Canada’s Whitney McClintock named International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation’s female athlete of the year

Dec 22, 2009

OTTAWA – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., who won both the world championship and under-21 world championship overall titles this year, was named the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation’s female athlete of the year for 2009.

“This is the most prestigious award in our sport and I’m very excited about it,” said McClintock, who turned 20 in October.

This past August at the world championships in Calgary, McClintock delivered gold medal performances in slalom and tricks en route to the overall crown. Her performances also helped Canada win the team gold for the first time since 1997.

“I have so many great memories for 2009 but the world championships in Calgary are the highlight for sure,” she said. “There’s nothing in my life that’s come anywhere close to that in terms of my water skiing accomplishments.”

A few weeks later in Mexico, she dominated the under-21 world championships successfully defending her overall title while adding victories in slalom and tricks and a silver medal in jump. She kicked off the season in May with gold in tricks and bronze in slalom at the prestigious Masters competition.

“What she has achieved this year is phenomenal,” said Canadian national team coach Steve Bush. “It was all well deserved. She has a great competitive spirit and you just can’t buy that. It was pretty special. She worked very hard this year and brought her skiing up to an amazing level. Plus the experience she’s gained has really helped her.”

For 2010, McClintock said one of her big objectives will be to get a world record.

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: 47 world championship gold medals, 122 total medals in world championships, and 27 Pan Am Games medals since 1995.

CANADIAN WATER SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO ABBOTSFORD, B.C. FOR 2010

Nov 13, 2009

Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada is pleased to announce that the 2010 nationals, the 60th edition of the Canadian Championships, will be hosted at Albert Dyck Park in Abbotsford, British Columbia on August 17-22. The event will be co-hosted by Water Ski and Wakeboard British Columbia and the Fraser Valley Water Ski Club.

Albert Dyck Park is a purpose built water ski lake and has a steep legacy of successful hosting of major events, including the 1996, 1999 and 2004 nationals, and very recently, the 2009 World Police & Fire Games and 2009 Pro Water Ski Tour stop. Co-chairs of the event will be the experienced John McCammon and Kyle Oberndorf. Mark your calendars for some great skiing conditions, gathering of friends that are the water ski community, and all with the beautiful backdrop of the Fraser Valley and Rocky Mountains!

Canadian water skiing coach Steve Bush wins Jack Donohue Award

November 12, 2009

OTTAWA – Steve Bush of North Vancouver, B.C., the head coach of Canada’s national water ski team, has won the Jack Donohue Award as this year’s top coach in Canada. The award is presented by Coaches of Canada.

“I never expected the award,” said Bush. “There are a lot of great coaches in Canada and it’s a real honour to be selected. Jack Donohue had a huge influence on me. I went to his lectures over and over again, so it’s really cool to have an award in his name.”

Bush has developed a steady of stream of superstars in the sport, the most recent 19-year-old Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont. In 2009, McClintock won gold in slalom, tricks and overall at the world championships in Calgary in addition to leading Canada to its first world team crown since 1997. A few weeks later she successfully defended her under-21 world overall title in Mexico.

“We put in a lot of work into this season because the worlds were at home,” said Bush. “If you are prepared, the worlds at home can be a lot of fun, if not it could be difficult. Our skiers were there to perform and I couldn’t believe by how much we won the team event. We had no letdowns.

“It was my biggest season in 30 years with the team.”

In the past 30 years, Bush has guided his athletes to 19 world titles, 46 world championship medals, 27 Pan American Games medals, 29 world junior championship medals, and 17 world under-21 championship medals.

Bush’s most successful athlete is Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., a nine-time world champion and a living legend in the sport as he continues to maintain himself among the world’s best at age 39.

“Steve is a brilliant coach,” said Llewellyn. “He is always ahead of the game and he is the reason why our program is so highly regarded. He’s been there since I started and he has never lost the fire.”

A masterful technician, Bush continually updates his training programs to ensure the best methodologies. He makes sure that the most effective and applicable training theories and coaching practices are being used by the entire team and he tailors training programs for each athlete.

“Communication and building trust with the athletes are crucial to success,” said Bush. “Plus I try to stay at the cutting edge of technology and methodology. We always have the latest video analysis tools, the latest workout programs and we have a tremendous support staff.”

Whitney McClintock makes it clear that if not for Bush, she would not be a world champion.

“He has had a big influence on my life,” she said. “If it wasn’t for his encouragement, helping me set goals, following a plan and aiming for the top of my sport I would not have had the success I have today.

“He is always organizing stuff to help make us better.”

Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada executive director Dan Wolfenden praised Bush.

"What Steve Bush has achieved is truly remarkable", he said. "He defines water skiing in Canada. He has developed and fostered an unbelievable culture of excellence and integrity. Steve has been so resourceful in maximizing available budgets and in leveraging his knowledge and network to always give our athletes every opportunity possible.

“What I love most about his influence, is to see the pride he has instilled in every team's wearing of 'Canada' on their back, and the walls that the athletes run through in order to wear their nation's name and colours. And what speaks volumes to his care and concern for the athletes as people, is how they lean on him for off-the-water advice and guidance, and the role he still plays in athletes' lives after they have retired from world competition."

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: 47 world championship gold medals, 122 total medals in world championships, and 27 Pan Am Games medals since 1995.

Llewellyn, Dodd just miss medals at World Cup final

November 10, 2009

OTTAWA – Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., and Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., finished fourth in jump and tricks respectively this past weekend at the final World Cup stop of the season in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

In jump, Freddy Krueger of the U.S., won the gold medal with a World Cup record 69.0 metres. Thomas Asher of Britain was second at 63.2 and his compatriot Jason Seels third at 62.2.

Dodd, who was in contention for the season title, went for broke and took fourth spot at 61.2 and placed second overall for 2009. Llewellyn was seventh and finishes third overall.

‘’Ryan probably could have gone easy and placed second,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’But he was going for the win. On his last jump, he probably just went a little bit too hard. For my part, I was disappointed to not win a medal in this event.’’

