Canada’s Jaret Llewellyn named male water skier of the year by international federation

December 20, 2007

OTTAWA- The International Water Ski Federation announced today that Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., has been named the male water skier of the year.

Llewellyn won the overall title and the silver medal in jump at the world water skiing championships. It was his ninth career world title. In addition he took gold in jump and tricks at the Pan American Games in Rio in July and was the overall and jump champion at the prestigious U.S., Open. On the World Cup circuit he placed second in the jump missing the title by a mere 0.01 points.

‘’I’m very surprised to win the award this year,’’ said Llewellyn, 37, also the recipient in 2003 and 2004. ‘’There were so many other guys skiing so well you would think one of them would get the nod since I’ve already won it twice. This is huge for me.’’

In the water skiing world, Llewellyn is a legend. He has won all the major titles and set numerous world records. He has completed 24 seasons on the national team (his first was at age 13), and plans to compete at least until 2009 when Calgary hosts the world championships.

‘’The key for my longevity in the sport is that I’ve put all my focus on the water skiing, especially the dryland training,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’In the past I was doing so many things that I’d wind up with some nagging injuries by the end of the season. This season there was nothing. I was perfectly healthy from start to finish.’’

Clementine Lucine of France was named the female water skier of the year.

Water Ski Community Mourns Loss of Krystal Arvisais

Dec 6, 2007

Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada mourns the devastating loss of Krystal Arvisais, an international level water skier from Val-des-Monts, Québec.

The 21 year old champion water skier died on December 4th in a tragic accident at her home when an auto shelter collapsed on her and her mother under the weight of a heavy snowfall.

News story, HERE !!

Krystal competed internationally for Canada, first in 2005 at the Can Am Challenge in Texas and then in 2006 at the Pan-American Water Ski Championships in Mexico, where she placed fourth in the trick event. She was a 12-time medallist at the Canadian Water Ski Championships. She is also the reigning Québec Champion and holds the Women’s I and Girls III slalom records in Québec.

Krystal was an extremely motivated athlete with a laugh that could make anyone smile. She will be greatly missed by the entire water ski community.

"I really liked being around Krystal", said National Water Ski Team Coach, Steve Bush. "A quick wit, contagious smile and no nonsense – a 'Get 'er done approach'. She was a team player, a really good competitor, and a friend to everyone.”

"What a tragic loss for the Arvisais family", remarked Dan Wolfenden, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Executive Director. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Dee Dee, Jennifer and Sabrina. The water ski community is very tight. Our group is reeling right now with news of the loss of one of this country's finest water skiers, a friend and such a wonderful ambassador for the sport."

There will be no visitation. A prayer ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 8th at 9:30 a.m. at St-Jean-Marie-Vianney Church located at 160 Bruchesi St. (corner of Notre-Dame St.) in Gatineau. Family will receive condolences in the church basement after the ceremony. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to "La Federation Quebecoise de Ski Nautique" or to the charity of your choice.

A guestbook has been set up for friends to sign in memory of Krystal. It can be found at: Guestbook

Calgarian wins contest to pitch her sport for Olympic inclusion

November 28, 2007

CALGARY – Annica Collombin of Calgary won the I Will Dream Big contest sponsored by Petro-Canada and has earned the right to pitch water skiing’s merits to the Canadian Olympic Committee for Olympic Games inclusion.

Petro-Canada contest officials travelled across the country to ask Canadians what should be the next Olympic or Paralympic sport. Four groups of 20 contestants were randomly selected in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

The presentations were videotaped and at each event the judges selected a gold, silver and bronze medallist.

"I'm very excited for water skiers everywhere,’’ said Collombin an athlete, coach and official with Calgary's Bay Water Ski Club, hosts of the World Water Ski Championships in 2009. "Water Skiing has all the elements and proven international success to participate in the Olympic dream."

Besides the opportunity to pitch her sport to an influential group, Collombin wins a free trip to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver-Whistler. In her presentation, Collombin vaunted the sport’s diversity, its many stars at the high performance level, the high participation rate for water skiing in Canada, the sport’s entertainment value and Canada’s consistent international success.

Water skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany and Canadian Pat Messner of Ottawa won a bronze medal in women’s slalom. Canada has been an international super power in the sport for decades led by George Athans in the 1970’s, Judy McClintock in the 1980’s amd Susi Graham in the 1990’s. Today veteran Jaret Llewellyn and 17-year-old phenom Whitney McClintock continue Canada’s winning tradition in the sport.

‘’Are Canadians excited about this sport,’’ said Collombin on her video.

‘’You bet they are.’’

For more information: www.iwilldreambig.ca

CANADIANS HAVE SPOKEN!! “WE WANT WATER-SKIING INCLUDED IN THE OLYMPICS”

Nov 26, 2007

The Canadian public was garnered the right to choose what they want as an Olympic sport and Canadians chose Water-Skiing! Annica Collombin of Calgary, AB entered Petro-Canada’s I WILL DREAM BIG contest, gained the most votes and grabbed the attention of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Collombin has earned the opportunity to present Water-Skiing to the COC for submission to the Olympic Games, as well as a free trip for two to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC.

The contest began with an on-line entry of a 100 words or less on why one's favourite activity should be added to the Olympic Games program. Organizers drew 20 entries from four different cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. Each of the city's 20 entries then attended a public audition, where they were given two minutes to make their best pitch to a panel of three, which in Calgary included gold medal Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser, a Paralympic athlete and a Petro-Canada representative.

And the water skiers made their splash! They dazzled the panel, TV cameras and live audience with a boat, ski gear, Olympic clothing, posters, balloons, flyers, and a passionate plea on why the sport deserves Olympic status, ending with a statement of fact -- "Let us in... we will win!".

Thank – You Canada for your support, making your voice heard and putting Water-Skiing in the spotlight!

Llewellyn, McClintock named athletes of the year by Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada

Nov 18, 2007

OTTAWA – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., were named the male and female athletes of the year for 2007 on Sunday by Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada.

Llewellyn won the overall title and the silver medal in jump at the world water skiing championships. In addition he took gold in jump and tricks at the Pan American Games in Rio in July and was the overall and jump champion at the prestigious U.S., Open. On the World Cup circuit he placed second in the jump missing the title by a mere 0.01 points.

‘’This was a crucial year in determining whether I would pursue my career,’’ said Llewellyn, 37, who completed his 24th season on the national team. ‘’I made a whole bunch of changes and it all worked out. I got the fire back and with Calgary hosting the next worlds (in 2009) I’m really committed to continuing until then.’’

McClintock also sparkled at the Pan Am Games in water skiing earning gold in tricks and slalom and a silver in jump. She notched her first pro title at the Malibu Open in France and collected triple gold at the Junior U.S. Open. It’s the fourth year in a row she has won the award.

‘’It was a big year and getting that first pro win and the Pan Am titles were the highlights,’’ said McClintock, 18. ‘’Those were things I wasn’t expecting considering I was competing against the best in the world at those events. It took me by surprise. But I showed I can compete against these girls.’’

Raphael Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., was named the male junior athlete of the year for the second straight year. He upset established professionals Rusty Malinoski and Chad Sharpe at the Canadian wakeboard championships for the gold medal. The 15-year-old was also sixth at the junior worlds.

‘’This was a big year for gaining experience,’’ said Derome. ‘’I competed on the junior Pro Tour for the first time in my career. I wasn’t necessarily going for the wins on the Tour but I wanted to do well. And that helped me make the final at the world championships which was a big step in my career.’’

Caitlin Rowland of Calgary was named the female junior athlete of the year. She won four medals in open competition at the barefoot water skiing nationals including gold in slalom. At the junior barefoot worlds, she was the youngest competitor and was 10th overall including a sixth place in tricks.

Pat Messner of Ottawa, who guided Canada to three medals at the world adaptive championships for water skiers with a disability, was named coach of the year for the second year in a row, and Terry Jones of Toronto was named volunteer of the year for his large contribution to barefoot water skiing, which included officiating at every barefoot competition in Canada in 2007.

The Federation quebecoise de ski nautique was named province of the year, on the basis of its increases in the number of member clubs, sanctioned competitions, trained NCCP coaches and number of athletes from the province competing in Canadian championships.

VOTE FOR WATER SKIING FROM NOW TO NOVEMBER 16th!!

Nov 2, 2007

Thanks to the enthusiasm of Annica Collombin of Calgary, aided by Tyra Collombin, Alexa Velcic, William Jacobson and folks at Predator Bay Water Ski Club, water skiing is on the short list of sports to be pitched for inclusion in the Olympics in a Petro-Canada contest. And all of us are the ones who will be called upon to vote!

Petro-Canada created the "I Will Dream Big" contest to give Canadians a chance to declare to the Canadian Olympic Committee what sport they feel should be elevated to Olympic Games status. Collombin's entry will be one of four finalists from around the country.

The contest began with an on-line entry of a 100 words or less on why one's favourite activity should be added to the Olympic Games program. Organizers drew 20 entries from four different cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. Each of the city's 20 entries then attended a public audition, where they were given two minutes to make their best pitch to a panel of three, which in Calgary included gold medal Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser, a Paralympic athlete and a Petro-Canada representative.

And the water skiers made their splash! They dazzled the panel, TV cameras and live audience with a boat, ski gear, Olympic clothing, posters, balloons, flyers, and a passionate plea on why the sport deserves Olympic status, ending with a statement of fact -- "Let us in... we will win!".

Petro-Canada will post the video of each of the four Canadian finalists on their web page, beginning on Monday, November 5th, calling to the general public to then cast their vote for the best sport presentation. BONUS -- With each vote, you get entered in a draw for a chance to win $2,500 in free gas at Petro-Canada!

Mark your calendars! Voting begins on Monday, November 5th at www.iwilldreambig.ca. Your votes (and those of everyone you know!!) will make the final decision. Rally the water ski community, family and friends.

The first-place winner will have the chance to pitch the idea to the Canadian Olympic Committee. Plus, they will receive a trip for two to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with an approximate value of $15,000. Runners up will receive: 2nd Place: $5,000 in free gas from Petro-Canada , 3rd Place: $1,000 in free gas from Petro-Canada. Go Annica, go water skiing!

