2024 K1000 Marrakech Pro

Waterski Pro Tour Expands to Africa with K1000 Marrakech Pro

News

Waterski Pro Tour expands to Africa with K1000 Marrakech Pro

2024 K1000 Marrakech Pro

Jbilet Mountains Watersports Complex, Marrakech, Morroco (image: K100 Marrakech Pro)

By Jack Burden


Things have come a long way since April 2021, when the Waterski Pro Tour unveiled a new website and social media campaign to promote professional water skiing. At that time, water skiing, along with many other professional sports, was still reeling from the impact of a global pandemic, which restricted international travel, event attendance, and sponsorship opportunities.

Today, 1,145 days later, the Waterski Pro Tour is in its fourth season and has heralded a blossoming of slalom events across North America and Europe. In 2024, the Tour is expanding even further with its first-ever event in Africa – the K1000 Marrakech Pro.

The picturesque city in Northern Africa will host the world’s best slalom skiers from June 19-20, kicking off a run of four professional tournaments in less than two weeks that will see the world’s best travel to Morocco, France, Monaco, and Spain in rapid succession.

Vincent Stadlbaur, who is organizing the event alongside Hicham and Kamil Belmrah, shared that the goal of the tournament is for the athletes to have a great time both on and off the water, aiming to make the event as festive as possible and giving the skiers an opportunity to experience the local culture.

Expanding into a new continent is a significant step for the Waterski Pro Tour, which has proliferated in North America and Europe but has yet to take hold anywhere else until now. Speaking on the incredible growth of the Waterski Pro Tour since its inception, Stadlbaur attributes much of this to a “snowball effect.” With a few core tournament organizers showing others what is possible, they inspire others to follow suit.

“Events are more and more filled with high-level competition, which inspires other event organizers,” shared Stadlbaur. The TWBC President also emphasizes the value webcasts can add by broadcasting events to a wider audience, providing a greater value proposition for sponsors.

The K1000 Marrakech Pro, a midweek event, will be live on Wednesday and Thursday morning for the American audience, potentially offering better fan engagement for those busy skiing themselves at the lake each weekend.

In the women’s event, Jaimee Bull will have the opportunity to pull away to an early lead in the season standings in the absence of veterans Regina Jaquess and Whitney McClintock Rini. However, expect stiff competition from the likes of Allie Nicholson, Manon Costard, and Venessa Vieke.

On the men’s side, all four individual event winners so far in 2024 will be vying for dominance in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive fields in over a decade.

Regardless of the results, Stadlbaur sees the event as a success story, marking important progress in the Waterski Pro Tour’s mission to promote water skiing across the globe.

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg Water Ski Jump Crash

Clementine Lucine Raises Alarm Over Safety at Junior Masters Jump Event

News

Clementine Lucine raises alarm over safety at Junior Masters jump event

Tristan Duplan-Fribourg Water Ski Jump Crash

Image: @johnnyhayward_photo

By Jack Burden


The 2024 Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament was marked by a series of alarming crashes during the Junior Men’s jump event, prompting former world record holder and world champion Clementine Lucine to voice serious concerns about the competition’s safety.

“Every year, incidents occur that seem to disturb no one, leaving me perplexed and, frankly, terrified at the thought of getting my own children on jumpers and maybe sending them to jump there one day,” shared the 18-time Masters competitor.

The event started on a troubling note when Japan’s Jo Nakamura, the first competitor, flirted with the right corner before imploding on the ramp. A few skiers later, German Tim Wild also clipped the corner and ended up sailing upside down through the air. Despite these dramatic crashes, both Nakamura and Wild managed to recover and post competitive scores.

The tumultuous round continued with French favorite Tristan Duplan-Fribourg, who was in a tight battle with Jake Abelson for the overall crown. Duplan-Fribourg found himself under pressure after a pass on jump number one. On his second attempt, the young Frenchman failed to get his right ski onto the ramp, flying straight out the back, with his dislodged ski landing not far behind him.

Back against the wall, Duplan-Fribourg had little choice but to take his third and final attempt to salvage his tournament with a spot in the jump final. Significantly backing off from his first two approaches, the young Frenchman looked out of position as he hit the ramp, collapsing into yet another backward somersault off the ramp.

Lucine argues that such incidents have become all too common at the US Masters. “Particularly at the junior level, it’s rare to find young athletes who haven’t experienced a crash.”

Searching for reasons, Lucine speculates, “Could it be the speed, load, and pressure at the bottom of the ramp at the Masters that is overwhelming, more than at other places? The ramp? The driver? Are the boats used at the Masters more powerful than those at other events? Is it the prestige of the event that weighs heavily on the minds of young jumpers? Or is there no specific reason?”

Lucine questions whether “adequate measures are being taken to ensure the safety of our youth,” suggesting that athletes could be “examined much more thoroughly after a first crash to prevent a potentially fatal second one.”

