Northwest’s waterski faithful, the finals got underway with Jamie Calhoun. Having scored 3.5 @ 39 in the preliminary round, Jamie knew he would need to find a second gear if he were to have any hope of raising the Cup. Calhoun, to preserve time, opted for a 35’ Off start, easily running through his first two passes. After failing on his first attempt, Jamie found his way through a scrappy but committed 39’ Off and set the bar head-high with a solid 2 buoys at 41’; a score that would have real implications as the night wore on.
Jason McClintock would leave the dock next with a tall order in front of him. Having decided on a more traditional 32’ Off start, McClintock would need to run his first attempt at 39’ if he hoped to have enough time for a couple of shots at overtaking the lead. That’s exactly what he did: after running perhaps the smoothest 39’ of the entire event, Jason got to work at attempting to overtake Calhoun. After three solid looks Jason had to settle for a tie, another 2 buoys at 41’ Off.
If there was a potential odds favorite for the weekend, it had to be World Champion, Joel Poland. Having finished runner-up at both of the previous Herb’s Cups, Joel took to the water with hoisting the chalice squarely on his mind. After a 35’ off start that was more full energy than required, he re-entered the course and proceeded to run straight through his next two passes with his perfect blend of balance and power. Having used only half of his allotted time, Poland took four cracks at the leaderboard, each time coming up short at three ball, eventually flipping himself over the buoy and coming to rest only feet from the fans lining the shore. Another skier down, another score of 2@41’.
Top-seeded Stephen Neveu would leave the dock with a clear task in mind: somehow find his way to three ball, and the 2024 Herb’s Cup victory would be his. As the defending champion, Stephen has proved year after year that the best way to work the clock is to avoid it altogether. Taking essentially no wait time between passes, Big Nev quickly and efficiently worked his way through 39’ off with more than five minutes remaining. He wasn’t going to need it though. With a giant bullseye on three ball, he methodically skied his way around a full 3 buoys at 41’ off, earning his fourth title in the process.
In front of a setting sun, the awards were presented, and Stephen Neveu hoisted the cup yet again. “This one feels especially emotional this year,” Neveu addressed the crowd, “thank you to everyone at Radar, and thank you Herb!” His first sip from the cup marked the start of the evening and the close of the 8th Annual Herb’s Cup.
82nd Goode Water Ski Nationals Concludes At Ski West Village | USA Water Ski
Repost82nd Goode Water Ski Nationals concludes at Ski West Village
Image: Scott N. Atkinson
The 82nd Goode Water Ski National Championships concluded Saturday, Aug. 17 at Ski West Village in Arvin, Calif. Nearly 500 water ski athletes competed for titles in slalom, tricks, jump and overall during the five-day tournament, held Aug. 13-17, 2024, near Bakersfield.
Perfect weather and skiing conditions for the entire week led to record-breaking performances and dozens of personal bests by the competitors.
Degasperi Secures 11th European Championship in Dramatic Fashion
NewsThomas Degasperi secures 11th European Championship in dramatic fashion
Image: @this_is_tgas
By Jack Burden
The 2024 European Water Ski Championships, the world’s longest-running international water ski tournament, delivered yet another chapter of thrilling competition. Held annually since 1947, this prestigious event has a rich legacy, drawing Europe’s finest competitors, particularly from federations with strong government backing. The latest edition was no exception, featuring standout performances from past and present World Champions, including Louis Duplan-Fribourg, Manon Costard, Martin Kolman, and Elena Thomsen.
However, the highlight of the tournament was undoubtedly the men’s slalom event, which culminated in a dramatic finish between two Italian skiers. The field was stacked with Waterski Pro Tour regulars, including the formidable 41-off club member Sacha Descuns. But it was the Italian contingent, with veteran Thomas Degasperi and rising star Brando Caruso, who stole the spotlight.
In a gripping showdown, Degasperi and Caruso both scored 3@10.25m (41′ off), forcing a runoff. The two teammates navigated the 10.75m (39.5′ off) course with precision, tying again at three buoys—not just once, but twice. In a third runoff, the pair remained locked at two buoys, showcasing their incredible consistency in running their fourth 10.75m of the day. Exhausted and running out of time to conclude the event, Degasperi and Caruso agreed to share the European title, a fitting end to an inseparable battle.
Reflecting on the event, Caruso expressed his excitement: “It was a great tournament, it’s always a battle. Last year we had a huge battle, so it’s a pleasure to share the podium with my teammate and to be here and put up big scores.”
Degasperi, too, was pleased with the outcome: “It was a battle with three runoffs; it was a lot of fun and very challenging. He’s a great competitor, so I’m very happy to share the podium with him.”
For Caruso, this title marks his first European Championship, while for Degasperi, it’s his fifth consecutive win since 2019 and his 11th overall. His impressive tally places him second only to Patrice Martin, who holds the record for the most European Championships in a single discipline, with 15 trick titles.
At 43, Degasperi remains in incredible form, currently sitting in 6th place on the Waterski Pro Tour leaderboard at the halfway point of the season. His latest triumph further cements his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Quiz: Most Consecutive European Men’s Titles
QuizzesQuiz: Most consecutive European men’s titles
Image: Wikimedia Commons
By RTB
4 minute play
In this quiz, you have to name the male skiers with the most consecutive European titles of all time.
The list contains 18 skiers, all of whom have won at least three consecutive European championships. One of England’s most dominant skiers sits atop this list with an eight-year streak in overall. We have mentioned their country, the event and years of their consecutive titles.
