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Erika Lang & Neilly Ross

Lang Chased a Record. Ross Chased the Boys. The Rivalry Is Just Getting Started

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Lang chased a record. Ross chased the boys. The rivalry Is fust getting started

Lang vs. Ross: The Ultimate Showdown

By Jack Burden

This past weekend, one of the sport’s most electric rivalries continued — not in a head-to-head showdown, but on opposite sides of the world.

In California, Erika Lang quietly added another pending world record to her résumé, scoring 11,450 points — equaling the mark she set last month, which is still awaiting IWWF approval. She’s already notched three straight wins in 2025, an unbroken streak that includes Moomba, Swiss Pro Tricks, and the Masters. Just months after losing the record to Canada’s Neilly Ross, Lang has left no doubt: she wants it back — and she wants it badly.

Meanwhile, Ross was in Monaco — a place better known for superyachts and Formula 1 than women’s trick skiing. She’d traveled there expecting to compete in her signature event, only to discover the women’s trick division had been quietly dropped. Rather than pack up and head home, Ross entered the men’s field. No shortcuts, no caveats — just her versus the world’s best male trick skiers.

It didn’t go to plan. She pushed for a massive score, overreached, and landed outside the prize money. A third-place finish in women’s slalom offered some consolation — and helped offset the cost of the trip.

But if the scoreboard favored Lang, the spotlight — such as it exists in professional waterskiing — leaned toward Ross. While Lang was setting records in the back corner of a lake, witnessed only by officials and a handful of skiers, Ross was putting herself on stage. The Monaco Waterski Cup drew fans, sponsors, and some of the sport’s best production value. The risks were high — but so was the visibility.

Both athletes are expected to headline this weekend’s Royal Nautique Pro in Rabat, Morocco. The event promises big prize money, an exotic setting, and a rare chance for direct competition in women’s tricks. The site — a downtown river with excellent spectator access — could produce anything from chaos to classic, depending on conditions.

But the contrast between scoring and competing runs deeper than a single weekend. Lang’s performance in California could trigger a substantial bonus from Nautique — potentially exceeding the entire trick purse at Monaco. She lives and works on the West Coast, holds a full-time job, and turns 30 later this year. Jetting across the globe for every introductory-level event doesn’t make sense — financially or professionally.

Ross, 24, is in a different phase. Fresh out of college, increasingly competitive in slalom, and not yet tethered by the same responsibilities. Her gamble in Monaco wasn’t just bold — it was brand-building. A shot across the bow in a sport still figuring out what the next generation looks like.

And that’s the rub. World records may make great marketing material. But putting yourself out there — in the crucible of competition, under pressure, in public — might actually grow the sport.

Records are impressive. But the real fireworks happen when these two are on the same starting dock, on the same day, with everything on the line.

Bring on Morocco.

Regina Jaquess is continuing to dominate into her 40s

Can Anyone Stop This U.S. Team at Worlds?

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Can Anyone Stop This U.S. Team at Worlds?

Regina Jaquess is continuing to dominate into her 40s

Image: USA Waterski

By Jack Burden

The names are in. The roster is set. And for the first time in nearly two decades, Team USA will head to the Open World Championships with a male overall skier in the lineup.

The American Water Ski Association’s International Activities Committee has announced the six athletes who will represent the United States at the 2025 IWWF Open World Championships in Recetto, Italy, from August 26–31:

  • Jake Abelson
  • Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya
  • Kennedy Hansen
  • Regina Jaquess
  • Freddy Krueger
  • Erika Lang

It’s a loaded team—experienced, decorated, and packed with world records—but the headline is 17-year-old Jake Abelson, the first male overall skier selected for Team USA since Jimmy Siemers in 2009. It’s been almost as long as Abelson has been alive.

Since Siemers’ retirement, men’s overall has been America’s Achilles’ heel—despite a steady pipeline of overlooked talent. Abelson, the breakout trick skier of 2025, with rapidly improving jump and reliable slalom scores, could signal a long-overdue shift.

Another standout addition is Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya, the 2021 World Overall Champion—then skiing for Belarus. She’s now under the U.S. banner, having lived and trained stateside for over a decade and recently marrying American jumper Taylor Garcia.

Her inclusion raises eyebrows—not for lack of pedigree, but because of her international path. Danisheuskaya was among a group of Belarusian athletes who switched affiliations after the IWWF banned Russian and Belarusian skiers in response to the war in Ukraine. In 2023, she and Hanna Straltsova competed under the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports (USAWSWS) umbrella in a legal gray zone that blurred nationality rules. With the ban now lifted and new eligibility procedures in place, Danisheuskaya’s spot on Team USA is both official and, from a competitive standpoint, a major asset.

