Ali Garcia reacts to a new personal best and qualifying for the finals at the 2025 San Gervasio ProAm

Garcia Breaks Through with Emotional Podium as Bull Sweeps European Leg

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Ali Garcia breaks through with emotional podium as Jaimee Bull sweeps European leg

Ali Garcia reacts to a new personal best and qualifying for the finals at the 2025 San Gervasio ProAm

Image: TWBC

By Jack Burden


SAN GERVASIO, Italy — For Ali Garcia, the breakthrough didn’t come with fireworks. It came with tears.

After months of grinding on the Waterski Pro Tour with little reward, the 23-year-old American finally stood tall in San Gervasio, riding a season-best performance into the finals and finishing second behind an undefeated Jaimee Bull. But it wasn’t the result that made the moment — it was how she got there.

In the qualifying round, Garcia tied her personal best of 3 buoys at 10.75 meters — a score she hadn’t managed all season — grinning ear to ear as she took the provisional lead and forced top seeds Allie Nicholson and Bull to deliver under pressure to hold their spots.

“I’m so happy, honestly,” Garcia said after qualifying. “This whole week I’ve been skiing really well and I felt like I could get my first three of the summer. I didn’t feel good the whole set — my rhythm was crazy — so the fact I could still put up a score makes me feel really confident.”

Then came the semifinals.

Matched up against Nicholson in a head-to-head showdown, Garcia needed a piece of 4 at 10.75 to advance — a score she had never achieved in competition. She delivered a gutsy 3.5, a new personal best, and stood afterward with tears in her eyes, soaking in the weight of the moment.

“A week ago I was calling my parents crying, saying I thought I should come home,” she said. “Now I PB’d. I thank my brother for teaching me how to throw a ski because I wouldn’t know how if he didn’t push me to crash more often.”

In the final against Bull, Garcia claimed 3 at 10.75 again — matching her previous best for the third time that weekend.

“I just figured I had nothing to lose,” she said. “Thirty minutes ago, three was my PB, so to tie it in a final — I’m psyched. It was so fun just to participate.”

No skier — man or woman — has entered more pro slalom events in 2025 than Garcia. Until now, she had yet to reach a podium. But her San Gervasio run changes everything. She now sits fourth on the Waterski Pro Tour leaderboard behind Bull, Nicholson, and Neilly Ross — with momentum, and belief, finally on her side heading into the U.S. season closers and the looming World Championships.

For her father, Steve Garcia, watching from across the world, it was a moment years in the making.

“More tears than can be counted,” he wrote. “Like so many challenges, especially the last 12 months. And on one special day, in one special moment, I’m confident Ali would say it was all worth it.”

At the top of the table, Bull’s dominance continued.

The Canadian completed a perfect five-stop sweep through Europe, winning every event and locking up the top spot in the Waterski Pro Tour standings. Neither of her biggest rivals — Regina Jaquess or Whitney McClintock Rini — made the trip across the Atlantic, but Bull left little room for doubt. Her control at 10.75 has become surgical, and her consistency now matches her explosive potential.

“Ali crushed it last round and I knew she was going to go for it,” Bull said after the final. “I played it a bit safe at four just to make sure I didn’t fall — it’s a bit choppy down there — and made sure I had a full five. I’m happy. It’s been a great five weeks. Really good skiing for me, and I’m happy we get to go home now.”

Bull owned the top step. But Garcia may have delivered the weekend’s most powerful story — a reminder of how much the sport demands, and how sweet it can be when persistence finally pays off.

No crushing expectations. No top-seed pressure. Just a ski, a rope, and one more try.

And this time, she made it count.

Hanna Straltsova

Straltsova Sets Another Pending Overall Record—By the Slimmest of Margins

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Straltsova sets another pending overall record—by the slimmest of margins

Hanna Straltsova

Image: @streltsova.ania

By Jack Burden


SCOTT, Ark. — For the second time in a month, Hanna Straltsova may have broken the longest-standing world record in water skiing — once again by the slimmest of margins.

At the We Wave Independence Day Record held at Bullneck Lake, the reigning world overall champion posted a slalom score of 0@10.75m, a trick score of 9,070 points, and a 58.5-meter (192-foot) jump. Combined, those numbers edge out the current world overall record by just three points — a margin smaller than a sideslide. The existing record, set by Natallia Berdnikava in 2012, had remained untouched for over a decade until Straltsova’s recent surge.