In tricks, Aliaksei Zharnasek of Ukraine was the winner with 11,470 points, Olivier Fortamps of France was second at 9,890 and Jimmy Siemers of the U.S., third at 9,700. Llewellyn followed at 9,560 and Dodd was fifth 8,740.

‘’The tricks event went pretty well for me,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’I went with my big run in the final, and I experienced the same kind of difficulties I had at the world championships (this past summer in Calgary).’’

Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion completes another great season, his 26th on the national team, capped by helping Canada to the team gold at the world championships. He was also second in jump and third overall at worlds.

Whitney McClintock successfully defends overall title at under-21 world water skiing championships

November 1, 2009

CHAPALA, Mexico – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., completed a remarkable 2009 season on Sunday winning gold in slalom and tricks to earn her second consecutive overall title at the under-21 world water skiing championships.

McClintock, who won the overall title at the world championships this past summer in Calgary, totalled 2,982.09 points over the three events. Marion Aynaud of France was second at 2666.88 and Caroline Hensley of the U.S., third at 2,539.34.

“I’ll look back on 2009 as the best year of my life,” said McClintock, who turned 20 last month. “I couldn’t ask for a whole lot more. All the hard work I’ve put into my skiing since last winter has totally showed me that anything I put my mind to, I can accomplish.”

In slalom, McClintock cleared 2.5 buoys at 11.25 meters for the victory and took the tricks gold with 8,000 points. In jump, she cleared 49.9 metres for the silver medal while Nancy Chardin of France took the gold at 50.5.

“In prelims I played it safe in all three events,” said McClintock. “In the finals, I was below my goals in terms of scores but still skied pretty well. My tricks routine didn’t go exactly as planned and my slalom was a low score for me. In jump, it was nice to come through with strong distances in a big event.”

McClintock will continue to train in Florida over the winter and complete her degree in sports and fitness at the University of Central Florida.

In men’s competition, Kevin Melnuk of Toronto won the bronze medal in jump clearing 61.1 metres. Stephen Collins of Toronto was seventh and Alex Paradis of Quebec City eighth.

Derek Kirby of Orr Lake, Ont., was ninth in slalom after finishing first in the preliminaries. Melnuk was also the top Canadian overall in sixth.

Canada was third in the team standings with the U.S., first and France second.

Full results at : http://waterski.online.fr/competition.php?cc=T-09MEX099&page=live

Whitney McClintock wins water ski pro tour event

Sep 20, 2009

ABBOTSFORD, B.C.- World champion Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., won the gold medal in women’s slalom this weekend at the Water Ski Pro Tour competition while Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., was ranked third in men’s jump.

After an initial qualifying round, the top-eight then went head-to-head in a knock-out format.

In women’s slalom, McClintock was fourth in qualifying then defeated Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., in the quarterfinal, Karina Nowlan of Australia in the semis and Karen Truelove of the U.S., in the final.

“I felt I had an advantage by going first in each of my rounds and I was able to put the pressure on my opponents each time,” said McClintock, 19. “I skied a lot better than in qualifying. In a head-to-head format you have ski better through each round and thingzs turned out well for me today.”

Just over a month ago in Calgary, McClintock won the overall, tricks and slalom titles and led Canada to the team crown at the world championships. She’ll now prepare to defend her overall title at the under-21 worlds set for next month in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In men’s slalom, Chris Rossi of the U.S., won the final over Thomas Degasperi of Italy. Thomas Moore of Edmonton was eighth in qualifying and lost his opening playoff run to top qualifier Will Asher of Britain.

In men’s jump, world champion Freddy Krueger of the U.S., won the gold medal soaring 209 feet to edge Damian Sharman of Britain who cleared 208.

Llewellyn was fifth in qualifying and opened his head-to-head round defeating Zack Worden of the U.S. The Canadian veteran then faced Krueger in the semifinal and the two arch rivals landed the longest jumps of the day. Krueger went 228 feet and Llewellyn 224.

Llewellyn will train here for the next week then head to China for a stop on the World Cup circuit.

Canada beats U.S. , in 17-21 age group at Can Am Challenge water skiing competition

Sep 7, 2009

JERSEYVILLE, Illinois – Kevin Melnuk of Toronto and Jenna Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., won three events apiece to lead Canada to the under-21 team title at the Can Am Challenge water skiing competition this weekend.

Melnuk placed first in slalom, jump and overall in the men’s competition while Stephen Collins of Toronto was second in the same three events. On the women’s side, Mielzynski was first in tricks, jump and overall.

The U.S. , placed ahead of Canada in the under-13 and under-17 division team standings.

In the under-17 division, Megan Collins of Toronto was the top Canadian women finishing second in jump and slalom and third in tricks for third overall. Chantal Singer of Toronto won a silver in tricks and was fourth overall Maddison McCammon of Kelowna , B.C., posted a bronze in jump for fifth overall. For the men, Mitchell Novlan of Paradise Hill , Sask. , won the jump event and was third overall.

In the under-13 division, Quebec ’s Valerie Grenier took the girls overall title with victories in jump and slalom while Geneva Roach of Calgary added a bronze in slalom for fourth overall. For the boys David Collins of Toronto was second in tricks and third in jump for third overall and Matthew Delorme of Bromont, Que., was third in slalom.

Saskatoon ’s Pete Andrews wins Canada ’s first ever gold at disabled world water skiing championships

Sep 5, 2009

VICHY, France- Pete Andrews of Saskatoon won Canada’s first ever gold medal at the disabled world water skiing championships on Saturday with a victory in the men’s jump while Ryan Riehl, also of Saskatoon is coming home with four bronze medals.

In the men’s jump for paraplegics, Andrews soared a personal best 19.3 metres on his second and final attempt in the final to win the gold. Scott Wintle of Australia was second at 17.3 metres and Joe Ray of the U.S. , third at 14.0.