Alongside her are legends still at the top of their game. Regina Jaquess remains an ageless force. Erika Lang is a perennial threat. Freddy Krueger, now in his 50s, continues to fly farther than athletes half his age. And Kennedy Hansen—one of the sport’s best young all-arounders—brings team balance and three-event reliability.

It’s a squad built not just to defend the world team title reclaimed in 2023—but to do it with depth and purpose.

Standing in their way, however, is the most consistently dominant team of the modern era: Canada. Led by Dorien Llewellyn and Paige Rini Pigozzi, their ceiling is as high as any—if their health and form hold. Dorien, once trading records with Joel Poland, is still working back to his best after a major injury. Paige, an elegant slalomer and capable tricker and jumper, hasn’t competed much in overall since the 2023 Worlds.

If they’re sharp, the Canadians will be hard to beat.

France, Great Britain, and Australia are all podium threats as well—though none may have the six-skier depth to match the U.S. or Canada across all events.

But for Team USA, this isn’t just about the podium. This roster represents something bigger: a return to the formula that once made them untouchable. From the 1950s to the early ’90s, the U.S. never lost a team title. Since then, they’ve won just 7 of 17. The gap? Often, it’s been men’s overall.

Jake Abelson might not win gold in Recetto. But his selection is a signal—of belief, of change, of remembering what built a dynasty in the first place.

Team titles aren’t won with six individual stars. They’re won with balance. With skiers who fight for every point in every event. With teams that feel—not just strong—but complete.

This one finally does.

Let the countdown begin.

Freddie Winter 🏆MASTERS SLALOM CHAMPION 🏆

Banned, Broken, But Never Beaten: Winter Headlines Blockbuster Masters

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Banned, broken, but never beaten: Winter headlines blockbuster Masters

Freddie Winter 🏆MASTERS SLALOM CHAMPION 🏆

Freddie Winter celebrates his victory in men’s slalom (image: @bretellisphotography)

By Jack Burden

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The 65th Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament wrapped up Sunday beneath the tree-lined shores of Robin Lake, with records, redemption arcs, and rare feats all leaving their mark on one of the sport’s most storied stages.

History doesn’t just hang in the air at Callaway Gardens—it breathes down your neck. From the stirring boat parade to the veteran-honoring ceremonies, the Masters isn’t just a tournament; it’s a stage where legacies are made, and occasionally, broken. And this year, they cracked wide open.

Let’s start with the history on Friday. Germany’s Tim Wild delivered a performance for the ages, sweeping all four Junior Masters titles: slalom, tricks, jump, and overall. In doing so, he became the first male ever to achieve the sweep and only the third skier in Junior Masters history to pull it off—joining legends Regina Jaquess and Brandi Hunt. Wild’s path to perfection included victories over multiple reigning junior world champions and a tricks field featuring the 12,000-point club’s newest member.

By the end of Saturday’s brutal semifinals—where 45 skiers battled for just 12 final spots per gender—much of the sport’s royalty had been dethroned. Patricio Font. William Asher. Whitney McClintock Rini. Jaimee Bull. Gone. In their place: hungry challengers, career comebacks, and a few bold debutantes.

Sunday’s finals opened with one of the most anticipated showdowns, with the intensifying battle between Erika Lang and Neilly Ross for the world record expected to play out real time on the waters of Robin Lake.

Lang continued her stranglehold on the division, scoring 10,530 points to win her sixth Masters title. Her record in professional events since the start of 2023 now extends to 10 wins in 12 tournaments—including all three this year: Moomba Masters, Swiss Pro Tricks, and now the U.S. Masters.

Yet in many ways, it was Germany’s Giannina Bonnemann Mechler who stole the spotlight. Making a triumphant return to the podium less than a year after giving birth, she edged out defending champion Anna Gay Hunter and world record holder Ross with back-to-back 10,000+ scores.

In the men’s tricks final, Jake Abelson proved that last year’s world record was just the beginning. He threw down 12,190 points to win his second major title of 2025—a leap of faith rewarded after skipping Junior Masters eligibility to compete in the Open division.

“A dream come true,” shared the 17-year-old after his victory.

Joel Poland’s third-place finish may have come as a shock. After two stand-up passes and an exuberant celebration from the Brit—the top seed and last skier off the dock—the announcers couldn’t call it between Poland and Abelson, speculating, “I think it’s going to be extremely close, only a couple hundred points that separate them.”

