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.

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A post shared by Giannina Bonnemann Mechler (@littlegermany)

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.

By Jack Burden

The 30-year-old German shared her pregnancy news on Instagram Sunday, posing with her husband Dane Mechler while holding a child’s lifejacket. The couple, who tied the knot in 2022, expressed their excitement about the upcoming arrival.

Baby Mechler coming this August and we could not be more excited,” wrote the European trick record holder.

Bonnemann Mechler last competed at the World Championships in October, where she secured a second-place finish in Overall. Her impressive performance followed a near-perfect 2023 season, during which she remained undefeated on the WWS Overall Tour and achieved personal bests in both slalom and trick skiing, setting a new European record in the latter.

In 2023, Bonnemann Mechler’s top scores across all three events, if achieved in the same round, would have surpassed Natallia Berdnikava’s longstanding world overall record.

Meanwhile, her husband, Dane Mechler, wrapped up a season of strong performances with a runner-up finish at the World Championships. The Ohio native, a member of the exclusive 41-off club, finished fifth spot on the Waterski Pro Tour last year, a remarkable feat considering his full-time job commitments and limited travel opportunities.

The Mechlers’ pregnancy announcement garnered numerous congratulations from fellow professional water skiers, including other mothers who have excelled on the professional circuit, such as Jacinta Carroll Weeks and Venessa Leopold Vieke.

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A post shared by Giannina Bonnemann Mechler (@littlegermany)