“This is a dream come true,” said the 44-year-old Andrews who works as an exercise therapist. “I’m pleasantly surprised but I always felt I had a chance. I messed up my first jump and for the second I just made sure I had a good approach to the ramp and made sure I pulled out the landing.”

The 25-year-old Riehl was making his world championship debut and won bronze in jump, tricks, slalom and overall for visually impaired skiers. His guide is Dave Waffil of Saskastoon.

“I did fantastic for a first world championship,” said Riehl, who started water skiing only three years ago. “I’m excited about coming back and seeing how much better I can do.”

There was an unfortunate accident in the Canadian camp earlier this week when Benoit Lessard of Sherbrooke , Que., broke his leg training in the jump event. Lessard underwent surgery and is in good condition.

Canada ’s Aaron Rathy wins WWA wakeboard title

Aug 30, 2009

ORLANDO , Florida – Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo , B.C., won the gold medal in the men’s pro wakeboard competition on Sunday at the world wakeboard championships.

It is the second year in a row a Canadian has won the world wakeboard title. Last year Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt , Sask. , took the gold with Rathy placing second.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old Rathy put together a spectacular routine in both the semifinal and final for his first career world crown. Fifteen-year-old Harley Clifford of Australia , who beat Rathy two weeks ago at a pro event, was second and Andrew Adkison of the U.S. , was third. Malinoski was fourth.

“It feels awesome, I’m stoked,” said Rathy. “It was my big goal for this year. I couldn’t be happier.”

With the victory Rathy also places first overall in the King of Wake Series. He earns $10,000 for the world title and other $10,000 for the Series crown.

After a perfect 100 point score in the semifinal, Rathy raised the bar high once again in the final.

“I had good flowing runs and I didn’t fall all day,” said Rathy. “I added a couple of tricks for the final but mostly all year I’ve been able to rely on my stock tricks The key for me this year is that I’m confident and I’ve avoided injuries. Every contest I’m ready and that puts me on the podium.”

The victory caps a great 2009 season for Rathy. He was also second overall on the five-stop Pro Tour earning two victories and two weeks ago he won both the “Move of the Year” and “Rider of the Year” at the annual Wakeboarding Magazine Wake Awards,

McMillin and Stumborg win open titles at wakeboard nationals

Aug 30, 2009

PETERBOROUGH , Ont. – Braden Stumborg of Saskatoon and Kayle McMillin of Barrie, Ont., were crowned the men’s and women’s open champions on Sunday to conclude the Canadian wakeboard championships.

In the men’s open competition, Stumborg collected his second gold of the competition with another solid performance. Didier Godbout of Valleyfield , Que., was second and Darian Znebel of Mississauga , Ont., was third.

In the women’s open competition, McMillin prevailed with Erica Langman of Orangeville, Ont., in second and Camélia Barrière of St. Charles-de-Drummond, Que., in third.

The top-two in both the men’s and women’s open final were automatically named to the national team.

For Godbout, it was his first nomination to the national wakeboard team. The 24-year-old only took up wakeboarding five years ago after a promising motorcross career was ended due to injury.

‘’I had a great opening pass and that’s what helped me get in the top-two,’’ said Godbout. ‘’I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to get that spot but it’s great thrill I made it. I started wakeboarding just for fun a few years ago and I just kept at it. My goal next year is to go to the world championships.’’

In the men’s slider final, the top-three were Yannick Thibault, Godbout and Mike Maynard. The women’s slider was won by Leslie Sparks with Barrière second and Marie-Line Ouellet third.

Saskatchewan riders rule at wakeboard nationals winning men senior and junior titles

Aug 29, 2009

PETERBOROUGH , Ont. – There’s something in the water in Saskatchewan that seems to produce great wakeboard riders.

After Ashley Leugner of Fort Qu’Appelle , Sask. , won the silver medal at the world championships earlier Saturday in South Korea , Braden Stumborg of Saskatoon and Mark McMorris of Regina took the men’s senior and junior titles here on Saturday at the Canadian wakeboard championships.

On Thursday Anthony Hollick of Regina won the men’s pro event here and on Sunday, Rusty Malinosky of Humboldt , Sask. , one of the biggest international stars in the sport, goes for gold at the worlds.

Back to Saturday’s competition at nationals held in rainy weather, Stumborg reclaimed the title finishing ahead of Maxime Cartier of St-Zotique, Que., in second and Dylan Rivait of Windsor, Ont.

“It’s always nice to win out east,” said Stumborg, 25, who also coaches in Saskatoon . “I feel a bit lucky I won because my last ride wasn’t the greatest. I just ended up landing the most tricks. The wind really picked up and that affected everybody from the rider to the boat driver.”

Stumborg says Saskatchewan riders have done a good job through the years helping in the development of future wakeboarders.

"For these nationals the Saskatchewan team was able to prepare together for six days, ride together and polish our runs,” said Stumborg, who grew up in Humboldt and learned the sport alongside Malinoski as a youngster. “We have strong coaches who learned the sport in Florida and we really been feeding off those guys.”

In junior men’s competition, McMorris collected his second gold of the competition successfully defending his junior wakeboard title. Darian Znebel of Mississauga , Ont., was second and Robbie McMillen of Ontario third.

“I think I could have rode better but it was a struggle with the conditions,” said McMorris, 15, who also won the pro wakeskate on Thursday. “I made a lot of changes this year because the riding level really stepped up. It’s been a great year for me so far.”

Other winners Saturday were Ontario ’s Brady Hicks in the men’s amateur wakeskate and Ally Boothroyd of Peterborough in the women’s wakeskate.

Canada ’s Ashley Leugner wins silver medal at IWSF World Wakeboard Championships

Aug 29, 2009

CHUNCHEON, South Korea – Ashley Leugner of Fort Qu’Appelle , Sask. , wielded her way through the repechage to win the silver medal in the women’s event on Saturday at the International Water Skiing Federation’s world wakeboard championships.

“The conditions were extremely challenging today which makes the medal all that more satisfying,” said Leugner, 24, with her first career world championship medal. “I had to adjust my runs for the choppy water and I made the right decisions.”