Like many sports, water skiing faces the challenge of safeguarding athletes who are often eager to return to action after a collision or suspected concussion. The IWWF introduced concussion protocols several years ago, but these are not always consistently followed or adhered to.

Ultimately, Lucine argues that “Yes, the Masters is THE most prestigious event we have.” But “prestige and safety must go hand in hand for success.”

“This year, we narrowly avoided a tragedy, and it seems to be a recurring issue for the past 25 years,” she concluded.

Jake Abelson's World Trick Record Approved

Teen Sensation Jake Abelson Pushes Water Ski Trick Record to New Heights

News

Teen Sensation Jake Abelson Pushes Water Ski Trick Record to New Heights

Jake Abelson's World Trick Record Approved

Image: @karinsidiali

By Jack Burden


Jake Abelson’s world trick record of 12,970 has now been officially approved by the IWWF, bringing the sport to the precipice of 13,000 points. This incredible achievement caps off one of the most rapid ascents in water skiing history, with 16-year-old Abelson transforming from a promising junior to the highest-scoring tricker of all time in just a matter of weeks.

In mid-April, Abelson’s personal best was just shy of 12,000 points, ranking him 6th in the world for Open Men Tricks. At the Swiss Pro Tricks, he set solid scores to qualify for the finals mid-pack before achieving a new personal best of 12,230 points—a US National record. This score secured him a runner-up finish, his second of the year following a photo finish at the Moomba Masters.

The following weekend, Abelson improved his personal best by another 500 points, setting a new world record of 12,720 at the Ski Fluid Classic. This marked the first time an American man held the world trick record since Cory Pickos’ last mark 24 years earlier.

Fast forward another two weeks, and Abelson continued his ascent, setting yet another world record with 12,970 points. Over the span of just three weeks, the 16-year-old lifted his personal best by a full 1,000 points, increasing the world trick record by 280 points—equivalent to the combined progress in the 17.5 years between Nicolas Le Forestier’s last record and Patricio Font’s most recent one.

Abelson further intensified his run in the 2nd round of the Masters Qualifying event, swapping in a ski line seven back (SL7B) for his ski line back-to-back (SLBB). He fell on his last two tricks in that round, but had he landed them, the score would have been another 300 points higher than his current record, comfortably surpassing 13,000 points.

This proof of concept, with both falls occurring in time, shows that it is likely only a matter of time before Abelson or another skier cracks 13k. While Abelson’s record hand run of 7,670 is the highest of all time, there are other skiers with better marks on toe. The Chilean duo of Martin Labra and Matias Gonzalez hold the two highest toe runs in living memory at 5,680 and 5,600 points, respectively.

The men’s trick field, much like slalom, is the most competitive it has been in a long time, with three separate winners across the first three professional events of 2024. With such a large group of skiers capable of tricking in excess of 12,000 points, it is no longer possible for the top seeds to play it safe. Each skier must push as close to the world record as possible to win at any given event.

With two more professional trick events in Europe scheduled for the next month, we are excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

Rob Hazelwood wins Lake 38 ProAm

Hazelwood Rises to the Top in the Most Competitive Slalom Field in Over a Decade

News

Hazelwood rises to the top in the most competitive slalom field in over a decade

Rob Hazelwood wins Lake 38 ProAm

Image: waterskibroadcasting_

By Jack Burden


The Lake 38 Pro-Am finished in spectacular fashion. Regina Jaquess delivered a dominant performance, running 10.75m (39.5’ off) in all three rounds to secure her third professional victory of 2024. The men’s final elevated the excitement levels even further. Cole McCormick, fresh off his historic Masters victory, Freddie Winter, eager to reclaim the top spot after missing the finals at his last two events, and Robert Hazelwood, motivated to prove himself after being snubbed from the Masters, found themselves locked in a three-way runoff for the title. Ultimately, it was Hazelwood who emerged victorious, clinching his first professional victory and surpassing McCormick as the youngest to win a men’s slalom event since 2019.

“A win on the Pro Tour is something I’ve dreamed about since day zero and for that to become a reality is truly crazy to me,” shared an elated Hazelwood who now sits atop the Waterski Pro Tour leaderboard. “Anyone who spends 10 [minutes] around me knows that waterskiing is more than a sport to me… it’s pretty much all I think about from morning till night.”

Over the first four professional slalom events, we have seen four different winners on the men’s side, including two young up-and-comers clinching their first professional titles. This level of competitiveness in slalom hasn’t been seen in over a decade; the last time a season started with four different winners was in 2011, when Aaron Larkin, Jonathan Travers, Thomas Degasperi, and Will Asher shared the first four events. In the final event of that year, a relatively unknown 20-year-old from Indiana clinched his first professional title, kicking off over a decade of dominance.

Since that season, Nate Smith has maintained a winning percentage just shy of 75%. Smith, along with Winter, Asher, and Degasperi, have won an incredible 116 out of 130 events since 2012, leaving a whole generation of supremely talented slalom skiers relegated to the periphery. In fact, up until the Lake 38 Pro-Am this weekend, no skier outside the ‘big four’ had ever won a Waterski Pro Tour men’s slalom title.

