Get ready for an electrifying showdown at the 2023 IWWF World Championships! The world’s top waterskiing athletes are gearing up for an epic battle at the picturesque Sunset Lakes in Lake County, Florida. This marks the second consecutive time this venue has hosted the World Championships, and expectations are sky-high. To put things into perspective, the last time this event graced these waters, seven world championship tournament records were broken, setting the stage for a spectacular display of skill and athleticism.
Slalom
In the women’s slalom event, all eyes are on Regina Jaquess, who’s in pursuit of her fifth world title. She’s fresh off setting a new pending world record and finished as the runner-up in the last two World Championships. A gold medal here would not only surpass Helena Kjellander as the most decorated women’s slalom skier but would also equal Liz Allan’s record of 11 gold medals, the most in the sport. Jaquess faces strong competition from defending champion and Waterski Pro Tour leader Jaimee Bull, her long-time rival Whitney McClintock Rini, and the rising star of 2023, Allie Nicholson, any of whom could emerge victorious.
In the men’s slalom event, only five men have won more than one title in the over 70-year history of the World Championships. This is largely due to the nearly three decades of dominance by Bob LaPoint and Andy Mapple. In 2023, we are fortunate to have the other three repeat champions, namely Nate Smith, Will Asher, and Thomas Degasperi, all competing. Despite the challenging competition, Nate Smith is the favorite to secure his fourth world title, with Asher and former champion Freddie Winter in close pursuit.
Tricks
The most cutthroat of the three disciplines, tricks is the hardest event to predict even when the conditions are favorable. On the women’s side, another thrilling battle is expected among Erika Lang, Anna Gay, and Neilly Ross. Lang had a remarkable run earlier in the year, winning three consecutive professional events and extending her own world record. However, her focus has shifted to wakeboarding over summer, leaving her current form uncertain. On the other hand, Gay is chasing her fourth world title, which would draw her level with Tawn Larsen Hahn for the most ever in women’s tricks. Ross and Gianninna Bonnemann Mechler are also strong contenders.
In the men’s tricks event, any one of about 10 competitors could clinch the gold. What we can expect is for the podium to have a strong Latin American presence, with Mexico’s Pato Font, the world record holder, seeking his second world title, and Chileans Mati Gonzalez and Martin Labra displaying impressive recent form. European skiers Joel Poland and Louis Duplan-Fribourg have also been tricking over 12k with regularity and will look to push the Latin Americans.
Jump
With the absence of Jacinta Carroll, who has won the last five World Championships, we’re guaranteed to see a first-time champion in the women’s jump event. While there has been plenty of controversy in the buildup over the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes, there should be no controversy over who the outright favorite is – Hanna Straltsova, who has won five out of six professional events she has entered this season and whose recent personal best of 58.6 meters (192 feet) is the biggest jump by a woman since Carroll at the 2022 Moomba Masters.
Since 1995, no one not named Llewellyn, Krueger, or Dodd has won men’s jump at the World Championships, making these three skiers the most decorated in the history of the event. With the old guard of Krueger and Dodd still producing winning performances, we could well see this era of dominance continue for one more year. However, Krueger at 48 years old is showing signs of slowing down and Dodd, who turns 40 next year, has been battling injuries in the last few seasons. Look for young challengers Jack Critchley, Taylor Garcia, and Joel Poland to try and break into the winner’s circle.
Overall
Undefeated all season on the WWS Overall Tour and knocking on the door of the world record, Gianninna Bonnemann Mechler is undoubtedly the favorite to take home her first world overall title. Expect stiff competition from top ranked Hanna Straltsova, defending champion Sasha Danishueskaya, young up-and-comer Paige Rini, and five-time world overall champion Regina Jaquess.
Similarly, the current world record holder and defending champion Joel Poland has come off an undefeated season on the WWS Overall Tour. He will look to be the first skier to go back-to-back since Jimmy Siemers in 2003/2005. Hot on his heels will be 2023’s break-out star in men’s overall, Louis Duplan-Fribourg, whose recent form in the jump event has lifted his overall scores to new levels. The dark horse will be Dorien Llewellyn, who has been absent since an ankle injury sustained at the LA Nite Jam back in June but is making a late charge for the World Championships. If Llewellyn can regain his previous form with a limited run-up, look for him to push Poland hard throughout the Championships.
Teams
Defending champions Canada will aim to secure their third consecutive title, and much of their chances will hinge on Llewellyn’s recovery, as they depend on him for scores in all three events. The United States, with Regina Jaquess returning from injury and competing in all three events, will be formidable contenders. France and Great Britain, building teams around their own overall superstars, will be determined to upset the North Americans. The stage is set for an intense battle for the World Championships title.
The World Championships run from October 10-15 and will be broadcast live on TWBC.