Leugner was seeded third entering the tournament but finished third in her opening heat on Friday and was forced to head to the repechage. Only the top-two in each head advanced automatically to the semifinals.

In the repechage only the winners advanced to semis and Leugner placed first with 49.45 points eliminating riders from China and Kuwait .

“My goal this week was to reach the final,” said Leugner, who missed a berth in the final by one spot last year placing seventh. “So in the final I didn’t feel too much pressure. I felt I had nothing to lose, I was super relaxed and that’s probably a reason I got second place.”

In men’s competition, Dustin O’Ferrall of Vernon , B.C., and Dylan Miller of Oxbow, Sask. , were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Regina ’s Anthony Hollick wins men’s pro event at Canadian wakeboard championships

Aug 2, 2009

PETERBOROUGH , Ont. – Anthony Hollick of Regina hopes he’s put a disappointing season to rest after winning the men’s pro event on Thursday at the Canadian wakeboard championships being held this week at Beavermead Park .

Hollick, who left for Orlando , Florida a few hours after his first career national crown to compete at this weekend’s world championships, finished ahead of Braden Stumborg of Saskatoon in second place and Didier Godbout of Montreal in third.

“It went really well,” said Hollick, 23, in his third year at the pro level. “I hung with out a lot of good friends and just went out there and did my thing. I kept the same run; the big difference was that I was still standing at the end. I was well prepared for this competition.”

It’s the kind of performance Hollick needed heading into the worlds.

”I think I’m starting to figure things out and today’s performance really cleared my head,” he said. “I’m where I need to be and I just have to keep the ball rolling at worlds.”

In the pro wakeskate final, Mark McMorris of Regina won the gold medal with Dan Brown of Port Carling, Ont., second and Nick Harlos of Wasaga Beach , Ont., third.

Competition continues through to Sunday.

Paul MacDonald and Nicole Blackmore win overall open titles at barefoot water ski nationals

August 22, 2009

NEWMARKET , Ont. – For the second year in a row, Paul MacDonald of Milton, Ont., overcame an injury to win the men’s open title at the Canadian barefoot water ski championships while Nicole Blackmore of Aldergrove, B.C., took the women’s open title for a third straight year.

In men’s competition, MacDonald tore his rotator cuff in his right shoulder on Friday in a jump competition but competed anyway in Saturday’s open event to win the overall crown for the fourth straight year. George Weekes of Toronto was second overall and Gordie Croteau of Repentigny , Que., third.

MacDonald placed first in the tricks event Saturday and was second in both slalom and jump.

“The highlight for me was how I was able to put the injury behind me and come back and win,” said MacDonald, who overcame a sore neck last year to win the overall title. “There was no strength in that shoulder at all today and I really wasn’t sure whether I would compete. But I got the green light from the doctor and he just told me to make sure I landed cleanly in the jump event.”

Croteau, a five-time national open champion and a double medallist at the world championships earlier this year, earned his slalom victory in a steady downpour.

“It felt like having needles in your face,” said Croteau, 42, about the rain pelting his face during his run. “I just wanted to make sure I had a clean run and wasn’t too sloppy.”

Weekes won the jump event.

In women’s competition, Blackmore, 19, was first woverall ith Danielle Tipping of Victoria second and Katie Godfrey of Georgetown , Ont., third. Blackmore won the tricks and Tipping topped the slalom and jump standings.

“I didn’t do as well as I could have,” said Blackmore. “I was disappointed with going out of position in the jump. I was comfortable in tricks but again the slalom was subpar. I was hoping I could have left here with a personal best.”

The wakeboard nationals are August 27-30 in Peterborough, Ont.

Aaron Rathy wins Wakestock

Aug 2, 2009

With the top wakeboarders and the air temperatures both soaring, Wakestock's final day proved to be one of the hottest ever! It was literally the hottest day of the summer in Collingwood, Ontario with temps hitting the equivalent of 39°C (102°F). And it was definitely one of the hottest days of riding this summer with young guns Harley Clifford of Australia, Bob Soven of the USA and Raphael Derome of Canada pushing the established stars like Rusty Malinoski and Aaron Rathy of Canada and Phillip Soven of the USA.

Big tricks like the Switch Toe 900 (Bob Soven), Heelside Wrapped Back 720 (Aaron Rathy), Moby Dick 540 (Phillip Soven), Switch Heelside 720 (Harley Clifford) and Toeside Backside Off-Axis 540 (Rathy) were routinely being stomped to the amazement and cheers of the huge Wakestock crowd lining the shore! Plus super tech, super smooth rail tricks by everyone. In the end its was Aaron Rathy who delivered the best run of the finals to take the Billabong Wakestock Pro title and coveted belt, his first WWA World Series win.

"This is unreal - I'm super stoked to win Wakestock, especially considering how good everyone was riding here", enthused Rathy after the finals. "The Wakestock crowd is so big and so close it really makes it fun! The new Collingwood site is awesome, a nice change from Toronto!"

Wakestock is Rathy's third pro event win this year making the Nanaimo, BC native THE breakout star of the year so far! With fellow Canadians Olivier Derome, Raphael Derome and Rusty Malinoski also making it through to the Semi-Finals it was a big day for Canadian wakeboarding!

Files from wakestock.com

AARON RATHY FINISHES 2ND IN PRO TOUR

Aug 12, 2009

Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C. finished up an unbelievable season on the Pro Tour in second place overall. Rathy earned second spot by finishing in the top 3 in the first four Pro Tour stops, he claimed a victory at stops #2 in Pleasant Prairie, WI and 3 in Knoxville, TN.

Harley Clifford totaled 450 points throughout the five-stop season to take first spot overall. Aaron Rathy finished the season in second place with 440 points and Phillip Soven rounded out the top three with 415 points.

RUSTY MALINOSKI 2ND AT FINAL PRO TOUR STOP

Aug 6, 2009

The MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour wrapped-up its fifth and final stop of the 2009 season this past weekend in Reno, Nev., where the world's top pro riders hit the waters for the closing-rounds of action.

