Author: Jack Burden

JD Wiswall - Junior World Water Ski Champion

Remembering Jump Prodigy JD Wiswall (1971-2024)

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Remembering jump prodigy JD Wiswall (1971-2024)

JD Wiswall - Junior World Water Ski Champion

Image: JD Wiswall Ellis

By Jack Burden

JD Wiswall, a former junior world champion and professional jumper, has passed away at the age of 52 after a long battle with cancer. The Alabama native displayed incredible talent from a young age, breaking numerous records as he advanced through the junior ranks, and collecting a number of national, collegiate, and world titles along the way.

A U.S. national record holder in both junior slalom and jump, Wiswall was selected to represent Team USA at the inaugural Under-17 World Championships, where he became the first-ever junior world jump champion. Two years later, he would replicate that feat by defending his title at the second edition on the Yarra River, making him one of only four skiers to this day to win multiple junior world jump titles. In total, he won five medals across the two World Championships, finishing as the runner-up in overall at both tournaments.

Wiswall attended Northern Louisiana University (NLU), now the University of Louisiana Monroe, where he helped the NLU Indians reclaim the national title after they had experienced their first loss in a decade, securing individual jump and overall titles in 1990.

A brash and confident competitor, Wiswall’s performance at the 1991 NCWSA Nationals became legendary. Jumping with heavily bruised ribs from a slalom crash the previous day, “Turbo,” as his teammates called him, took to the water as the second-to-last skier of the tournament, needing an outright win to secure the team’s title. After posting the leading score on jump one, he stared down the final skier, University of Central Florida’s (UCF) John Swanson, and yelled, “I’m your worst nightmare!”

Swanson, however, was up for the challenge, winning the jump title and guiding UCF to their first ever team title. The Wiswall-Swanson rivalry would go down as one of the most epic in collegiate water ski history.

Wiswall’s best performances came at the slower speed and ramp height of junior and collegiate competitions, where his aggressive style was used to maximum advantage. However, he also had success in the elite ranks, winning the 1989 World Games, Open Men’s jump at the 1994 U.S. National Championships, and regularly competing on the Bud Water Ski Tour through the mid-1990s.

He remained engaged in the sport until the end, attending the last two World Championships as a spectator. During the 2021 World Championships, he expressed his excitement and anticipation in an interview with FlowPoint TV, hoping to see the first woman jump 200 feet.

A fierce and intense competitor on the water, but a gentle and kind soul off it, Wiswall will be greatly missed.

Jake Abelson jumps during the finals @predatorbay during the U17 world waterski championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Family Affair: Second Generation Talent Dominates Under-17 World Championships

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Family Affair: Second Generation Talent Dominates Under-17 World Championships

Jake Abelson jumps during the finals @predatorbay during the U17 world waterski championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Image: @johnnyhayward_photo

By Jack Burden

Turn back the clock three decades: Kyle Eade and Steffen Wild are regulars on the professional jump circuit. Russel and Jane Gay are among the best trickers in the world. Mariana Ramirez and Richard Abelson are promising juniors rising through the ranks. Now, fast forward to today, all of these world-class skiers traveled to Canada for the Under-17 World Championships, but now in very different roles.

11 of the 24 individual medals at the recently completed World Titles were taken home by these four families. Additionally, they set three world championship tournament records and, arguably, secured the team title as well, with four out of the six spots on the victorious U.S. Team filled by just two families.

Other second-generation talents included Fletcher and Daisy Green, both advancing to the trick finals; Marie-Lou Duverger, who finished fourth in girls’ overall; Samson Clunie, who narrowly missed the jump finals; and Cameron Davis, who placed fifth in girls’ overall and was part of the gold medal-winning Team USA.

The on-water action was incredible. The finals started with the Eade brothers, Jaeden and Damien, tying for the gold before having to settle things in a runoff. Training partners since day one, has there ever been a more fitting resolution to a sibling rivalry? Meanwhile, girls’ slalom was a tense battle between two South American contenders, with Peru’s Christiana De Osma narrowly edging out Chile’s Trinidad Espinal in the final.