Patricio Font of Mexico won his 4th U.S. Masters trick title earlier this year, however, the event is not part of the Waterski Pro Tour (image: @pato.font)
Another season of the Waterski Pro Tour has drawn to a close, delivering a whirlwind of action across 14 events, spanning five countries and boasting a staggering $400,000 in prize money. The Pro Tour, with its mission to weave a captivating season-long narrative by uniting various standalone professional events under a single ‘tour,’ has generally been a resounding success. Much akin to the glory days of the U.S. professional water ski tour (i.e., Coors/Bud Water Ski Tour), the aspiration here is to elevate securing the top spot in the standings to one of the most prestigious titles in the realm of water skiing. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that not all tournaments have chosen to be part of this evolving movement.
For the second consecutive year, our sport’s two longest-running and highest-prize-purse events, the U.S. and Moomba Masters, have decided to stand apart from the Waterski Pro Tour. Likewise, the Botaski Pro Am, which serves as a U.S. Masters qualifier and was a part of the Pro Tour in 2022, made a similar choice this year. Other smaller tournaments, such as the Fungliss Pro Am and the California Ski Ranch Cash Prize Open, have also opted out.
Despite the overwhelming inclusion of professional events in the Pro Tour, we were curious to explore how the leaderboard might have appeared had all events been encompassed, similar to the old IWWF Elite Ranking List. Employing the same rules and methodology as the Pro Tour, we proudly present our Unofficial Professional Water Ski Rankings for 2023, offering an arguably more complete picture of the competitive landscape heading into the World Championships.
Slalom
As expected, we’re witnessing minimal changes in the slalom leaderboards, given the extensive pool of events already factored in. However, the addition of the U.S. Masters, the highest-prize-money event of 2023, has provided Jaquess with the edge she needed to surpass Bull. Besides this noteworthy shift, the top five positions in both men’s and women’s slalom remain unaltered. This reaffirms the Waterski Pro Tour’s status as an accurate reflection of the world’s premier slalom skiers, particularly due to its emphasis on slalom-only tournaments.
Men’s
Nate Smith (490 points) –
Freddie Winter (428 points) –
Will Asher (309 points) –
Thomas Degasperi (302 points) –
Dane Mechler (209 points) –
Women’s
Regina Jaquess (406 points) +1
Jaimee Bull (386 points) -1
Whitney McClintock Rini (369 points) –
Allie Nicholson (311 points) –
Ali Garcia (162 points) –
Tricks
This is where the inclusion of non-Pro Tour events proves most insightful, as only one event, the inaugural Swiss Pro Tricks, was featured in the Waterski Pro Tour for 2023. By incorporating the three highest prize purses from the trick event, we gain a much clearer perspective on the athletes’ performance throughout the year. Notable shifts are observed with Font emerging as the biggest mover, ascending to the top of the rankings thanks to his triumphs at the U.S. Masters and Botaski Pro Am. Additionally, Bonnemann Mechler secures a spot in the top five, bolstered by her runner-up finishes at those same two events.
Men’s
Pato Font (97 points) +5
Dorien Llewellyn (74 points) –
Joel Poland (72 points) -2
Louis Duplan-Fribourg (53 points) +1
Martin Labra (52 points) -2
Women’s
Erika Lang (134 points) –
Neilly Ross (95 points) +1
Anna Gay (85 points) –1
Giannina Bonnemann Mechler (76 points) +3
Paige Rini (58 points) -1
Jump
Out of the seven professional jump tournaments held in 2023, five were featured in the Waterski Pro Tour, while the legacy events, the U.S. and Moomba Masters, opted out. Our rankings typically align with the Pro Tour, the only significant mover in this category is Ryan Dodd, whose decision to only participate in Nautique-sponsored events for the year limited his competition to just three tournaments. Notably, he emerged victorious in all three, yet only one of these events was part of the Pro Tour. Including these events propels him to fourth place in the rankings. Otherwise, any changes were essentially a reshuffling of podium placements.
Men’s
Freddy Krueger (271 points) –
Taylor Garcia (199 points, tiebreak) +1
Jack Critchley (199 points, tiebreak) -1
Ryan Dodd (194 points) +4
Joel Poland (192 points) -1
Women’s
Hanna Straltsova (180 points) –
Sasha Danisheuskaya (153 points) –
Regina Jaquess (110 points) +1
Valentina Gonzalez (108 points) +1
Giannina Bonnemann Mechler (105 points) -2
Overall
Finally overall skiing, which is oddly not officially recognized as an event by the Waterski Pro Tour. The last two seasons have heralded in a resurgence for the discipline, with competition across four professional events on the WWS Overall Tour. These rankings, although using a different methodology, line up exactly with the final standings of the WWS Tour. It’s worth noting that while a modest cash bonus was allocated for men’s overall at the Malibu Open, it didn’t meet the threshold for inclusion in our point calculations.
The World Championships have always delivered breathtaking competition, but perhaps the most exhilarating aspect has been the fiercely contested teams’ battles. Originally, these clashes were dominated by the United States, but in recent years, the field has become far more diverse, with four different countries claiming victory over the last three decades. As we approach the 2023 World Championships, the anticipation builds, and we find ourselves reminiscing about the ten most tightly contested team battles in the event’s storied history.
