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.