Part of the transition we are seeing in 2024 could be attributed to the old guard slowing down. Both Asher and Degasperi are in their early 40s, while Smith and Winter are now in their mid-30s, an age where many professional athletes begin to contemplate retirement.

However, the level of skiing and the depth of the field is as high as ever. The cut for finals at both Swiss and Lake 38 required a score of 3@10.25m (41’ off) with a solid backup. There are more skiers than ever capable of running 10.75m.

Rather than capitalizing on a waning field, the more plausible explanation is that young skiers like Hazelwood and McCormick have reached a point in their careers where they have both the skills and experience to go toe-to-toe with seasoned campaigners such as Winter and Smith. Hazelwood, just 24 years old, has competed in 29 out of 38 slalom events since the Waterski Pro Tour began in 2021, finishing in the top eight 21 times. That’s a lot of experience competing in professional finals.

Also promising are the 18-year-old pair of Lucas Cornale and Charlie Ross, who have both recorded scores deep into 10.25m and are starting to seriously challenge for podium positions (Cornale picked up his first professional podium at Moomba earlier this year).

Of course, the smart money is on the old guard to strike back. With 11 professional slalom events left throughout 2024’s jam-packed calendar, we should rightly expect to see the ‘big four’ back on top of the podium. But this level of competitiveness, where no skier, no matter their pedigree, is guaranteed a spot in the final, and anyone in the field is capable of winning, adds a layer of intrigue and excitement to the sport that is sure to keep fans hooked over the upcoming months.

Cole McCormick wins the US Masters

McCormick Wins First Professional Title: By the Numbers

News

McCormick wins first professional title: By the numbers

Cole McCormick wins the US Masters

Image: @johnnyhayward_photo

By Jack Burden


With his victory this weekend at the Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament, Cole McCormick clinched his first-ever professional title and etched his name onto one of the most prestigious trophies in the sport. Here’s a look at McCormick’s achievement by the numbers.

1

Number of Canadians to win the Masters men’s slalom title. McCormick is the first male skier representing Canada to win the title and only the fifth Canadian man behind George Athans, Kreg Llewellyn, Jaret Llewellyn, and Ryan Dodd to win the tournament in any event.

19

Total Masters titles in the McCormick household. Cole’s 2024 slalom victory adds to his mother Susi Graham McCormick’s 5 slalom titles and his father Ricky McCormick’s 13 titles across trick, jump, and overall. Cole is the first-ever second-generation Masters champion.

45

Months since any man other than Nate Smith, Freddie Winter, Will Asher, or Thomas Degasperi has won a professional slalom title. The last before McCormick was Daniel Odvarko at the 2020 Ski Stillwaters Pro Team Challenge.

3

Different winners in men’s slalom across the first three professional events of 2024. McCormick joins Asher (Swiss Pro Slalom) and Winter (Moomba Masters) in the winner’s circle this year.

15

Top five finishes for McCormick across 25 professional events over the past four years before finishing on top of the podium. McCormick has finished inside the top 10 on the year end standings in every season of the Waterski Pro Tour.

28

The youngest male winner of a professional slalom tournament since Stephen Neveu at the Botaski ProAm in 2019 (25 years, 9 months).

Joel Poland wins jump at the US Masters

Changing of the Guard: Young Stars Shine at the 2024 Masters

News

Changing of the guard: Young stars shine at the 2024 Masters

Joel Poland wins jump at the US Masters

Joel Poland celebrates his victory in men’s jump (image: Mitchell Miller)

By Jack Burden


History. Prestige. Tradition. No tournament matches the pageantry of the Masters. From the boat parade to the historic pavilion, down to the presentation of a semi-automatic rifle to a wounded veteran in honor of Memorial Day, the tradition of the event runs long and deep. This year however, unlike in the past, defending champions stumbled as a new generation rose to the top of the ranks.

On Saturday, 21 men and 19 women entered the three events scheduled for the preliminary round of the 64th Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament in Callaway Gardens, Georgia. For all of them, it was a matter of winning today or not skiing tomorrow – sudden death water skiing at its best. The reward was a chance to split the largest prize purse in tournament water skiing.

Following Saturday’s action, the cut for Sunday’s finals was razor-sharp; only four skiers in each event qualified for Sunday. Many of the biggest names in the sport found themselves out, including defending champions Pato Font and Nate Smith, and seasoned competitors such as Freddy Krueger, Whitney McClintock Rini, and Freddie Winter.

The men’s slalom semifinal concluded with a drama-filled runoff, with Adam Sedlmajer, Stephen Neveu, and Winter vying for the last spots in the final field. Ultimately, it was Sedlmajer and Neveu, both searching for their first professional victory in over five years, who punched their tickets.

Joel Poland, the first man to ski three events at the Masters in 24 years, came agonizingly close to making the finals in all three events, falling short of the bubble score by a fraction of an inch under video review. The British overall phenom qualified as the top seed in men’s tricks and runner-up in men’s jump with scores over 12,000 points and 70 meters (230 feet) respectively.