The girls’ jump final was an incredible battle between Australia’s Kristy Appleton and Denmark’s Maise Jacobsen. Appleton threw everything she had at the ramp in one of the bravest performances of the event, willing herself further on her final attempt, which resulted in a spectacular crash upon landing. It took Jacobsen until her third and final jump and a new personal best, but ultimately, the Dane pulled ahead. Give these two fierce competitors some time to adjust to the faster boat speed and higher ramp height, and they could be the next big thing in professional jumping.

The boys’ jump final was relatively sedate after the crash reel that was the preliminary round, but it was Jake Abelson who stole the show second off the dock with a 53.3-meter (175-foot) jump to cement his overall title and set the mark for the rest of the field to chase. Tim Wild, the top seed and favorite after the withdrawal of the injured Tristan Duplan-Fribourg, tried valiantly but ultimately came up half a meter (two feet) short of Abelson’s mark.

While girls’ trick was somewhat of a foregone conclusion, with young Alexia Abelson head and shoulders above the rest of the field, boys’ tricks was a titanic struggle between the two highest-scoring trick skiers of all time, Matias Gonzalez and Jake Abelson. Both had set Under-17 World Championship records in the preliminary round and knew it would take even more in the final. The defending champion, Gonzalez, showcased his ruthless efficiency to set a score of 12,410 for Abelson to chase. A third gold medal was not to be for the American, who, despite two stand-up passes, narrowly lost his last hand trick to time and finished just behind Gonzalez.

While jump is historically the headline event to close out a World Championships, boys’ tricks was a fitting finish, coming right down to the wire. If the current crop of junior world champions is anything to go by, the future of the sport is very bright indeed.

Giannina and Dane Mechler Welcome Their First Child

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Giannina and Dane Mechler Welcome Their First Child

Image: @littlegermany

By Jack Burden

One of the world’s best water skiers, Giannina Bonnemann Mechler, who went undefeated on the WWS Overall Tour in 2023 and picked up a silver medal at the World Championships, has embraced a new chapter in her life. Giannina and her husband, Dane Mechler, one of the world’s best slalom skiers, celebrated the arrival of their baby boy, Luca Milo Mechler, born on July 31st.

The pregnancy has kept Giannina from competing throughout 2024, where she has been a regular feature on professional podiums across tricks, jump, and her strongest event – overall. The German athlete is one of only six women to trick over 10,000 points and last season began posting scores across all three events that could challenge Natallia Berdnikava’s longstanding world overall record.

Hopefully, we will see Bonnemann Mechler back on the professional circuit next season, where she could join a growing group of female athletes who have shown that motherhood need not signal the end of a high-level waterski career. The women’s slalom field is full of mothers who are top-level contenders, such as Whitney McClintock Rini, Chelsea Mills, and Venessa Leopold Vieke.

Giannina’s return will be eagerly anticipated by fans and fellow competitors alike.

Junior World Waterski Championships

Meet the Rising Stars To Watch at the Under-17 World’s This Week

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Meet the rising stars to watch at the Under-17 World Championships this week

Junior World Waterski Championships

Image: @tiaremirandaphotography

By Jack Burden

The Under-17 World Championships kick off this week in Calgary, Canada, highlighting the top junior water skiers in the world. This biennial event, established in 1986, has frequently been a launchpad for the sport’s future stars.

Predator Bay Water Ski Club in Calgary is set to host the first of three World Championships as part of an exclusive agreement with the IWWF. With its world-class ski lakes, previously hosting the 2009 World Championships and various professional events, the venue is poised to foster outstanding performances from all competitors.

Here are nine skiers to keep an eye on this week:

Jake Abelson at the 2023 Under-21 World Championships

Image: @fotografacamilabernal

Jake Abelson (USA)

While most fans may know world record holder Jake Abelson as a trick skier, thanks to his string of professional and elite podium placements starting in 2021, it might surprise some to learn that the American prodigy enters this World Championships as the favorite in boys’ overall. Combining his world-class trick skiing with scores deep into the 11.25m (38′ off) pass and jump scores exceeding 50 meters (164 feet), it’s evident why he is tipped to dominate the event.