See the Dream Flyer HERE !!

See the Dream Pitch and mp3 HERE !!

Chad Sharpe wins bronze medal at wakeboard World Cup final

November 3, 2007

DOHA, Qatar – Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., concluded a strong season on Saturday with a bronze medal performance in the men’s competition at the $60,000 wakeboard World Cup final.

Philip Soven of the U.S., continued his season-long domination winning the gold medal final over compatriot and recently crowned world champion Andrew Adkison, who took the silver. Sharpe defeated Dean Smith of Australia in his head-to-head showdown for the bronze.

Earlier this season Sharpe finishedthird overall on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit earning two bronze medals and making the top-eight at each event.

In was an American sweep in the women’s competition, with Dallas Friday taking the gold, Raimi Merrit the silver and Shelby Kantar the bronze.

Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., battled severe back pain all week. She was forced to withdraw from the world championships that were held here during the week after reaching the semis. On Saturday, she made a courageous return but didn’t get past the first round.

‘’To be honest I had a hard week with my back,’’ said Ball, the gold medallist earlier this season at the prestigious Wake Games. ‘’I wasn’t really sure whether I would be able to compete today. It’s pretty disappointing.’’

Sharpe reached the final round at the worlds here on Friday and placed sixth.

Sharpe and Ball were the only two Canadian riders in Doha this week.

Dream Big, Canada! PETRO CANADA ANNOUNCES CONTEST FOR A SAY IN WHAT NEXT OLYMPIC SPORT SHOULD BE

Oct 23, 2007

Petro-Canada invites Canadians to dream up a new sport for a chance to pitch to the Canadian Olympic Committee and travel to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Have a dream? Water skiers and wakeboarders -- make it happen! Petro-Canada wants to know what sport Canadians feel should be elevated to Olympic Games status. From air guitar and ultimate frisbee to skateboarding, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Canadians to tell the world about what they love to do and what matters to them - no matter how crazy or off-the-wall.

"Petro-Canada has a long history of supporting Canadian sport, and our Dream Big contest is the next step in getting Canadians engaged to show us what the Olympic Games mean to them," says Ron Brenneman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Petro-Canada.

Canadians can register online at www.iwilldreambig.ca for a chance to present their sport at a live audition in front of a panel of distinguished judges, including the following Canadian Olympians: Jennifer Robinson (figure skating), Mathieu Turcotte (short track speed skating), Brent Hayden (swimming) and Hayley Wickenheiser (ice hockey). Presentations will be videotaped and four semi-finalists will then have their videos posted online - where all of Canada will then get to decide which sport should get gold and win.

"The Olympic Games are all about passion and dedication to the advancement of sport," says Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "We're thrilled to have all Canadians share in the excitement of the games through the Dream Big contest, and we're really looking forward to seeing what sports Canadians are passionate about."

To participate, Canadians can fill out an online entry form at www.iwilldreambig.ca stating in 100 words or less why their sport deserves Olympic Games fame. Four groups of 20 contestants will then be randomly selected to present their dream sport to the judges.

Auditions will be held in four cities - Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. In each city, auditions will be held on special podiums located at the event sites. Presentations will be videotaped, and judges will choose one finalist from each event. Video entries for these four finalists will be posted online on November 5 so the people of Canada can watch them and cast their votes. Winners will be announced the week of November 19.

Dream Big auditions will be held between October 30 and November 3 at the following locations:

MONTREAL
Date: Tuesday, October 30
Time/Location: Complexe Desjardins, 10:30 a.m.
Registration close: October 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST

CALGARY
Date: Thursday, November 1
Time/Location: Stephen Avenue Walk (Across from The Bay), 10:30 a.m.
Registration close: October 29 at 11:59 p.m. EST

VANCOUVER
Date: Friday, November 2
Time/Location: Robson Square, 10:30 a.m.
Registration close: October 30 at 11:59 p.m. EST

TORONTO
Date: Saturday, November 3
Time/Location: Toronto Eaton Centre, 10:30 a.m.
Registration close: October 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Once the four videos are posted online, it's up to Canada to decide who the winner is!

The lucky first-place winner will have the chance to pitch the idea to the Canadian Olympic Committee. Plus, he or she will receive a trip for two to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with an approximate value of $15,000.

Runners up will receive: 2nd Place: $5,000 in free gas from Petro-Canada (that's one long road trip!), 3rd Place: $1,000 in free gas from Petro-Canada

Visit www.iwilldreambig.ca for more information and complete rules and regulations.

Canada’s Jaret Llewellyn wins overall and jump titles at U.S. Open water skiing competition

Sep 16, 2007

ORLANDO, Florida – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., beat arch rival Freddy Krueger of the U.S., for gold in men’s jump en route to the overall title at the U.S., Open water skiing competition.

Thomas Moore of Edmonton and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., completed a strong Canadian performance with silver medals.

Llewellyn tallied 2,833.2 points to win the men's overall crown over U.S. athlete Jimmy Siemers, who scored 2,774.1 points. Great Britain's Jason Seels rounded out the top-three placements with 2,682.5 points. The overall score took into accounts performances this weekend in slalom, jump and tricks.

But the big story was Llewellyn’s victory over Krueger in the jump final. Krueger beat the Canadian veteran at the world championships and World Cup final recently. Llewellyn soared 211 feet for gold in the final with Dodd second at 207 feet. Krueger settled for third at 205.

‘’The conditions weren’t that good and I though I had left the door open again,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’When Freddy did 205 feet on his first jump I thought he was just warming-up. But with the conditions getting worst he just couldn’t pull it off. I was off my first jump by a lot and made big changes right away. The second one was O.K., and I just really went for it on my third one.’’

Marcus Brown of the U.S., won his first career U.S. Open men's slalom title by defeating Moore in a thrilling runoff for the championship. After both skiers tied with scores of 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off, Marcus then came off the dock and posted a score of 1 buoy at 41 feet off to beat Thomas' 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to take the title. Pan Am Games champion Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., tied for fifth.

Llewellyn also placed fourth in men’s tricks with 9,500 points. Alikasei Zharnasek of Belarus took the gold at 10,390.

At 37, Llewellyn enjoyed another fantastic season, his 24th on the national team. He won the overall title at the world championships earlier this month in Austria and was a double gold medallist at the Pan Am Games in July.

‘’With Calgary getting the worlds in 2009, I’m really excited about the next two seasons,’’ he said.

Canadians Jaret Llewellyn and Drew Ross win silver medals at water skiing World Cup

September 9, 2007

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., each won silver medals on Sunday at a World Cup water skiing competition.

In men’s jump, world champion Freddy Krueger of the U.S., took the gold soaring 65.9 metres on his second of three attempts in the final. Llewellyn was a close second at 65.3 earned on his first attempt. Jimmy Siemers of the U.S., was third at 64.1.

‘’I had some bad luck on my second jump,’’ said Llewellyn, second to Krueger at last weekend’s worlds in Austria. ‘’There were some boats passing by and the water was turbulent. It was the same situation on the third. It’s disappointing because on the first jump I felt really good.’’

Llewellyn will get another crack at beating Krueger later this month at the prestigious U.S., Open.

In men’s slalom, Ross and Glenn Campbell of Britain tied in the final at 2.00@10.75 metres then Campbell won the gold in a run off with 4@11.25 while Ross lost the handle at the first buoy and scored 0.50@11.25 for the silver. Jodi Fisher of Britain won the bronze.

In men’s tricks, Nicolas Leforestier of France earned 11,250 points for the victory. Oleg Deviatovski of Belarus was second at 10,790 and Siemers third at 10,630. Llewellyn missed his last flip and took fifth spot at 10,420.

‘’I went for my big run, did everything, then at the end I tried to speed up my flip and missed it,’’ said Llewellyn.

Canadian Richard Abelson was eighth in tricks.

Canada’s Jaret Llewellyn wins overall title and silver in jump at world water skiing championships

September 2, 2007

LINZ, Austria – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., won the men’s overall gold but was still scratching his head about his silver medal in jump on Sunday to conclude the world water skiing championships.

Llewellyn reclaimed the overall crown he won in 2001 for his performances in jump, tricks and slalom this week. Oleg Deviatovski of Belarus was second and Marco Riva of Italy third.

‘’I skied really strong in every event,’’ said Llewellyn 37, in his 24th season on the national team. ‘’I went over 70 metres in the jump, tricked over 11,000 points and had a great slalom run. To do those kinds of performances is pretty rare in one competition.’’

The jump final on Sunday went right down to the wire. American Freddy Krueger won the gold on the final jump of the day soaring 72.4 metres. Llewellyn, the defending champion and the next to last jumper, put pressure on with his last jump measuring 70.7 metres.

‘’I knew I needed at least 70-metres to win it,’’ said Llewellyn, one of Canada’s big stars this summer at the Pan Am Games with two gold. ‘’And I got a hold of my last one. I thought it had a good chance of standing. But Freddy dug really deep to beat me. Now I’m looking to get that one back in 2009.’’

Jason Seels of Britain won the bronze medal at 68.4 to edge Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., for the bronze. Dodd cleared 68.2.

‘’It was a pretty average performance for me,’’ said Dodd, with his career best world championship result. ‘’I went out with a plan but I didn’t put the pieces together to get on the podium which was my goal. Still it had one of my farthest jumps this year. I made progress and bounced back from bad worlds two years ago. But I just felt I could be in the top-three this year.’’

The U.S., won a fourth consecutive world team title with France second and Belarus third. Canada placed fourth, two positions better than in 2005. The Canadian team standing was affected by an injury to 17-year-old star Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont. The world junior and Pan Am Games champion competed despite a painful ankle injury in slalom and tricks but withdrew from the jump.

‘’These worlds showed there is terrific depth internationally,’’ said Dan Wolfenden, executive director of Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada. ‘’And our athletes can still compete with the best. We are still on track to field our best-ever team for the 2009 worlds in Calgary. Whitney’s injury did affect our team points total. She was having such a great season and would have been a medal contender in two or three events if 100 percent healthy.’’

