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IWWF Waterskiers of the year 2024

Straltsova, Poland Named Skiers of the Year | IWWF

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Hanna Straltsova and Joel Poland named IWWF Waterskiers of the Year

IWWF Waterskiers of the year 2024

Joel Poland and Hanna Straltsova were named the IWWF male & female waterskiers of 2024.

IWWF

The IWWF is pleased to announce the 2024 IWWF Male & Female Skiers & Riders of the Year, selected by their respective sports disciplines’ councils.

Hanna Straltsova Camaro Watersport
Hanna Straltsova jumps at IWWF World Championships

Images: Camaro/Johnny Hayward

2024 IWWF Female Water Skier of the Year: Hanna Straltsova

Jump is her best event, but she is also an excellent Overall skier and has been very consistent throughout the season. In 2024 she has won every Jump event she has entered.

World Ranking Details:

  • Slalom: 17th Place
  • Tricks: 7th Place
  • Jump: 1st Place
  • Overall: 1st Place
  • Waterski Pro Tour Leaderboard Jump: 1st Place
Joel Poland is Overall World Champion & Team Win Silver! - British Water Ski and WakeboardJoel Poland is Overall World Champion & Team Win Silver! - British Water Ski and Wakeboard Joel Poland is Overall World Champion & Team Win Silver!
Joel Poland Sets Pending Overall World Record - British Water Ski and WakeboardJoel Poland Sets Pending Overall World Record - British Water Ski and Wakeboard Joel Poland Sets Pending Overall World Record

Images: BWSW/Johnny Hayward

2023 IWWF Male Water Skier of the Year: Joel Poland (Great Britain)

World and European Overall Record Holder: Record set three times during the 2024 season.

World Ranking Details:

  • Slalom: 12th Place
  • Tricks: 6th Place
  • Jump: 2nd Place
  • Overall: 1st Place

Waterski Pro Tour Leaderboard:

  • Slalom: 13th Place
  • Tricks: 6th Place
  • Jump: 1st Place

Europe Ranking Details:

  • Slalom: 5th Place
  • Tricks: 2nd Place
  • Jump: 1st Place
  • Overall: 1st Place

2024 IWWF Skiers & Riders of the Year

DisciplineFemaleMale
BarefootAshleigh Groen – AustraliaBen Groen – New Zealand
Disabled SkiElisha Nelson – USACraig Timm – USA
Cable SkiAlina Bühl – AustriaErwin Zawadzki – Poland
Cable WakeboardJulia Rick – GermanyMax Milde – Germany
RacingNo NominationNo Nomination
Show SkiGrace Petzold – USACharlie Newlands – Canada
Wakeboard BoatEugenia De Armas – ArgentinaNic Rapa – Australia
WakesurfDawnee Kanjanapas – Hong KongJett Lambert – USA
WaterskiHanna StraltsovaJoel Poland – Great Britain

Please click here to learn more about them. Congratulations!

From this list of outstanding skiers & riders, the 2024 IWWF Male & Female Athletes of the Year, selected by the IWWF Executive Board, will be announced in a week’s time.

 

Neilly Ross Breaks Women Tricks Record Again!

Ross’ Second World Trick Record Officially Ratified | IWWF

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Neilly Ross Breaks Women Tricks Record Again!

Neilly Ross Breaks Women Tricks Record Again!

Image: IWWF

IWWF

Canada’s Neilly Ross has done it again, breaking her IWWF World Open Women Tricks Record with a score of 11,430 points. 

Her new world record was set on 8th November 2024 on Lake Ledbetter in Winter Garden Florida during the 2nd round of the Autumn Record tournament, behind the world-record setting Ski Nautique.  Neilly’s previous world record, 11,380 points, was set less than a month before. Congratulations Neilly!

World Record Video

Venues for next two waterski world championships announced

Italy and Australia Announced as Hosts for the 2025 & 2027 World Championships | IWWF

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Italy and Australia Announced as Hosts for the 2025 & 2027 IWWF World Open Waterski Championships

Venues for next two waterski world championships announced

Image: IWWF

IWWF

The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) is delighted to announce that Italy and Australia have been selected as the hosts for the 2025 and 2027 IWWF World Open Waterski Championships, respectively.