The Pro Men's division battled it out on the water Sunday in quarterfinal and semifinal rounds before Danny Harf, Harley Clifford, Rusty Malinoski and Phillip Soven hopped off the dock for the four-man final.

Harf and Clifford both had impressive runs in the finals, but Malinoski was quick to answer back by landing a Switch Toeside 1080 - the first 1080 ever landed in a wakeboarding contest - to end their chances of winning. While Malinoski's 1080 was certainly the highlight of the finals, it wasn't enough to stop Phillip Soven from claiming the win at Sparks Marina, his second consecutive victory of the season. Malinoski and Clifford rounded out the contest podium, respectively

Canada ’s Jaret Llewellyn wins gold at international water ski tournament

August 16, 2009

DEPRONETROSK, Ukraine – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., won the gold medal in the men’s jump competition and added a silver in tricks on Sunday the Ukraine Open water skiing competition.

Llewellyn soared 65.6 metres for the victory just a week after earning two medals and helping Canada to team gold last weekend at the world championships in Calgary . Freddy Krueger of the U.S. , the world champion, took the silver at 65.5 and Igor Morozov of Russia was third at 63.5.

“It feels pretty good to get the win,” said Llewellyn. “But still I felt I left a window of opportunity for Freddy to win it. But I came here directly from worlds and had little time to train for this competition.”

World champion Aliaksei Zharnasek of Belarus won the tricks competition with Llewellyn second and Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., third.

Whitney McClintock and Kevin Melnuk win overall open titles at water ski nationals

August 15, 2009

LEDUC, Alta.- Triple world champion Whitney McClintock of Cambridge , Ont., and Kevin Melnuk of Toronto won the overall titles in the open competition Saturday to conclude the Canadian water ski championships at Shalom Park , near Edmonton .

McClintock, the gold medallist in tricks, slalom and overall last week at the world championships in Calgary , took first spot overall Saturday for the third straight year. She won the jump event with a season best 51 metres and tricks with 7,870 points.

She was second in slalom to Breanne Wagner of Surrey , B.C. Wagner is the first to beat McClintock for the open slalom title since Marie-Helene Lanthier in 2005.

“My jumping was the highlight for me,” said McClintock, 19, who has won the open tricks title eight of the last nine years. Her first open title was at age 11 in 2001. “I struggled with it at worlds so it was nice to come back here and do it well. The difference today was there was less stress and I just went out and did the best I could. Breanne skied really well in the slalom and deserved the gold.”

In men’s competition, Melnuk won the overall title for the first time in his career thanks in part to his victory in the jump competition clearing 65 metres. Jason McClintock of Cambridge was first in tricks with a personal best 10,170 points and Thomas Moore of Edmonton won the slalom competition.

“I did really well in jump with my second longest distance,” said Melnuk. “I haven’t focused on on slalom and tricks in the past month but still got close to my average. Doing all three events in one day for me was a bit taxing because | wasn’t really conditioned for it.”

The barefoot water ski nationals are set for August 21-23 in Newmarket , Ont.

Jason McClintock wins tricks and slalom at Canadian water ski championships

August 14, 2009

LEDUC, Alta. – Jason McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., won the gold medal in men’s elite tricks and slalom on Friday at the Canadian water ski championships being held this week at Shalom Park near Edmonton.

McClintock totalled 9,620 points in the tricks competition and scored 2.5@10.75 metres for the slalom title.

“It’s always nice to win a national title,’’ said McClintock, who made two finals at the world championships last week in Calgary. ‘’My performance was alright. I had a really nice start in my final pass in slalom but I kind of blew it by stumbling on the third buoy. My tricks score was good for me but I was really looking to go over 10,000. If I hadn’t fallen on my last trick, that would have happened.’’

In women’s elite competition, Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., took the slalom title with 4@11.25 while triple world champion Whitney McClintock of Cambridge won tricks with 8,820 points and placed first overall.

“I felt really good out there despite the weather,’’ said Wagner, a world championship finalist in slalom last week. ‘’I was happy with my score and the result especially since we haven’t practiced much this week in order to rest from worlds.’’

In under-21 women’s competition, Amanda Amos of Midland, Ont., won the jump event and took the overall crown. For the men, Stephen Collins of Toronto took the jump title with a personal best 59.6 metres and was also first overall.

In junior competition, Megan Collins of Toronto and Matt Weninger of Saskatoon were crowned the overall champions.

In adaptive water skiing, Benoit Lessard of Sherbrooke, Que., added the tricks and jump titles to his slalom victory on Thursday.

Competition ends Saturday with the open competition.

Winnipeg’s Taryn Grant successfully defends junior women’s jump title at water ski nationals

August 13, 2009

LEDUC, Alta. – Fourteen-year-old Taryn Grant of Winnipeg successfully defended her women’s junior jump title on Thursday at the Canadian water ski championships while triple world champion Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., took the women’s elite jump crown.

In the junior women’s jump, Grant soared 35.3 metres on her final attempt to earn the victory and also equal her personal best distance. Megan Collins of Toronto was second at 34.0 and Maddison McCammon of Kelowna, B.C., third at 28.0.

Grant entered Thursday’s jump event disappointed with her fifth place finishes in tricks and slalom on Wednesday.

“I was very motivated to do well in the jump,” said Grant, who has been jumping since age seven. “It is my best event. On the third jump I knew I had to put out a big one to get that win. I had to focus on my turns approaching the ramp and maintain that speed once I reached the ramp.”

McClintock, coming off a triple gold performance at the world championships in Calgary last week, soared a season best 48.9 metres. Jump was the only event she didn’t win at worlds. In men’s jump Kevin Melnuk of Toronto took the gold.

In adaptive water skiing, Benoit Lessard of Sherbrooke, Que., won the men’s slalom event with a personal best to reclaim the Canadian record.