In this prestigious competition, each country assembles a team of six skilled skiers, with a limit of four from each gender. These athletes compete across all three disciplines: slalom, tricks, and jump, with the top three scores from each discipline contributing to the team’s total. This format places a premium on versatile all-around skiers, as teams that lean too heavily on specialists risk lacking depth and the margin for error becomes razor-thin. Join us on a journey through the most thrilling team competitions in the history of the World Championships.
Image: WATERSKI Magazine
10. Toulouse, France 1985
Contenders: Australia vs. the United States
Australia
Geoff Carrington
Sue Lipplegoes
Bruce Neville
Karen Bowkett Neville
Mick Neville
Glenn Thurlow
United States
Deena Brush (Mapple)
Camille Duvall
Sammy Duvall
Bob LaPoint
Lucky Lowe
Carl Roberge
Australia’s golden generation secured podium positions in six consecutive World Championships from 1979 to 1989. During this period, they came second to the United States on four occasions. However, it was the 1985 World Championships that marked their closest attempt to dethrone the Americans from the top of the podium. While the Australians boasted arguably the greatest jump team ever assembled, featuring Carrington, Thurlow, Lipplegoes, and Bruce Neville, as well as two of the best overall skiers of the 1980s, Mick and Karen Neville, they couldn’t quite match the star power of the Americans in the slalom event. LaPoint and Camille Duvall clinched gold medals for the United States, with Roberge and Brush also standing on the podium. The United States’ unbeaten streak would remain intact for yet another World Championships.
Key Moment: Lippelgoes’ mixed tournament, in the preliminary round she set a World Championship record of 40.5m (133 feet), but also missed her first pass in slalom.
Winning Margin: 175 points. Equivalent to roughly two passes in slalom.
Heading into the tournament, the United States boasted an incredible undefeated streak over the 40+ years of World Championships history. However, they were facing a vulnerable situation without their 1980s stars, including Brush, Roberge, and the Duvall siblings. Meanwhile, Team Canada, led by Steve Bush, had been quietly assembling a young team of future superstars, with veteran McClintock Messer anchoring the group. However, it was Kreg Llewellyn who stole the show in Austria. He not only secured medals in trick and jump but also finished as the runner-up in overall. Llewellyn’s margin of defeat was the tightest ever seen in the sport, with Patrice Martin claiming victory by a mere 0.2 overall points.
Key Moment: The U.S. Team selected two trick specialists, Baggiano and Pickos, both of whom failed to secure a podium finish. Yet the Larsen twins, who were not part of the team, claimed the gold and silver medals with the two highest scores of the tournament.
Winning Margin: 159 points. Equivalent to roughly 1,100 points in trick.
Early falls in the tricks event proved costly for Regina Jaquess, Erika Lang, and Whitney McClintock. Their slips left both the United States and Canada out of contention. From this wreckage emerged Belarus and France as the top contenders. Both countries exhibited exceptional strength in the tricks discipline. France held a clear advantage in slalom, but ultimately, Belarus surged ahead, driven by their remarkable jumping performances. Berdnikava led from the front, clinching three individual gold medals across the tricks, jump, and overall events.
Key Moment: Beliakou jumped a 3 meter (10 foot) personal best in the preliminary round, going over 60 meters for the first time in his life.
Winning Margin: 149 points. Equivalent to less than 5 meters in jump.
In another tournament of upsets, the United States faced an early elimination when both Rhoni Barton and Scot Ellis failed to run their first passes in the slalom preliminaries. The defending champions, France, were then left to defend their title against challenges from Canada and the emerging Italian team, which had not graced the podium in nearly four decades.
Italy fielded arguably their two greatest three-event skiers ever, with veteran Alessi and newcomer Mosti on their team. While France and Italy showed relative parity in tricks and jump, France managed to pull ahead thanks to Martin’s bronze in the slalom event and strong performances from the young talents Amade and Jamin.
Key Moment: Jamin ran close to a personal best in the preliminary round with 1@11.25m (38’ off), finishing one buoy short of the top score.
Winning Margin: 108 points. Equivalent to roughly a pass in slalom.
This World Championships finds its place on the list due to a technicality. The scoring system for teams was changed to the points system we use today for the next event in 1961. While the competition might not have been as tight in relative terms, it marked the closest any team came to putting pressure on the United States during the first two decades of World Championships.
The host nation, Italy, put up a valiant fight against the American superstars. Notably, all five members of the American team would later earn spots in the USA Waterski Hall of Fame. Castelverti’s exceptional tricking skills secured Italy’s first-ever gold medal, and she also clinched runner-up positions in women’s slalom and overall events. However, the Americans proved to be too dominant, securing six out of the eight individual gold medals and two-thirds of all individual medals.
Key Moment: 15-year-old Van Hook’s overall victory ahead of Castelverti and the favorite Rideout. Cypress Gardens, where Rideout was the poster girl, continued to bill her as the World Champion in advertisements for the next two years, only mentioning Van Hook in the fine print.