But the final score told a different story: more than 1,500 points separated the two. Judges scrubbed multiple tricks from both of Poland’s runs—but even if all had been credited, his score still wouldn’t have caught Abelson’s winning mark. Nevertheless, the apparent controversy may have lit a fire under Poland for what came later.

If tricks was about cementing legacies, slalom was about redemption.

For the women, 41-year-old Vennesa Vieke, who seems to get better with each passing year, set the pace early with a gritty 1.5 @ 10.75m (39.5′ off). Her mark held through challenges from defending champion Jaquess and Ross. Then came Allie Nicholson, navigating the minefield to a clean 2 @ 10.75m—and her first Masters title.

Arguably the hardest-working skier in professional slalom today, Nicholson has competed in more pro events over the past two years than anyone—male or female. Often stuck behind the dominant trio of Bull, Jaquess, and McClintock Rini, she looked composed as the final skier off the dock—doing exactly what was needed to take the win and perhaps signaling a long-awaited sea change.

The men’s final? Pure Hollywood.

He was banned. He was broken. But now, he’s back.

Less than a year ago, Freddie Winter suffered a potentially career-ending injury—a shattered femur from a crash. Adding to the drama: he had been banned from the 2023 Masters for alleged unsportsmanlike conduct in 2022.

Now, back on Robin Lake, the fiery Brit skied like a man on a mission. Chasing a lead score of 2 @ 10.25m set by world record holder Nate Smith, Winter—last off the dock—threw himself outside of three ball for the win. His third Masters title. His sweetest yet.

“Probably the most emotional moment of my life,” Winter said. “So much self-doubt and fear I wouldn’t get back here over the last 10 months and 29 days.”

“I’ve won here before, but those meant nothing compared to this.”

In women’s jump, a Hanna Straltsova victory often feels inevitable in the post-Jacinta Carroll landscape. But this one felt anything but secure.

Americans Lauren Morgan and Brittany Greenwood Wharton came out swinging in prelims with 174- and 175-foot jumps, respectively—easily outdistancing Straltsova’s 169.

Then, skiing early in the finals, Straltsova posted 53.6 meters (176′). The door was open, but neither Morgan nor Wharton could capitalize.

“You are never prepared enough for the Masters,” shared a reflective Straltsova. “It shows you your weak points and teaches you lessons every time you come.”

Then came the grand finale.

Remember: Poland barely made the final, edging Louis Duplan-Fribourg by a single foot. First off the dock, he put any questions about his jump form to rest—launching a monster 70.1-meter (230′) leap to lay down a massive target.

The remaining finalists—Luca Rauchenwald, Igor Morozov, and Ryan Dodd—all charged hard at the lead. Poland watched nervously from the pavilion.

“Anticipation was 11/10,” he said. “Felt sick waiting for the results.”

Dodd, the world record holder and reigning world champion, came closest. But when the Canadian passed on his final attempt, Poland had his win—and a statement. It’s now been over a year since Dodd claimed a professional title, and the pressure is mounting ahead of his bid for an unprecedented sixth straight world championship.

By sunset, the story was clear. This wasn’t just another Masters. This was a turning point.

From milestone performances to long-awaited redemption, the 65th Masters was a showcase of resilience, risk, and razor-thin margins. And with the debut of the 2026 Ski Nautique onsite—complete with on-air walkthroughs—the event also hinted at what’s next.

For now, the numbers are in, the titles awarded, and the world’s best return to the road—leaving behind another unforgettable chapter on Robin Lake.

And the summer? It’s just getting started.

Introducing the All-New Ski Nautique

A New Ski Nautique Has Landed: End of an Era or Start of One?

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A new Ski Nautique has landed. Is it the end of an era — or the start of one?

Introducing the All-New Ski Nautique

The Next Generation (image: Nautique)

By Jack Burden

After a cryptic teaser and months of whispered rumors, Nautique Boats today revealed the 2026 Ski Nautique — a redesigned, lighter-weight tournament towboat that promises flatter wakes, sharper responsiveness, and optimized performance across all three disciplines. It’s a bold new flagship for the brand, and one that likely signals the quiet retirement of the beloved 200 — a boat that, for over a decade, bridged the gap between elite competition and the everyday skier.

