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.
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.
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.
CLERMONT, FLA. — One of water skiing’s most exclusive clubs has a new—and youngest ever—member.
On Sunday at the Swiss Spring Classic, 19-year-old Canadian phenom Charlie Ross ran 1 buoy at 9.75 metres (43-off), becoming just the 16th skier in history to complete the fabled 10.25-metre (41-off) pass in tournament conditions. The score not only joins him to slalom royalty—it also sets a pending World Under-21 and Canadian Open record.
At 19 years and eight months, Ross surpasses Nate Smith’s mark as the youngest skier ever to achieve the feat. Smith, who first ran 41-off at age 20 years and six months, has long been the benchmark for modern slalom skiing. Now, that mantle may have been taken.
For close watchers of the pro scene, Ross’s breakthrough is less a surprise and more an inevitability fulfilled. His rise has been relentless: six Under-17 world record slalom performances (including a staggering 4 @ 10.25m as a junior in 2022), three successive Under-21 world records, and, most recently, a debut professional victory at the Moomba Masters this March—where he outdueled veterans and prodigies alike to win men’s slalom at one of the sport’s most storied events.
That Moomba final felt like a preview of the chaos defining modern men’s slalom. In an era where parity reigns—ten different pro event winners in 2024 alone—the Melbourne showdown was vintage unpredictability. Sixteen-year-old Damien Eade flashed early brilliance; the ever-versatile Joel Poland showcased his strength; Freddie Winter, just nine months removed from a broken femur, clawed back into relevance; and Lucas Cornale ignited the home crowd before Thomas Degasperi, ever the tactician, set the mark to beat. Skiing last, Ross answered with the highest score of the event to clinch the title—becoming the youngest Moomba Masters champion since Carl Roberge in the early 1980s.
A statement win for a skier whose pedigree feels almost like destiny. His father, Drew Ross, was a mainstay on the pro circuit through the ’90s and 2000s, anchoring Team Canada’s success. His sister, Neilly Ross, holds the current women’s world record in tricks and is an elite slalom contender. Raised at a ski school in central Florida, Ross honed his craft under the dual pillars of year-round conditions and top-tier coaching.
But raw talent only explains so much. Ross has become a student of the sport in the purest sense—obsessing over historical footage, deconstructing the gates of legends like Andy Mapple, Will Asher, and Freddie Winter, and dissecting body position frame by frame to edge his form closer to perfection.
“You can’t substitute for volume, volume on the water,” Ross told Marcus Brown on The FPM Podcast earlier this year. He also stressed the value of “bouncing different ideas off different people,” citing the advantage of training at multiple sites and the dense concentration of world-class coaches in central Florida.
Ross’s rise has also been fueled by a deliberate transformation off the water. Long one of the lightest skiers on tour (a wiry 6’2” and 138 pounds last season), he dedicated his winter to gaining strength—adding 20 pounds of muscle to balance agility with durability. The payoff was evident in Melbourne and again this weekend in Clermont, where his composed, powerful style carried him into waterski immortality.
Remarkably, Ross balances his professional ascent with a heavy academic load. A freshman at Rollins College, he juggles coursework with a travel schedule stretching across hemispheres. As the packed 2025 season unfolds—with eyes on the Under-21 World Championships on home soil later this year and a full slate of pro majors—his trajectory shows no signs of slowing.
Beyond his own ambitions, Ross sees slalom entering a pivotal era—one that echoes the rapid evolution recently seen in men’s tricks.
“It was only a few years ago we were asking if tricking 13,000 points was possible, what’s the points per second?” Ross said. “Now it’s guys like Mati, Tincho, Jake, Pato, and Joel—all right on the door.”
He predicts a similar surge in slalom, as a wave of young talents—including Lucas Cornale and the Eade brothers—begin to challenge the sport’s established elite.
“In a couple years, every tournament might take a near world record to win,” Ross said. “It’s going to be crazy.”
As the sport braces for a wave of record-breaking performances, Ross intends to lead the charge. “I want to chase running 43,” he said, referencing the 9.75m line length where the current world record stands at 2.5 buoys. “I don’t know if it’s even close to possible,” he added, “but when I’m done with my career, I want to be able to say I did everything I can to run 43.”
On Saturday, he took the first giant step toward that future. The 41-Off Club has a new name on its roster—and he’s just getting started.
Image: Calgary World Waterski Championships (courtesy IWWF)
By RTB
3 minute play
In this quiz, you need to name all the male skiers who have run 10.25 meters (41′ off).