“I’m very pleased with my performance,” said Lessard. “I worked hard this summer on and off the water and it really paid off today. My goal was to get that record back after losing it last year. I was especially pleased with my positioning throughout my runs. Lately every time I go on the water I set a personal best.”

Competition continues through to Saturday at Shalom Park.

Maddison McCammon battles back from injury to win junior slalom gold at water ski nationals

Aug 12, 2009

LEDUC, Alta., – Maddison McCammon of Kelowna, B.C., battled back from a foot injury suffered this past May to win the gold medal in junior women’s slalom event on Wednesday at the Canadian water ski championships.

McCammon went around two buoys at 13 metres for the victory. Ontario’s Chantal Singer was second and Megan Collins of Toronto was third.

“It wasn’t an amazing score but I got the job done,” said McCammon, 17. “I had trouble with the course in practice yesterday but today everything worked out fine. I’ve been struggling this season with the injury but I’m starting to get over it now. The big test for the foot will be in the jump event later this week.”

Janice Stevens of Morrisburg, Ont., took the gold in women’s junior tricks and Cole Grant won the men’s junior slalom.

The women’s under-21 slalom required two run offs as Amanda Amos of Midland, Ont., and Karen Stevens of Morrisburg, Ont., tied in the regulation round. They notched the same score again in the first run-off however Stevens was injured and did not do the second run off. Amos still did her second run off to win the gold outright.

“It definitely got the adrenaline going,” said Amos, about the run-offs. “I was very happy with my performance.”

Stevens did win the gold in tricks with Amos a close second.

In the men’s under 21 tricks, Stephen Collins of Toronto took the gold with a personal n best score of 7,200 points. Collins hasn’t trained as much this season as he is currently attending firefighter’s school in Barrie, Ont.

“I was really happy I got that score,” said Collins. “With the school this summer I focused primarily on the tricks event and felt I had a chance to get close to that score. I was really excited when I saw I had reached a personal best.”

In senior competition winners were: Jenna Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., in both women’s slalom and jump and Matt Gosse of Edmonton in men’s slalom

Competition continues through to Saturday at Shalom Park.

9th Canadian Water Ski Championships underway at Shalom Park

Aug 12, 2009

Edmonton, AB - The 59th Canadian Water Ski Championships began today at Shalom Park, just south of Edmonton with 132 competitors across all ages.

In the Women's 3 division Rae-Lee Colcleugh of Alberta took gold with a run of 4 @ 16 meters, followed closely by Annica Collombin also of Alberta with a score of 2.5 @ 16 meters to take the silver medal. Rhonda Powell another Albertan, took down the Women's 4 division with 0.5 @ 14.25 meters. Claudia Currie of Nova Scotia put up a pending Canadian record of 3.5 @ 14.25 in Women's 5 to win the division.

There was an Alberta sweep in Men's 3 slalom and a run-off between Rick Nadkrynec and Jay Kolewaski after they each scored 2 @ 11.25 meters with Nadkrynec taking the gold. Third place went to David Anger with 3.5 @ 12 meters.

Men's 5 slalom also went to a run-off as David Bentall and Danny Anderson were all tied up at 3.5 buoys @ 11 meters. The run-off went to David Bentall and Gerry Whittaker of B.C. took the bronze medal with a score of 4.5 @ 12 meters.

In Men's 4 slalom Bruce Dodd of Alberta, took the gold with a run of 1 @ 10.75, followed closely by Peter Person of B.C. who ran 4 @ 11.25 and Mark Stevens of Ontario who came in with 1.5 @ 11.25. In Men's 6 Bill Tallman won the gold scoring 33.5 total buoys.

In Men's 7, Reg Toliver of Alberta took the title with a run of 1 @ 40/18.25 m. In Men's 8, Manoo Gurjar of B.C. at 82 years of age completed 1 @ 40/18.25.

Canada’s Whitney McClintock a triple world champion

Aug 9, 2009

CALGARY- Nineteen-year-old Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., won a hotly contested women’s slalom competition and took the overall title as well on Sunday to conclude the world water ski championships as a triple world champion.

“These performances are absolutely beyond my expectations,” said McClintock, also the tricks winner on Saturday. “I wanted gold not silver. There wasn’t anything that was going to stop me.”

Nine-time world champion Jaret Llewellyn of Innifail, Alta., added a silver in jump and also took third place overall while Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., took the jump bronze. Canada ended the competition with three gold, a silver and two bronze.

The great performances allowed Canada to win the overall team gold for the first time since 1993. The U.S., was second and France third.

‘’We’ll be hard to beat for the next few years,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’Our program is the envy of the water skiing world.’’

In the women’s slalom final, the top four shortened their rope length to 10.75 metres after successful passes. At 10.75, McClintock cleared 1.5 buoys for the gold, Anais Amade of France 1.25 for the silver and Karina Nowlan of Australia a half-buoy (0.5) for bronze.

“I was aware that three skiers before had put down very strong runs,” said McClintock, a three-time world junior champion and the reigning under-21 world champion. “I love the feeling of knowing others are skiing well. I knew what I had to do. I felt confident. I was so into every movement, concentrating, my skiing felt perfect. When I finished I was screaming, it was such an exciting experience.”

Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., was sixth.

In the women’s overall standings, McClintock tabulated 2,861.04 points with Lucine Clementine of France second at 2,701.14 and Marion Mathieu of France third at 2,654.60.

“The overall title is what I came here for,” said McClintock.

In men’s jump, Freddy Krueger of the U.S., continued his season domination soaring 70.2 metres. Llewellyn took the silver at 68.5 and Dodd was third at 68.1 Kevin Melnuk of Toronto was ninth and Kole Magnowski of Winnipeg 10th.

“All week I knew what it was going to take to win,” said Dodd, savoring his first career medal at the world championships. “I went for it and messed up a few technical things trying so hard. Still two Canadians on the podium, we’re pretty excited.’’

In the overall standings Julio Javier of Argentina was first, Adam Sedlmayer of the Czech Republic second and Llewellyn third.