The new Ski Nautique, introduced Thursday, is billed by the company as “an evolution of a true icon.” Marketing materials highlight refined hull geometry, reengineered engine and propeller interactions, and integrated Zero-Off enhancements designed to maximize acceleration in jump, control in trick, and efficiency in slalom. The result, according to Nautique, is “naturally flatter wakes” and performance that “sets a new standard in three-event waterskiing.”

Technical specifications have been released, but how those changes translate on the water remains to be seen. Nautique has a track record of innovation — features such as the hydrogate, MicroTuners, and integrated ballast — but its last major redesign wasn’t universally embraced. With early impressions coming almost exclusively from sponsored athletes and insiders, objective feedback is still in short supply.

What the announcement didn’t include was a single mention of the 200 — the model that’s anchored Nautique’s lineup since 2010. Built on versatility and reliability rather than flash, the 200 earned its place in clubs, ski schools, and family garages around the world. Though Nautique has yet to confirm its future, there is widespread speculation that the 200 will be phased out as early as the 2026 model year, consolidating the company’s ski offerings into a single, high-end hull.

That would leave a noticeable gap. The 200, while never inexpensive, occupied a relative middle ground — priced below Malibu and MasterCraft for much of the last decade, and far cheaper than the current-generation Ski Nautique introduced in 2019. As that price gap widened, the 200 took on a new role: not just a classic, but a fallback option for skiers priced out of the top shelf. Despite being largely absent from tournaments in recent years, the 200 remains deeply relevant: three of the eight current world records were set behind it — as many as the outgoing Ski Nautique, and more than any of its competitors.

If rumors hold, the 2026 Ski Nautique may slot slightly below the current top-end MSRP — but still well above the 200. That could make it more appealing to price-conscious buyers at the elite level, though likely still out of reach for much of the grassroots scene the 200 quietly supported.

Whether the new model is a true leap forward or simply a refined refresh is a question that will be answered not by brochures, but by ski rides. For now, only a handful of insiders have had the chance — and most are under contract to sing it’s praises.

Update: “Drastically Better Wakes”: Pros Weigh In on the 2026 Ski Nautique

Still, this launch is more than a product release — it’s a clear statement of direction from a company continuing to invest in the future of tournament water skiing. The scope of R&D behind a new three-event hull signals a level of financial and engineering commitment rarely seen in niche sports.

While no public figures are available, it’s widely believed that Nautique invests more in tournament skiing than any other manufacturer. From supporting elite athletes to backing professional events and the IWWF, the company remains a central force in shaping the competitive landscape.

That next chapter begins in earnest this weekend. The new Ski Nautique is expected to appear at the Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament at Callaway Gardens, with on-water demos, detailed on-air walkthroughs, and early impressions likely featured throughout the webcast.

The 2026 Ski Nautique is slated to be available later this year. Pricing and final specifications are still to come.

Erika Lang sets a new pending world record of 11,450

Erika Lang Reclaims Edge in World Record Duel with Neilly Ross

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Erika Lang reclaims edge in world record duel with Neilly Ross

Erika Lang sets a new pending world record of 11,450

Image: @shotbythomasgustafson

By Jack Burden

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Erika Lang, the most dominant women’s tricker of the past decade, has once again scaled the sport’s highest peak. On Sunday, at the Florida Inboards Open at Ski Lake Jillian, Lang laid down an 11,450-point run—her best ever, and a new pending world record.

If ratified, the score would reclaim the world record from Canadian rival Neilly Ross, who currently holds the official mark at 11,430, approved last fall after a dizzying back-and-forth between the two that turned the record chase into a season-long thriller.

Lang’s latest score is the highest ever tricked by a woman, equaling her previous pending mark of 11,450 from Timber Cove last November, which was ultimately not ratified. While the point total matches her earlier attempt, the sequence was slightly different—subtle evidence of offseason refinement and relentless pursuit.

Erika Lang's pending world record trick run

Lang’s world record run

The Lang-Ross duel has breathed life into women’s tricks, a discipline that often struggles for visibility in a sport calendar dominated by slalom and jump. In an era where trickers can go entire seasons without meaningful prize money or true head-to-head battles, Lang and Ross have made record-breaking the main event.

Last fall, Ross snapped Lang’s eight-year reign as world record holder with an 11,380 at Okeeheelee. Lang responded seven days later in Texas with 11,450, a performance many believed had sealed her return to the top. But Ross struck back—double-tapping 11,430 in both rounds at Lake Ledbetter. That score was ratified. Lang’s was not.

Their duel has played out not on primetime broadcasts or in front of roaring crowds, but on quiet lakes, with just a camera, a few judges, and a tight circle of competitors. And yet, the skiing—like pirouettes on glass—has been nothing short of electric.

