By Jack Burden

The recently concluded Fluid Fall Record tournament in Central Florida lived up to its reputation, with several impressive performances and records broken. Although the event is an amateur competition, the shores of the lake were lined with professional water skiers, all vying for big scores at one of the world’s premier ski sites.

Among the standout performances was Joel Poland, who potentially set his sixth world overall record. The British skier delivered a remarkable round that included 1.5 buoys at 10.25 meters (41’ off) in slalom, a trick score of 12,160 points, and a jump distance of 69.8 meters (229 feet). This marks Poland’s fourth world record in the past 12 months. Leading the Waterski Pro Tour in jump and remaining undefeated in the WWS Overall Tour, Poland appears unstoppable.

Poland shared on Instagram that he almost didn’t compete in the tournament, saying “This was a real last minute event, I signed up on Thursday, i just had a feeling this weekend could be the one. 3 days later, another pending world record and legs that feel like stone. No regrets 🤘 I’ll take every opportunity I can get!”

In the tricks category, Nelly Ross of Canada set a pending national trick record with a score of 11,230 points, just 130 points shy of the current world record held by Erika Lang. While there are no major trick events remaining for the 2024 season, Ross’s performance signals that the level of competition in women’s tricks is continually rising.

Meanwhile, Hanna Straltsova set a new personal best with a leap of 58.7 meters (193 feet), further solidifying her status as the best jumper in the world right now. Straltsova, who already leads the Waterski Pro Tour, is now outright the second-farthest female jumper of all time, behind Jacinta Carroll. Previously, Straltsova shared the second position with Natallia Berdnikava, but her latest achievement sets her apart in a class of her own.

Another rising star, Martin Labra, the 2024 Masters trick champion, demonstrated his growing potential with a pending Chilean overall record. Labra posted scores of 5 buoys at 11.25 meters (38’ off) in slalom, 12,190 points in tricks, and a jump of 63.1 meters (207 feet). The performance marks a significant milestone for Labra, as he overtakes his uncle, two-time world overall champion Felipe Miranda. Labra is shaping up to be a strong contender in men’s overall in the coming seasons.

Though not breaking any records, Regina Jaquess delivered another remarkable performance, setting only the second score in 2024 past two buoys at 10.25 meters (41’ off)—both scores belonging to Jaquess. The American skier is still in pursuit of becoming the first woman to run the full pass, with her current best standing at 5 buoys.

With six professional events remaining in 2024, including slalom, jump, and overall, the competition is heating up for what promises to be an exciting finish to the season.

Note: the original version of this article incorrectly listed Straltsova’s jump as a pending European record.

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.