The first real challenge to the United States’ dominance of the team title emerged in the late 1970s, and it came from Venezuela. The South Americans showcased their prowess in tricks, with both world record holders Maria Victoria Carrasco and Suarez securing gold medals in tricks and finishing as runners-up in the overall standings. An unexpected standout, Rodriguez, even outperformed LaPoint in the preliminary round, achieving the highest slalom score of the tournament.
However, the Americans ultimately held the advantage in the jumping event. Suyderhoud claimed a late-career world title, and LaPoint, Todd, and Duvall all earned medals in the jumping competition. This collective effort in jumping proved to be the difference-maker, allowing the United States to maintain its grip on the team title.
Key Moment: the U.S. took a chance on a 13-year-old trick specialist by the name of Cory Pickos, while he may have only placed 6th, he produced the highest trick score for Team USA.
Winning Margin: 85 points. Only 2.5 meters (8 feet) in jump.
United States (7,614 points)
Venezuela (7,529 points)
Canada (7,118 points)
Image: Facebook
4. Linz, Austria 2007
Contenders: France vs. the United States
France
Anais Amade
Nancy Chardin
Jean Baptiste Faisy
Nicolas LeForestier
Clemetine Lucine
Marion Mathieu
United States
Rhoni Barton Bischoff
April Coble Eller
Regina Jaquess
Mandy Nightingale
Cory Pickos
Jimmy Siemers
This team’s result was all about the women, as both France and the United States fielded teams consisting of four women and two men for the tournament. The competition remained evenly balanced throughout. After both Amade and Lucine posted scores deep down the 11.25m (38’ off) pass, the American duo of Jaquess and Coble Eller responded by running it. While Lucine secured victory in the tricks event, earning 1,000 points for her team, Barton Bischoff and Nightingale of the United States both finished in the top five.
In the jumping event, there was only one meter separating Lucine, Jaquess, Chardin, Amade, and Barton Bischoff. In the end, the Americans finished on top, but it came right down to the wire.
Key Moment: Lucine broke Tawn Larsen’s World Championship trick record which had stood since 1989.
Winning Margin: 20 points. Less then a buoy in slalom.
After suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of Canada, the United States was determined to secure a victory and managed to assemble their strongest team since the 1980s. Loaded with overall talent, all four American overall competitors performed exceptionally well, with each of them finishing within the top five. However, the French team had the advantage of competing on their home turf and strategically built their team around a Martin who was performing at the peak of his abilities.
Both teams faced some challenges in the slalom event, as Martin was the only skier from either team to finish in the top five. However, the French team displayed exceptional strength in the trick event, with Savin achieving the highest score among the women during the preliminaries and a young LeForestier posting the top score among the men.
The American team excelled in the jumping event, with Nichols, Roberge, and Slone securing gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. When the final results were tallied, it was Team France that emerged victorious in this hard-fought competition.
Key Moment: After failing to ride out a jump in the finals, Martin had to watch from the shore as Roberge, the in form jumper in the world at the time, attempted to squash the French jump scores (all three of which came from the men’s side).
Winning Margin: 19 points. Equivalent to 0.7 meters (2 feet) in jump.
Contenders: Canada vs. France vs. the United States
Canada
Ryan Dodd
Dorien Llewellyn
Whitney McClintock Rini
Stephen Neveu
Paige Rini
Neilly Ross
France
Pierre Ballon
Emma Brunel
Manon Costard
Tanguy Dailland
Thibaut Dailland
Louis Duplan-Fribourg
United States
Taylor Garcia
Anna Gay
Brittany Greenwood
Regina Jaquess
Erika Lang
Adam Pickos
The only World Championships where three countries remained in contention right through to the final event was competed in challenging conditions in South East Asia.
The French team initially built a lead through slalom, thanks to Costard’s winning performance and Thibaut Dailland’s impressive preliminary score into 10.25m (41′ off). Canada and the United States caught up in the tricks discipline with strong performances from Llewellyn, Gay, and Ross.
After solid jump scores from Greenwood, Jaquess, and McClintock Rini, it all came down to the men’s jump final. An unknown teenager at the time, Duplan-Fribourg, led the way for France in the preliminaries but wasn’t able to improve in the finals. Garcia managed an extra 10 centimeters for Team USA, extending their lead with only one jumper left to compete. It was Dodd, the final skier of the tournament, who would decide the outcome. Despite the rough conditions, he managed a 67.9-meter (223-foot) jump, securing both the individual jump title and the team gold for Canada.
Key Moment: Canada was in third when Dodd left the dock, but by increasing on his preliminary score by a full 2 meters he squashed Garcia’s and all three French jump scores to leapfrog into first.
Winning Margin: 6 points. Equivalent to 0.2 meters (less than a foot) in jump.
After experiencing their first defeat in 1991, the U.S. returned to the World Championships with a determined vengeance. They even convinced Kristi Overton, a previous U.S. Masters trick champion who had shifted her focus to slalom in 1989, to compete in trick and jump again for her country. Canada, on the other hand, faced challenges with their star from the 1991 Worlds, Kreg Llewellyn, unavailable due to injury.