Calgary won the bid earlier in the week to host the 2009 World Water Ski Championships. The competition will be held August 3 to 9 at the Lakes of KastynStone, two specifically built water ski lakes operated by the Predator Bay Water Ski Club.

Jaret Llewellyn fourth in tricks at world water skiing championships

Sep 1, 2007

LINZ, Austria – Jaret Llewelllyn of Innisfail, Alta., came agonizingly close to a medal in men’s tricks finishing fourth on Saturday at the world water skiing championships

Nicolas Leforestier of France successfully defended his title with 11,860 points with Aliaksei Zharnasek of Belarus second at 11,470 and his compatriot Oleg Deviatovski third at 11,140.

Llewellyn, 12th at the last worlds in 2005, tabulated 11,040 points. On Sunday, the 37-year-old veteran looks to successfully defend his world title in jump.

Llewellyn leads the overall standings based on the combine scores of jump, slalom and tricks so far at 2,888.46 points. Devistovski stands second at 2801.78 and Marco Riva of Italy third at 2,672.67.

In women’s slalom, Nicole Arthur of Britain was the winner with Karen Truelove of the U.S., second and Karina Nowlan of Australia third.

Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., was 10th and Whitney, McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., 11th. McClintock, 17, was considered a medal hope after a brilliant double gold performance against the American powerhouse at the Pan Am Games. But last weekend she suffered a painful ankle injury which affected her performances here this week and she re-injured the ankle in Saturday’s run.

‘’I was happy to make it to the final,’’ said Wagner, who set a personal best score in the preliminaries. ‘’I could have skied a lit better today and I’m still pleased with my performance.’’

In men’s slalom, Thomas Degasperi of Italy took the gold with Jeff Rodgers of the U.S., second and his compatriot Christopher Rossi third. Thomas Moore of Edmonton was ninth and Pan Am Games champion Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., 11th.

‘’I’m not happy with how I skied today,’’ said Moore. ‘’The conditions were rolling up and down and I just let her rip but fell off too early. I just tried to continue with what I was doing in the prelims. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way it goes.’’

‘’It was a disappointing day,’’ said Ross. ‘’I was looking really good and the adrenaline was pumping but I overturned and wounded up in the water.’’

Clémentine Lucine of France won the women’s tricks event. There were no Canadian finalists.

Competition ends on Sun day with the jump finals featuring Llewellyn and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., seeded second and third for the final.

Jaret Llewellyn qualifies for two finals at world water skiing championships

Aug 31, 2007

LINZ, Austria – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., is on the medal prowl once again at the world water skiing championships as he advanced to the men’s jump and tricks finals in Friday’s qualifying.

In jump, Llewellyn’s arch rival Freddy Krueger of the U.S., posted the best distance at 70.3 metres followed by Llewellyn at 69.9 and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., in third at 66.6. The competition is being held at the site where Llewellyn trains two to three months a year when the pro circuit moves to Europe.

‘’I was consistent on all three jumps,’’ said Llewellyn, 37, who won his fourth world jump title two years ago in China. ‘’Now I have to bang one out there and put some pressure on Freddy in the final. But it’s going to be tough. He crashed in practice earlier this week and it hasn’t seemed to bother him at all.’’

Dodd would like to elbow his way in between or ahead of the two living jump legends.

‘’I’m pretty happy about being third in jump,’’ said Dodd, 10th at the 2005 worlds. ‘’I’ve been here jumping for 10 days and gone far everyday so I tried to approach today’s competition like practice. I think I know where I need to be in the final to push it out there a little more. There’s room for improvement. I’d like to move up in the standings.’’

In men’s tricks, Nicolas Leforestier of France was the top qualifier with 11,960 points with Aliaksei Zharnasek of Belarus second at 10,670 and his compatriot Oleg Deviatovski third at 10,640. Llewellyn and Cory Pickos of the U.S., tied for fourth at 10,560.

‘’I did my easy run and nailed it so I’m pretty happy,’’ said Llewellyn, the world tricks champion in 1999. ‘’Now in the final I can really open up the doors and just go for it. Tricks is always hard because it is the only event of the three in the sport that’s a one shot deal. You drop the handle and it’s over.’’

Dodd placed 18th and was eliminated. The top-12 in qualifying advance to the final.

In women’s tricks, Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., and Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., did not advance. McClintock, 17, is battling a painful ankle injury suffered in slalom training earlier this week. She withdrew from Friday’s jump competition.

McClintock made the slalom final on Thursday placing 10th in qualifying behind Wagner who also advanced qualifying sixth. In men’s slalom, Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., and Thomas Moore of Edmonton qualified first and eighth.

Canada’s Whitney McClintock overcomes painful injury to reach slalom final at water ski worlds

Aug 30, 2007

LINZ, Austria – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., overcame an ankle injury suffered in training on the weekend to reach the women’s slalom final in Thursday’s qualifying at the world water skiing championships.

McClintock, 17, was one of four Canadians to advance on the day. Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., also advanced in women’s slalom while Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., and Thomas Moore of Edmonton are headed to the men’s slalom final. Jump and tricks qualifying are on Friday. The finals are on Saturday and Sunday.

In women’s slalom, April Coble Eller of the U.S., was the top qualifier with Nicole Arthur of Britain second and Karen Truelove of the U.S., third. Wagner was in a four-way tie for sixth and McClintock followed in 10th. The top-12 advance to the final.

McClintock injured her foot on Saturday when she hit a buoy in slalom training.

‘’The foot had been getting better all week but it felt pretty stiff this morning,’’ said McClintock, a double gold medallist last month at the Pan Am Games. ‘’Still I’m pretty happy with my performance. This is the first time I’ve made a slalom final at the senior worlds, so I can’t ask for better than that. I did what I had to do to and got some confidence back.’’

McClintock has withdrawn from the jump competition because of the injury but is scheduled to compete in tricks.

In men’s slalom qualifying , Ross was involed in a six-way tie for the lead with a 10.25 score. Four Americans were in that lead group with Marcus Brown, Jason Paredes, Jeff Rodgers and Christopher Rossi as well as Thomas Degasperi of Italy.

‘I was pleased with my performance,’’ said Ross, also coming off a golden performance at the Pan Am Games. ‘’My goal was to go out there, feel the site out and get a strong score. I feel very good for the final.’’

Moore and William Asher of Britain tied for seventh.

‘’I skied really well,’’ said Moore, who broke a Canadian record at the national championships a couple of weeks ago. ‘’I just tried to follow my game plan. I’m pretty excited about making the final. It’s coming together for me at the right time.’’

Calgary wins bid to host 2009 World Water Skiing Championships

Aug 30, 2007

LINZ, Austria – The International Water Ski Federation, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada and the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority announced today that Calgary has won the bid to host the 2009 World Water Ski Championships. The competition will be held August 3 to 9 at the Lakes of KastynStone, two specifically built water ski lakes operated by the Predator Bay Water Ski Club.

Canada previously hosted successful world championships in 1953, 1967 and 1979. The 2009 worlds are expected to attract nearly 200 athletes from more than 40 countries and when combined with a family festival is expected to draw thousands of spectators locally and from around the world. Canadians should have plenty to cheer about as well. Canada is a superpower in the sport with ore than 50 medals in world competition. The current team is led by the legendary Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and 17-year-old phenom Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont. Llewellyn, who has won 102 titles including 8 World Championships, 14 U.S. Masters and U.S. Open medals and 25 Pan American medals, is looking to cap his illustrious career in his backyard at the 2009 championships.

“As a native Albertan I’m overjoyed that the World’s have been awarded to Canada again and at such a perfect ski site”, said Llewellyn. It will be very special for me to perform at home in what could be my last World Championships.”

"This is a tremendous opportunity for our sport, to showcase the best that water skiing and Canada have to offer,’’ said Glenn Bowie, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada’s president. ‘’Our athletes get home field advantage for the first time in 30 years on one of the premiere facilities in the world. We want all of Canada to know that our skiers have and continue to be among the best competitors in this sport.

Bowie said an outstanding team has developed and will execute a comprehensive business plan intended to ensure that this event impacts the sport in Canada well beyond the competition.

“The business plan will ensure we attract many people who otherwise would not have been exposed to competitive water skiing and that we reap many lasting legacies,’’ he said. ‘’These include a meaningful legacy fund, a hosting and fundraising model for the future of the sport, facility and equipment enhancements, coaching, officiating and volunteer development, and a huge inspiration to our community."

Doug Mitchell, Chairman of the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority said, “we are very pleased to have supported the bid to host the 2009 World Water Ski Championship. Calgary has an outstanding track record for hosting international sport events, and we expect that the 2009 World Championship will enjoy tremendous success. It’s great for the sport of water skiing in Canada, and great for the enthusiasts of water skiing in Alberta, and it will be a wonderful opportunity for Calgarians to see the best athletes in the sport of waterskiing. The Calgary Sport Tourism Authority will continue working to attract international sport events to our calendar that offer significant branding and promotional opportunities, community legacies, and benefits to the Tourism industry.”

With over 31,000 registered members, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada is the recognized national sports organization for towed water sports. Canada's record of success on the world stage is nothing short of impressive: 19 world championship gold medals, 52 total medals in the world championships, and 27 Pan Am Games medals since 1995. Most recently, the 5-member Canadian team won 9 medals at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro including 5 gold, making water skiing one of the most prolific of all Canadian teams in medal count.

GOLDEN SWEEP FOR PAUL MACDONALD AT CANADIAN BAREFOOT WATER SKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS EDMONTON

Aug 27, 2007

– Paul MacDonald of Milton, Ont., won all three events and the overall title at the Canadian barefoot water skiing championships this weekend while 17-year-old Nicole Blackmore of Langley, B.C., took the women’s overall crown.

MacDonald’s performance was highlighted by a Canadian record in men’s jump in the 25-34 age group. The 31-year-old water ski instructor soared 23.60 metres to better his previous mark of 22.8 set last year. Gordie Croteau of Sudbury, Ont., was second at 17.8 and Robbie Patterson of Deep Cove, B.C., third at 17.0

‘’The jump was definitely the most pleasing of my three wins,’’ said MacDonald, the defending champion. ‘’I haven’t been jumping much this season, so to get a nice jump under my belt is great. I was just happy to land the first one then I just kept jumping higher. It was good.’’