The son of two elite-level skiers, this tri-citizen (U.S., Mexico, and Canada) divides his time between Arizona and New Hampshire. A multi-talented athlete, Abelson is also a level 10 gymnast. Expect him to vie for his first world title in both the overall and trick events.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 7th (4.25@11.25m)
  • Tricks: 1st (12,845 points)
  • Jump: 3rd (53.1 meters)
  • Overall: 1st
Kristy Appleton competes at the 2023 Moomba Masters

Image: @kristy.appleton

Kristy Appleton (AUS)

The Queenslander enters the World Championships as the favorite in the girl’s jump and overall categories, capable of posting highly competitive scores in slalom and trick alongside her biggest strength: jump. Incredibly consistent, Appleton has recorded more scores exceeding 40 meters (131 feet) than any other under-17 girl in the world over the past couple of seasons.

Following podium finishes in both jump and overall at the last Under-17 World Championships 18 months ago, Appleton aims to leverage that experience to claim the top spot this week.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 9th (3.25@12m)
  • Tricks: 4th (5,560 points)
  • Jump: 1st (45.3 meters)
  • Overall: 1st
Matias Gonzalez competes at the 2023 Pan American Games

Image: @mati.waterski

Matias Gonzalez (CHI)

The sole champion from the 2022 Under-17 World Championships (held in January 2023) who is young enough to return in 2024 to defend their title, Gonzalez enters these championships as one of the favorites in boy’s tricks. The Chilean formerly held the under-17 world record and ranks as the 2nd highest scoring tricker of all time.

Despite his youth, Gonzalez boasts years of experience on the professional circuit, making him a formidable competitor for the rest of the field to chase.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 8th (3.75@11.25m)
  • Tricks: 2nd (12,650 points)
Jaeden Eade at the 2022 Under 17 World Championships

Image: @tiaremiranda 

Jaeden Eade (USA)

Raised at Ski Fluid, one of the world’s leading ski schools, it’s perhaps no wonder that Jaeden Eade, the son of former professional jumper and world-class coach Kyle Eade, was destined for greatness. Eade has made his mark in the slalom event, becoming the second youngest skier to run the 10.75m (39.5′ off) pass last year (although he has since been surpassed on that list by his younger brother Damien).

In addition to his success in slalom, Eade has recently made strides in the jump event. As a result, he will challenge for a podium finish in jump as well, entering the World Championships as the favorite in the boys’ slalom event.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 1st (1.5@10.25m)
  • Jump: 4th (51.0 meters)
  • 6th Overall
Lexi Abelson competes at the 2022 Under-17 World Championships

Image: @tiaremiranda 

Alexia Abelson (USA)

The younger of the two Abelson siblings, Lexi, is an up-and-coming superstar in her own right. The American achieved podium finishes at both the Under-17 and Under-21 World Championships in 2023. She enters these championships as the favorite in girl’s tricks.

Although still only attempting single wake cuts in the jump event, the 14-year-old is a strong contender in overall by virtue of her incredible slalom and trick performances.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 3rd (2.75@11.25m)
  • Tricks: 1st (8,670 points)
  • Overall: 2nd
Tim Wild competes in jump at the 2023 German National Championships

Image: @tim.wild07

Tim Wild (GER)

The German three-eventer, now the country’s highest-scoring men’s tricker, is another second-generation talent. Tim’s father, Steffen, holds the distinction of being the first-ever junior world overall champion, securing gold at the inaugural event in Milan, Italy, in 1986.

Wild excels in slalom and jumping, with a strong chance of winning titles in either of these events. He is also a strong contender for the overall podium.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 3rd (2.5@10.75m)
  • Tricks: 6th (9,190 points)
  • Jump: 2nd (53.6 meters)
  • 3rd Overall
Christhiana De Osma competes at the 2023 Under-21 World Championships

Image: @fotografacamilabernal

Christiana De Osma (PER)

The Peruvian finished on the podium at the last Under-17 World Championships and aims to clinch the title in 2024. De Osma is capable of running 11.25 meters (38′ off), and if she can replicate her best scores into 10.75 (39.5′ off), she will have a strong chance of winning the event.