Competition remained intense throughout the championship. Graham and Overton tied in slalom, just two buoys behind the leader. The American team dominated in the tricks event, with Larsen and Baggiano securing individual gold medals. Unfortunately, an early fall for Jaret Llewellyn ruled him out of the final. While Slone managed to secure 1,000 points in women’s jump during the preliminaries, Nichols missed the finals, only scoring 30.8 meters (101 feet) in the challenging conditions. Strong performances from De Macedo and McClintock Messer, who finished second and third in women’s overall, kept Canada’s hopes alive as they entered the men’s jump final.
With no American men in the final, the United States could only watch from the sidelines as Llewellyn improved his first-round score by over two meters, closing in on the Americans’ lead. The fate of the team’s title now rested with the fiery little truck driver, Clunie, who was the last to ski after posting the longest jump in the preliminary round. Team Canada had been good-humoredly teased for their meticulous approach to the team’s competition, including sending scouts to Singapore in advance to arrange accommodation and training, and using portable computers to calculate live results in the overall standings. One thing was certain: the team management would have made sure Clunie knew exactly how far he needed to jump when he left the dock. His best effort was 58.7 meters (192 feet), which might have seemed somewhat disappointing out of context, as it fell short of Andrea Alessi’s lead. However, for Team Canada, it was just enough to secure the title by the narrowest of margins.
Key Moment: De Macedo’s gold medal winning jump, the only individual gold Canada earned in 1993, where she improved her preliminary score by almost 5 meters.
Winning Margin: 2 points. Equivalent to less than a side slide in tricks.
Valentina Gonzalez, a rising star in women’s jump, has been dealt a devastating setback as her 2023 season comes to an abrupt end due to a severe ankle injury sustained during practice. The injury occurred just days before the record-breaking Malibu Open. Gonzalez underwent surgery yesterday after traveling back to Santiago, Chile to initiate her journey to recovery.
Throughout the season, Gonzalez has been one of the most consistent jumpers on the professional circuit, finishing no worse than sixth. Her consistency resulted in a commendable fifth-place finish on the Waterski Pro Tour. Notable highlights of her season include securing a third-place finish at the LA Night Jam and fourth-place finishes at prestigious events like the Moomba and U.S. Masters tournaments.
The most heart-wrenching aspect of this injury is the timing, as Gonzalez had earned a coveted spot to represent Chile at both the upcoming World Championships and Pan American Games. However, this unfortunate turn of events means she will be sidelined for these significant international competitions, putting her dreams of competing at the highest level on hold.
Despite the injury disrupting her season, Gonzalez remains resolute. She stated, “I’ll never get the answer of ‘why me’ and ‘why now.’ But something that I do know is that I’ll work as hard as I work on the water, off the water to come back stronger.” Her message: “Don’t take anything for granted.” We extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to Gonzalez and eagerly await her return to the water.
If Regina Jaquess’ outstanding slalom performance on Friday left spectators in awe, the Malibu Open at LymanLand in Alabama continued to deliver record-breaking excitement on Saturday. Hanna Straltsova impressed early, becoming the third woman ever to jump over 190 feet during the finals of the Malibu Open. Her incredible feat equaled Natallia Berdnikava’s European record of 58.6 meters. Straltsova not only claimed victory in the tournament but also secured the season title of the Waterski Pro Tour. It was Joel Poland, however, who stole the spotlight.
In a thrilling display of skill, Poland, who had put in solid scores in slalom (2@10.25m) and trick skiing (11,720), set the pace early with a jump of 69.3 meters (227 feet). This jump marked his second world overall record in as many weeks. Poland’s incredible distance held firm through six skiers and seemed poised to force a jump-off for the title. However, Freddy Krueger clinched the championship with an extraordinary 71.0 meter (233 feet) jump on his third and final attempt. It’s worth noting that Poland, arguably one of the most marketable athletes in the sport, lacks a boat sponsor, giving him the freedom to pursue records at any event without fear of losing sponsorship.
Poland, reflecting on his incredible world record-setting performance, shed light on the unique challenges of pursuing overall records. He explained, “In terms of overall records, the hardest part is finding a lake that’s good enough for jump. Trick, it doesn’t really matter, slalom you need a good site, but for jump, you’ve got to have a boat that’s good, a ramp that’s good, and a good driver. They have got all of that right here this weekend. So that makes my job a whole lot easier.” Poland’s words underline the significance of having the perfect conditions for record-breaking performances.
Looking ahead, Poland expressed his hope that there’s still more to achieve, stating, “Hopefully there’s a little more left in the tank. I’ve got one more big tournament left this year, so I’ll try to save a little bit for that.” When asked about his aspirations of breaking the world record and winning the World Championships, he affirmed, “That’s the aim, to finish strong. It’s been a good season, and if I can finish strong at the worlds, that will be the job complete.”