The list has 16 skiers, all of whom belong to the exclusive club of skiers who have run 10.25 meters at least once in a world ranking tournament. The skier at the top of this list has run the pass more often than every other skier combined. We have mentioned the number of 10.25 meters run, as well as the country and top score.
Quiz: Longest held women’s world records of all time
Image: In His Wakes
By RTB
5 minute play
In this quiz, you need to name the women to have held an open world record for the longest time.
The list has 19 record streaks, we have set the cut off at three consecutive years of holding the world record, with most of the skiers breaking the record multiple times during their streaks. The skier at the top of the list held the women’s trick record for an incredible 17 years and 11 months. We have mentioned the event, consecutive years the record was held, as well as the highest score during the streak.
Quiz: Longest held men’s world records of all time
Image: World Water Skiers
By RTB
5 minute play
In this quiz, you need to name the men to have held an open world record for the longest time.
The list has 23 record streaks, we have set the cut off at three consecutive years of holding the world record, with most of the skiers breaking the record multiple times during their streaks. Five skiers have held the world record for longer than ten years. We have mentioned the event, consecutive years the record was held, as well as the highest score during the streak.
Water skiing in 2024 was a symphony of breakthroughs, rivalries, and legends. It was a year where the boundaries of the sport were not just nudged but obliterated. From historic records tumbling to teenagers staking their claim among seasoned veterans, the season delivered a relentless procession of stories that reminded us why we love this sport. Whether it was iconic figures bowing out, future stars rising to the occasion, or tense moments that left fans speechless, the year had it all.
Throughout 2024, skiers showcased their talents across two professional tours, the Waterski Pro Tour and WWS Overall Tour, legacy events like the Moomba and U.S. Masters, and the Under-17 World Championships. At its heart, 2024 was about evolution—on the water and in the stories surrounding it. As we count down the top ten moments, we reflect on a year that redefined what’s possible in water skiing and set the stage for an even brighter future.
The women’s trick world record turned into a game of musical chairs this fall as Neilly Ross and Erika Lang traded the title in a jaw-dropping display of skill and rivalry. It all began on October 26, when Ross posted an 11,380-point run at the Okeeheelee 3-Event Record Tournament in West Palm Beach, Florida, surpassing Lang’s standing record. But just a week later, Lang fired back with an 11,450-point run at the Timber Cove Record Tournament in Texas—the highest score ever tricked by a woman.
Then, on November 9, Ross delivered a double counterpunch at the Autumn Record on Lake Ledbetter, tricking 11,430 points in both rounds and submitting two pending world records. The back-and-forth battle captivated the water ski world as the scores awaited review by the IWWF. Ultimately, Lang’s record was denied, and Ross officially claimed the world record for the first time. As of now, her latest scores remain under review.
Regardless of official ratification, the razor-thin margins and high stakes of this duel solidified Ross and Lang as two of the sport’s fiercest competitors, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in elite trick skiing.
Perhaps most intriguing was Lang’s response. After competing at the October Okeeheelee tournament, she appears to have replicated Ross’s record-breaking sequence in a matter of days, perfecting it before her Timber Cove run.
The 10th anniversary of the Swiss Pro Slalom delivered a fitting start to the 2024 Waterski Pro Tour, and amidst the action, Jaimee Bull delivered one of the most astonishing performances in recent memory. Hosted at Florida’s iconic Swiss Waterski Resort, the event featured a stacked lineup of veterans and rising stars battling through two preliminary rounds and a high-stakes final—all packed into a single day. By sunset, the water had witnessed more than just skiing; it had seen history.
Heading into the women’s event, Regina Jaquess—the nine-time champion and reigning Queen of Swiss—seemed an unstoppable force. She’d never lost here, and few would bet against her claiming a 10th crown. But Jaquess fell short of McClintock-Rini’s lead of 5@10.75m (39.5′ off). Then came Bull, who had spent the winter on snow and only returned to water skiing weeks earlier. Defying expectations she ran 1@10.25m (41′ off) to claim victory, snapping Jaquess’ undefeated streak at the Swiss Pro and leaving the water ski world in awe.
Reigning men’s world champion Freddie Winter summed it up best: “It takes me a month and a half to feel like I can even stand on a slalom ski. Jaimee’s gone out and run 39 maybe in her second or third week of training. It’s exceptional. She looks outrageously good.” Bull’s understated response reflected her shock as much as her grit: “I haven’t been on the water that long, and skiing three sets in one day is a lot. [But] the rhythm was really good, and everything felt smooth.”