Competing in tricks as well, De Osma could challenge for an podium spot with strong performances in the weaker of her two events.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 1st (1@10.75m)
  • Tricks: 5th (5,515 points)
Denmark's Maise Jacobsen competes in jump at the 2023 European Youth Championships

Image: @tulliopicture

Maise Jacobsen (DEN)

Denmark has consistently excelled in women’s jump, with June Fladborg and Maj Jepsen being regulars on the professional circuit during the 2000s. The latest Danish up-and-comer is Maise Jacobsen, who has dominated the junior ranks in Europe for several years. She enters these World Championships as one of the favorites in girl’s jump.

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Jump: 2nd (42.5 meters)
  • Overall: 7th
Trinidad Espinal at the 2023 South American Beach Games

Image: @triniespinal

Trinidad Espinal (CHI)

The Chilean has emerged as one of the strongest slalom skiers in South America in recent seasons, clinching victory at the South American Beach Games last season and securing a podium finish at the Under-21 World Championships. Trinidad has run 12 meters (35′ off) more times than any other under-17-year-old girl over the past two seasons and has consistently posted scores deep down at 11.25m (38′ off).

Under-17 World Rankings:

  • Slalom: 2nd (0@10.75m)

@joelpoland New pending world record!

Poland’s World Overall Record Approved, Fifth Record in Three Years

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Poland’s world overall record approved, fifth record in three years

@joelpoland New pending world record!

Image: @joelpoland

By Jack Burden

Joel Poland’s world overall record, set at the Ski Fluid Classic in April 2024, was officially ratified by the IWWF yesterday, marking his fifth world overall record in three years. The three-event superstar now has the distinction of breaking the most world overall records since official records began in the mid-1990s. He overtakes Regina Jaquess (four) and Patrice Martin, Elena Milakova, and Natallia Berdnikava (three each) with his five world records set between April 2021 and 2024.

His latest mark – 1 @ 10.25m (41’ off), 11,680 points, and 70.3 meters (231 feet) – was just three overall points higher than his previous record set at the 2023 Malibu Open and is still significantly below Poland’s personal bests in both slalom and trick, where he has previously run 10.25m and tricked over 12,000 points.

If the Brit can pull off the perfect round while he is in his current form across all three events, he will have the opportunity to set a generational record, one that will stand the test of time – similar to Jaret Llewellyn’s mark from 2002 which took 15 years for any man to best, or Berdnikava’s mark from 2012 which still stands to this day.

Arguably the hardest record in the sport to break, requiring near perfection in a single round of competition, Poland’s achievements are already historic. With four professional overall events, four jump events, and plenty more slalom events (if he chooses to attend), Poland will look to add more professional titles to his already impressive resume through the second half of 2024.

Louis Duplan-Fribourg, Joel Poland, and Edoardo Marenzi on the Red Bull WWS Overall Tour

Overall’s Finest: We Preview the 2024 WWS Overall Tour

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Overall’s Finest: We Preview the 2024 WWS Overall Tour

Louis Duplan-Fribourg, Joel Poland, and Edoardo Marenzi on the Red Bull WWS Overall Tour

Image: @world.water.skiers

By Jack Burden

The 2024 WorldWaterSkiers (WWS) Overall Tour launches next weekend with its first stop in Salmsee, Austria. The Tour, which pits the world’s best water skiers against each other in the traditional overall format, has provided a window into the world of overall competition, which previously was only contested every other year at the World Championships.

Over the first two seasons, we have witnessed incredible competition, from cementing the legacies of superstars such as Joel Poland and Giannina Bonemann Mechler to introducing us to future stars like the Duplan-Fribourg brothers, Kennedy Hansen, and Paige Rini.

Unfortunately, the women’s portion of the 2024 tour had to be canceled due to a lack of participation. However, the best male overall skiers in the world will once again compete across a series of four international events.

Here are six skiers to watch during the 2024 WWS Overall Tour:

Joel Poland

The hottest commodity in world water skiing over the past two seasons, the world record holder needs no introduction. Poland went undefeated on the 2023 Tour, culminating in a world record to win the Tour final, and will look to replicate that feat again in 2024.