Two world records haven’t been broken in the same weekend since Jaquess and Adam Sedlmajer set the women’s slalom and men’s overall records, respectively, at a tournament at the Isles of Lake Hancock in April 2018. Furthermore, there have not been multiple world records broken in a professional tournament since the 2002 Malibu Open held at Bell Acqua in California, where Emma Sheers, Elena Milakova, and Freddy Krueger famously set world jump records.
In the year 2023, a total of six pending world records have been set so far. If all these records are approved, it would mark the most records set in a single year since 2012, when Natallia Berdnikava set four records and Whitney McClintock set one, in addition to Jaquess’ record.
While world records should not be the sole focus of the sport, as the hyper-focus on records has sometimes hindered its progress, they undeniably serve as a barometer of advancement in terms of technique, training, and technology. Theoretically, the rate of new records should decrease as we approach the limits of human performance. Combining the record-breaking spree of 2023 with the highest professional prize purse in 15 years paints a picture of a thriving elite water skiing scene. What’s especially exciting is that half of these records were set in professional competition and broadcast live, allowing fans to share in the excitement in real-time.
Moreover, despite initial concerns expressed by many skiers about adjusting to Malibu Boats during the broadcast, the title sponsor can proudly walk away from this event with phenomenal publicity. Actions, as demonstrated over this weekend, speak louder than words, confirming that the Malibu pull is indeed world-class.
Poland’s record was officially approved by the IWWF on December 18th, 2023 with a revised trick score of 11,680.
In a groundbreaking performance at the Malibu Open in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Regina Jaquess solidified her status as one of the greatest women’s slalomers of all time by setting a new pending world slalom record of 5 at 10.25 meters (41‘ off). The professional tournament, boasting over two decades of history, returned to LymanLand in Alabama, the home site of the University of Alabama Water Ski Team, for the second consecutive year.
In an interview following her record-breaking performance, Jaquess shared her elation and gratitude, saying, “Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to say, I’m shaking. I think getting out of two this morning unlocked a little bit of mental pressure because it was my best score, I haven’t gotten a three since my ACL [surgery] so thank you Andrews Sports [Medicine] for getting me back together … This is unbelievable and to do it at the Malibu Open behind Malibu Boats … I got mental, I should have run it … it felt so amazing.”
Jaquess, who played a significant role in organizing this year’s Malibu Open, spoke about the challenges of both competing and running the event. Despite the demanding nature of organizing such a major event, she emphasized her love for it and how it allows Malibu Boats to stay connected with the sport of water skiing. She also acknowledged the mental preparation required to achieve peak performance while juggling event management responsibilities.
Throughout the qualifying rounds on Friday, exceptional performances were witnessed across all events. Notably, all six women ran the 11.25-meter line (38′ off) in at least one round, while eight men conquered the 10.75-meter line (39.5′ off). The jump event also witnessed a display of remarkable talent, with seven athletes achieving jump scores exceeding 220 feet (67 meters).
However, amidst the achievements, concern emerged regarding the participation of female athletes. Despite an impressive prize purse of $15,200 for women’s slalom, one of the largest in the sport, only six women participated in the tournament. The situation was even more concerning in women’s jump, where only four athletes entered, and one among them had a personal best below 40 meters. Water skiing has taken significant steps in recent years towards narrowing the gender pay gap and providing equal prize money for both men and women. Nevertheless, given the limited support from female participants, it may become challenging for organizers to maintain the current prize money structure or even include women’s events in the future.
Jaquess’ record was officially approved by the IWWF on October 27th, 2023.
Dorien Llewellyn made his return to training at Sunset Lakes over the weekend as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury that sidelined him since June of this year.
A twisted ankle during a jump crash at the LA Night Jam on June 10 left Llewellyn with two torn ligaments and bone fragments in his right foot. This injury forced him to miss the entire 2023 WWS Overall Tour and all subsequent jump events on the Waterski Pro Tour.
Instead of competing, Llewellyn spent the summer undergoing intensive rehab at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center in Austria. Unfortunately, this injury was part of a series of setbacks he faced this year, which also caused him to miss the U.S. Masters earlier in the season.
Llewellyn, the current world trick champion and former world overall record holder, plays a crucial role on Team Canada’s squad for the upcoming World Championships, where they aim to secure their third consecutive team title. With only six skiers on the squad, having at least two world-class overall skiers is essential to ensure depth in all three events. Canada’s success over the past three decades has been built on skiers like the Llewellyns (Kreg, Jaret, and later Dorien) and the McClintocks (Judy and Whitney), who have excelled across all three events.
In contrast, the U.S. has faced challenges in the team competition despite having some of the most dominant specialists in the sport, including Freddy Krueger, Nate Smith, Anna Gay, and Erika Lang. While they have an all time great in Regina Jaquess on the women’s side, the U.S. has not claimed a medal in men’s overall since Jimmy Siemers won his last world title in 2005.
Canada received encouraging signs as Llewellyn tackled the slalom course at close to 100 percent in training just four weeks before the World Championships. To defend their title, they will rely on him returning to near-full fitness by the start of the event.