In a generally low-scoring tournament, where seasoned campaigners struggled in every event, Poland’s first-round scores stand out. His semifinal marks were less than three buoys shy of the current world overall record, and a higher overall score than any other skier has ever achieved even on a perfect man-made lake.

The women’s semifinals were perhaps the only part of the event that went according to script, at least in jump and tricks, where the four competitors with personal bests over 10,000 points all qualified, along with four of the five capable of 55-meter (180-foot) jumps, including Brittany Greenwood Wharton competing in her first professional event in two years.

Women’s slalom, much like the men’s, was a slog in challenging conditions, where two of the favorites, McClintock Rini and Allie Nicholson, failed to qualify in the variable conditions of Robin Lake.

In women’s tricks, the trio of Erika Lang, Anna Gay Hunter, and Neilly Ross were locked in tense battle as they have been at every event for the past decade. Since 2015, the three have secured over two-thirds of all podium positions and won all but three titles. Hunter led the pack after the semifinals with 10,500 points, while both Lang and Ross stumbled with scores in the mid-9,000s.

In the finals, defending champion Lang found herself in the unfamiliar position of first off the dock and set the pace early with the highest scoring hand pass of the tournament, on target for an 11,000-point score. However, a messy finish to her toe pass, falling at the end, left the door open for the rest of the field. Peruvian Natalia Cuglievan, the most recent woman to join the 10,000-point club, wowed the audience with a toe-wake-line-five out of the wrap, but couldn’t quite match the flipping ability of the rest of the field. Stand-up passes from both Ross and Hunter left the title up to a tight judging call. Ultimately, it was the newlywed Hunter who claimed her 3rd Masters trick title.

“I’m so excited. I went out [and] felt like I did the best I could do, [standing] up both passes,” shared Hunter on the TWBC podcast. Hunter had initially planned to perform a higher-scoring hand run, but after watching the skiers before her, she “decided to go for my normal run [and] try to do it a little faster… Ultimately, I’m very happy with what I did out there.”

It has been a tough week for Patricio Font. After having his world record superseded on Thursday by Jake Abelson, the 2024 Jr. Masters champion, he found himself unable to defend his Masters trick title after falling toward the end of his hand pass in the semifinals. The 21-year-old shared good-humoredly, “Felt good with my plan and my skiing. The swimming not so much, we’ll try again next year.”

The level of men’s tricks has been soaring to new heights in recent months, with all four in the final field capable of tricking over 12,000 points. Martin Labra, the highest scoring toe tricker in living memory, set the pace early with 11,810. Each knowing they had to pull out their A-runs, the rest of the field struggled to execute, handing the 18-year-old Chilean his first professional victory ahead of compatriot Matias Gonzalez, Poland, and world overall champion Louis Duplan-Fribourg.

“I thought [I needed] a little bit more,” shared a still out-of-breath Labra. “I thought it wasn’t enough because we have such great skiers going after me, [but] I was lucky enough to get the win.”

Fresh off a contentious runner-up finish in the trick event, Ross opened up the slalom finals with 3.5@11.25m (38’ off). In the notoriously challenging conditions of Robin Lake, the score held off challenges from compatriots Paige Rini and Jaimee Bull before the veteran Regina Jaquess stood up around four for her 10th Masters slalom title.

“It’s great, it’s actually my third [victory] in a row since my ACL [injury], a continued great comeback from that event in 2021 [where] I had to miss the first Masters I’ve ever missed since I started,” shared Jaquess. Reflecting on the conditions, the 39-year-old said, “It’s Robin Lake… even if it’s not rolly and it seems great, you’ve got the pressure, the pavilion, the athletes, you hear the announcers out there, people are in the water… Every year, every pass, every moment is different out there.”

The men’s final was another low-scoring affair, as Neveu, Sedlmajer, and Will Asher all failed to navigate 10.75m (39.5’ off) before the top seed, Cole McCormick, took to the water. The 28-year-old, competing in his first ever Masters final, was the only skier to run the pass in the preliminary round and needed to repeat the feat in the final after Asher had set the lead at five buoys. McCormick scrapped his way to five and a half, before ejecting spectacularly from his ski to clinch his first ever professional victory.

McCormick, whose mother is a five-time Masters slalom champion and father among the most decorated in Masters history, reflected on the achievement: “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 for someone who has believed in you enough to make you the face of his waterski brand, just feels unbelievable.” His comments alluding to Kris LaPoint, another legend of the tournament, who has backed McCormick through his ski company, LaPoint Skis.

In women’s jump, we were treated to an all “American” final, courtesy of Wharton, Lauren Morgan, and two formerly Belarusian athletes Aliaksandra Danishueskaya and Hanna Straltsova. It was Wharton, in her comeback tournament, who put some serious pressure on the World Champion. Straltsova appeared to come up short on her first two attempts before a technical malfunction gifted her a small respite in pressure, and she clinched the title on her reride jump.