Remembering Jump Prodigy JD Wiswall (1971-2024)
MediaRemembering jump prodigy JD Wiswall (1971-2024)
Image: JD Wiswall Ellis
By Jack Burden
JD Wiswall, a former junior world champion and professional jumper, has passed away at the age of 52 after a long battle with cancer. The Alabama native displayed incredible talent from a young age, breaking numerous records as he advanced through the junior ranks, and collecting a number of national, collegiate, and world titles along the way.
A U.S. national record holder in both junior slalom and jump, Wiswall was selected to represent Team USA at the inaugural Under-17 World Championships, where he became the first-ever junior world jump champion. Two years later, he would replicate that feat by defending his title at the second edition on the Yarra River, making him one of only four skiers to this day to win multiple junior world jump titles. In total, he won five medals across the two World Championships, finishing as the runner-up in overall at both tournaments.
Wiswall attended Northern Louisiana University (NLU), now the University of Louisiana Monroe, where he helped the NLU Indians reclaim the national title after they had experienced their first loss in a decade, securing individual jump and overall titles in 1990.
A brash and confident competitor, Wiswall’s performance at the 1991 NCWSA Nationals became legendary. Jumping with heavily bruised ribs from a slalom crash the previous day, “Turbo,” as his teammates called him, took to the water as the second-to-last skier of the tournament, needing an outright win to secure the team’s title. After posting the leading score on jump one, he stared down the final skier, University of Central Florida’s (UCF) John Swanson, and yelled, “I’m your worst nightmare!”
Swanson, however, was up for the challenge, winning the jump title and guiding UCF to their first ever team title. The Wiswall-Swanson rivalry would go down as one of the most epic in collegiate water ski history.
Wiswall’s best performances came at the slower speed and ramp height of junior and collegiate competitions, where his aggressive style was used to maximum advantage. However, he also had success in the elite ranks, winning the 1989 World Games, Open Men’s jump at the 1994 U.S. National Championships, and regularly competing on the Bud Water Ski Tour through the mid-1990s.
He remained engaged in the sport until the end, attending the last two World Championships as a spectator. During the 2021 World Championships, he expressed his excitement and anticipation in an interview with FlowPoint TV, hoping to see the first woman jump 200 feet.
A fierce and intense competitor on the water, but a gentle and kind soul off it, Wiswall will be greatly missed.
Family Affair: Second Generation Talent Dominates Under-17 World Championships
NewsFamily Affair: Second Generation Talent Dominates Under-17 World Championships
Image: @johnnyhayward_photo
By Jack Burden
Turn back the clock three decades: Kyle Eade and Steffen Wild are regulars on the professional jump circuit. Russel and Jane Gay are among the best trickers in the world. Mariana Ramirez and Richard Abelson are promising juniors rising through the ranks. Now, fast forward to today, all of these world-class skiers traveled to Canada for the Under-17 World Championships, but now in very different roles.
11 of the 24 individual medals at the recently completed World Titles were taken home by these four families. Additionally, they set three world championship tournament records and, arguably, secured the team title as well, with four out of the six spots on the victorious U.S. Team filled by just two families.
Other second-generation talents included Fletcher and Daisy Green, both advancing to the trick finals; Marie-Lou Duverger, who finished fourth in girls’ overall; Samson Clunie, who narrowly missed the jump finals; and Cameron Davis, who placed fifth in girls’ overall and was part of the gold medal-winning Team USA.
The on-water action was incredible. The finals started with the Eade brothers, Jaeden and Damien, tying for the gold before having to settle things in a runoff. Training partners since day one, has there ever been a more fitting resolution to a sibling rivalry? Meanwhile, girls’ slalom was a tense battle between two South American contenders, with Peru’s Christiana De Osma narrowly edging out Chile’s Trinidad Espinal in the final.
The girls’ jump final was an incredible battle between Australia’s Kristy Appleton and Denmark’s Maise Jacobsen. Appleton threw everything she had at the ramp in one of the bravest performances of the event, willing herself further on her final attempt, which resulted in a spectacular crash upon landing. It took Jacobsen until her third and final jump and a new personal best, but ultimately, the Dane pulled ahead. Give these two fierce competitors some time to adjust to the faster boat speed and higher ramp height, and they could be the next big thing in professional jumping.
The boys’ jump final was relatively sedate after the crash reel that was the preliminary round, but it was Jake Abelson who stole the show second off the dock with a 53.3-meter (175-foot) jump to cement his overall title and set the mark for the rest of the field to chase. Tim Wild, the top seed and favorite after the withdrawal of the injured Tristan Duplan-Fribourg, tried valiantly but ultimately came up half a meter (two feet) short of Abelson’s mark.
While girls’ trick was somewhat of a foregone conclusion, with young Alexia Abelson head and shoulders above the rest of the field, boys’ tricks was a titanic struggle between the two highest-scoring trick skiers of all time, Matias Gonzalez and Jake Abelson. Both had set Under-17 World Championship records in the preliminary round and knew it would take even more in the final. The defending champion, Gonzalez, showcased his ruthless efficiency to set a score of 12,410 for Abelson to chase. A third gold medal was not to be for the American, who, despite two stand-up passes, narrowly lost his last hand trick to time and finished just behind Gonzalez.
While jump is historically the headline event to close out a World Championships, boys’ tricks was a fitting finish, coming right down to the wire. If the current crop of junior world champions is anything to go by, the future of the sport is very bright indeed.