In tricks, MacDonald was dominant earning 6,560 points. Adam Stiller of Sudbury was second at 3,450 and Croteau third at 2,800. Last year MacDonald won Canada’s first medal in men’s open competition at the barefoot worlds placing third in tricks.

‘’The lake is shorter than normal and I couldn’t get all of my tricks run in,’’ said MacDonald. ‘’But I didn’t fall and put up some pretty good scores.’’

MacDonald also won the slalom event with Croteau second and Don Schwartz of Blue River, B.C., third. Overall Croteau and Stiller were second and third.

Junior-aged competitors dominated the women’s competition. Blackmore took her first senior overall title with 14-year-old Caitlyn Rowland of Calgary second and Cathy Tulek of Edmonton third.

Blackmore broke the Canadian junior record in the jump soaring 7.9 metres to finish ahead of Rowland. In slalom Rowland won the gold with Tulek second and Blackmore third. In tricks it was Tulek followed by Blackmore and Rowland.

CANADA’S RUSTY MALINOSKI WINS BRONZE AT WORLD WAKEBOARD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Aug 26, 2007

RENO, Nevada – Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., won the bronze medal Sunday in men’s competition at the world wakeboard championships.

Phillip Soven, the dominant international rider this year, led the U.S., to a 1-2 finish with 95.00 points. J.D. Webb was second at 92.50 and Malinoski third at 77.50. Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., and Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C., were both second in their semifinal heats earlier on Sunday and were eliminated.

‘’The wind picked up on my run, I fell on my second trick and it cost me,’’ said Malinoski, who was the second to last rider in the final. ‘’I wasn’t thrilled with my performance. I was going for the win and I’m not satisfied with third.’’

Malinoski caps another great summer in the sport. He won the Pan American title this spring, was second at the Masters, then took second spot on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit.

‘’This was definitely a better season,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’What stood out for me was my ability to be in the hunt and on the podium every weekend.’’

Golden sweep for Whitney McClintock at Canadian water ski championships

Aug 19, 2007

CALGARY – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., one of Canada’s big stars at the recent Pan American Games, swept all three gold medals and won the women’s overall title on Sunday at the Canadian water ski championships.

The closest battle for McClintock was in the jump competition as she took the title soaring 45.3 metres. Jenna Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., was second at 44.4 and Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., was third at 42.9 metres.

In slalom, McClintock prevailed at 55 buoys with Mielzynski second at 47 buoys and Wagner third at 46.5. In tricks, McClintock tabulated 8,180 points for the gold with Mielzynski second at 5,540 and her sister Erin Mielzynski third at 5,220.

For McClintock and the other top Canadians the nationals were a final tune-up for the world championships which start August 29 in Linz, Austria.

‘’I had a terrible week training in tricks, I fell all over the place,’’ said McClintock, with two gold and a silver at the Pan Am Games. ‘’I had to work hard to get a positive attitude back for the competition. Today’s performance has made me very confident going to the worlds. I know I can do the run for slalom, know I can stand on my tricks run again and my jumping is really progressing well. I’m ready to go.’’

Overall, McClintock was first, Jenna Mielzynski second and Erin Mielzynski third.

In men’s slalom, Pan American Games champion Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., won a close battle for the gold with his brother Doug Ross second and Thomas Moore of Edmonton third.

‘’My performance was O.K.,’’ said Ross. ‘’I was the top-seed and went last so I knew what I had to do to win. I’m skiing well. Anytime you ski for your national title you have that nervous energy and that kind of training is very important in leading up to a big event like the worlds.’’

In men’s jump, Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., took the title at 65.4 metres with Kevin Melnuk of Toronto second at 57.5 and Kole Magnowski of Russell, Man., third at 54.1.

‘’I had trouble in the early rounds but today I finally felt comfortable,’’ said Dodd, the Pan Am Games bronze medallist. ‘’In the final I had a pretty good jump, nothing wild and it was a good way to end the week. For me this was a tune-up for the worlds and I was happy with how comfortable I felt out there today.’’

In men’s tricks, Nova Scotia’s Jeff Flynn was the winner with 7,160 points, Melnuk second at 5,400 and Dodd third at 5,030.

Wave of upsets at wakeboard nationals – Quebec teenager stuns two of sport’s biggest stars

August 19, 2007

WASAGA BEACH, Ont.- Fifteen-year-old Raphael Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., upset two of the biggest stars in the sport to win the gold medal in the men’s open final Sunday at the Canadian wakeboard championships.

Derome posted a personal bets score of 82.3 points to stun Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., Canada’s most decorated international rider, in second at 81.3 and Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., an established veteran who is enjoying one the best season’s of his career, third at 79.3.

Malinoski and Sharpe ranked second and third respectively this season on the Pro Tour circuit. This week Malinoski was named Wakeboarding Magazine’s favourite rider in a reader’s poll.

‘’Obviously I’m very surprised to beat two of the top guys in the world,’’ said Derome. ‘’I figured I had no chance to win and I was aiming for third place. But after I saw their runs, I knew there was an opportunity for me to win.’’

With the win, Derome heads to the world championships set for next weekend in Reno, Nevada.

‘’Along with my age group world title this is the biggest win of my career,’’ said Derome. ‘’I’m sure the international field will be asking how I beat Rusty and Chad. Especially that I wasn’t having my best season up to this point.’’

In the women’s wakeboard final, Sheena Smith of Calgary also registered an upset taking the gold with 76.0 points. Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., Canada’s top international rider, was second at 71.6 and Erica Langman of Ottawa third at 52.2.

Smith fell on her first trick but finished strong.

‘’Falling on my first trick threw me in for a loop’’ said Smith, 22, a respiratory therapist at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital. ‘’But I bounced back and got back on the horse. I just tried to get everything in the rest of the run and I managed to do that. I incorporated some new tricks into my run for the nationals and I was confident I could battle for the gold. Sunni and I have been battling it out for the last five years.’’

With the victory, Smith is eligible to join Ball on the Canadian world championship team.

‘’I’m thinking about going to the worlds now,’’ said Smith. ‘’I wasn’t planning on going, but this win could change things for me.’’

In the men’s slider final, Quebec’s Yannik Thibeault was first, Sharpe second and Derome third.

Quebec’s Alex Paradis medals in all three events at Canadian water skiing championships

August 18, 2007

CALGARY – Alex Paradis of Quebec City won three medals including gold in men’s jump in junior competition Saturday at the Canadian water skiing championships.

In jump, Paradis soared 47.1 metres for the victory with Stevie Collins of Toronto second at 45.4. and Brett Dobel of Winnipeg third at 44.2 metres.

In tricks, Collins took the gold at 5,440 points followed by Paradis at 3,880 and Dobel at 3,730. In slalom it was Ontario’s Michael Mann first at 46.5 buoys, Quebec’s Logan Roberge second at 42.5 and Paradis third at 41.5.

‘’The slalom went well, I had some trouble on my last pass,’’ said Paradis. ‘’In tricks, I did all my moves really well and got a personal best score. To get a medal in tricks was a big accomplishment for me because it’s not my best event. It set me up well and gave me a lot of confidence for the jump final.’’

In women’s junior competition, Jessica Long of Vancouver was the surprise winner in tricks scoring a personal best 3,970 points. Erin Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., was second at 3,500 and Michelle Crook of Ayer’s Cliff, Que., third at 2,960.

‘’I worked a lot on getting the run consistent this year,’’ said Long, 18. ‘’I think the judges liked my smoothness and the fact I did my tricks cleanly. It was clear which tricks I was doing.’’

In slalom, Amanda Amos of Midland, Ont., was the victor at 44 buoys. Geena Krueger of Winnipeg was second at 37.5 and Megan Collins of Toronto third at 36.5. Amos was the top-seed at nationals for the first time in her career.

‘’It was a bit of pressure to go last,’’ said Amos, 17. ‘’But I did like watching everybody go before me. I felt better knowing what I needed to do to win. I was happy with my performance. With no world juniors this year, I’ve focused a lot more on training and it’s paying off.’’

In the jump final, Mielzynski was the winner at 40.6 metres, Amos second at 36.6 and Crook third at 28.3.

Competition ends Sunday featuring the men’s and women’s open.

Winnipeg’s Jason Bannatyne wins junior title at wakeboard nationals

August 18, 2007

WASAGA BEACH, Ont. – Jason Bannatyne of Winnipeg won the gold medal Saturday in the men’s junior competition at the Canadian wakeboard championships.

Bannatyne took the gold earning 77.2 points with Robby McMillan second at 66.7 and Julian Brazeau third at 60.0. The top-two gain a berth on the national development team.

‘’It feels great, this is a big accomplishment for me,’’ said Bannatyne. ‘’I worked very hard this year to achieve this. I certainly had a victory in mind coming to the nationals. And getting a spot on the national development team is going to provide me with more opportunities.’’

In women’s junior competition, Camelia Barriere of Drummondville, Que., was the winner at 42.7, Danielle Boyd of Kamloops, B.C., second at 35.6 and Phaedra Harder of Courtenay, B.C., third at 31.1. Again, the top-two gain a spot on the national development team.

In men’s 19-24 age group wakeboard, Jamie Rose of Kamloops reclaimed the title he won in 2004 with 60.0 points with Didier Godbout of Cote-du-Lac, Que., second at 59.4 and Adam Burwell of Regina third at 49.4

‘’A couple of guys really rode well, so I’m excited about winning the championship,’’ said Rose. ‘’I had a good mix of tricks on the wake and on the rails which the judges seem to like.’’

In women’s 19-24 age group wakeboard, Sheena Smith of Calgary was the victor at 42.7.

Competition ends Sunday with the open competition featuring Canadian international star Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask.

Thomas Moore ties Canadian slalom record at water ski nationals

Aug 17, 2007

CALGARY – Thomas Moore of Edmonton tied the Canadian men’s slalom record on Friday at the Canadian water ski championships.