“It’s never easy at the Masters; it’s more about the mental game, the psychological game, than anything else. Everyone is strong, everyone is capable of jumping far, but it comes down to three jumps here at the Masters,” shared Straltsova after her second consecutive title.

In the men’s jump, 20-year-old Italian Florian Parth clinched his first professional podium before it came down to a shootout between the past two Masters jump champions, Poland and Ryan Dodd. Poland rode a gusty head breeze to an impressive 68.2 meter (224 foot) lead. The Brit appeared to be buffeted around by the breeze through the air before landing and sharing his elation with the crowd. It then came down to the veteran Dodd, chasing his seventh Masters title. The 39-year-old Canadian threw everything at the ramp but came up short of the title.

Poland shared his rollercoaster of emotions while watching Dodd chase his lead: “I was definitely holding my breath, but when you put a score out like that, it definitely puts pressure on… He has to go out and try to jump 230, didn’t quite get the hang of it, and it worked out for me somehow.”

In many ways, this Masters felt like a changing of the guard. The average age of the podium finishers was five years younger across the board compared to the 2023 tournament, and was under 30 for every event except men’s slalom. Burning questions from the start of the season, such as who would be the next man to win a professional slalom title and whether the old guard of Krueger and Dodd would continue to dominate men’s jump, appear to have been answered.

“[The] future’s looking bright, we’ve got a bunch of young guys coming through, and there’s more of them that aren’t at this tournament. I’m excited for the future,” reflected Poland.

Once again, the Masters has kicked off the summer in spectacular fashion. Strap yourselves in, water ski fans, there is a professional event nearly every weekend for the next three months. Let the action continue!

Freddy Krueger: 30 years of professional water ski jumping

Freddy Krueger: 30 Stats For His 30th Season of Professional Jumping

Articles

Freddy Krueger: 30 stats for his 30th season of professional jumping

Famed waterski jumper Freddy Krueger is entering his 30th season as a professional jumper

The winningest men’s jumper in history (image: MasterCraft)

By Jack Burden


From professional victory milestones to world records and more, it’s a parade of unbelievable stats for the greatest jumper of all time. With his entry in the US Masters this weekend, Freddy Krueger steps into his 30th consecutive year of professional water ski jumping. Here are 30 career stats to celebrate this remarkable achievement:

He has won a professional jump event for 26 consecutive calendar years. Only in the 1997 season of his 30-year career did he fail to secure at least one victory.

His first professional victory came at the Shreveport, Louisiana stop on the 1995 Bud Pro Tour. Over two-thirds of his competitors on the Waterski Pro Tour last year were not born at that time.

He took 21 out the fronts in his first three seasons as a professional. While we associate Krueger with longevity today, his path to the top was anything but easy.

He set his first world record at the 1999 U.S. Open, taking the record off Bruce Neville and Jaret Llewellyn, the latter of whom had set his mark in the preliminary round of the same tournament.

He has broken the world jump record more times than any skier, male or female. His eight world records surpass Sammy Duvall’s six.

His reign as the world record holder, from 2005 to 2017, is the longest in the jump event. Only Tawn Larsen Hahn (tricks) and Jaret Llewellyn (overall) have held records for a longer duration.

He holds the world Ski Fly record as the first and only man to jump over 300 feet. His mark of 95 meters (312 feet) from 2015 may never be broken as the discipline is no longer practiced.

He has the most professional victories of any skier, male or female, in the 21st century. Krueger has won over 100 professional events since the turn of the century.

He is the oldest skier, male or female, to win a professional water ski event at 48 years, 4 months, 13 days. The next oldest is Thomas Degasperi at 42 years.

He is the only jumper to win a professional event over the age of 40. Ryan Dodd is the next oldest at 39.

He’s tied with Jacinta Carroll and Ryan Dodd for the most world titles in jump, with five. Only Patrice Martin (men’s overall) and Andy Mapple (men’s slalom) have more in a single event.

He now has the most World Championships medals in a single event. His silver in 2023 brought his total to 11 podium finishes in men’s jump, surpassing Andy Mapple’s 10 in men’s slalom.

He’s now tied for the longest span between first and last World Championships medals, winning his first in 1999 and most recently 24 years later in 2023. Jaret Llewellyn’s first and last were also 24 years apart, from 1991 to 2015.

He has a winning record against every single jumper in professional events for the last 20 years. His closest rival in this period, Ryan Dodd, has beaten Krueger at 42 out of 96 events since 2005 for a 44% winning record.

He has not missed the podium at a jump event he has entered since 2017. That’s over 30 consecutive podium finishes.

His first season championship came on the 2000 U.S. Pro Water Ski and Wakeboard Tour. Krueger edged out Jaret Llewellyn despite only winning a single stop to Llewellyn’s three.

His most recent season championship came on the 2023 Waterski Pro Tour, 23 years after his first.