When it comes to water skiing, California seems to have all the ingredients for producing elite skiers: a large population, numerous skiers, abundant tournaments, a wealth of man-made water ski lakes, and enviable weather conditions, especially in Southern California that allows comfortable year-round skiing. Yet, the puzzling reality remains that America’s West Coast, including California, has only seen a handful of water skiing professionals rise to the top ranks in the last two decades. In this article, we explore the factors that contribute to this enigma.
At first glance, California seems poised to dominate the world of water skiing. It boasts the second largest number of competitive skiers and tournaments in the United States. Additionally, the presence of numerous man-made water ski lakes and the mild climate present an ideal breeding ground for ski talent. Despite these advantages, the list of elite professionals hailing from or based in California remains relatively short.
When scanning the current roster of professional water skiers, the number of prominent names emerging from California is modest. Terry Winter, Marcus Brown, and Brian Detrick are some of the notable figures of the 21st century. Young talent like Blaze Grubbs adds promise to the list, yet it’s evident that California doesn’t dominate the scene. The western region also claims Erika Lang and the Abelsons in Arizona, but the concentration of elite skiers remains highly diluted when compared to other regions.
A Historical Perspective
The history of water skiing in California boasts numerous milestones. The state hosted the first professional tournaments in the U.S. and has served as the residence for some of the sport’s most exceptional skiers, including the LaPoints, Mike Suyderhoud, and Deena Brush. Moreover, the region holds the distinction of pioneering the concept of man-made lakes for the sport. The first, Horton Lake in the Mojave Desert, was completed in 1969, and numerous others, such as Radar Lake in Washington, were excavated in the early 1970s. Notably, California emerged as a favored water ski destination in the 1980s and early 90s, housing flourishing ski schools like Suyderhoud’s and Horton’s.
The Florida Advantage
Florida’s dominance in the water skiing arena might hold the key to unraveling the California puzzle. Several factors have earned Florida its reputation as the “water skiing capital of the world,” overshadowing California. The abundance of natural water bodies, coupled with a lower cost of living, proved appealing. Florida’s proximity to the Midwest and East Coast allowed it to tap into a wider range of prospective skiers, while its accessibility to Europe became a critical advantage. California’s ski schools, although popular locally and with skiers from Australia and New Zealand, couldn’t match the network effects generated by Florida’s concentration of top-tier athletes.
The history of top skiers from California relocating to the Sunshine State is a prime example of this trend. The migration of talent has contributed to Florida’s stronghold on the sport. The Garcias, Taylor and Ali, were born and came up through the junior ranks in California but relocated to Florida to access the coaching and training opportunities of the Sunshine State. This pattern dates back much further, with icons like Rhoni Barton, the Roberges, and Deena Brush all making moves from California to Florida. This history of talent migration has reinforced Florida’s network effects, further concentrating elite skiers in the region and enhancing its competitive edge.
The Contemporary Scenario
Today, California’s water skiing landscape reflects a distinct trend. The sport has shifted towards a country-club style, predominantly taking place behind closed doors on private man-made lakes. This shift has come at a cost. The scarcity of ski clubs, coupled with some of the country’s highest tournament entry fees, has limited the sport’s accessibility. Demographics mirror this shift, with California experiencing a relative dearth of junior skiers compared to other regions.
The three most expensive states for tournament skiing are in the western region.
The scene in California serves as a microcosm for larger challenges facing the sport. The issues of accessibility, limited access to public water bodies, and the scarcity of ski clubs are emblematic of a broader struggle. While private man-made lakes provide an exclusive arena for the sport, they inadvertently contribute to its limited visibility and accessibility. The higher cost associated with these facilities hinder the involvement of a diverse range of participants. This trend is mirrored across various regions, reflecting a broader dilemma in water skiing—a balance between exclusivity and broader accessibility. Understanding these challenges within the Californian context could offer valuable insights for steering the sport towards a more inclusive future on a national and international scale.
In conclusion, California’s puzzle of producing fewer elite water skiers than expected is a complex one. While the state boasts all the prerequisites, a confluence of historical choices, geographical advantages of Florida, and changing dynamics of the sport have shaped the present scenario. Nonetheless, California remains critical to water skiing’s future as it grapples with these challenges and seeks to strike a balance between its rich legacy, the evolving demands of the sport, and the need for a more inclusive and accessible path forward.
Show Me The Money! Exploring the Resurgence in Professional Water Skiing
King of Darkness, along with other new events like Kaiafas Battle ProAm and WWS Calgary Cup, attracted large crowds this year (Image: Waterski Pro Tour)
In recent years, professional water skiing has appeared to be undergoing a resurgence. Record prize purses, a thriving European tour, and a jam-packed schedule are all positive signs. However, the question arises: is the situation genuinely improving or are we simply more attuned to all the events in this digital age? In this article, we delve into the cold hard facts of professional water skiing’s prize money.