Moore, 23, earned a 1 at 10.25 metres score which equalled the mark set by Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., in 1993.

‘’It was great to get the record at nationals,’’ said Moore. ‘’I’ve been skiing good all year and just kept doing what I’ve been doing. I tried to stay tough and got through it.’’

In the masters competition three competitors overcame injuries this summer to win medals in their slalom events.

Sherry Robertson of Calgary won the 45-53 group slalom while her daughter Geneva Roach took the girls 10-years-old age group slalom title. Robertson skied with three broken ribs.

‘’I haven’t skied for the past five weeks,’’ said Robertson, the 2005 champion as well. ‘’I was pretty happy to win. I wasn’t sure I would compete at nationals. I gave it try last week and had few sets before competing here. I didn’t get my best score. I’m just happy to compete.’’

Rhonda Powell of Calgary took the silver in the same event. She suffered a cut to her head that required 17 stitches three weeks ago at a tournament and was forced off the water for 10 days.

‘’I didn’t have much practice heading into nationals,’’ said Powell. ‘’So I’m quite happy, it’s my first medal in water skiing. It wasn’t my best performance, I felt I particularly lacked speed but it was enough to get me the medal.’’

In the women’s 35-44 class, Suzanne Velcic of Calgary took the bronze. She was on the shore all summer with a broken foot.

‘’I only started back last week,’’ said Velcic. ‘’So I was pretty excited just to qualify for the final. I was cautious in training and feeling pretty nervous but the confidence came fast.’’

Velcic finished behind 2004 champion Rae-Lee Colcleugh of Calgary who tied her personal best for the silver.

‘’It was a beautiful with great conditions and I had a great ski,’’ said Colcleugh, a 10-year veteran.

Competition continues through to Sunday at the Predator Water Ski Club.

Winnipeg’s Sean Gilmour and Saskatoon’s Peter Andrews among victors at water skiing adaptive nationals

WINNIPEG – Sean Gilmour of Winnipeg and Peter Andrews of Saskatoon will remember Saturday’s water skiing adaptive nationals for athletes with a disability held on Lake Shirley for different reasons.

For the 31-year-old Gilmour, it was first foray into high level competition since an accident left him a paraplegic. A sport enthusiast before the accident, Gilmour found his niche in water skiing and showed why with his slalom victory Saturday in the MP 3 disability category.

‘’I had tried water skiing for fun in the past but this was my first serious season at it,’’ said Gilmour a casino card-dealer. ‘’And I’m really hooked. My goal is to pursue more competitions especially at the international level. I would like to be a world champion one day.’’

Andrews is a veteran water skier but the nationals marked his return to the jump competition. This past May he broke his leg jumping at the world championships in Australia. On Saturday, he showed he is on the fast track to recovery with his victory.

‘’I was a little bit nervous getting back in the game,’’ said Andrews, who works as an occupational therapist for people with a disability. ‘’I tried to learn from my previous mistakes so that it doesn’t happen again. I was pleased with my first two jumps in particular today.’’

In men’s slalom MP 2, world championship silver medallist Benoit Lessard of Waterville, Que., won the gold with Chris Bourne of Ottawa second and Andrews third.

Lessard started water skiing in 2004 and made his first national team last year which also earned him a berth on the Pan Am championship team last season. He is heavily involved in alpine skiing and also in promoting sports for the disabled in the Sherbrooke area.

Medal bonanza for Canadian water skiers at Pan Am Games

July 24, 2007

RIO – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., highlighted a six-medal day for Canadian water skiers on Tuesday at the Pan Am Games with a double gold performance. Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., also collected two medals each.

It was a productive Games for the five-member Canadian water skiing and wakeboard team which finished with nine medals total.

In men’s jump, Llewellyn took the gold for the third time in four Games soaring 65.40 metres on his first of three jumps. He went 65.20 on the second and 60.10 on the third. Dodd took the silver medal at 64.30 and Rodrigo Miranda of Chile was third in 61.20.

‘’My first jump wasn’t as good as my best one yesterday in preliminaries but I thought it had a chance of holding up’’ said Llewellyn, 36, in his 24th season on the national team. ‘’On that jump, I was nervous when I was cutting across because the water was pretty rough. In those conditions you start having doubts whether it will work out. When I heard the distance, I thought I might be able to challenge for the world record (67 metres) but the conditions needed to be a bit better.’’

Dodd’s goal was to pull off the upset.

‘’I got a pretty good jump down but I knew I had left the door open for Jaret,’’ said Dodd. ‘’I went a bit farther than yesterday but I just couldn’t hold it. When I neared the ramp there were waves and I slipped a little. On every jump I just missed something.’’

In tricks, Llewellyn earned a Games record 11,040 points. Cory Pickos of the U.S., was second at 10,650 and Dodd was third at 9,580.

‘’I went with my big run but I was worried how the judges would score it,’’ said Llewellyn, now with eight career Pan Am medals. ‘’In the end I came close to my personal best score. It was great to do that performance under pressure. Cory had put down a great run.’’

Dodd, 22, was ecstatic to collect a medal in tricks.

‘’That’s rare for me to win a medal in tricks,’’ said Dodd. ‘’It was a real thrill to share the podium with Jaret and Cory. I just did my run and completed most of my tricks. The tricks event takes a lot more time to master than the others. I feel it is really starting to come together for me.’’

In women’s tricks, McClintock needed to improvise on the fly but still notched her second gold of the competition with a Games record 7,530 points. Mandy Nightingale of the U.S., was second at 7,380 and Regina Jacquess of the U.S., third at 7,050.

‘’I basically just fell into another unplanned trick and that gave me an extra 150 points,’’ said McClintock, 17, also the slalom winner on Monday. ‘’That probably got me the gold. I had a lot of speed going into that trick and it just worked out well.’’

In the women’s jump, held under misty conditions, Jacquess denied McClintock a golden sweep of all three events with the victory at 43.70 metres. McClintock earned the silver at 43.50 and Mandy Nightingale of the U.S., was third at 42.10. McClintock was leading heading into the third and final round.

‘’Twenty centimetres, can’t get much closer than that,’’ said McClintock about the distance between herself and Jacquess. ‘’On my last jump, I knew I needed to go farther and I slipped a little and didn’t get the jump. I’ve progressed a lot in the jump. I wasn’t comfortable jumping those distances a year ago. For me it’s a beautiful silver.’’

On Monday, Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., won the men’s slalom competition and Brad Buskas of Edmonton took silver in men’s wakeboard.

Canadian national team coach Steve Bush, was particularly pleased to see Dodd and McClintock enjoy the spotlight.

‘’It was great toe expose them to the bigger picture,’’ said Bush, in his 28th season as the national team coach. ‘’There were big crowds here and they got the kind of attention they don’t get at regular tournaments. That whole experience is worth it, they can’t get it anywhere else.

‘’It means a lot.’’

Canadians sweep slalom gold, silver for wakeboard rider Buskas

Jul 23, 2007

RIO – Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., and Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., won the men’s and women’s slalom gold medals in water skiing and Brad Buskas of Edmonton added a silver in men’s wakeboard on Monday at the Pan Am Games.

In men’s slalom, Ross completed a rare achievement by earning a gold medal in the same event at three consecutive Games, by totalling 38.00 points in his run. He also won the Pan Am slalom gold in 1999 at Winnipeg and 2003 in Santo Domingo. Jose Mesa of Colombia was second at 37.50 and Felipe Miranda of Chile third at 36.50.

‘’I skied the way I had to go get the gold and I’m thrilled about the victory,’’ said Ross, 37, in his 16th year on the national team. ‘’I don’t know how many more chances I’ll get to represent Canada so this is very special. There’s always pressure when you are expected to win.’’

Ross said this was the hardest gold to win of the three.

‘’The South American skiers have come a long way,’’ said Ross. ‘’Usually it’s a U.S.,--Canada battle at these Games but this week we saw some great talent from Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia in particular.’’

In the women’s slalom final, the 17-year-old McClintock upset world champion Regina Jacquess of the U.S. McClintock earned 38.50 points, Jacquess was second at 32.50 and Mandy Nightingale of the U.S., third at 32.00.

‘’I used a different strategy to put pressure on the two Americans,’’ said McClintock, the third to last skier in the final. ‘’The coaches were confident I could do it and I had a gut feeling that was the thing to do. To complete the run like that is a big confidence boost. I was pretty nervous watching the other two girls go after me though.’’

Canadian national team coach Steve Bush says McClintock showed she can compete with the best.

‘’This is not as deep a field as the world championships but this was a good format for her to attempt this strategy,’’ said Bush. ‘’It was another amazing performance for her.’’

In the men’s wakeboard final, Marcelo Girardo of Brazil was the winner at 86.46 with Buskas second at 81.00. Edgardo Martin of Argentina was third at 76.98. Wakeboard, a staple at the Extreme Games which has rocketed in popularity in North America and Australia, is making its Pan Am debut.

‘’It was very close for the gold,’’ said Buskas. ‘’Some felt I should have won because I completed a difficult technical trick. But I’m not sure if that’s what divided us. I was really cool to be involved in the Games, it felt like we were at the Olympics. It’s great exposure for the sport.’’

Water skiing competition ends Tuesday with the finals in men’s and women’s jump and tricks. Canada is in the medal hunt with McClintock, six-time Pan Am Games medallist Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta.

High winds force cancellations, postponements in water skiing at Pan Am Games

Jul 22, 2007

RIO – High winds cancelled the women’s jump and tricks preliminaries and postponed the men’s jump qualification on Sunday in water skiing at the Pan Am Games.

In both women’s tricks and jumps, all the participants automatically advanced to the final. There are nine entries in jump and eight in tricks. Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., is the Canadian entry for both events. On Saturday she qualified third in women’s slalom.

The men’s jump preliminaries which features Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., was postponed until Monday morning.

The only event that took place on Sunday was men’s tricks. Llewellyn, a six-time Pan Am Games champion, qualified first with 10,560 points, Cory Pickos of the U.S., second at 9,700 and Sergio Font of Brazil third at 8,470. Dodd also advanced qualifying fifth at 7,650.