Both countries had initially submitted bids to host the 2025 edition, but after careful consideration and discussions, Australia opted to reschedule its bid for the prestigious event until 2027.  

Italy will host the 2025 IWWF World Open Waterski Championships from 3rd to 7th September at the Parco Nautico del Sesia in Recetto. This will be the fifth time that Italy has hosted the World Championships, reaffirming its strong ties to the sport and its reputation as a world-class destination for waterski competitions. The Parco Nautico del Sesia is renowned for its state-of-the-art facilities and stunning natural surroundings, making it an ideal venue for this prestigious event.

Parco Nautico del Sesia in Recetto, Italy

Australia will take the spotlight in 2027, hosting the IWWF World Open Waterski Championships from 16th to 22nd February 2027 at the Max Kirwan Ski Park, Mulwala in New South Wales. This will mark only the second time Australia has hosted the event, with the last occasion being in 1965 at Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast.  The decision to defer to Italy for 2025 highlights Australia’s commitment to fostering international cooperation within the waterskiing community, and the 2027 event promises to be a spectacular showcase of the sport.

Max Kirwin Ski Park in Mulwala, Australia

“We are incredibly fortunate to have both Italy and Australia as hosts for our upcoming IWWF World Open Championships,” said José Antonio Pérez Priego, President of the IWWF. “Australia’s gracious gesture to focus on delivering an exceptional event in 2027 is a true reflection of the unity and sportsmanship that defines our global waterskiing family. We look forward to two outstanding championships in these two remarkable countries.”

As the IWWF continues to promote and advance waterskiing on the global stage, the 2025 and 2027 IWWF World Open Waterski Championships are poised to be landmark events. With Italy’s deep waterskiing heritage and Australia’s return to hosting after more than six decades, these championships will not only celebrate the sport but also the spirit of international cooperation and respect that underpins the IWWF

2024 Nautique Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament

Joel Poland’s Sixth Overall World Record Approved | BWSW

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Joel Poland’s 6th World Record Approved

2024 Nautique Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament

Image: Johnny Hayward

British Waterski & Wakeboard

Great Britain’s waterski superstar, Joel Poland, has done it again. His 6th Open Overall World Record has just been approved.

Joel Poland has now broken the Overall World Record more times than any other skier – male or female. Before his latest record was officially ratified, he had done it 5 times – more than any man and the same number as Natalia Berdnikava. Now he has surpassed them all with record number 6.

It’s his second record of 2024, both of them coming at Ski Fluid near Orlando in Florida, which is also where he set his very first record back in April 2021.

The latest official record was broken at the appropriately-named Fluid Fall Record tournament on 8 September. In round 2, Joel scored 6 at 10.75 metres in slalom, 12,160 points in tricks and jumped 69.8 metres. That amounts to 2686.34 points.

Joel went on to break the world record again just a couple of weeks later at the Travers Cup but that is still being reviewed by the IWWF, so watch this space.

Few would bet against Joel breaking the record again – and again. He has higher slalom and jump scores than those achieved for his 6th record and he has put in consistently strong performances across all three events throughout the season. At the weekend he was crowned Champion of the 2024 World Water Skiers (WWS) Overall Tour, having won all four stops.

And Joel is still only 25 years old!

Congratulations Joel. We can’t wait to see what you can do in 2025, which just happens to be a World Championships year.

𝟏𝟏𝐗 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 🏆

Ragin ‘Cajuns Win Fifth Consecutive National Title | USA Water Ski

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Ragin ‘Cajuns Win Fifth Consecutive National Collegiate Water Ski Title

𝟏𝟏𝐗 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 🏆

Image: @cajunski

By Scott N. Atkinson

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

The University of Louisiana-Lafayette won the Division 1 national title at the Syndicate Waterskis 45th Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 10-12, at the San Marcos River Ranch in Martindale, Texas. The Ragin’ Cajuns tallied 12,850.0 points in winning their fifth consecutive and 11th overall national title since the inception of the event in 1979.