Both 2022 and 2023 marked record-breaking years for professional water skiing, boasting higher prize money than seen in the past 15 years. Also notable is the change in distribution between men’s and women’s prize money. For years, women received around 60 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in skiing events, yet this gap has remarkably reduced to just 10 cents over the last three years.
Total advertised prize money for IWWF sanctioned professional tournaments. (Source: IWSF, Waterski Pro Tour, etc.)
This is an incredible success story for our small, fledgling sport. The ability to sustain a proliferation of professional events while the base of tournament skiers has diminished reflects the remarkable efforts of tournament organizers in securing sponsorships.
Thanks to the convenience of webcasting in the present digital era and the exceptional efforts of TWBC, now might indeed be the best time ever to be a fan of the sport. Water ski enthusiasts can enjoy streamed events nearly every weekend throughout the summer.
Nonetheless, even the most dominant athletes struggle to sustain themselves solely from professional victories. Many competitors supplement their income through coaching, regular employment, or the benevolence of affluent parents – indeed, this is a sport largely for the elite. Even Nate Smith, who has outperformed all others in tournament wins over the past decade, has found himself needing a traditional job in recent times.
The surge in prize money hasn’t been distributed evenly either. While it’s undoubtedly a golden era for slalom skiers, especially women, other disciplines haven’t fared as well. Jumping, arguably the most thrilling and marketable aspect of water skiing, has witnessed a substantial decline over the past decade, with total prize money now less than half of what it was a decade ago. Additionally, trick skiing, while showing some progress, still falls significantly short of the prize money available during the discipline’s heyday in the 2000s, during the era of IWWF World Cup stops.
Total advertised prize money for IWWF sanctioned professional tournaments. (Source: IWSF, Waterski Pro Tour, etc.)
Certainly, we must also factor in inflation. While there have been large increases in recent years, adjusting for inflation reveals that the total prize pool for 2023 is essentially comparable to 2015 levels, and notably lower than the offerings during the peak years of the pro tour in the eighties and nineties.
Although we might still be quite distant from the bygone glory days, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the sport has embarked on an impressive upward trajectory in recent years. Broadly speaking, now is the best time in the last decade to be a professional water skier, and probably ever for fans of the sport. This progress is something to be celebrated, and to all the diligent individuals toiling behind the scenes, we say thank you!
Over the past two months, we have witnessed some of our sports’ top trick skiers submitting videos of their three-trick lines for a wacky-sounding event in the Midwest. What is this corn-based social media phenomenon? And why are renowned athletes like Joel Poland, Adam Pickos, Jake Abelson, and Giannina Bonnemann Mechler jumping on the bandwagon?
The answer is the Twin Lakes CornFest, hosted on Lake Mary at Lance Park in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Scheduled from August 17-19, 2023, this marks the 4th edition of the exciting and innovative event. This year’s festival is set to be the grandest yet, with over 200 water skiers ranging in age from 4 to 67 years old, representing various disciplines within towed water sports, including collegiate and three-event athletes, show skiers, wakeboarders, and more.
CornFest spans three action-packed days and offers a diverse range of towed water sports competitions. Events include Feet on Fire, Trick Ski Showdown, Freestyle Jumping, Ramp Master Superstar LD Jump, Legends of Wake, Swivel Showcase, Lowrider Rumble, and the TL Cornfest Kids Rising Stars.
This year’s competitors include world record holder Erika Lang, 200+ foot jumper Brandon Schipper, and wakeboarding legend “Dirty” Mike Dowdy – just to name a few.
In a sport that often seems stale and regimented, the CornFest is a breath of fresh air. The format is incredibly innovative, showcasing all facets of towed water sports. The Trick Ski Showdown follows the popular three-trick line format that has taken over social media platforms, encouraging skiers to compete on any apparatus or discipline, from trick skis to wake skates, with judges subjectively evaluating creativity, flow, difficulty, authenticity, and, most importantly, stoke!
The Ramp Master Superstar LD Jump event is distance jumping with a twist. Skiers earn points not only for distance but also for style. Rather than measuring the jumps, the goal is to hit or land as close as possible to a target 100-125 feet from the jump. The judges will also evaluate skiers based on categories such as style, aerial maneuvers, body position, and hangtime.
If traditional three-event purists aren’t offended enough already, the entire event will be towed behind a Centurion wake boat, with no switch for jumping.
The Twin Lakes CornFest lineup includes every towed water sports discipline imaginable, except thankfully wake surfing, fostering a sense of camaraderie between athletes and spectators alike. Where else do barefooters, show skiers, wakeboarders, and three-event water skiers rub shoulders and compete together? This big tent approach to towed water sports promises something for everyone, and the variety is fantastic for spectator engagement.
Everything about the event, from the all-you-can-eat-corn gimmick to the infectious exuberance for summer days at the lake, is so quintessentially Midwest, you can’t resist calling it corny. Bad puns aside, this event is exactly the kind of spectacle we need to bring water skiing back into the public eye. So, if you’re anywhere near Wisconsin on August 17-19, you should check out this fantastic event. It’s a celebration of athleticism, community, and the love for the water that unites us all.