This performance builds on Straltsova’s pending record from just last month, continuing her quiet assault on one of the sport’s toughest milestones. That both scores came at small, domestic record tournaments rather than major events only adds to the understated precision of her campaign.

On social media, Straltsova teased, “All of my best scores are yet to come in one round,” hinting that she may still be building toward a definitive peak.

While the spotlight this weekend was on Quebec — where the WWS Canada Cup opened the 2025 Overall Tour with prize money, crowds, and high-stakes battles between stars like Giannina Bonnemann Mechler and Kennedy Hansen — Straltsova stayed home, opting for the solitude of an amateur backyard tournament over center stage.

That decision mirrors her career in recent years. Since switching allegiance from Belarus to the U.S., she’s competed outside the country just twice in the last five years — both times at the WWS Canada Cup.

Still, the timing couldn’t be more compelling. With the World Championships looming later this summer, Straltsova’s form will put pressure on the field — and may reset expectations for what’s possible in women’s overall. Bonnemann Mechler, fresh off maternity leave, and the fast-rising Hansen have both shown they can win under pressure. But Straltsova now has something more: back-to-back pending world records, and the aura of inevitability that comes with them.

Thirteen years ago, Berdnikava set a mark that felt untouchable. Now, Straltsova has cleared it — twice — in the span of a month. Neither run was perfect. But both were enough.

A quarter of a buoy. Forty trick points. Twenty centimeters. That’s all that separated her from history.

Twice.

And if she’s right — that her best scores still haven’t landed in the same round — then we may not have seen the real record yet.

Thomas Degasperi wins the 2025 San Gervasio ProAm

Degasperi and Bull Triumph at San Gervasio Pro Am in One of the Tour’s Tightest Finals

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San Gervasio Pro Am 2025: Degasperi and Bull Take the Win in a Spectacular Show on the Waters of Jolly Ski

Thomas Degasperi wins the 2025 San Gervasio ProAm

Image: @andrea_gilardi_fotografo

By Michela Luzzeri

Jolly Ski


SAN GERVASIO, ITALY — The 11th edition of the San Gervasio Pro Am came to a close today, Sunday, July 6. One of the most anticipated stops on the world slalom (waterski) tour, the event offered a total prize purse of $24,000 and welcomed athletes from 23 countries, including both amateurs and professionals.

The final day delivered intense excitement with the Pro head-to-head finals, full of surprises and close battles. This eleventh edition was undoubtedly one of the most hard-fought, featuring some of the tightest matchups ever seen in both the men’s and women’s fields. The crowd was especially electrified by the final showdown between Italy’s multi-time European champion Thomas Degasperi and Great Britain’s Frederick Winter, a four-time winner of the event. Degasperi came out on top with a strong score of 1@10.25m, securing his second San Gervasio Pro Am title after his 2021 victory.

In the women’s competition, Canadian skier Jaimee Bull proved once again to be unbeatable. With a score of 5@10.75m, she successfully defended the title she won in 2024, reaffirming her status as the skier to beat—edging out a fierce young challenger, Alexandra Garcia from the USA.

A touch of disappointment for Brescia native and event organizer Matteo Luzzeri, who had been among the stars of Saturday’s qualifications with an excellent 3@10.25m, earning him fourth place. The local favorite was eliminated in the quarterfinals in a tight matchup against Degasperi, leaving the dream of a podium finish for another year. Similar fate for Italian skier Beatrice Ianni, who couldn’t get past American Allie Nicholson in the women’s quarterfinals.

There was also regret for rising local talent Florian Parth, and Italian teammates Vincenzo Marino and Carlo Allais, who did not qualify for the head-to-head finals.

Once again, the San Gervasio Pro Am confirmed itself as a must-attend event on the international waterski calendar—bringing together elite competition, pure passion, and a one-of-a-kind setting in the heart of Lombardy.

Women's trick podium at the 2025 BOTASKI ProAm

What Does It Take to Beat Erika Lang? Ask Neilly Ross

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What does it take to beat Erika Lang? Ask Neilly Ross

Women's trick podium at the 2025 BOTASKI ProAm

Image: @erikalang36

By Jack Burden


SESEÑA, Spain — In the sweltering summer sun of central Spain, the 2025 BOTASKI ProAm may have just delivered the most dramatic women’s trick final in living memory — and perhaps the most significant result yet in the escalating rivalry between Erika Lang and Neilly Ross.