The University of Louisiana-Monroe finished second with 11,705.0 points. The University of Alabama, which tallied 11,220.0 points, placed third. Florida Southern College finished fourth with 10,050.0 points and Arizona State University was fifth with 9,350.0 points.

The Nationals included 12 teams in Division 1 and 12 teams in Division 2. National team champions were declared in both divisions. Individual medals for slalom, tricks and jumping were awarded based on athletes’ placements within their division. Overall titles were awarded in each division to athletes competing in all three events. Athletes finishing in the top five in each event of slalom, tricks, jump and overall in Division 1 earned All-American honors.

Seth Stisher wins gold at Worlds

U.S. Team, Athletes Strike Gold At IWWF 35+ World Championships | USA Water Ski

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U.S. Team, athletes strike gold at IWWF 35+ World Waterski Championships

Seth Stisher wins gold at Worlds

Image: @skihusband

By Scott N. Atkinson

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

The U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team won the gold medal and 37 U.S. water ski athletes combined to earn 44 individual medals, including 19 gold medals, in respective events at the 7th IWWF 35+ World Waterski Championships, Sept. 4-8, at BOTASKI in Sesena, Toledo, Spain.

The United States tallied 13,355.67 points in winning the gold medal. Australia earned the silver (10,939.86 points) and France the bronze (10,778.28 points). Athletes and teams from 27 countries competed in the five-day event as the world team title and world individual titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall were at stake.

Greg Badal slaloms at the US Waterski National Championships

82nd Goode Water Ski Nationals Concludes At Ski West Village | USA Water Ski

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82nd Goode Water Ski Nationals concludes at Ski West Village

Greg Badal slaloms at the US Waterski National Championships

Image: Scott N. Atkinson

By Scott N. Atkinson

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

The 82nd Goode Water Ski National Championships concluded Saturday, Aug. 17 at Ski West Village in Arvin, Calif. Nearly 500 water ski athletes competed for titles in slalom, tricks, jump and overall during the five-day tournament, held Aug. 13-17, 2024, near Bakersfield.

Perfect weather and skiing conditions for the entire week led to record-breaking performances and dozens of personal bests by the competitors.

Ahumada Esqui Nautico

Argentina to Host 2026 Under-17 World Championships | IWWF

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Argentina to Host 2026 IWWF World Under 17 Waterski Championships

Ahumada Esqui Nautico

Image: @ahumada_esqui_nautico

IWWF

The Argentinian Waterski & Wakeboard Federation has been awarded the bid to host the next IWWF World Under 17 Waterski Championships in 2026 at Lago Ahumada Esquí Náutico in San Jose in Córdoba from 30th March to 5th April 2026.

The “Club Ahumada Waterski,” founded 10 years ago in Villa Dolores, has been a pillar in promoting water sports. For 8 years, the training has taken place at “Lago La Viña” in the Trasla- sierra Valley. Recently, the club built a high-performance private lake between San José and Villa Dolores, designed for skiing both day and night thanks to its advanced lighting. This lake, unique in the province of Córdoba, meets all the technical and safety requirements necessary for high-level competitions.

Read the full press release from IWWF

Wakeboarding and Water Skiing

The 10 Sports That Should Be Considered for Future Olympics | Sports Illustrated

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The 10 Sports That Should Be Considered for Inclusion in Future Olympics

Wakeboarding and Water Skiing

Let’s examine some possibilities for Brisbane 2032 and beyond (image: @sportsillustrated)

By Patrick Andres

Sports Illustrated

There is a lot to criticize about the Olympics, but generally speaking, it’s hard to argue with the Games’s taste in new sports in recent years. Rugby sevens, added in 2016, has been a hit. Golf’s stock has only risen. Skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing—all have added to the Olympics’ cornucopia of offerings.

In 2028, five new sports will join the fold: baseball and softball (which aren’t new but aren’t being contested in Paris), cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Those additions are part of a drive by the International Olympic Committee to add sports to the Olympics that will appeal to the locale in which the Games are held.

This begs the question: which sports could be next?

Read full article at Sports Illustrated.