In a recent interview on the TWBC Podcast, Poland referred to himself as a “three-event skier” rather than an “overall skier,” highlighting his ambition to compete with the best across all three events. As the only man to hold residence in the sport’s three most exclusive clubs (41’/10.25m, 12,000 points, and 70m/230′), he will be tough to beat throughout the tour.

Louis Duplan-Fribourg

The Frenchman had to play second fiddle to Poland throughout the 2023 Tour, placing second at all four stops, but he applied serious pressure throughout the season. He set a French national jump record at the opening tour stop to finish within 3 overall points of Poland, a margin smaller than a quarter buoy or a side slide.

Duplan-Fribourg capped off his 2023 season with a victory at the World Championships and will be determined to show the world that it was not a one-off. The strongest tricker on the Tour, and pushing up close to 70m (230 feet), Louis will be looking to challenge Poland for the crown of the world’s best skier.

Dorien Llewellyn

The dark horse of the field, Llewellyn has competed in just two tournaments so far this year—the U.S. Masters (tricks only) and the Masters Qualifier at Sunset Lakes. At his best, he is the second highest-scoring overall skier of all time, only narrowly short of Poland’s world record, but fitness remains a major concern for the Canadian after a serious ankle injury last season.

If Llewellyn is able to recapture his pre-injury form, the former world record holder will be a formidable challenger throughout the Tour. He picked up a World Championships bronze and Pan Am Games gold skiing on one leg last fall and, after spending most of the past 12 months on the sidelines, he will be hungry to return to high-level competition.

Martin Kolman

The veteran of the field, remarkably at only 32 years of age, Kolman has quietly returned to world-class form in all three events. After moving to Utah and starting a career with Goode Skis, the Czech athlete appeared to put his skiing on the back burner for a couple of seasons, particularly in jump, where he managed only a handful of 200-foot scores from 2020-2022. However, last year he was in arguably the best form of his career, recording a personal best in tricks and some of his best-ever jump scores.

To challenge for the lead, the 2019 world overall champion will need to unlock the last piece of the puzzle, his slalom form, where he has struggled to consistently run 10.75m (39.5′ off) in recent years. If he finds form in slalom, he will put serious pressure on the likes of Joel, Louis, and Dorien.

Danylo Filchenko

The Cinderella story of world water skiing, Filchenko lives and trains in war-torn Eastern Ukraine. Despite the constant threat of shelling in his hometown, just 60 miles from the front, the Ukrainian has continued to perform at world-class levels. He participated in the Monaco Slalom Cup last month, and despite doing the majority of his training in the leadup behind a boat without speed control, he managed to trick a personal best of 11,990 in both rounds to clinch a podium finish.

Combine that tricking form with jump distances in the mid to high 60s (220′) and the potential to run 11.25m (38′ off), and we could see the Ukrainian challenge for the podium, or more, throughout the 2024 Tour stops he is able to attend.

Edoardo Marenzi

No skier has competed in more professional events so far in 2024 than the Italian, who has been traveling the world trying to make it as a professional water skier. It has not been his year so far, with a handful of top-eight placements, but no podiums yet.

However, the Overall Tour may be the change of fortune needed for Marenzi, who really comes into his own in the overall event. Capable of running deep 10.75m, tricking close to 11,000 points, and jumping over 200 feet, the Italian does not have a weak event. He will be a strong contender to add to his four podium finishes across the WWS Tour over the past two seasons.

Catch all the action from Austria and beyond at worldwaterskiers.com

Giannina Bonnemann Mechler celebrates after winning the WWS Austrian Open

Cancellations Highlight Ongoing Issues in Women’s Professional Water Skiing

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WWS Overall Tour: Cancellations Highlight Ongoing Issues in Women’s Professional Water Skiing

Giannina Bonnemann Mechler celebrates after winning the WWS Austrian Open

Giannina Bonnemann Mechler, 2023 WWS Overall Tour champion, will not be competing in 2024 as she and her husband Dane expect their first child in August (image: @world.water.skiers)

By Jack Burden

Last September, the world’s best female overall skiers, past and present, gathered in Central Florida for the WWS Overall Tour final. Regina Jaquess, widely considered the GOAT of women’s slalom and overall, competed alongside Hanna Straltsova, who would go on to win dual World Championship golds a month later, and Giannina Bonnemann Mechler, who had swept the previous three tour stops. In a fiercely contested final with less than 60 overall points separating the top three (roughly three buoys in slalom), Bonnemann Mechler emerged victorious, going undefeated on the Tour. Sadly, we will not witness the women battle it out again in 2024.

