The journey to Belgium looms

by Bob Wonders on 1 Jul 2009 Australia’s crack water ski racing team is set for the journey to Belgium and the 16th World Water Ski Racing championships.

Official opening ceremony for the championships is scheduled for the city of Ghent, Belgium’s second-largest population region, on July 18.

Australia will be represented by a 50-strong team comprising 18 skiers, plus drivers, observers and team officials.

The team sustained a severe loss last month when the #1 Formula II Men competitor Mark Weaver was seriously injured when he took a bad fall during the Queensland ski racing championships.

Weaver suffered a number of broken bones forcing his withdrawal from the team.

Team officials moved reserve skier Luke Keys into the team at #3 and added Kris Knights to the reserve list.

Skiers from Queensland, NSW and Victoria comprise the Australian team.

The full team, commencing with skiers, is;

Formula I Men: Wayne Mawer, Chris Stout, Peter Procter

Formula I Women: Cara Jochinke, Lauryn Eagle, Bethany Pledger

Formula II Men: Daniel Cotton, Richard Souwer, Luke Keys

Formula II Women: Trudi Stout, Kylee Jones, Susan Cartwright.

Junior Boys: Jack Houston, Ben Hackett.

Junior Girls: Maddison Boyer, Sarah Teelow.

Additionally, reserves have been named for Formula II with Kris Knights (Men) and Melissa Tidswell (Women) added to the line-up.

Boat drivers named are Geoff Jochinke, Lex Jones, David Tidswell, Brent Wisemantel, Steve Shipp, Chris Teelow, Greg Houston, Mark Cranny, Troy Kennedy, Pat Cole, Robbie Wright (UK), Mike Avila (USA) and Bart Smells (Belgium).

Team observers are Rodney Hogben, Steven Robertson, Keith Buxton, Murray Hackett, Shaun Williams, Andrew Fyfe, Ray Knights, Robert Henderson, Kevin Boylan, Damien Matthews, Jason Bennett, Trent Souwer, Mick Kelly and Darren Reilly.

Others travelling with the team include highly experienced judges Jan Thurgar, Barbara Osborne and Fran Hynes, with Meryl Lee officiating as Australia’s International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) representative.

Rick Love has been named Team Caption, Shane Broughton, vice-captain, Peter Gwozdecky, medical officer, Cindy Nutley, media officer and Andrew Dean, webmaster.

Racing will begin with the first round at Ghent on July 19, followed by round two, at Genk (July 21), round three at Antwerp (July 24) and the final round at Viersel (July 26).

The Australian team will be based at Antwerp for the duration of the championships.

Racing in Belgium is regarded as among the world’s toughest for ski racers as competition takes place along walled canals.

The canals can be relied upon to produce rough conditions as the walls do not allow boat wash to dissipate.

Each venue has been described as 'very different' to Australian ski racing venues.

Canal racing is a test of strength (of the skier) and endurance (of the boat and its engine) as much as it is of speed.

Formula I Men race for one-hour plus one lap; Women race for 45 minutes, plus one lap and Juniors race for 30 minutes, plus one lap.

Placing and points are determined over the series of four races on a time over distance ratio, meaning the skier with the most laps completed in the time frame emerges as the winner.

Despite the conditions, some skiers actually prefer canal racing.

Former Formula II skier now #2 in the Formula I Women team, Lauryn Eagle, is one with canal experience and says she loves the rough water racing.

Our Formula I Men have all experienced varied water conditions and all have what it takes to add to Australia’s outstanding ski racing achievements.

The first World Championships for ski racing were staged in the UK 30-years ago (1979) and resulted in a double for Australia with Bronwyn Wing (nee Wright) and Wayne Ritchie crowned world champs.

From 1979 to 1993 the championships catered only for Men and Women; of the 16 (eight Men, eight Women) titles held during that period Australians claimed seven crowns.

In 1995, Junior Boys and Junior Girls were added to the program and from 1995 through to 2001 there were another 16 world titles on offer.

Australia dominated winning 10 of the world championships.

In 2003 Formula II was added to the mix and with the ’03 championships in the USA and the ’05 titles in the United Kingdom, it signalled a rather lean time for Australia.

Ann Procter (Women, ’03), Chris Stout (Junior Boys, ’03) and Lauryn Eagle (Women Formula II, '05) were our only world champions

In 2007, the last championships staged, Australia again came to the fore in New Zealand completely ‘blitzing’ the field to win five of the six world titles held.

It will take a brave man (or woman?) to bet against the Aussies in Belgium.

We wish them well.