For most of the weekend, it looked like another Erika Lang masterclass. In the preliminary round, she tricked 11,450 points — her third pending world record in just two months. No woman had ever scored higher in any competition, professional or amateur. And yet, by the end of the weekend, Lang didn’t win.

Neilly Ross did.

The 24-year-old Canadian, who hadn’t beaten Lang or Anna Gay in a professional event in over three years, delivered a flawless final. Her score: 11,430 — tying the official world record she set last year and throwing down the gauntlet in what is becoming the defining rivalry of modern trick skiing.

That single moment flipped the script. For Lang to win, she would need another world record — not just to match her earlier performance, but to do it again, under pressure, with the title on the line.

She very nearly did.

Lang landed every big trick, running the same sequence that earned her 11,450 just a day earlier. But somewhere, in the dying seconds of a near-perfect hand pass, a minor sideslide — worth just 40 points — drew scrutiny. Judges ruled it incomplete. Her score dropped to 11,410. Twenty points short. Game over.

In any other era, 11,410 might have stood as a world record. At BOTASKI, it wasn’t enough to win.

It’s the closest a pro final has come to the world record since 2002, when Emma Sheers and Elena Milakova traded jumps — and history — at the Malibu Open. In a fitting parallel, the records and rivalry from that event helped define the next decade.

That the trick final even stole the spotlight is a story in itself. BOTASKI, now in its seventh edition, once again opted out of Waterski Pro Tour status — a decision that may have cost it international buzz. But with this final, it delivered a legacy moment anyway.

And perhaps, a changing of the guard.

Ross’s win doesn’t erase Lang’s dominance — not even close. Lang has won virtually everything over the past three seasons and turned scores once thought unreachable into something approaching routine. But the weight of this victory — Ross tying her own world record, beating Lang head-to-head, and ending a years-long drought — matters heading into the World Championships in August.

Frustratingly, this will be the last pro trick event before Worlds — a jarring contrast to the momentum the discipline has built in recent months. No more finals. No more record attempts. Just the long wait until Labor Day weekend, when Lang and Ross will meet again with a world title on the line and the rivalry entering its most anticipated chapter yet.

While the Lang-Ross showdown took top billing, the rest of the BOTASKI ProAm delivered its share of fireworks.

Jake Abelson continued his breakout season with another major win in men’s tricks, landing three scores over 12,400 — the kind of consistency once unimaginable. He held off Patricio Font, who also tricked over 12,000 in both prelims and finals, in what’s quietly becoming the premier head-to-head battle in men’s tricking.

In slalom, Jaimee Bull and Freddie Winter both looked untouchable, each picking up another win in what’s shaping into a dominant season. For Winter, it adds another notch to what may be one of the greatest injury comebacks in the sport’s history. For Bull, it reinforces her status as the most complete slalom skier on the women’s side — and continues her undefeated run through the European professional summer.

It’s rare for trick skiing to hold the spotlight this long. In a sport where slalom typically dominates coverage and prize money, the Lang-Ross rivalry has done more than bring attention back to tricks — it’s made it must-watch. Not just because of the scores, but because of the stakes. The pressure. The emotion.

Lang remains the most successful woman in trick skiing’s modern era. But for the first time in years, she has a rival who can match her, beat her, and push the sport forward in a new direction.

If this is what trick skiing can look like — tense, technical, thrilling — then maybe the question isn’t whether it deserves more attention.

Maybe the question is: why did it take this long?

“It’s Just Skiing”: Carter Eaton’s Cross-Country Crusade to Change the Sport

YouTube Series Captures the Highs and Lows of Pro Water Skiing

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Carter Eaton’s It’s Just Skiing captures the highs and lows of professional water skiing

“It’s Just Skiing”: Carter Eaton’s Cross-Country Crusade to Change the Sport

Image: @arthur_sayanoff

By Jack Burden


In a sport obsessed with buoys, boat settings, and breaking 41 off, Carter Eaton is chasing something else entirely.

He’s not a world champion. Not a 10.25m regular. Not backed by a major boat brand. But Eaton — an Alaskan-born skier with a DIY van and a camera in hand — is quietly becoming one of the most compelling characters in professional water skiing.

His YouTube series, It’s Just Skiing, now 17 episodes deep, documents an audacious, improbable mission: compete in every pro slalom tournament he qualifies for in 2025. From a distance, it looks like a feel-good side quest. Up close, it’s a test of endurance — mental, physical, emotional — offering a raw, unfiltered look at what it really takes to chase a professional dream in a sport that barely pays.