Despite months of planning and communication with the athletes, World Water Skiers has made the difficult decision to cancel the women’s event due to an insufficient number of entries across the four-stop Tour in 2024. “Just really disappointed,” shared Tour organizer Jaret Llewellyn. “We continue to get great support from the men, but, unfortunately, the state of the sport makes being a professional athlete unattainable [for most].”

Instead, the Tour will move forward in 2024 as a male-only competition, where a core group of six of the best overall skiers in the world will travel to three countries alongside a rotating cast of local challengers. The cancellation of the women’s event is a significant blow and speaks to larger issues around participation and gender equity in the sport.

Water skiing, much like other professional sports, has made significant strides toward achieving gender equity in recent years. This year, an impressive 13 out of 15 slalom events and all five professional trick events offered equal prize money for men and women. This commitment to equality has resulted in the largest total prize purse for women’s slalom in the past 20 years, potentially the highest ever recorded.

Despite these positive developments, there remains a notable disparity in participation rates between male and female athletes in professional competition. Across the first nine professional slalom tournaments of 2024, all of which featured equal prize money, male participants have outnumbered female participants by almost two to one.

Professional events rely on athlete participation, whether directly through entry fees, or in the case of the WWS Overall Tour, to justify their value proposition to sponsors. If the women’s side of the field is consistently light, more tournament organizers might follow suit, jeopardizing the recent gains in gender equity.

So how do we increase female participation at professional events? The ‘host it and they will come’ strategy appears to be failing.

A simple answer could be that pay equity in professional water skiing is still a relatively new development. It may take time for this change to encourage more female athletes to pursue water skiing at the highest level. The visibility of equal prize money could gradually attract more women to stay in the sport past the junior ranks as they see professional water skiing as a viable career option.

Unfortunately, the reality is that despite the recent proliferation of professional events and the growth in prize money, the sport can still only support a very limited pool of truly ‘professional’ athletes, defined as individuals who can sustain themselves primarily off prize money and sponsorship.

Beyond prize money, other financial factors come into play. Industry support and sponsorship opportunities skew heavily male. Boat manufacturers sponsor over 40% more male water skiers than female, and among major ski manufacturers, the ratio of ‘team’ skiers is four-to-one male. These disparities illustrate the challenges faced by female athletes wanting to join the professional circuit.

The larger challenge may have to do with female participation across all levels of the sport. Amateur tournament participation is heavily male-dominated, although most of this is driven by the senior divisions. Women make up approximately 40% of tournament participants under 30, which is significantly better than many sports, particularly outdoor sports, which are notoriously seen as ‘boys’ clubs.’

This is encouraging, but there is clearly room for improvement. Water skiing is championed as a family sport and, at its best, is a beautiful way to bring mothers, sons, fathers, and daughters together on the water. But to meet this goal, we must foster a culture that encourages female participation.

Some of this is circular too. Having visible role models and mentors on the professional circuit can inspire more young girls to pursue water skiing. Successful female athletes can play a crucial role in mentoring and motivating the next generation.

Sadly, there will be no platform for the world’s best female overall skiers in 2024. A confluence of injuries, work commitments, major life events, scheduling conflicts, and financial pressures have coincided to deprive us of showcasing these important role models. Without greater support for women’s skiing across all levels of the sport, this could be the start of a worrying trend. Hopefully, it turns out to be just a speed bump on the road to success.

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg injury

Injury Update: Setbacks Continue for Talented Duplan-Fribourg Siblings

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Injury Update: Setbacks continue for talented Duplan-Fribourg siblings

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg injury

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg suffered season ending injuries at the 2024 US Masters (image: @tristan.waterski)

By Jack Burden

The Duplan-Fribourg brothers are arguably the most talented family in world water skiing right now. The eldest, Louis, is the world overall champion. The middle brother, Pol, a former under-17 and under-21 world jump champion, secured his first pro victory earlier this year. The youngest, Tristan, is the number one ranked under-17 jumper in the world and second only to Jake Abelson in overall. However, a series of injury setbacks will deprive us of seeing the trio contend for water ski supremacy throughout the 2024 season.

