Belgium – can Australia’s Water ski dominance continue?

by Bob Wonders on 16 Feb 2009 Australia’s top water ski racers are currently involved in selection trials for inclusion in the Australian team to contest the 16th World Ski Racing championships.

The championships are scheduled for July 19-26 in Belgium.

Since the championships were instituted in 1979, and with the later introduction of Junior classes (in 1995) and Formula II (in 2003), the world’s ski racers have ‘gone to war’ for 50 championship crowns. Australia has claimed 25 of these.

Venues to date have been the United Kingdom (1979 and 2005), Italy (1981 and 1989), Australia (1983, 1987, 1991 and 1997), Spain (1985 and 1999), France (1993), Belgium (1995), the United States (2001 and 2003) and New Zealand (2007).

Of the six championships decided in New Zealand in 2007, Australian ski racers brought home five titles; Jason Walmsley and Ann Proctor won Men’s and Women’s Formula I, Chris Stout and Tania Teelow claimed gold in Formula II and Trudi Stout, sister of Chris, triumphed in Junior Girls. Only Kiwi Junior Jaaron Fritz prevented a clean sweep by the Australian team.

From 1979 through to 1993, the championships were known simply as Open Men and Open Women. Of the 16 world titles through that era, Australian ski racers were successful on seven occasions.

Our dominance began with the inaugural championships held in the UK in 1979m when Melbourne’s Wayne Ritchie and Sydney’s Bronwyn Wing (nee Wright) set the standard.

The following two championships, 1981 (Italy) and 1983 (Australia) did not go Australia’s way, with the great Europeans Danny Bertels (Belgium) and Liz Hobbs winning and successful defending their crowns.

It was not until 1985 that Australia again surged to the top when Queenslander Mark Pickering, behind Pat Burke’s 21’ Connelly Craft ‘Plus One’, claimed victory in Barcelona.

Since then, Australians have won at least one major title in every championship contested.


In 1987, Tania Williams was Open Women world champion, in 1989 the great Ian Dipple claimed Men’s Open, Paul Robertson was crowned in 1991 and one of the greats, Leanne Brown, took the first of her three Open Women titles in 1993.


In 1993 Junior classes were added to the championships staged in Belgium and Alex Ross joined Leanne Brown on the winner’s podium.

The 1997 championships staged in Australia gave the host nation a clean sweep, with Wayne Mawer and Leanne Brown crowned and Robbie Penny and Ann Proctor claiming Boys and Girls Junior titles.

Ace Sydney ski racer Stephen Robertson won and successfully defended his two world titles in 1999 (Spain) and 2001 (USA) while Joanne Hamilton took the 1999 title.

Ann Proctor, the 1997 World Junior champion, moved up to what had become known as Formula I in 2001 and took the first of her three World championships, successful defending the title in 2003 and winning again in 2007.

Prior to the 2007 New Zealand championships, the UK staged titles did not treat Australia too kindly, with only Lauryn Eagle, acknowledged as the sport’s ‘glamour girl’, bringing home a World title (Formula II Women).

Sadly, among our current World Champions, five will not be defending their titles; Ann Proctor has retired, Jason Walsmley and Tania Teelow are both out injured, while Chris Stout has moved up to Formula I and age has caught up with sister Trudi who has moved up from Junior to Formula II.

The eventual Australian team for Belgium will be chosen via a point score system over seven races, with contestants allowed to drop their two worst performances.

In the event of a tie between skiers for a team position, selectors will make the decision.

Four skiers will be chosen in Formula I and II, Men and Women, in each case three to ski and one in reserve.

Current rules only allow two from each competing nation in the Junior classes, so Australia will choose two Junior Boys and two Junior Girls for Belgium.

The Australian team will be chosen sometime in April.

Powerboat-World will keep ski race fans right up to date as the countdown to Belgium continues.