You see the breakdowns. The van repairs. The homesickness. The missed openers. The joy of running 39 for the first time in a record tournament. And yes, the self-doubt — the kind few athletes show publicly, let alone on camera.

“I’ve been on the road since April… I’m around the world alone… I wanted to go to Morocco so bad,” Eaton confesses in a recent video. “But you know what? Ski better. If you ski good enough, you get to go to every tournament.”

That kind of honesty is rare in water skiing — a sport so tight-knit it often feels allergic to vulnerability. Eaton is the antidote.

His recent uploads span much of the European leg of the season — from Monaco to Dommartin — with pit stops at the Colosseum, some of Europe’s most scenic ski sites, and a few late-night monologues that wouldn’t feel out of place in a sports documentary. In one of the series’ most striking moments, after a rough tournament, Eaton delivers this:

“I’m going to fail and fail and fail, but I’m going to succeed. The skiing is only a little bit of that success… I want to show the world what this sport is. But nothing worthwhile has ever been easy.”

That mantra underpins the entire project. Eaton isn’t just skiing for himself. He’s trying to prove that water skiing — despite its barriers, niche audience, and lack of mainstream polish — can still be captivating. That it deserves to be seen. That it doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

In a landscape where the spotlight mostly shines on winners, Eaton’s story resonates for a different reason: he’s doing what many wish they could. Not winning it all. Not turning a profit. But showing up anyway. Chasing the dream.

That may not make him a “pro” in the traditional sense. But in 2025, being a professional athlete is about more than just scores and sponsorships. It’s about connection. Storytelling. Having a voice.

Winning is only enough in a handful of sports — and water skiing isn’t one of them. Even top athletes in much larger sports often only scrape by, prize money split between travel expenses and training costs. The ones who truly thrive are the ones who build something more: a brand, a following, a reason for fans — and sponsors — to care.

It’s why names like Joel Poland, Neilly Ross, and Freddie Winter resonate far beyond their results. Yes, they’re elite competitors. But their influence doesn’t come solely from buoy counts. Poland and Ross have cultivated huge social media followings, turning short-form edits and behind-the-scenes clips into brand assets. Winter, meanwhile, is seemingly everywhere — from podcasts to TWBC interviews to mushroom-based elixir docuseries.

And then there’s the logical next step: creators like Marcus Brown and Rob Hazelwood, who’ve realized that content creation isn’t just a side hustle. It’s the job. They’re telling stories, shaping narratives, and showing fans what life in this sport actually looks like — beyond the scoreboard.

And then there’s Eaton. No entourage. No script. Just a skier with a dream, a camera, and something to prove — not just to the world, but to himself.

“There are other people that will change the sport forever with how good they are at skiing. That won’t be me,” he says. “But I’m going to change the sport forever.”

Maybe that’s hyperbole. Maybe not. Either way, the view count is rising. The story is unfolding. And we’re watching.

Because at its heart, this isn’t just about results. It’s about believing that the journey — rough, weird, unfinished — is worth sharing.

Win or lose. Succeed or fail. After all — it’s just skiing.

Neilly Ross delivered a standout performance at the Portugal Pro, winning tricks, tying her slalom PB, and nearly breaking the world record.

Neilly Ross Steals the Show at Portugal Pro, Hones in on World Record

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2025 Portugal Pro Waterski

Neilly Ross delivered a standout performance at the Portugal Pro, winning tricks, tying her slalom PB, and nearly breaking the world record.

Image: @vasco__trindade

Waterski Pro Tour


In a season full of firsts, the Waterski Pro Tour included a stop in Tomar, Portugal, just outside of Lisbon. The beautiful Portuguese countryside has never seen action like this before. Even the local mayor made an appearance, just to see it with their own eyes. There is one other thing that made this tournament extra unique: the slalom portion of the event only included women.

Yes, you heard that right. For the first time in Waterski Pro Tour history, the women athletes got the whole show to themselves. They certainly didn’t underdeliver on the action. 7 of the best female skiers in the world fought it out for the title in fairly challenging conditions. Abnormally high water levels and a wide open lake subjected the skiers to unexpected rollers and sudden gusts of wind. That didn’t seem to affect the scores, however. Neilly Ross continued to prove her slalom skills with a tied personal best (and new season best) of 3 at 10.75m to tie with Manon Costard in the finals. What’s even more impressive is that Neilly scored 2 in the previous qualifying round to vault herself ahead of Manon in seeding.