‘’Jaret was very steady,’’ said Canadian national team coach Steve Bush of North Vancouver. ‘’He did the run he had to do to get into the final. I thought Ryan was going to score higher though. But still he got into the final which was the goal.’’

The slalom finals featuring McClintock and Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., and the men’s wakeboard final with Brad Buskas of Edmonton are also scheduled for Monday.

Malinoski finishes second overall on Pro Wakeboard Tour circuit

Jul 22, 2007

PORTLAND, Oregon – Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., finished second at the fifth and final stop on the Pro Wakeboard Tour on Sunday to place second overall on the circuit.

Philip Soven of the U.S., won for the fourth time this year to clinch the season title and the $10,000 top prize. Malinoski had two falls on his final run and finished runner-up to Soven for the third time this season. He also won one event and was third in the other. Malinoski was also second overall last year.

‘’Philip and I really battled it out this season,’’ said Malinoski, who’ll compete next weekend in Toronto at Wakestock. ‘’I went all out in the final and it just didn’t work out. Still I’m very pleased with the season overall, but I would have liked another victory or two.’’

Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale B.C., was fifth on Sunday and finishes third overall. Sharpe posted two third place finishes this season and made the final eight at each stop.

In women’s wakeboard, Shelby Kantar of the U.S., was the winner, Amber Wing of Australia second and Nicola Butler of the U.S., third. Sunni Anne Ball of King City, Ont., was seventh.

In junior competition, Brady Price of Toronto and Raphael Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., were eliminated in the semifinals. Mitchell Langfield of Australia won the competition.

Ross, McClintock, Buskas qualify for finals at Pan Am Games

Jul 21, 2007

RIO – Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., and Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., advanced to their respective slalom finals in water skiing on Saturday at the Pan Am Games while Brad Buskas of Edmonton qualified for the final eight in men’s wakeboard.

In men’s slalom, there was a five way tie for first place which included Ross, the two-time defending Games champion, at 57.00 points. Also with the same score were Jose Mesa of Colombia, Fernando Neves of Brazil, Felipe Miranda of Chile and Arturo Nelson of Mexico. The top-eight qualify for Monday’s final.

‘’I was out early in the draw so I skied pretty conservatively,’’ said Ross, 37. ‘’I knew the kind of score I needed to get in the top eight and that’s what I did. You can’t win today, but you can certainly lose, so today the goal was not to lose. My early passes were strong and I felt good out there.’’

Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., Canada’s water skiing legend whose specialties are the jump and tricks events, was 11th at 48.50 and eliminated. Llewellyn has won six of Canada’s 18 Pan Am Games medals since the sport was added to the program in 1995.

In women’s slalom, Regina Jacques of the U.S., was the top qualifier at 57.00 followed by her compatriot Mandy Nightingale at 51.00. McClintock, a 17-year-old phenom who has dominated the sport at the junior level the last three years, continued to show she is ready for the big leagues qualifying third at 50.00.

‘’The course here is like the Masters (held annually near Atlanta) which is a competition I’ve always done well at,’’ said McClintock, who earned her first professional victory earlier this month at the Malibu Open in France. ‘’I felt my first pass was very strong and that’s always key for me. After that I was just able to ski the way I can.’’

Wakeboard is a new sport on the Pan Am Games program and Buskas qualified second for the final at 68.11. Marcelo Girardo of Brazil was first at 80.50.

Competition continues Sunday with qualifying in men’s women’s jump and tricks.

For more information: Anne Merklinger, Canadian team media attaché, Cell: (011) 5521 8720 7029 Email: amerklinger@canoekayak.ca

WATER SKI AND WAKEBOARD CANADA NAMES HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Jul 10, 2007

OTTAWA - Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada (WSWC) announced today that two athletes, Jim Clunie of Saskatoon, and Karyn Scarpa-Cromwell of Toronto, and two builders, Roger Codere of Sherbrooke, Que., and Dr. Ian Reid of Winnipeg will be inducted into its Hall of Fame later this summer.

Clunie was a jump specialist in water skiing helping Canada to four team world championship medals including gold in 1991 and 1993. He also won an individual bronze in jump at the 1993 and 1997 worlds and posted fourth place finishes at both the 1995 and 1999 Pan Am Games. He continues to be involved in the sport as a member of organizing and national committees.

''I'm a bit surprised to receive this great honour,'' said Clunie, who currently runs two businesses in his hometown. ''The highlight for me was the world team title in 1991: no one had ever beaten the U.S., before. The whole experience with the national team was fun and unique. We all grew up together and we had a lot of pride. I try to stay involved as much as I can, the sport for me, is a passion.''

Scarpa-Cromwell established herself as a trailblazer in barefoot water skiing. She is a multiple Canadian champion and still holds several national marks. On the international scene she won three medals at the 1992 world championships including silver in the overall and helping Canada to a best-ever third in the team event. She is the only Canadian barefoot worlds overall medalist.

''It's great to be recognized for all the hard work I put into the sport,'' said Scarpa-Cromwell, who now resides in Lakeland, Florida. ''It was a great experience and I've encouraged my kids to get involved in sports at a high level and get that satisfaction of working hard for a goal and reaching it.''

Codere is celebrating 50 years in the sport. He learned to water ski in 1957 and went on to a brilliant career at the competitive, technical and administrative level. He competed from 1960-64 and was a judge at four world championships and the 1972 Olympic Games where water skiing was a demonstration sport. In 1977-78 he was Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada's president. He was inducted into the International Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame in 1996.

''Being an official and a member of technical committees at the international level was the career highlight for me,'' said Codere. ''It gave me an opportunity to travel to many places around the world and meet so many great people. Water skiing is a people sport, there is always mutual cooperation along with the competition and that's what has always kept me involved.''

Dr. Reid was instrumental in developing the sport in Western Canada. He was a founding member of the Manitoba Water Ski Association in 1953, the first provincial water ski association in Canada. He was also president of the national association, a judge at all levels and took pride in his involvement as chairman of several water safety committees, including the introduction of safety helmets to the sport. He received the Order of Canada in 1983.

''Water skiing has been my life, I've gotten so much out of it,'' said Dr. Reid, whose son Bruce was inducted in 2005 and his grandson Brody is a star in American college water skiing. ''It's the only true family water sport. It's been fun to see the sport evolve from ski shows to competitions and from competitors wearing WWII helmets to the specialized gear of today. I'm proud of my achievements and proud how the sport has been an important part of my family's life.''

Reid, Clunie and Codere will be officially inducted at the Canadian water ski championships on August 17 in Calgary and Scarpa-Cromwell will be honored at next year's Canadian barefoot championships.

With over 31,000 registered members, Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada is the recognized national sports organization for towed water sports. Canada's record of success on the world stage is nothing short of impressive: 19 world championship gold medals, 52 total medals in the world championships, and 18 Pan Am Games medals since 1995.

Inductees bios available at : http://www.waterski-wakeboard.ca/awards_halloffame_e.htm

Canadians Malinoski and Sharpe tie for third at Pro Tour wakeboard event

Jul 8, 2007

KELOWNA, B.C.- Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., and Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., tied for third Sunday at the fourth stop on the Pro Tour wakeboard circuit.

Philip Soven of the U.S., posted his third victory this season and his compatriot Trevor Hansen was second. Malinoski has stepped on the podium at all four events this season with a victory and two second place finishes in addition to Sunday’s bronze.

It was the second consecutive third place finish for Sharpe, who has also reached the semis in the other two events.

‘’I’m pretty disappointed in myself,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’I messed up my run in the playoff round. The conditions varied throughout the day and I ran into some lousy water on my ride. It’s great to be on the podium but once you’ve savoured victory you don’t want anything less.’’

Soven has been battling all season long with Malinoski for the top spot in the overall standings. With the win in Kelowna, Soven now paces all riders, but the overall title will come down to the tour's final stop in Portland, Oregon July 21-22.

"I'm so stoked to win today, it's the perfect momentum for going into our final stop," said Soven. "This win was killer, I just need to keep on riding like I did today and I should be fine."

The winner of the season-long dash to be the world's top rider will receive a $10,000 Indmar Performance Award. Malinoski was second overall last year.

A Canadian hasn’t won the Canadian stop on the Tour since 2000 when Sharpe was the victor.

‘’It didn’t add any more pressure on me to win,’’ said Malinoski about the Canadian drought. ‘’It doesn’t matter where I compete. I’m always gunning for the win.’’

In junior competition, Mitchell Langfield of Australia took the gold with Rhett Whatley of the U.S., second and his compatriot Jimmy LaRiche third. Bradey Price of Toronto was sixth.

Canadian water skiing phenom Whitney McClintock wins first pro event

Jul 8, 2007

LACANEAU, France – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., earned her first professional water skiing victory on Sunday placing first in women’s tricks and added a bronze medal in slalom at the Malibu Open.

McClintock, 17, totalled 8,270 points in the final in tricks to claim the victory over France’s Clémentine Lucine who was second. McClintock had qualified first for the final with 8,360 points.

‘’To get my first pro win is amazing and a great confidence boost,’’ said McClintock, a double gold medallist last year at the world junior championships. ‘’I was feeling really confident all day about my tricks routine. I went out there and skied for myself and I’m happy with the way it turned out.’’

In women’s slalom, Nathalie Hamerick led the U.S., to a 1-2 finish with top-seed Karen Truelove second. McClintock took the bronze. McClintock wins $2,000 for her slalom performance in addition to the $1,500 for the tricks victory. The cash prizes were higher in the slalom while only the tricks winner took home cash.

McClintock’s rise to the professional ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. She competed at her first nationals at age six and by 13 she became the youngest member ever named to the national team. She won three gold, including the overall title at the 2004 junior worlds in addition to the two victories in 2006. She has been named Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada’s female athlete of the year three times.

She will compete in two weeks at the Pan American Games.

Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., had the next best Canadian result on Sunday placing fourth in jump.

Attention Future Adaptive Water Ski Champions!

Jul 6, 2007

Canadian National Adaptive Development Coach, Chris Holden and Water Ski and Wakeboard Manitoba will be co-hosting a development camp for new and aspiring adaptive water ski athletes who are interested in attending the 2007 Canadian National Water Ski Championships.