He has been on the professional circuit so long that he now competes against his main rival’s son. Krueger and Jaret Llewellyn were one of our sport’s greatest rivalries through the 2000s; now, however, Krueger regularly competes against Dorien Llewellyn, Jaret’s son.

He was the number one ranked elite men’s jumper for 11 consecutive years from 2004 to 2014. Jimmy Siemers and Ryan Dodd were the only other skiers to claim the top ranking during the 18 years of the list’s existence.

He matched Andy Mapple’s 14 U.S. Masters titles, the most by a man. Liz Allan still has the most of any skier with 24.

He has won more Moomba Masters jump titles than any other man. Krueger has nine victories on the Yarra between 2004 and 2020, before even counting his night jump titles.

He has won over 50% of all jump events on the Waterski Pro Tour. That’s a lot considering he was 45 when the Pro Tour began.

He is the only skier to make the finals on the U.S. Pro Tour in both jump and wakeboard. Krueger was a regular on the professional wakeboard circuit during the 1990s.

He has been a part of five World Championships winning teams for the U.S. In total, he has won nine medals as part of Team USA.

He was a strong three-event skier before specializing in jump in the mid-2000s. Krueger placed 10th in overall at the 2001 World Championships and competed in all three events through to the 2005 Worlds.

He jumped 200 feet for the first time in 1995, making him the 16th member of the 200-foot club. He won two pro tour stops that year, his debut season.

He jumped 70 meters (230 feet) for the first time in 2002, making him the 4th member of the 70m (230’) club. He was preceded only by Jaret Llewellyn, Scot Ellis, and Jimmy Siemers.

Since then, he has jumped 70 meters (230 feet) more times than all other skiers combined. Krueger has scored over 70 meters 139 times.

He holds the World Championship tournament record. His mark of 72.4 meters (238 feet) was set during the 2007 Worlds in Linz, Austria.

He has the record for the longest distance at night, jumping 73.1 meters (240 feet) at the 2011 Louisiana Night Jam.

Freddie Winter is making his comeback at the Masters

A Year After Being Snubbed, Winter is Back at the Masters

News

A year after being snubbed, Freddie Winter is back at the Masters

Freddie Winter is making his comeback at the Masters

Image: Spencer Shultz

By Jack Burden


A year after being unwelcome at Callaway Gardens, British slalom skier Freddie Winter is making his comeback at the Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, stating, “My aim is to win.”

A two-time Masters champion, clinching consecutive titles in 2019 and 2021, Winter was not invited to Robin Lake last year due to alleged unsportsmanlike behavior at the 2022 Masters.

However, the reigning world champion is thrilled to be back for the 2024 edition.

“I won the last two times I was given a fair shake at competing, I’m excited to go try and win a third one.” Winter expressed in an episode of the Distance From Center podcast.

“I’ve had a number of people say to me, you really shouldn’t go, you should show them what you think of that tournament, and I’ve said nope, I’m definitely going to go, my aim is to win,” Winter added.

Over the past year, Winter has arguably been in the best form of his career. Following a runner-up finish on the Waterski Pro Tour, he concluded the season with consecutive wins, including his second World Championships title, followed by his first Moomba Masters title earlier this year.

“It would really fun to in the space of 6-8 months to have won the Worlds, Moomba, and the Masters. To hold them all at the same time would be an absolute dream,” Winter remarked.

Explaining his exclusion from the 2023 Masters by Nautique, the tournament organizer, Winter stated he was deemed ineligible to compete “after a situation at [the previous] edition when I reacted emotionally to a ‘video’ judging decision.”

Reflecting on his absence from last year’s tournament, Winter admitted, “it hurt me not to be there.” He confessed, “I went out the night before and got absolutely black out drunk… during the Master’s final I was out surfing… I was not interested whatsoever in that tournament.”

Regarding suggestions to boycott the Masters, Winter found it intriguing. “it’s interesting that people would even suggest that… I’ve heard it from a great number of people,” he shared. Evidently, the thought never crossed his mind. “I’m built for competing, I’m enjoying it almost more and more,” Winter affirmed.

Ultimately, Winter says it best: “The best protest would be to win it, wouldn’t it?”

Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament

Masters 2024: Here’s Everyone in the Final Field at Callaway Gardens

Media

Masters 2024: Here’s everyone in the final field at Callaway Gardens

Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament

Image: masterswaterski.com

By Jack Burden


The 2024 Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament is finally here! Official invitations were finalized this weekend at the second Masters Qualifying event held at Sunset Lakes in Groveland, Florida.

The qualified skiers include defending Masters champions from 2023, current world champions, and winners of three other Nautique-sponsored tournaments from the past 12 months. Most of the field was selected based on performances in two qualifying events held in Central Florida over the past two weekends.

A total of 40 athletes qualified to ski in the open ranks, including a number of young first-time competitors such as Charlie Ross, Luca Rauchenwald, Florian Parth, Aaliyah Yoong Hannifah, and Lili Steiner. Other notable qualifiers include Joel Poland, who will be the first man to compete in three events since overall was last contested 24 years ago, and Brittany Greenwood Wharton and Lauren Morgan, both making comebacks from injury to contest the women’s jump title.