By year’s end, Bull’s early-season magic proved prophetic, as she claimed her fourth consecutive Waterski Pro Tour season championship. It all began with a Swiss Pro Slalom victory that was as unlikely as it was unforgettable.
Sibling rivalry often adds an emotional edge to sports, but few moments have captured it quite like 2024’s Under-17 World Championships in Canada. The final showdown between Jaeden and Damien Eade, two second-generation water skiing prodigies, delivered an unforgettable spectacle of skill, resilience, and brotherly competition. The Eade brothers, top seeds heading into the event, tied for the gold medal in the slalom event, forcing a dramatic runoff.
Jaeden, the elder, had broken an almost decade-old championship record in the preliminary round with 4 buoys at 10.75 meters (39.5’ off). Damien, nursing an arm injury, was a pass back but fought his way to tie with his brother in the final at 2 buoys on the same line length. In the runoff, Jaeden showcased his composure, running a clean 11.25 meters and repeating his earlier record-setting score from the preliminary round. Damien, chasing the highest score in the history of the tournament for victory, managed 3 buoys at 10.75m – falling just short. The embrace that followed between the brothers was a picture perfect moment, a reflection of years of shared training and mutual support.
For Jaeden, the win was about strategy as much as skill. “I just had to play it safe,” he explained, describing his decision to lay up in the finals and force the runoff. Damien, meanwhile, emphasized gratitude: “Just being at Junior Worlds was an awesome experience.” Their father, Kyle Eade, a former professional jumper, summed it up: “It’s a storybook ending for us.”
Four countries, four tournaments, 10 days, and $150,000 in prize money—this was no ordinary week in waterskiing. It was a whirlwind European tour that tested the endurance, skill, and grit of the world’s best slalom and trick skiers. Starting under the Moroccan sun in Marrakech and winding through the Alps, the French Riviera, and central Spain, the schedule was as relentless as the competition.
In men’s slalom one name stood tallest by the end: Will Asher. The 42-year-old veteran rolled back the years with three consecutive wins in Marrakech, Fungliss, and Monaco, cementing his place atop the 2024 Waterski Pro Tour standings. Asher not only won but did so in style, conquering the daunting 10.25m (41’ off) line length twice in the process.
Team Syndicate dominated the conversation throughout the week, claiming over 50% of slalom podiums and all seven slalom titles. Jaimee Bull continued her reign, pulling ahead on the Pro Tour leaderboard with another masterful performance. Rob Hazelwood and Allie Nicholson added individual wins to the team’s haul, while Frenchmen Sacha Descuns showcased brilliance on home waters.
Strong all season, Team Syndicate would go on to pick up their second consecutive Brand Leaderboard title on the Waterski Pro Tour. Their response was a mix of pride and gratitude: “What a year it’s been. We couldn’t be more proud of our team—on the water, in the factory, and in the back offices in Seattle. This trophy wouldn’t be possible without everyone working together and driving the team to be better every day.”
Joel Poland isn’t just rewriting the record books—he’s tearing them apart and starting anew. The 25-year-old Englishman delivered a fortnight of water skiing that bordered on perfection, beating the world overall record in three consecutive rounds. The latter two done in professional competition at the WWS Travers Cup, cementing a third consecutive season championship on the WWS Overall Tour.
This isn’t an isolated hot streak. Poland has been on a relentless tear since last year, when he ended a two-year drought to break the world overall record at the final stop of the 2023 WWS Overall Tour. That moment seemed to unlock a new level of dominance. Since then, he smashed the record again at the Malibu Open, again in the spring at Fluid, and—astoundingly—exceeded it in three consecutive rounds this September. Records aren’t supposed to fall this easily, let alone in bunches. It’s a staggering level of consistency in a sport where perfection is fleeting.
Spare a thought for his competitors, who find themselves skiing in the shadow of history. Louis Duplan-Fribourg, Dorien Llewellyn, and Martin Kolman all delivered exceptional performances at the Travers Cup—indeed, the entire podium surpassed Jaret Llewellyn’s legendary “unbreakable” record that held from 2002 to 2017. The competition was breathtaking, with highlights like a pending under-17 world record from Jake Abelson and a new French national jump record from Duplan-Fribourg. But none of it could hold a candle to Poland, who put up elite-level scores in slalom, tricks, and jump across all rounds.
“I’m pretty happy—three [overall records] in a row now,” Poland said, in his typical understated way. Look away at your peril—he’s not done yet.