While Louis, freshly rehabbed from shoulder surgery, is returning to strong form in time for the 2024 WWS Overall Tour, his younger siblings will unfortunately spend most of this year on the sidelines.

Tristan, one of the favorites to dominate at the upcoming Under-17 World Championships, will not compete at the event after two horrific crashes at the Junior Masters left him with serious injuries. The Frenchman sustained a fractured eye, a bone tear in his hip, and serious head trauma following the event, in which there was some controversy over whether IWWF concussion protocols were adequately followed. The 17-year-old’s injuries were so severe he was temporarily placed in an artificial coma.

“Life is short and precious. This is the lesson I learned during the most horrible experience of my life,” shared Tristan, who now faces a long road to recovery.

Pol started the season in style, defeating veteran Ryan Dodd in the night jump final at the Moomba Masters, becoming the youngest to win a professional jump event since 2017. The 21-year-old, who has a history of back pain, tried to push through in his efforts to qualify for the U.S. Masters before a jump crash aggravated his injuries further and put a pause on his season.

“This incident reminds me how demanding and unforgiving the sport we love is, but also how important it is to listen to your body,” shared Pol.

Medical exams revealed a herniated disc in his back and a fractured ankle, the former of which Pol has since undergone surgery to repair. He too now faces a long rehab journey to return to the water.

Both siblings remain optimistic in spite of their setbacks, expressing their desire to heal and come back stronger. If their resilience and determination are anything to go by, we will be hearing the Duplan-Fribourg name for many years to come.

Ian Faulkner IWWF Hall of Fame 1999

Remembering Australian Water Skiing ‘Doyen’ Ian Faulkner (1942-2024)

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Remembering Australian water skiing ‘doyen’ Ian Faulkner (1942-2024)

Ian Faulkner IWWF Hall of Fame 1999

Image: USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation

By Jack Burden

Ian Faulkner, a beloved figure in the water skiing community, has passed away at the age of 82. One of water skiing’s greatest historians, the Melburnian dedicated his life to the sport and helped shape both Australian and world water skiing.

Inducted into the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) Hall of Fame in 1999, Faulkner was a lifelong devotee of water skiing. He attended every World Championship from 1969 to 1981 as either the Australian team manager or coach, served as Australian Tournament Director from 1973 to 1982, and laid the foundation for the development of tournament water skiing in Australia with the creation of the Australian Water Ski Association Master Plan in 1979.

A name synonymous with the Moomba Masters, Faulkner was a regular competitor starting at the second edition in 1962 and quickly transitioned into progressive leadership roles. He served on the Moomba Masters organizing committee for over three decades, including as Chairman from 1972 to 1995—arguably the period of the event’s greatest success and popularity.

A visionary who was never afraid to share his opinions, Faulkner made a splash in 1971 when a letter outlining his idea for an international series of cash prize tournaments was published in The Water Skier magazine. Incredibly prescient, the first major cash prize tournament would be hosted in the US the following year, and the framework he pioneered, alongside Jaap Suyderhoud, would be adopted by the U.S. Pro Tour, IWWF World Cup, Elite Ranking List, and most recently the Waterski Pro Tour.

Internationally, Faulkner also served on the World Water Ski Union (now IWWF) Technical Committee for 15 years during a period of significant development in the sport’s technology and rules.

In his later years, Faulkner dedicated his efforts to preserving the history of the sport, publishing two volumes on the History of the Moomba Masters and another book on the History of Waterski Jumping. Faulkner was prolific on Facebook, sharing photos and stories from past Moomba Masters and World Championships.

A walking encyclopedia on water skiing, I had the pleasure to work with Faulkner earlier this year to help preserve some of his extensive research on the Moomba Masters. Together we added four decades of results to a Wikipedia page on the history of the event.