Here are all those who have qualified, with the qualifying criteria listed below.

Masters Athletes

Men’s Slalom

  • Frederick Winter (World Champion, Botaski ProAm, & Moomba Masters)
  • Nate Smith (Defending Masters Champion & CA ProAm)
  • Charlie Ross (Qualifier #1)
  • Joel Poland (Qualifier #1)
  • William Asher (Qualifier #1)
  • Cole McCormick (Qualifier #2)
  • Stephen Neveu (Qualifier #2)
  • Adam Sedlmajer (Qualifier #2)

Women’s Slalom

  • Regina Jaquess (Defending Masters Champion, CA ProAm, & Moomba Masters)
  • Jaimee Bull (World Champion & Botaski ProAm)
  • Whitney McClinctock Rini (Qualifier #1)
  • Allie Nicholson (Qualifier #1)
  • Neilly Ross (Qualifier #1)
  • Venessa Leopold Vieke (Qualifier #2)
  • Paige Rini (Qualifier #2)
  • Luisa Jaramillo (Qualifier #2)

Men’s Trick*

  • Patricio Font (Defending Masters Champion, World Champion, Botaski ProAm, & Moomba Masters)
  • Martin Labra (Qualifier #1)
  • Joel Poland (Qualifier #1)
  • Louis Duplan-Fribourg (Qualifier #1)
  • Matias Gonzalez (Qualifier #2)
  • Adam Pickos (Qualifier #2)
  • Dorien Llewellyn (Qualifier #2)
  • Pablo Font (Qualifier #2)

* Jake Abelson achieved the highest score at the first qualifier, but has opted to ski in the Junior Masters instead.

Women’s Trick

  • Erika Lang (Defending Masters Champion, World Champion, & Moomba Masters)
  • Anna Gay Hunter (Botaski ProAm)
  • Neilly Ross (Qualifier #1)
  • Natalia Cuglievan (Qualifier #1)
  • Paige Rini (Qualifier #1)
  • Kennedy Hansen (Qualifier #2)
  • Hanna Straltsova (Qualifier #2)
  • Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya (Qualifier #2)

Men’s Jump

  • Ryan Dodd (Defending Masters Champion, World Champion, CA ProAm, & Moomba Masters)
  • Joel Poland (Qualifier #1)
  • Tobias Giorgis (Qualifier #1)
  • Louis Duplan-Fribourg (Qualifier #1)
  • Freddy Krueger (Qualifier #2)
  • Taylor Garcia (Qualifier #2)
  • Luca Rauchenwald (Qualifier #2)
  • Florian Parth (Qualifier #2)

Women’s Jump*

  • Hanna Straltsova (Defending Masters Champion, World Champion, & CA ProAm)
  • Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya (Qualifier #1)
  • Regina Jaquess (Qualifier #1)
  • Brittany Greenwood Wharton (Qualifier #1)
  • Lauren Morgan (Qualifier #2)
  • Valentina Gonzalez (Qualifier #2)
  • Lili Steiner (Qualifier #2)
  • Aaliyah Yoong Hannifah (Qualifier #2)

* Jacinta Carroll Weeks also qualified for winning the 2024 Moomba Masters, but has retired from professional competition.

Junior Masters Athletes

Boy’s Slalom

  • Tim Wild (Botaski ProAm)
  • Damien Eade (Qualifier #1)
  • Jaeden Eade (Qualifier #1)
  • Bautista Ahumada (Qualifier #2)
  • Andrea Pigozzi (Qualifier #2)
  • Tristan Duplan-Fribourg (Overall – Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Jake Abelson (Overall – Qualifier #1)
  • George Malinovski (Overall – Qualifier #2)

Girl’s Slalom

  • Trinidad Espinal (Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Christiana De Osma (Botaski ProAm & Jr. Moomba Masters)
  • Daniela Kretschmer (Qualifier #1)
  • Solie Stenger (Qualifier #2)
  • Megan Pelkey (Overall – Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Kristy Appleton (Overall – Qualifier #1)
  • Leona Berner (Overall – Qualifier #2)
  • Alexia Abelson (Qualifier #2)

Boy’s Trick*

  • Jake Abelson (Defending Jr. Masters Champion & Botaski ProAm)
  • Tristan Duplan-Fribourg (Overall – Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Bautista Ahumada (Qualifier #1)
  • Tim Wild (Qualifier #1)
  • Francisco Giorgis (Qualifier #2)
  • Adrian Elias (Qualifier #2)
  • George Malinovski (Overall – Qualifier #2)
  • BG Bickley (Qualifier #2)

* Matias Gonzalez and Martin Labra both qualified, but have opted to ski in the senior Masters instead.