Ross’s rise has been more than just a challenge—it’s a shift. Young, fearless, and technically daring, she splits her six flips down the middle to perform a series of wake spins and ski line tricks with speed that’s redefining what’s possible. Her toe pass? Over 5,000 points—a rare feat for female skiers. She’s not following Lang’s footsteps—she’s forging her own path.

Lang, though, is far from fading. Since breaking her first world record in 2013, she’s extended the mark from just over 10,000 to a pending 11,450. Since the start of 2023, she’s won the world title, the Pan American Games, and 9 of 11 pro events, including this year’s Moomba Masters and Swiss Pro Tricks. She remains the only woman to score over 11,000 in professional competition.

Now, with her latest score under review by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation, Lang may finally reclaim the official record she first set more than a decade ago. Whether or not it’s ratified, she’s made a statement—and the timing couldn’t be sharper.

This coming weekend, Lang, Ross, and Anna Gay Hunter will go head-to-head at the U.S. Masters on Robin Lake, the richest trick skiing event of the year. It will mark the latest chapter in a rivalry that has defined women’s trick skiing for over a decade.

Between them, the trio has claimed 25 of the past 27 professional trick titles—a decade of dominance passed like a baton from one to the next and back again. There have been shifts in technique, peaks and valleys in form, and trick runs that redrew the boundaries of what’s possible. But the cast hasn’t changed.

And now, as Lang reasserts her hold on the highest score the sport has ever seen, the balance tips again. The story isn’t over. It’s just entering its next round.

Masters Waterski & Wakeboard Tournament qualification criteria continues to raise eyebrows

Masters Invites Finalized: So Why Are There Empty Spots?

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Masters invites finalized: So why are there empty spots?

Masters Waterski & Wakeboard Tournament qualification criteria continues to raise eyebrows

Image: pinemountain.org

By Jack Burden

The second Masters Qualifier wrapped last weekend at Championship Ski Lake in Auburndale, Florida, sending a baker’s dozen of the sport’s top athletes to Callaway Gardens later this month. Yet despite the roster of world-class names advancing, quiet concerns about the qualification system continue to simmer.

Dane Mechler, Freddie Winter, Allie Nicholson, Alexandra Garcia, and Neilly Ross secured berths in slalom; Dorien Llewellyn, Adam Pickos, Kennedy Hansen, and Aliaksandra Danishueskaya punched their tickets in tricks; while Emile Ritter, Igor Morozov, Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah, and Valentina Gonzalez qualified in jump.

All elite skiers, all deserving. And yet, in four of the six events contested, the cut line was barely there.

In men’s tricks and women’s jump, every entrant advanced. In women’s slalom and men’s jump, all but one skier qualified. In some disciplines, simply paying the entry fee and showing up was enough to earn a Masters spot.

It’s an awkward look for a tournament that bills itself as “the most prestigious event of the year.” And it’s not a one-off—it reflects a recurring pattern within the current qualification system.

While Masters organizers have long prioritized a high standard of excellence, their bespoke and exacting qualification pathway has, perhaps unintentionally, increased the likelihood of unusually small fields and unclaimed invites—even in disciplines with deep talent pools.

By contrast, virtually every other professional tournament—including the growing slate of Waterski Pro Tour stops—leans on established systems like the Waterski Pro Tour standings, the IWWF performance-based ranking lists, or some combination of the two to shape fields. The Masters’ decision to chart its own course has left rosters thinner than the sport’s current depth suggests.

Nowhere is this more visible than in men’s tricks. Once considered a sleepy corner of tournament skiing, men’s tricks is now arguably the sport’s hottest discipline, thanks to a recent flurry of world record activity, rising prize purses, and a wave of emerging talent. Yet despite that momentum, the Masters field remains thin.

Stringent entry criteria for the qualifiers required male trickers to have averaged over 11,000 points in world ranking competition over the past 12 months—a benchmark met by only 12 skiers worldwide. Of those, four are still juniors; one, the defending champion Martin Labra, is injured; another, Danylo Filchenko, has rarely left Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion; and one more, Martin Kolman, did not attend. The result: only seven eligible and willing competitors across two qualifiers, and at least one invite expected to go unclaimed.

For comparison, the recently concluded Swiss Pro Tricks tournament drew 16 male entrants—more than double the presumed Masters field—despite offering less than a third of the prize money. The appetite among athletes is clear; the bottleneck lies in the qualification process.