The camp will take place on the Wednesday and Thursday (8th and 9th of August) prior to the Championships (Aug 11-12, 2007). The main coaching focus will be on running the slalom course and establishing consistent trick runs.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Chris Holden at crholden@h-htech.com or 613-799-7020.

What: Adaptive Development Training Camp
When: Wednesday August 8th and Thursday August 9th, 2007
Where: Winnipeg MB (Same site as the Nationals)
Cost: $50/day includes lunch for the athlete
Who: Any athlete interested in participating in the Canadian National Adaptive Water ski Championships. *Coaches of the athletes are encouraged to attend as well*

Canada’s Whitney McClintock sweeps all three gold at junior U.S., Open

Jun 24, 2007

SANTA ROSA, Florida – Canadian water skiing whiz Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., swept all three gold on Sunday at the junior U.S., Open championships.

McClintock finished ahead of American Danielle Bennett in slalom and tricks and also took the jump title soaring 151 feet, just a foot off her personal best set in Saturday’s qualifying. At the last three junior U.S. Opens, McClintock has taken eight of a possible nine gold. However this was the first year the 17-year-old world junior champion competed in the under-21 category.

‘’This is not only a great way to start the season but a great way to start a new age category,’’ said McClintock, who’ll competed at the under-21 worlds next January in Chile. ‘’It’s really good for the confidence.’’

McClintock was soaring with confidence in the jump and slalom events after strong qualifying scores. In the jump final she edged out Jenna Mielzinsky of Belfountain, Ont., who took the silver at 147 feet.

The most surprising result for McClintock was her gold in tricks after qualifying fourth.

‘’I went with a safer routine today in tricks,’’ she said. ‘’I wasn’t quite comfortable with the one I did in qualifying. In the final, I went out before two other girls and I wasn’t sure it would hold. But I managed to edge out Danielle.’’

Mielzynski was also competing at her first major event this season and had hoped to fare a little better. Along with her silver in jump she was also fourth in slalom.

‘’I did a personal best in jump last week (151 feet) at a small meet and I was excited about possibly matching that today,’’ said Mielzynski. ‘’However, there’s more pressure at a meet like this. In tricks, I stood up a couple of passes and lost some time in the middle.’’

Amanda Amos of Midland, Ont., was fourth in women’s slalom in the under-17 category.

Three Canadians stay in medal hunt at junior U.S. Open water skiing competition

Jun 23, 2007

SANTA ROSA, Florida – Double world junior champion Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., reached all three finals and set a personal best distance in the jump competition in Saturday’s qualifying at the junior U.S. Open water skiing competition.

McClintock, 17, qualified first in both jump and slalom and third in tricks despite a fall. In jump, she soared 152 feet in her third and final attempt bettering her previous best from two years ago by seven feet.

‘’The slalom and the jumping were fabulous for me today,’’ said McClintock, who swept all three junior U.S. Open gold last year. ‘’In jumping, I’ve been working so hard for the last two years but the progress hasn’t been as fast as I would like. But in the last jump today I just put it all together. In the slalom, my confidence has been a bit shaky of late so it was nice to put such a good one down.’’

Jenna Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., qualified third for the jump final and fourth for the tricks final. Amanda Amos of Midland, Ont., qualified fourth for the slalom final.

‘’This is my first tournament this year but I was still hoping to make a final,’’ said Amos, who turned 17 on Thursday. ‘’I’ve been very busy with school and exams this spring and that’s really cut into my training time. But the water felt really good today and I just focused on my technique.’’

Competition ends Sunday.

Canada’s Rusty Malinoski second at Pro Wakeboard Tour event

Jun 17, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS – Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., produced another medal performance on Sunday finishing second in the men’s pro competition at the third stop on the Pro Tour wakeboard circuit.

Malinoski, the winner at the previous stop in Texas, lost to Philip Soven of the U.S., in the final. Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale B.C., and Andrew Adkinson of the U.S., tied for third.

‘’It wasn’t quite as good as in Texas,’’ said Malinoski, also second at the season opening stop. ‘’I didn’t fell like I had a very good ride in the final. However my goal is to win the overall title and right now I’m showing a lot of consistency to put myself in a position to do that.’’

The next stop on the circuit is July 7-8 in Kelowna, B.C.

Canada’s Rusty Malinoski wins Pro Tour wakeboard competition

Jun 4, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas – Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., won the gold medal Sunday in men’s wakeboard at the second stop on the Pro Tour circuit.

Malinoski defeated four-time X Games champion Danny Harf of the U.S., in the final. Malinoski entered Fort Worth coming off a second-place finish at the tour's first stop in Acworth, Georgia. With two top-two finishes this season, Malinoski is now the current leader on the circuit with three events to go.

‘’It was definitely good,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’Danny went up first in the final and had a couple of falls so I knew what I had to do. I did a lot of tricks and I did them well and it all worked out. Some weekends it clicks and this was definitely my weekend.’’

In the semifinals, Malinoski eliminated Adam Errington of the U.S., while Harf took out Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C.

‘’My semifinal was the best ride of my career,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’It was unbelievable and intense. I definitely wanted a win here.’’

In the quarterfinals earlier Sunday, Sharpe had knocked out the hottest rider this season in the sport Philip Soven of the U.S., the winner at the season-opening stop. Malinoski meanwhile defeated compatriots Kyle Rattray of Guelph, Ont., in the quarters and Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C., in the round of 16. Olivier Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., also reached the round of 16.

Malinoski enjoyed a phenomenal 2006 season on the various pro circuits. He won the four-stop World Series title, was second overall on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit and the King of Wake Series and was third overall on the World Cup circuit. In March, he kicked-off 2007 with the Pan Am Championships title.

In the junior competition for ages 14-18 Raphael Derome of Coteau-du-Lac was fourth in the final. A.J. Racinelli led the U.S., to a medal sweep.

Canadians win three medals at U.S., Masters water skiing and wakeboard competition

May 27, 2007

PINE MOUNTAIN, Georgia – Jaret Llelwellyn of Innisfail, Alta., kicked-off his 24th season on the national team with a double silver medal performance on Sunday at the 48th U.S., Masters water skiing and wakeboard competition.

Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., added medals in the wakeboard events.

In water skiing, Nicolas Leforestier of France set a course record with 12,020 points for the gold medal in the men’s tricks events. Llewellyn delivered a near-flawless performance for 11,040 points. Julio Javier of Argentina was third.

‘’I couldn’t have asked for a much better performance at this point in the season,’’ said Llewellyn, 36, a living legend in the sport with numerous world titles and world record performances in his remarkable career. ‘’My goal was to get over the 11,000 points mark. I pulled out some of my big tricks and I was able to put the pressure on the others.’’

The men’s jump came down to the third and last round and Freddy Krueger of the U.S., took the gold soaring 231 feet. Llewellyn raised the bar to 229 on his last try and took silver while Jason Seels of Britain was third at 221. Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., was fourth at 219.

‘’I left the door open for Freddy and I think he knew he would be able to beat me,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’I’m getting tired of him winning these events of late. I feel like I’m jumping better and I’m certainly in the best shape I’ve been in five years. I’m getting back in the groove and my ultimate goal is to peak for the world championships.’’

In men’s wakeboard, Philip Soven of the U.S., continued his early-season domination taking the gold. Malinoski, coming off a breakthrough 2006 season, was second and Trevor Hansen of the U.S., third. Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., also reached the final and was sixth.

‘’Second is a great result but I’m starting to look for that win,’’ said Malinoski, second to Soven at last week’s opening stop on the Pro Tour circuit. ‘’I had a fall on my first pass and it basically all came down to one trick. It was that close.’’

In women’s wakeboard, Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., continued her emergence on the international scene with a sixth place finish. Last month she won gold at the Wake Games and she reached her first Pro Tour final last week placing fourth.

Canada’s Erin Mielzynski wins water skiing gold at U.S., Masters

May 26, 2007

PINE MOUNTAIN, Georgia – Erin Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., won the gold medal in women’s jump and Alexandre Paradis of Quebec City added a bronze in men’s jump in junior competition Saturday at the U.S., Masters water skiing tournament.

Mielzynsky, who turned 17 Friday, bounced back from a fall in Friday’s preliminary round to take the gold medal in her Master’s debut. Danielle Shipe of the U.S., was second and Manon Costard of France third.

‘’I was able to block the fall out of mind for today,’’ said Mielzynski, who reached her winning distance on her third and last attempt. ‘’I was really well concentrated today. I was the first up in each round so I actually felt more nervous watching the others, especially after I took the lead on my third jump.’’

Mielzynski is also a nationally ranked alpine skier who earned a couple of medals on the Canadian developmental circuit this season.

‘’Right now I’m able to handle both sports and I really enjoy it,’’ she said. ‘’I was able to come down to Florida and train for a couple of weeks in preparation for this competition.’’

In men’s jump, Paradis notched a personal best 165 feet on his third attempt for a third place finish. It was also his Master’s debut. Zack Warner of the U.S., took the gold at 174 with Bojan Schipner of Germany was second at 170.

‘’I was pretty surprised the make the final,’’ said Paradis, 16. ‘’The conditions here were beautiful and I had a great take-off. My goal was to get near that distance and that really put the pressure on the others to perform.’’

Competition ends Sunday with the senior event featuring multiple world champion Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta.

Canada’s Rusty Malinoski wins silver medal in wakeboard Pro Tour opener

ACWORTH, Georgia – Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., won the silver medal on Sunday in the season-opening event on the wakeboard Pro Tour circuit while Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., was edged out for the bronze.

In men’s competition, Malinoski lost in the final to Philip Soven of the U.S. Malinoski had eliminated Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., in the semfinal.

‘’Philip had a great run in the final and he put the pressure on me,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’I decided to change some things and it didn’t work out. I probably should had just stuck with what got me that far but I felt initially I needed a little bit more. It would have been nice to start with a win but I’m satisfied with this result.’’

He enjoyed a phenomenal 2006 season on the various pro circuits. He won the four-stop World Series title, was second overall on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit and the King of Wake Series and was third overall on the World Cup circuit. Last month he took the Pan Am Championships title.