Girl’s Trick

  • Hannah Stopnicki (Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Alexia Abelson (Botaski ProAm & Jr. Moomba Masters)
  • Megan Pelkey (Overall – Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Marie Lou Duverger (Qualifier #1)
  • Kristy Appleton (Overall – Qualifier #1)
  • Christiana De Osma (Qualifier #2)
  • Ella Gay (Qualifier #2)
  • Leona Berner (Overall – Qualifier #2)

Boy’s Jump

  • Tristan Duplan-Fribourg (Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Tim Wild (Botaski ProAm)
  • Chase Sparks (Qualifier #1)
  • Jake Abelson (Overall – Qualifier #1)
  • George Malinovski (Overall – Qualifier #2)
  • Jo Nakamura (Qualifier #2)
  • Siarhei Danisheuski (Qualifier #2)
  • Francisco Giorgis (Qualifier #2)

Girl’s Jump

  • Kristy Appleton (Defending Jr. Masters Champion & Jr. Moomba Masters)
  • Leona Berner (Botaski ProAm)
  • Camryn Waters (Qualifier #1)
  • Kate Pinsonneault (Qualifier #1)
  • Megan Pelkey (Overall – Defending Jr. Masters Champion)
  • Marie Lou Duverger (Qualifier #2)
  • Cameron Davis (Qualifier #2)
  • Alexia Abelson (Qualifier #2)
Let’s go take up some space on that masters start list

Slalom Invites Finalized: Are the Best Skiers Truly Represented at the Masters?

News

Slalom invites finalized: Are the best skiers truly represented at the Masters?

Let’s go take up some space on that masters start list

Image: @pato.font

By Jack Burden


What makes the best skier in the world? Is it talent, skill, and record-setting scores? Or is it the ability to perform under pressure, to excel regardless of the lake or conditions, and to beat the rest of the field when it counts?

If you were fortunate enough to be on the banks of Sunset Lakes yesterday, you were treated to an exhilarating day of slalom as many of the world’s best skiers vied for qualification into the 2024 Masters Waterski and Wakeboard Tournament.

By the end of the day, the Canadian duo of Stephen Neveu and Cole McCormick had punched their tickets. However, an eight-way tie for the last spot forced another intense runoff. It was the European contingent of Sacha Descuns and Adam Sedlmajer that led the pack, each securing 3@10.25m (41’ off). In a second runoff, former world overall champion Sedlmajer emerged victorious to clinch the final spot.

The Masters has long billed itself as the world’s “most prestigious watersports tournament,” where “only the world’s most elite athletes compete.” However, this image is hard to reconcile with a men’s slalom field selected based on a single score at one of two amateur tournaments held this month.

In men’s slalom, only four of the top 10 finishers on the 2023 Waterski Pro Tour standings qualified for the 2024 Masters. The rest of the field, while undoubtedly talented, placed 11th, 13th, 14th, and 19th last year. Collectively, they have finished on two professional slalom podiums in the last 12 months, both courtesy of Joel Poland, and have placed in the top eight at less than half of the events they’ve entered.

Meanwhile, four men who placed in the top seven on the Waterski Pro Tour last year were not invited to the Masters. Between them, they have 11 professional slalom podiums in the last 12 months, including one victory, and have finished in the top eight at over 75% of the events they’ve entered.

In the current competitive landscape, we see logjams at 3@10.25m almost every weekend. The skier who makes it past three on any given weekend is a lottery, but over a long enough period, the cream rises to the top.

That’s why a season-long measure of consistency and performance is the most accurate way to determine the best athlete in water skiing. The Waterski Pro Tour offers this, with 12 professional slalom events in 2023. Who could argue that their year-end standings aren’t a fair reflection of the current elite?

This isn’t to take away from those who did qualify through the two ‘LCQ’ events; they had to beat the best in the world to earn their spots and at times battled challenging conditions to do so. However, it’s tough to say the current qualification criteria is truly “an acknowledgment of achievement for reaching the pinnacle in a given watersports discipline,” claims from the Masters website notwithstanding.

Qualified Men

SlalomQualification
Freddie Winter1st at Worlds, Moomba, & Botas ProAm
Nate Smith1st at Masters & CA ProAm
Charlie Ross5@10.25 (LCQ #1)
Joel Poland4@10.25 (LCQ #1) – Runoff
Will Asher4@10.25 (LCQ #1) – Runoff
Cole McCormick4@10.25 (LCQ #2)
Stephen Neveu4@10.25 (LCQ #2)
Adam Sedlmajer3@10.25 (LCQ #2) – Runoff

Qualified Women

SlalomTricks
Jaimee Bull1st at Worlds & Botas ProAm
Regina Jaquess1st at Masters, Moomba, & CA ProAm
Whitney McClintock Rini1@10.25 (LCQ #1)
Allie Nicholson4.5@10.75 (LCQ #1)
Neilly Ross2@10.75 (LCQ #1) – Runoff
Venessa Vieke3@10.75 (LCQ #2)
Paige Rini2@10.75 (LCQ #2)
Luisa Jaramillio2@10.75 (LCQ #2)