‘’I had the title within my grasp, it was do-able so I’m a little disappointed,’’ said Llewellyn. ‘’It`s just feels worst because I’m at home. I really wanted to win here. I’d trade in a couple of my other world championship titles to have this one.’’

Llewellyn lauded the competition organizers.

‘’There’s never been a water ski world championships like this,’’ said Llewellyn, in his 26th season on the national team. ‘’There was a festival and a business side to it. A lot of thought and heart went into it. They showed what Canadians are all about.’’

Earlier Sunday, It was a Belarussian sweep in men’s tricks final led by Aliaksei Zharnasek who took the gold with 11,850 points. Llewellyn was sixth at 10,400 and Jason McClintock of Cambridge 11th at 9,120.

Canada’s Whitney McClintock crowned the world champion in tricks

Aug 8, 2009

CALGARY – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., won the gold medal in tricks on Saturday at the world water ski championships at Predator Bay

The 19-year-old McClintock, a three-time world junior champion and the reigning under-21 world champion, claimed her first senior world title scoring a Canadian and world championship record 8,740 points. It was only 20 points off the world record.

Iris Cambray of France was second at 8,400 and Maria Camila Linares of Columbia was third at 8,290.

“I was focused on one thing: standing up throughout my entire run,” said McClintock, who was the last skier to compete. “There were already five girls that had gone 8,000 points. Nobody did 8,000 in prelims. So I really use that to drive me, I had a close call on one of my flips, but basically there was no way I was falling. It’s so exciting to win.”

In women’s jump, Angeliki Andriopoulou of Greece won the gold medal clearing 53.7 metres. June Fladborg of Denmark was second at 51.1 and her compatriot Maj Jepsen third at 51.0. McClintock was ninth at 48.6.

“I have to figure something out with jumping because I know I have the ability to go far,” said McClintock, who holds the overall lead heading into Sunday’s slalom final.

In men’s slalom, William Asher won the gold medal shortening his rope to 10.25 metres. Thomas Degasperi of Italy was second passing five buoys at 10.75 metres and Christopher Rossi of the U.S., was third with four @ 10.75 Jason McClintock, Whitney’s brother, was seventh but very close to a medal scoring 3.75 @ 10.75.

Nine-time world champion Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., did not qualify for the slalom final but is a top contender in both tricks and jump finals on Sunday. He currently stands second overall.

Canadians Whitney and Jason McClintock reach more finals at world water ski championships

Aug 7, 2009

CALGARY – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., qualified for her third final and her brother Jason McClintock nabbed a second berth on Friday at the world water ski championships on Predator Bay.

In men’s slalom, Jason McClintock qualified for his second final tying for eighth spot in the prelims clearing 3.5 buoys at 10.75 metres. Chris Parrish of the U.S., qualified first for the final at 1 @ 10.25. William Asher of Britain followed at 0.5 @ 10.25 and Frederic Halot of Switzerland was third with 0 @ 10.25 metres.

The scores are based on the number of buoys cleared at the shortest rope length achieved after each successful pass. The top-12 advanced.

“My big goal at these championships was to make the slalom final,” said McClintock, who also qualified seventh for the tricks final on Thursday night. “I was getting a little nervous at 11.00 but got through it. At 10.75 I felt really good but dropped in a little bit at buoy number 3 and I knew if I got by 4 I was in the final. When I passed, I got excited a bit and lost my concentration. I’ll have to clear 10.75 in the final.”

Thomas Moore of Edmonton missed the cut by one spot placing 13th, Doug Ross of Belleville, Ont., was 19th, Trent Finlayson of Vancouver 22nd, and Llewellyn and Drew Ross of Belleville tied for 38th.

In women’s jump, Whitney McClintock qualified for her third final with an 11th place finish in the preliminaries. McClintock, who qualified for the slalom and tricks finals earlier this week cleared 48.1 metres.

“I went out and didn’t perform the way I should have,” said McClintock, 19. “I was a little bit wimpy on the jump course but that’s just going to motivate me more. I want to go 50+ metres and I need to do that.”

Clementine Lucine of France was the top qualifier at 50.5, Angeliki Andriopoulo of Greece second at 50.4 and Maj Jepsen of Denmark third at 50.3. The top-12 advanced to the final.

With the results, McClintock is in first place overall after prelims with 2,902.98 points, Lucine is second at 2,857.00 and Natallia Berdnikava of Belarus third at 2,744.46.

“I’m very pleased with my total,” said McClintock, the reigning under-21 world champion. “That takes some of the pressure off going to the finals. But a 60 point lead is not very much.”

The completion of the men’s jump prelims was held later Friday.

Canada 1-2 in women’s slalom prelims at world water ski championships

Aug 6, 2009

Jaret Llewellyn headed to tricks final

CALGARY- Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., and Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., easily advanced to the final in women’s slalom Thursday as they posted the top-two scores in the preliminaries at the world water ski championships on Predator Bay.

McClintock, the reigning under-21 world champion, scored two buoys on her pass with a 10.75 metre rope to stand in first place while Wagner scored one buoy 10.75. Anais Amade of France stands third. The top-12 advance to the final

“Breanne really set the pace and put the bar very high,” said McClintock, 19, who qualified for the tricks final on Wednesday. “It was a big challenge to beat that score and I was able to get two. It’s great to have two Canadian girls lay down such great runs heading into the final.”

Wagner was also delighted with her performance.

“I knew what the others had scored and it was crucial for me to have a good start,” said Wagner. “I tried to remain calm and executed my run. I made the final at the last worlds (in 2007) and to get another crack at the medals is really exciting for me.”

In men’s tricks, Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., posted the third best score in prelims to advance to the final. Jimmy Siemers of the U.S., stands first and Aliaksei Zharnasek of Belarus is second.

“I was really pleased and felt really good today,” said Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion. “It’s very pleasing because I got some valuable points for the team event and I have the opportunity now that I can bo big in the final. Tricks is the hardest one because you drop the handle you’re out of the overall and it affects the team.”