The rise of youth in men’s trick skiing was nothing short of astonishing. Heading into the season, names like Patricio Font and Joel Poland were expected to dominate. Yet, the story quickly shifted to teenagers Matias Gonzalez, Martin Labra, and the prodigious Jake Abelson.
After Font’s early-season triumph at the Moomba Masters, skiers 18 and under claimed every remaining professional trick title. Most remarkable was Abelson, who, in just two weeks, went from never breaking 12,000 points to smashing the world record—twice. This wasn’t just incremental progress; it was seismic, with his combined improvements eclipsing nearly two decades of prior growth in the sport.
The year also marked the highest level of tricking depth ever recorded, with over half of all 12,500+ scores coming in 2024. Abelson’s inspiration came from a variety of sources: the speed and efficiency of Font’s hand pass, the boundary-pushing tricks of Joel Poland, and the blistering pace of Gonzalez and Labra’s toe tricking, to name a few. Far from occurring overnight, the sudden rise in trick scores is the product of “the collective knowledge” of generations of skiers and coaches who have laid the blueprint.
“To consistently trick over 12k, the most important thing for me was to focus on speed,” shared Gonzalez. Labra echoed the sentiment, attributing their collective success to their shared childhood rivalry. “I think we helped each other to be better… we started pushing ourselves to a better level,” he said. The next generation has arrived, and the path to 13,000 points is now firmly in sight.
The final weeks of the 2024 professional water skiing season were a relentless showcase of high-stakes tournaments across Florida, but none captured the imagination quite like the MasterCraft King of Darkness (KoD). A festival-like night event, bringing together incredible skiing and an enthusiastic crowd that harkened back to the sport’s glory days. But it wasn’t just the atmosphere that made KoD special—it was the level of competition, particularly in women’s slalom, where the bar was raised to unprecedented heights.
In a dazzling display of skill and composure, all four semifinalists—Regina Jaquess, Whitney McClintock Rini, Jaimee Bull, and Allie Nicholson—successfully navigated the notoriously demanding 10.75-meter (39.5’ off) pass in the head-to-head matchups. It wasn’t just a one-off either; the feat repeated in the finals, making KoD the first event in history to see such consistency at this level under head-to-head pressure.
The semifinals were thrillers. McClintock Rini ran 10.75 meters, likely thinking she had sealed her finals spot, only to watch Nicholson match her, forcing a 10.25m (41’ off) showdown. McClintock Rini held her nerve to edge Nicholson in a tense finish. In the other semi, it was déjà vu for Jaquess and Bull, whose rivalry delivered again. Bull pushed Jaquess to the limit, but the veteran pulled out her signature magic at 10.25 meters to secure her finals berth.
The final was a fitting climax to a night of exceptional skiing. Both Jaquess and McClintock Rini ran 10.75 meters again under the fading lights, setting up another dramatic battle at 10.25. McClintock Rini threw down a challenging score of 2 buoys, but Jaquess, in vintage form, responded with an audacious attempt at 3-buoy, complete with a spectacular cartwheel crash as she exited her ski. The crowd erupted as Jaquess claimed the title and delivered an electrifying reminder of why fan engagement matters so much.
“That was awesome,” Jaquess said, beaming as the crowd roared its approval. “it’s great to have all the fans and spectators on shore, it’s a special treat.”
Robin Lake, a venue dripping in history and difficulty, played host to McCormick’s maiden professional victory. The tournament was a battle of attrition, with former champions like Smith and Winter faltering at the 10.75 line to miss the final. It came down to McCormick, the 28-year-old Canadian American in his first Masters final, needing to surpass Asher’s five buoys to claim the title.
What followed was raw grit. McCormick scratched his way to five and a half buoys, his ski ejecting him spectacularly into the water but sealing the win. His victory not only ended a four-year drought of new slalom champions but also set off a cascade of first-time winners, with Hazelwood, Vaughn, Mechler, Cornale, and Caruso all adding their names to the annals of the sport before the season’s end.
Reflecting on his triumph, McCormick said, “Words just can’t even describe what this means to me. To accomplish something that you dream about as a kid, to finally deliver a win… just feels unbelievable.” It was a win years in the making, but the timing felt perfect.
When Freddy Krueger, the GOAT of water ski jumping, and Joel Poland, the sport’s newest star, meet in a tournament final, magic happens. Saskatoon’s marquee event delivered in spades as these two titans brought the house down.