The Masters’ tightly gated system seems increasingly out of step with the sport’s evolving landscape. While trick skiing pushes forward—with new pro events in Morocco, Monaco, and Portugal, rising stars breaking records, and social media drawing fresh audiences—the Masters remains constrained by criteria that no longer fully reflect that growth.

The Masters still carries immense cachet. It boasts water skiing’s richest prize purse and an iconic venue that has crowned champions since 1959. But prestige, hard-earned, can be fragile. Keeping pace with the sport’s expanding depth will be key to preserving that legacy.

Mother's Day

This Mother’s Day, We Celebrate Water Skiing’s Unstoppable Moms

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This Mother’s Day, we celebrate water skiing’s unstoppable moms

Mother's Day

Spotlighting waterskiing’s champion moms for Mother’s Day

By Jack Burden

When we talk about mothers, it’s easy to reach for words like strength, sacrifice, and love. But some mothers go a step further — they don’t just juggle the demands of parenting; they shatter records, hoist trophies, and tilt the axis of their sport. In the high-speed, high-skill world of professional water skiing, these women have shown that motherhood isn’t a hurdle. It’s rocket fuel.

Water skiing has always been a family affair — a sport where weekends on the lake spark lifelong passions and where the dock is as much a playground as it is a battleground. Yet these women have carved more than just slalom courses. They’ve carved new narratives. From toppling outdated assumptions to commanding podiums on the world’s biggest stages, they’ve proven that athletic prime and parenting aren’t mutually exclusive. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are five extraordinary water ski moms whose performances redefine what’s possible.

Hanging out on a @nautiqueboats

Image: @whitrini

Whitney McClintock Rini (CAN)

A decade ago, she was water skiing’s “Golden Girl.” Today, she’s a golden mom — and still one of the sport’s fiercest competitors. After giving birth to her son, Zane, in 2020, McClintock Rini returned to the pro tour the following season as if motherhood was just another notch on her belt. Over the past four years, she’s captured a dozen professional titles and has consistently ranked among the top three slalomers in the world, winning roughly one out of every three events she enters.

Her résumé reads like a chronicle of dominance: five world titles, a world slalom record, and countless professional victories. Her reign at Australia’s Moomba Masters — where she claimed her tenth slalom title earlier this year — is the stuff of legend. And now, with Zane often cheering lakeside, she’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Karen Truelove at the US Masters

Image: @trueloveski

Karen Truelove (USA)

If resilience had a face in women’s slalom, it might be Karen Truelove’s. The American is arguably the most impressive mom on this list, competing well into her 40s and holding the distinction of being the eldest woman to win a professional title. After giving birth to her son Dash in early 2009, Truelove returned midway through the same season, closing it out with two victories and two runner-up finishes. Five years later, at 40 and just months after welcoming her second son, Ridge, she was still climbing podiums and collecting medals.

One of the most decorated slalomers in the sport, she remains a blueprint for longevity and grit — and now watches her own sons begin their ascent in the junior ranks.

Vennesa Vieke at the Moomba Masters

Image: @vennesavieke

Vennesa Leopold Vieke (AUS)

Some athletes peak young. Vennesa Leopold Vieke rewrote that script after becoming a mom. Before giving birth to her daughter in 2017, the Australian had just one professional podium to her name. Since then, she’s blossomed into one of the most consistent women’s slalom skiers on tour — notching regular podium finishes while balancing life with her two children, Riverlee and Ezra.

Her crowning achievement came in 2022, when she clinched victory at the Moomba Masters — a moment that cemented her transformation from promising talent to seasoned champion. Her Waterski Pro Tour standings over the past four years (9th, 12th, 10th) tell the story of a competitor not just hanging on but thriving well into her prime — long after many would have expected her to fade.

Giannina and Luca Mechler

Image: @danemechler

Giannina Bonnemann Mechler (GER)

Germany’s Giannina Bonnemann Mechler barely took a breath before getting back on the water. Nine months after welcoming her son, Luca, she’s already chasing elite form again. Earlier this year, she cracked the final at the Swiss Pro Tricks and secured qualification for the U.S. Masters with a score flirting with 10,000 points — a benchmark reserved for the sport’s upper echelon.

In 2023, Bonnemann Mechler went undefeated on the WWS Overall Tour and earned silver at the World Championships. One of only six women to trick over 10,000 points, her scores across all three events have sparked whispers of a potential challenge to Natallia Berdnikava’s longstanding world overall record. With her husband, top-ranked slalomer Dane Mechler, by her side and Luca in tow, Giannina’s comeback arc is one to watch.