In women’s competition, emily Copeland Durnham of the U.S., took the gold with Ambert Wing of Australia second and Shelby Kantar of the U.S., third. Ball, who won the gold medal against a similar field at the Wake Games last month, reached the final at a Pro Tour for the first time in her career.

‘’I’m not happy at all with how I did,’’ said Ball. ‘’I really wanted to get another win and get a streak going. In my last run I started very good but I didn’t slide as well as I wanted and kind of forgot what I was doing and did some weak jumps. But I did a lot of things well and I rode back to the dock standing.’’

In junior competition, Brady Price of Calgary was eliminated in the semifinals.

There are five stops on the Pro Tour including number-four in Kelowna, B.C., July 7-8.

Andrea Andrecyk of Brockville, Ont., wins two bronze at world water skiing championships

May 20, 2007

TOWNSVILLE, Australia – Andrea Andrecyk of Brockville, Ont., celebrated her 30th birthday with bronze medals in tricks and slalom Sunday at the world water skiing championships for athletes with a disability.

Delphine Le Sausse of France and Rhonda Ray of the U.S., were 1-2 in the slalom and tricks finals. In the tricks event, Andrecyk bettered her personal best by 200 points with 600 points. Le Sausse won with 720 and Ray compiled 620.

‘’I came down here a couple of weeks ago and trained very hard,’’ said Andrecyk. ‘’When the competition started I felt very comfortable. It’s been an amazing experience. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday.’’

In men’s jump, Pete Andrews of Saskatoon displayed a lot of courage in a fourth place finish. Andrews crashed on his first two attempts before landing on his third and last try. He was later diagnosed with a concussion by the Canadian team physician.

In the team standings, Canada was seventh out of 15 countries a big improvement over two years ago when the Canadians were second to last.

‘’We have a more experienced team and they work very hard,’’ said Pat Messner of Ottawa, head coach of Canada’s national adaptive team. ‘’They deserve a lot of credit for this kind of performance so early in the season.’’

On Saturday, Benoit Lessard of Waterville, Que., won silver in men’s slalom.

Quebec’s Benoit Lessard wins silver medal at world water skiing championships

May 19, 2007

TOWNSVILLE, Australia – Almost 25 years to the day after becoming a paraplegic in a motorcycling accident, Benoit Lessard of Waterville, Que., won the silver medal in men’s slalom on Saturday at the world water skiing championships for athletes with a disability.

It is Canada’s second medal in the history of the competition held every two years and the first by a paraplegic.

‘’I’ve come a long way,’’ said Lessard, 43. ‘’On the day of qualifying (Thursday May 17) it was the 25th anniversary of my accident. It was a very emotional day but it was also very motivating for me. On the water I realized how much I had accomplished.’’’

Jason Sleep of Australia won the gold medal scoring five buoys at 58 miles per hour while Lessard posted a personal best of three buoys at 49 miles per hour. In the prelims, Lessard earned the sixth and last qualifying spot for the final with a personal best knocking out Canadian teammate Chris Bourne of Ottawa.

‘’I’m very surprised and pleased to win a medal,’’ said Lessard, who supervises 60 employees in a micro electronics firm in the Sherbrooke region. ‘’My goal here was to participate and do my best. I didn’t put any pressure on myself. It’s really just the start of the season for us.’’

Lessard started water skiing in 2004 and made his first national team last year which also earned him a berth on the Pan Am championship team last season. He is heavily involved in alpine skiing and also in promoting sports for the disabled in the Sherbrooke area.

‘’I hope my medal will motivate more people with a disability to get involved in sports,’’ he said.

Two more Canadians are in finals on Sunday: Andrea Andrecyk of Brockville, Ont., advanced to the tricks and slalom finals while Pete Andrews of Saskatoon is in the jump final.

Canada also stands seventh out of 15 countries in the team standings. Two years ago, the Canadians were second to last.

Canada’s Sunni-Anne Ball shines for wakeboard gold at Wake Games

Apr 29, 2007

ORLANDO, Florida

Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., took the gold medal in the women’s wakeboard competition on Sunday at the Wake Games.

Ball’s victory was considered a big upset as she defeated reigning world champion Emily Copeland Durnham of the U.S., by two points. Melissa Marquardt of the U.S., was third. Copeland Durnham edged Ball for the Pan American title last month.

Ball is coming off a strong 2006 season in which she won a World Cup event and also took the national wakeboard title.

In the men’s pro wakeboard final, Phllip Soven of the U.S., defeated a stellar field for the victory. Adam Errington and Shaun Murray, also both the U.S., took second and third while Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., reached the final round and was fourth.

Malinoski started his day with a victory in his semifinal heat to advance to the final four. He enjoyed a phenomenal 2006 season on the various pro circuits. He won the four-stop World Series title, was second overall on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit and the King of Wake Series and was third overall on the World Cup circuit. Last month he took the Pan Am Championships title.

Canada’s Rusty Malinoski wins gold at Pan Am wakeboard championships

Mar 12, 2007

MIAMI- Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., picked-up where he left off last season with a gold medal performance in men’s competition Saturday at the Pan American wakeboard championships while Sunni-Anne Ball of King City, Ont., won silver in the women’s event.

In men’s competition, Malinoski was the last rider of the day and overcame difficult conditions for the victory. Philip Soven of the U.S., was second and Adam Errington of the U.S., third.

‘’I had a great weekend,’’ said Malinoski. ‘’It was definitely challenging and I seemed to pull through. I’m pretty excited about it. I was really consistent with all my tricks regardless of the conditions. I had a great off season training although I wish I would have had more time to prepare. It looks like we’re right back in it now.’’

Malinoski enjoyed a phenomenal 2006 season on the various pro circuits. He won the four-stop World Series title, was second overall on the five-stop Pro Tour circuit and the King of Wake Series and was third overall on the World Cup circuit.

‘’Rusty was amazing in the final,’’ said Lockey Price of Calgary, a judge at the competition. ‘’He landed some of the most difficult tricks I have ever seen under those conditions. He was very consistent throughout the tournament.’’

Chad Sharpe of Cloverdale, B.C., and Kyle Rattray of Guelph, Ont., were eliminated in the semi-finals.

In women’s wakeboard, Emily Copeland of the U.S., was the winner with Ball second.

‘’Sunni went really big as well,’’ said Price. ‘’She fell on a couple of tricks but still had enough big moves to get into second place.’’

Ball is also coming off a strong 2006 season as well in which she won a World Cup event and also took the national wakeboard title.

NATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT WAKEBOARD TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN FIRST EVER WAKEBOARD TRAINING CAMP

Jan 25, 2007

The Canadian National and Development Wakeboard Team have just completed the first ever training camp of its kind in Clermont, Florida. The camp was held over seven days from January 15 - 21. The riders, Brad Buskas, Rusty Malinoski, Aaron Rathy, Kyle Rattray, Olivier Derome, Anthony Hollick, Dustin O'Ferrall, Bradey Price, and Sheena Smith, spent the week working on strength and conditioning, mental preparation, yoga, nutrition, and also getting some on the water time. The team's coach Mike Lieffers stressed that "This camp was about getting the athletes to think differently about preparing for competition. The camp is more focused on training the body, training the mind, and feeding the body, then it is on riding all day long. We wanted to give the athletes a different perspective, and give them tools to work towards their goals."

The schedule for each day was filled with activity. The mornings were spent at the National Training Center (NTC) and the afternoons the riders were on the water pushing each other behind the boat.

The training camp was hosted at the NTC in Clermont. The team worked with track star and personal trainer Dennis Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell had the team working on exercises that the athletes could take with them on the road and shared a different perspective coming from a different sport. His mantel was that "I will train the body, but you and your coach take care of the business on the water." Mr. Lieffers also had Dennis share his career experiences as a high performance athlete, which kept the athletes attention for the entire session.

The yoga sessions were a daily occurrence, and for many of the riders it was an introduction. The team's yoga teacher, Ryan Leier from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan turned sceptics into believers. Many of the riders left the camp feeling that yoga would be a big part of their training routine in the future as it helped their balance, flexibility, and concentration.

Diane Ashe, a local sports psychologist, spoke to the team about mental preparation. Many of the riders consider training their bodies to become better athletes, but few had considered the importance of training the mind. Ms. Ashe spoke to the pressures of being a high performance athlete, the anxiety of competition, and how to overcome these issues to be the best athlete possible. The riders were very attentive and open to the discussion, and skills that she began to teach them.

Rusty Malinoski hosted the team at his site for the on-the-water portion of the camp. The team had two boats running for the better part of the afternoon. The riders really benefited from each other's experiences, and enjoyed friendly tournament style competitions going head to head against one another to simulate events.

The feedback from the athletes and instructors has been overwhelmingly positive. Mike was extremely happy with how Canadian team athletes responded to the intensive schedule: "This is the first wakeboard training camp Canada has hosted, and I did not know exactly what to expect. The riders and instructors exceeded my expectation with a commitment and level of professionalism. I look forward to being able to do this again in the future." Mike challenged the riders daily through conversation, about pushing their limits and striving to become the athletes that they have the potential to be.

CALL FOR WORLDS 2009 DIRECTORSHIP POSITIONS

Jan 9, 2007

In pursuit of the right to host the 2009 World Water Ski Championships in Calgary (see related story HERE.), the bid committee would like to call for applications for eight volunteer executive director positions to further the planning and organizing leading up to a prospective bid later this year, and to carry through with implementation should the event be awarded to Canada. These key positions and the respective areas of responsibility are outlined in the draft organizational chart available HERE.. Each Executive Director would be responsible for overseeing all planning and delivery of their respective responsibility areas, involving such functions as establishing proposed structures/teams/individuals to carry out the work, operational workplans and budgets.

Applications from interested volunteers, consisting of a letter of application to the 2009 Worlds Bid Committee and resume of professional and water ski qualifications, are to be received via email to the attention of dan@waterski-wakeboard.ca by January 21, 2007. Late applications cannot be accepted.

This is an exciting opportunity to play an important leadership role with a significant event that Canada has only held twice previously, the last time in 1979!