A warm, witty, and incredibly generous man, he shared some incredible stories from the early days of the longest-running professional water ski tournament. His first role on the Moomba organizing committee was to invite international skiers, including arranging airline tickets, accommodation, and training—all done through handwritten letters. Eventually, he secured a phone budget to make long-distance calls.

Although he retired from the organizing committee in the 1990s after, in his own words, “my use-by date was up,” a series of emergencies led the Victorian Water Ski Association to convince Faulkner to come out of retirement one last time to take charge of the 2002 Moomba Masters.

Ian Faulkner’s passing is a profound loss to the water skiing community. His contributions and legacy will continue to inspire us all. Our deepest condolences go out to Ian’s family and friends during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Ian. Your spirit and dedication will forever be remembered in the world of water skiing.

Siemers poses next to his photo on the USA Water Ski Museum

America Has an Overall Problem and it’s Costing them World Championships

Articles

America has an overall problem and it’s costing them World Championships

Siemers poses next to his photo on the USA Water Ski Museum

Jimmy Siemers was the last American to win a World Championships medal in men’s overall, that was in 2005 (image: @jimmy_siemers)

By Jack Burden

Anyone tuning into the Pan American Games last October witnessed one of the most farcical scenes in the history of our sport when American slalom specialist Nate Smith took to the water in the trick event, scoring only side slides. The reason behind this spectacle was the Games’ selection criteria, mandating each country to send both a male and female overall competitor. Rather than taking a chance on emerging talents like Jake Abelson or Blaze Grubbs, the U.S. selection committee opted for Smith to attempt beginner tricks and pass a jump live on television. The decision was just the latest in a long history of neglect for the overall event in the U.S.

Since Jimmy Siemers’ last World Championships in 2009, the U.S. has not selected a single male overall skier to compete at the World Championships. Freddy Krueger is the only other male to represent the U.S. in overall this century. No American male competed in overall, even as an independent, for a decade between 2011 and 2021.

Relying on specialists on the men’s side has proven costly for the U.S. Team over the last three decades. After an undefeated streak through the first 40 years of the World Championships, the U.S. Team has won only 7 out of 17 since 1991. Men’s overall has been a crucial factor, with only four victories occurring without Siemers on the team.

For a nation that produced three-event water skiing legends like Duvall, Roberge, and Suyderhoud, the disappearance of overall skiers raises questions. Mastering all three events is incredibly difficult, is this just a pipeline issue? Unlikely. Since 2010, the U.S. has had 10 different skiers ranked within the top 20 for men’s overall performances, no other country had more during this period. Four of these skiers have been within the top 10, with only Australia and Great Britain having more, with five each.

However, a closer look at U.S. Team selection reveals consistent neglect of emerging overall talent. In 2011, without Siemers for the first time in a decade, the U.S. overlooked Storm Selsor, who finished the previous season as the 5th ranked overall skier in the world. Instead, they selected a team of three single-event specialists, including a 15-year-old Erika Lang. Had they included Selsor, who skied as an independent and placed 8th in overall, they would have finished within striking distance of Belarus, the winners, rather than the distant third they achieved.

The issue seems to be a lack of support and encouragement for young talent. Zack Worden, simultaneously ranked in the top 3 for men’s jump and top 10 for men’s overall as a teenager, never made a U.S. Team and effectively retired from overall at 19 to focus on jump. The list of such talents denied the opportunity to represent the USA is extensive, including Mike McCormick, Scott Smith, Ryan Fitts, Dylan Schaffer, and Nick Lang.

While the U.S. has shown more support on the women’s side, selecting three overall skiers for the most recent World Championships, the absence of Regina Jaquess, arguably the greatest skier of all time, leaves a void. Beyond Jaquess, the U.S. has won only three women’s overall medals this century, and just one since 2003. With Jaquess approaching 40, supporting young talents like Brooke Baldwin, Kennedy Hansen, and Anna Gay becomes critical for the future.

The most challenging discipline in water skiing requires encouragement and support to thrive. While the U.S. may lack the government funding of some other federations, it can still nurture young athletes, providing them with the recognition and opportunities to represent their country. Without overall talent, America will continue to fall behind countries like Canada and France on the world stage. One thing is certain: putting a novice on the water to trick and jump on a major platform for the sport does no good for anyone.