Jacinta Carroll Weeks at the Moomba Masters

Image: @action_horizons_stunts

Jacinta Carroll (AUS)

If you blinked, you might have missed Jacinta Carroll’s tenure as an elite waterski mom — but what a flash it was. Just 100 days after giving birth to her daughter, Amelia, Carroll captured her 10th consecutive Moomba Masters jump title. It also served as her swan song: she announced her retirement from competition immediately after the victory.

Carroll’s résumé is staggering: 42 consecutive professional victories, five straight world titles (2013–2021), and the first woman to jump 200 feet. Known affectionately as “Rabbit,” she dominated women’s jumping from her teenage years, rarely losing and often setting records while doing so. Her final victory — achieved with just two weeks of on-water training post-pregnancy and the support of an international recovery team — was a fitting finale for an athlete who made a career of redefining boundaries in the sport.

As Carroll put it bluntly to other new mothers eyeing a quick return: “Don’t try this at home.” But whether they do or don’t, her legacy — like those of the other mothers on this list — has already expanded the definition of what’s possible.

Freddie Winter Returns to the Podium at Swiss Pro Slalom

At Swiss Pro, Winter’s Comeback Steals the Spotlight

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At Swiss Pro, Freddie Winter’s comeback steals the spotlight

Freddie Winter Returns to the Podium at Swiss Pro Slalom

Image: @thefredwinter

By Jack Burden

CLERMONT, FLA. — On Sunday afternoon, under the sinking Florida sun at Swiss Waterski Resort, Freddie Winter climbed back onto a professional podium for the first time since the crash that nearly ended his career.

For the outspoken Englishman, the third-place finish at the Swiss Pro Slalom wasn’t just another podium—it was a statement. Less than a year removed from a broken femur that sidelined him for most of 2024, the two-time world slalom champion reminded the waterski world that not only is he back—he’s still a threat.

“I sat in bed watching a lot of skiing in the following months wanting so bad to be back amongst it,” Winter wrote after the event. “I’ve worked as hard as I know how since to get back to where I could be competitive. Yesterday it started to feel like I can be.”

Nate Smith was, as ever, imperious. His 5 at 41 (10.25m) in the finals comfortably secured a seventh Swiss Pro title, continuing his reign as the most dominant male slalom skier of the past decade. Vaughn, in second, has picked up his strong form from 2024, delivering one of the event’s grittier performances.

Yet the buzz along the shoreline and in the digital stands—thousands tuning into The Waterski Broadcasting Company’s stream—centered on the fiery Brit. In a sport that often rewards the relentless metronome of perfection, Winter’s brand of visible, determined grind struck a different chord.

Elite slalom skiing is a sport of risk and razor-thin margins. At last June’s Monaco Slalom Cup, Freddie’s pursuit of victory ended with a violent crash into the dock. The images of him stretchered off were a stark reminder of how quickly everything can change.

Doctors predicted up to a year off the water. He gave it just over six months.

While Sunday’s result doesn’t fully reflect his ultimate ambitions, it signals clear progress. After battling through early rounds, Winter secured a place in the finals alongside some of the sport’s most consistent performers.

“I’m a work in progress and I’m happy,” he said. “I’m very happy to be competing with all these guys where I was really struggling not too long ago.”

Winter’s podium performance isn’t just about his skiing—it signals that the 2025 season is shaping up to be as fiercely competitive as 2024, if not more. With veterans like Travers, Asher, and Smith still pushing the limits, and a rising wave of new challengers, the men’s field is sharper and more crowded than ever.

With Freddie Winter back in the fold, the season just got a lot more interesting.

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg

Duplan-Fribourg Brothers Shine at First Masters Qualifier

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Duplan-Fribourg brothers shine at first Masters Qualifier

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg

“Every step of my rehabilitation has been a victory, no matter how small” (image: @tristan.duplanfribourg)

By Jack Burden

AUBURNDALE, FLA. — Tristan Duplan-Fribourg has returned to competitive water skiing in style after a life-threatening crash last season. The 17-year-old Frenchman delivered a career-best 12,090 points at the Masters Qualifying Series 1 in Auburndale, Florida, securing his spot at the 2025 Junior Masters and entering the exclusive 12,000-point club — a threshold only 13 skiers before him have crossed.

Eleven months ago, Duplan-Fribourg lay in a medically induced coma with a fractured eye socket, torn hip bone, and severe head trauma after two devastating jump crashes at the 2024 Junior Masters. Today, he is back on top of the water ski world, and more determined than ever.