The penultimate athlete in finals was Allie Nicholson, who put out an extremely impressive score in qualifying. Allie took a risk in finals, aiming for a headwind on 10.75m, but unfortunately the risk didn’t pay off when she took an early fall at 11.25m. Last but not least, Jaimee Bull took to the water. Jaimee was the only skier to run 10.75m in qualifying and secured the highest score of the event. Now all eyes were on her as she made an attempt to match that score again in finals. Jaimee certainly didn’t disappoint when she made her 11.25m pass look like an opener before cruising around 5 at 10.75m to secure the title.

The excitement wasn’t exclusive to slalom, however. Some of the most talented trick skiers also joined the event. This year marks a big push for the trick discipline with events spanning across three continents. The world’s best are certainly seizing the opportunity. This time around 8 athletes, originating from 7 different countries, threw their hat in the ring for the Portugal Pro title.

Starting off with the women, Neilly Ross continued her dominance this weekend with an attempt at the world record. She just narrowly missed the time limit after a small bobble following her second flip sequence. Despite the significant point deduction, she still managed to claim top seed heading into finals. Brooke Baldwin and Kirsi Wolfisberg followed close behind in 2nd and 3rd place. As finals kicked off, the seeding was looking to hold true for placement. Neilly opted for an alternate run in finals, which didn’t quite score as high. However, it was still enough to position herself ahead of Brooke.

  There were no men slalom skiers but there were some trick skiers. The suspense started building as early as the first qualifying round when Danylo Filchenko snapped his rope on his first toe trick. Additionally, Tue Neilsen had some of his high scoring toe tricks cut after intensive review from the judges panel. Just to top things off, Matias Gonzalez fell relatively early in his toe pass and fell short of his typical score range. The qualifying rounds surely shook up the seeding as we headed towards finals. However, we saw the highest scores of the weekend in finals when the pressure was on. Danylo managed two stand up passes and took the lead with only two skiers remaining. He was quickly overthrown by Pato Font, who became the first skier in finals to clear the 12k point barrier. Matias was the final athlete to ski.

The whole crowd went silent as Mati stood up both passes. It couldn’t get any closer!  The suspense was building as the judges worked frantically to calculate the score. After what felt like forever, the final score came through the radio: 12,490! Matias slipped into first place over Pato by only 250 points.

All in all, it was an extremely successful event! In addition to the amazing skiing, the host town of Tomar was extremely beautiful and provided tons of historic scenery, flavorful food, and welcoming people. A massive thank you to The Waterski Academy, the city of Tomar, and all the other sponsors that made this event possible.

Freddie Winter is interviewed after winning the 2025 Royal Nautique Pro in Rabat, Morocco

Morocco Delivers Drama, History, and Incredible Skiing at Royal Nautique Pro

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2025 Royal Nautique Pro

Freddie Winter is interviewed after winning the 2025 Royal Nautique Pro in Rabat, Morocco

Image: @thomasgustafson

Waterski Pro Tour


When the Tour landed in Marrakech, Morocco in the middle of last June it broke new ground for waterskiing. Until that day there had never been a professional event held on the continent of Africa. And what a first event it was. Hospitality was on a new level, as were the scores – we saw the first 10.25m/ 41off pass completed in 2024 and, simultaneously, in Africa – and the coverage from the wild desert outside Marrakesh from TWBC (also event organizers) was typically stellar. One could have been forgiven for wondering: how can the organizers follow this?

Well, very simply, they went bigger. The Royal Nautique Pro – so named because of its association with the Royal Nautique Club on the Bou Regreg river – had more disciplines with the addition of tricks and a far more ambitious venue. Last year’s remote man-made lake outside Marrakech was replaced by a tidal river directly in the center of the city of Rabat, between high-end hotels and the newly built Grand Theatre. More spectacle was on offer also, with a synchronised drone show that will likely never be topped in waterskiing for surprise – think animated waterskiers moving through the air followed by messages in the sky and tournament logos.

Of course the tidal river – so close to the sea that many skiers taxied just a mile up the road for a post-event surf session at the estuary –  brought a unique challenge. Many of the athletes present have competed at the Moomba Masters in March of each year but the Yarra river has a peak current of a small handful of mph. In Rabat it was many multiples of that. Wind was a factor also on the wide open river, typically starting low and increasing throughout the day. After practice there were some concerned faces. With skiers so used to bespoke man-made lakes in the middle of nowhere, the curveballs of the venue would be a challenge. But, as many mentioned on the broadcast coverage, the sport needs diversity in its events to remain interesting and this could not fit the bill more.

