Belgium - and it’s Australia versus the world

by Bob Wonders on 15 Jul 2009 Australia’s top water ski racers go head-to-head against the world’s best this weekend as the team opens its campaign on Sunday in the 16th World Water Ski Racing championships.

The official opening ceremony is set for Saturday with racing over four venues across northern Belgium.

Australia’s 50-strong team has established its base at Antwerp for the duration of the championships.

Two members of the Australian team currently hold world championships from the 2007 titles held in New Zealand; Chris Stout, 2007 Men Formula II champion and sister Trudi, Junior Girls ’07 titleholder, have both stepped up.

Chris has been listed as Australia’s #2 Formula I skier behind crack competitor Wayne Mawer and Trudi is #1 Australia ski racer in Women Formula II.

The team also includes Lauryn Eagle, the 2005 Women Formula II champion now rated Australia’s #2 in Women Formula I.

Conditions the team will face in Belgium will differ enormously from what ski racers are used to in Australia. All championship races in Belgium are staged on canal courses, and with wash unable to dissipate it ‘bounces’ off canal walls and provides rough racing.

Australia does have one major advantage in that its team boasts some highly-experienced boat drivers, men such as Pat Cole, Greg Houston and Mark Cranny, all of whom know their way to the finish line under any conditions.

One skier, Lauryn Eagle, told me some weeks ago that she ‘looked forward’ to the canal conditions. 'I’ve raced in Belgium before and I really enjoy the rough water racing,' she said.

Eagle, of course, in May set a new Sydney-Newcastle-Sydney water ski record, so rough water should be the least of her concerns.

The championships draw to a close on July 26 and I’m confident there’ll be Australians heading home crowned as 2009 world champions.

Powerboat-World will follow the championships closely and publish results as they come to hand.