Poland, second-to-last off the dock, needed a monster jump to surpass Martin Kolman and seize the overall victory. His third and final attempt was pure adrenaline, and when the crowd’s gasp subsided, he had done just enough to edge ahead of Kolman and take the lead in the jump event in one fell swoop. Enter Krueger, who thrives on moments like these. His last jump tied Poland’s leading mark, forcing a rare jump-off.
Krueger opted to go out first after winning the toss and opened with the longest leap of the day, adding an extra foot to his regular competition best. “It’s getting challenging, we’ve got shadows on the ramp now, playing with the visuals a little bit, but this kids got talent coming out his ears,” Krueger remarked as Poland prepared for his turn.
Poland’s response was dramatic. After slipping out on his first attempt, he delivered an all-or-nothing second jump, punctuated by a mid-air fist pump. The crowd held its breath, and when the measurements were revealed, Poland had edged Krueger by 30 centimeters (tying once again in feet).
“I was maybe too confident throwing the fist,” Poland admitted afterward, “but man, that felt good.” Their neck-and-neck battle defined the season, featuring several nail-biting finishes as they traded titles, with Poland ultimately clinching his first Waterski Pro Tour championship.
Jacinta Carroll capped her storied career with one final, breathtaking triumph—a tenth consecutive Moomba Masters jump title, achieved just 100 days after giving birth to her daughter Amelia. It was the ultimate swan song, a farewell fitting for a legend who has redefined what’s possible in women’s jumping.
The path to her final victory was anything but smooth. With just two weeks of on-water training over the past year, Carroll returned to the ramp powered by sheer determination and a rigorously managed recovery. Her third jump sealed the title, and as she stepped back onshore, the emotions poured out. “I started my professional career here in 2011 when I won my first Moomba Masters, so it was only fitting that I come back this year for my last professional jump event,” she said, her voice quivering.
For over a decade, Carroll was an unstoppable force. She rewrote the record books with 42 consecutive elite wins, seven consecutive U.S. Masters titles, five world championships, and the magic 200 foot milestone ticked off.
As Rabbit waved goodbye to the roaring Moomba crowd, there was a collective sense of loss and gratitude. Her retirement marks the end of an era, but her contributions have undoubtedly elevated women’s water skiing to new heights, inspiring future generations of athletes.
Honorable Mentions
The unbreakable tie between Degasperi and Caruso at the European Championships, marking T-Gas’ 11th consecutive victory.
Winter’s season-ending dock collision at the Monaco Pro Slalom.
Vaughn’s maiden professional victory, achieved after nearly two decades on the circuit.
The Abelson siblings’ dominance at the Under-17 World Championships, leading Team USA to a decisive victory.
TWBC’s rollout of the “helmet cam” at the MasterCraft Pro.
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!
Canada’s Neilly Ross has broken the World Open Women’s Tricks Record with a score of 11,380 points. This was performance was achieved behind the World Record-Setting Ski Nautique at Okeeheelee Park at West Palm Beach on 26th October 2024. Congratulations Neilly.
GRANBURY, Texas — Just one week after Canadian water skier Neilly Ross set a pending world record, Erika Lang has reclaimed her status as the world’s highest-scoring women’s tricks skier, achieving an impressive 11,450 points at the Timber Cove Record Tournament in Granbury, Texas.
Lang’s score surpasses the current record of 11,360 and edges past Ross’ pending 11,380-point run, potentially restoring the American’s position at the top of the sport. This comeback follows a remarkable week of intense competition and record-breaking, with Lang adapting her strategy after observing Ross’ innovative hand sequence.
Lang’s world record run
“11,450 points!! So excited to have set a pending World Record at the Timber Cove Record Tournament,” Lang shared after her performance. Her response highlights the fierce, fast-paced competition in women’s tricks skiing, where top athletes continually push the boundaries at each tournament.
Ross, 22, had made headlines just days earlier by setting the pending record in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her 11,380-point score was celebrated for its technical precision, featuring an innovative hand run that split her six flips into a series of wake spins and ski line tricks.
Lang, who also competed at the Okeeheelee tournament in pursuit of a world record, seems to have replicated Ross’ record-breaking run, learning and perfecting the sequence in the few days between the two events.
If ratified, Ross’ record would end Lang’s eight-year streak as record-holder, marking a potential passing of the torch in women’s tricks. However, Lang’s recent achievement could keep her at the forefront of the sport.
The escalating rivalry between Lang and Ross brings renewed excitement to the sport, with each record-setting performance intensifying the competition. Both scores are currently pending review from the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation.
Independent perspectives on tournament water skiing