Across two qualifying rounds, despite the challenging conditions, the standard was, perhaps surprisingly, high. On the men’s side it took a pair of  3s at 10.75m to make the final. Tim Tornquist was unfortunate to be first out with a 3 and a 2. Corey Vaughn topped the bill with 2@10.25m, heroically showing big scores were possible on the river. Jaimee Bull had earlier done the same, just missing her exit gate as she lost balance having stroked a 10.75m pass. 

The trickers field had two seeding rounds to get used to the water, with scores into 10k and 11k by the women and men respectively. In the end Anna Gay, the class of the field all weekend triumphed, scoring just over 10,000. On the men’s side Pato Font ultimately took the win in the final with a huge 12,390. With consecutive wins in Monaco and now Morocco, Font’s resilience, after a disappointing 18 months or so having previously been undefeated for years, is commendable and another string added to his already impressive bow.

Jaimee Bull also took her second win of the season, winning every round. Last off the dock, she did enough by rounding 2 at 10.75, holding off TWBC’s audience-voted Skier of the Day Neily Ross who ran 1 early in the final. Allie Nicholson, never not a podium threat and winner at last year’s event, took third place with 5 at 11.25m. Bull, who was disappointed to lose the inaugural title last year, took her place as Queen of Africa.

The men’s final saw changing conditions as the tide changed. The risk of starting at 12m and taking 11.25m the trickier head current/ tail wind direction to have 10.75 the supposedly easier way resulted in split skier strategies. In the end only Freddie Winter and Corey Vaughn, who used it so successfully in the first round, rolled the dice. It came off for Winter, who scored 1.5@10.25m and then waited to see top seed Vaughn fall halfway down 11.25m to give him the title, his first on the Tour since catastrophically breaking his leg at Monaco less than a year ago. 

In so many ways, these sorts of events don’t come along very often. Many comments from the pro waterski fanbase around the web mentioned their enjoyment of seeing the top skiers, usually so adept and graceful, seem human in their struggle in the conditions. But it should be noted that despite the huge tides, the big wind and the salty water, there were scores out on the river that would have won many pro events not so long ago. To do so in front of such scenery, in the capital of such a great country, in a continent still new to waterskiing, was exceptional to see. We couldn’t be more excited for next year’s event.

Hanna Straltsova world record

Straltsova Edges Past Longest-Standing Record in Water Skiing

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Straltsova edges past longest-standing record in water skiing

Hanna Straltsova world record

Image: @skifluid

By Jack Burden


POLK CITY, FL — The longest-standing world record in waterskiing might have just fallen—by the narrowest margin in history.

At the Bill Wenner Memorial Record tournament in central Florida this weekend, reigning world overall and jump champion Hanna Straltsova quietly assembled a near-flawless performance: 5 buoys at 11.25 meters (38’ off), 8,890 points in tricks, and a 59.8-meter (196 ft) jump. Combined, her scores yielded an overall total of 2,581.4—just 0.3 points beyond the mark Natallia Berdnikava set back in 2012.

If ratified, it would not only end a 13-year reign, but also stand as the smallest margin by which a world overall record has ever been broken.

Straltsova, a former Belarusian who now skis for the United States and trains at Bennett’s Ski School in Louisiana, has long been one of the most promising athletes in the sport. Since Jacinta Carroll’s retirement, she’s dominated jump. But this weekend may have marked her most complete performance yet—one built not on one standout moment, but on balance, precision, and timing across all three events.

Berdnikava’s 2012 mark—3@11.25m, 9,740 points, and a 58.0m (190′) jump—became a benchmark that defined a generation. For over a decade, it resisted every challenger. Straltsova came closest—not with explosive trick scores or a record-breaking jump, but with just enough across the board.

Still, her record-setting effort was nearly lost in the noise.

At the same event, 17-year-old Jake Abelson tricked over 13,000 points twice, possibly signaling a new era for men’s trick skiing. But Straltsova’s accomplishment—subtler, steadier—may prove just as historic.

After years of dominance in one event, she’s now proven herself capable of rewriting the totals, too. And in a sport where overall skiing has sometimes taken a back seat to individual-event spectacle, that matters.

Thirteen years. A third of a point. A new name at the top.

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.

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.