“The skis, which seemed so far away a few months ago, are now under my feet. It’s an indescribable feeling — rediscovering speed, freedom, adrenaline,” Tristan shared on social media last month. “No matter how serious the fall, what always matters is the strength to get back up.”

Post-injury, he has opted to specialize in tricks and jump, no longer competing in slalom or overall — a move he describes as “full of doubts, sacrifices, and self-questioning” but one that is clearly paying dividends.

Older brother Louis, the reigning world overall champion, also impressed in Auburndale. A 69.8-meter jump (229 feet) — a personal best and new French record — punched his ticket in jump, while tricking over 12,000 points locked in qualification there as well.

The past year has tested the Duplan-Fribourg brothers. Louis rebounded from shoulder surgery to finish runner-up to Joel Poland on the WWS Overall Tour, while Pol — who recently captured the 2025 University World overall title — had his 2024 season derailed by a fractured ankle and herniated disc.

Across the weekend, several other skiers also booked their tickets to the 2025 Masters. Thomas Degasperi, Vennesa Vieke, and Paige Rini Pigozzi advanced in slalom; Patricio Font, Rini Pigozzi, and Giannina Bonnemann Mechler in tricks; and Jack Critchley, Aliaksandra Danishuesksaya, and Regina Jaquess in jump.

But it is Tristan’s comeback that lingers.

Eleven months ago, his world was hospital rooms and hard questions. This weekend, it was measured in rotations and records — and in the quiet certainty of someone who never stopped believing.

2025 Masters Water Ski Criteria

Masters Revises Qualification Criteria—A Step Forward, for Some

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Masters revises qualification criteria—A step forward, for some

2025 Masters Water Ski Criteria

2025 Masters Water Ski Criteria (image: Masters)

By Jack Burden

There’s been movement in the boardrooms of Correct Craft.

After growing discontent—and at least one shouted critique—the Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament has announced revised qualification criteria for 2025. It’s not a wholesale reform, but it is a tangible step forward.

The headline tweak? Repeat champions will no longer monopolize invitation slots. If a skier sweeps multiple qualifying events—as Ryan Dodd did in 2023 by winning all four Nautique-sanctioned tournaments—their dominance won’t cost someone else a chance. Now, when an athlete wins more than one qualifying event, the additional invitations cascade down to the next-best finishers. That’s how Will Asher, Matias Gonzalez, and Lauren Morgan—standouts over the last 12 months—have secured their tickets to Callaway Gardens without relying on a frantic last-minute qualifier.

It’s a simple adjustment—but in a system accused of favoring geography over merit, it’s a meaningful one.

And it’s already having an impact. Heading into this weekend’s first Masters Qualifier, half the spots in most professional disciplines are already spoken for. That’s a stark contrast to 2024, when as many as seven of eight invitations in some events were decided during two mid-May weekends in Central Florida. The shift gives deserving pros more breathing room—and a clearer path to one of the sport’s most prestigious stages.

But the momentum stops short.

The new rules do not extend to the Junior Masters, where qualification criteria remain virtually unchanged. The repeat champion clause? Still absent. Junior skiers must continue to rely heavily on results from these two amateur events—both held in Central Florida.

It’s a system that may reward proximity over potential. While professional athletes often live and train year-round in the Sunshine State, juniors typically don’t have that luxury—nor the freedom to miss multiple weeks of school in pursuit of a qualification score.

The result? A field that increasingly resembles a Florida state championship with a glossy title.

Imagine telling a 15-year-old phenom from Chile or France that their shot at one of the sport’s biggest youth stages depends not just on talent, but on whether their parents can bankroll a multi-week Florida tour during exam season. That’s not a qualification system—it’s a filter for privilege.

There are viable solutions. For juniors, allocating some of the invitations based on the amateur performance ranking list seems a logical fit for an amateur event. As we’ve discussed in the past, the Waterski Pro Tour standings could help shape qualification for professionals as well.

Let’s be clear: Nautique and the Masters deserve credit. The 2025 update is an overdue acknowledgment that the pandemic-era system was flawed—and that the sport’s top talent deserves better. The new rules are already producing fairer outcomes.

But they also send a second message: the old system wasn’t working.

So why stop halfway?

The Masters has always been more than just a tournament. It’s a gathering of champions, steeped in history—a flagship for the sport. But if it hopes to maintain that status in a globalized, post-pandemic era, the path to Robin Lake must be one the entire world can realistically reach.