Competition continues Friday

Canada’s Whitney McClintock advances to tricks final at world water ski championship

Aug 5, 2009

CALGARY – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., posted the second best score in the women’s tricks qualifying event on Wednesday to easily advance to the final at the world water skiing championships being held here this week on Predator Bay.

McClintock, the reigning under-21 world champion, totaled 7,680 points. Only Natalia Berdnikava of Belarus was better with 7,880 points to top the 48-member women’s field. Maria Camila Linares of Columbia qualified third at 7,660.

“I was a little nervous going out there today,” said McClintock, 19, using the same routine that helped her get gold at the prestigious Masters tournament in May. “But I was able to hold it together and go out and do my thing. I bailed out on one trick but I’m still happy about my run and I’m glad I’ll have another shot to improve on it.”

Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., seventh after Tuesday’s opening two rounds, dropped to 23rd overall and does not advance.

McClintock will also look to make finals in slalom and jump this week and put herself in strong contention for the overall crown.

In men’s slalom, Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., is tied for 12th place with the three top-seeded groups (30 skiers overall) still to compete. Llewellyn, whose best events are jump and tricks, hit the second buoy on his pass with an 11.25-metre rope

Llewellyn is a medal contender in the jump and tricks event at the worlds and his goal in slalom was score as high as possible in his pursuit to successfully defend his overall title.

“It didn’t go as well as I wanted,” said Llewellyn, 38, a nine-time world champion. “But the other major players in the overall didn’t ski that much better which keeps me in the game. Still I’ve made it harder for myself. It’s a bit frustrating but now my best events are ahead for me.”

Javier Julio of Argentina, one of Llewellyn’s top rivals for the overall crown, got around three buoys with his tow rope length at 10.75 metres and currently leads the field followed by Jeremie Collot of Switzerland and Petr Vesely of the Czech Republic.

The last three groups for the men’s slalom go on Friday and include top Canadian medal hopeful Drew Ross of Belleville, Ont., Trent Finlayson of Vancouver, Thomas Moore of Edmonton, Doug Ross of Belleville and Jason McClintock of Cambridge, Ont.

The top-12 overall will advance to the final on Sunday.

Later Wednesday, the International Water Skiing Federation’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held featuring Susie Graham of Kitchener, Ont.

Graham starred on the Canadian team in the 1990’s. She was a slalom specialist who won four world championship medals, broke the world slalom record four times holding the mark from 1993 to 1996.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Graham, who was inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in 2006. “I’ve been out of skiing now for 10 years and it’s nice to know people are still thinking about me and that I made that kind of impact.”

The other inductees are Andrea Alessi of Italy, Tory Baggiano of the U.S, twins Britt Larsen and Tawn Larsen of the U.S., and Kaye Thurlow of Australia.

Breanne Wagner seventh in her opening heat in tricks at world water skiing championships

Aug 4, 2009

CALGARY – Breanne Wagner of Surrey, B.C., placed seventh in her opening heat in the tricks competition on Tuesday to open the 34-country world water ski championships held in challenging weather conditions at Predator Bay.

These are the first water ski worlds in Canada since 1979 when they were held in Toronto.

In women’s tricks competition after the third and fourth group of skiers, Tatiana Churakova of Russia is leading with 7,360 points. Anais Amade of France is second at 6,040 and Iryna Turets of Belarus third at 5,370.

Wagner tabulated 3,940 points for seventh out of 19 entries so far. The top-two groups of seeds in women’s tricks compete Wednesday. The top-12 overall will advance to the final on Saturday.

“Breanne did a really good job,” said Canadian national team coach Steve Bush. “Her main event is the slalom and for her to put down that kind of performance in tricks is a good start for the overall team score.”

Canada is fielding a powerful 12-member team for these championships led by nine-time world champion Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., who’ll chase medal in tricks, jump and overall. He is joined by Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., who’ll look to upstage his legendary teammate in the jump event after winning gold at the most recent World Cup competition.

Also on the Canadian men’s team are Thomas Moore of Edmonton, Jason McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., Drew Ross and Doug Ross, both of Belleville, Ont., Trent Finlayson of Vancouver, Kevin Melnuk of Mississauga, Ont., Kole Magnowski of Winnipeg and Richard Abelson.

On the women’s side, 19-year-old Whitney McClintock of Cambridge is another top Canadian medal favourite. She is a three-time world junior champion and the reigning under-21 world champion. She kicked off her 2009 season with gold in tricks and bronze in slalom against a world championship calibre field at the prestigious Masters Tournament this spring in Atlanta.

Competition continues Wednesday with early round competition in men’s slalom and tricks and women’s tricks and jump. Also on Wednesday’s schedule is the International Water Skiing Federation’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony featuring Susie Graham of Kitchener, Ont.

Graham starred on the Canadian team in the 1990’s. She was a slalom specialist who won four world championship medals, broke the world slalom record four times holding the mark from 1993 to 1996. She was a key member of the Canadian squad that won team gold at the 1999 world championships.

The other inductees are Andrea Alessi of Italy, Tory Baggiano of the U.S, twins Britt Larsen and Tawn Larsen of the U.S., and Kaye Thurlow of Australia.

Canadian wakeboarder Kyle Rattray wins silver medal at World Games

July 26, 2009

KAOHSIUNG , Taiwan – Kyle Rattray of Guelph , Ont., hopes he’s put an inconsistent season behind him after winning the silver medal in the men’s wakeboard competition at the World Games, a multi sport event for non-Olympic sports.

Andrew Adkinson of the U.S. , one of the world’s top professional riders, won the gold medal with 87.0 points. Rattray followed at 68.4 and Padiwat Jaemjan of Thailand was third at 64. More than 10,000 people circled the shoreline to watch the event.

“The coolest thing about the competition was the crowd,” said Rattray. “We were treated like rock stars. The people were really into it. I hope we can comeback here again. It’s a cool spot for a tournament.”

Conditions were difficult on the water as winds caused high waves.

“The key for success today was just to stand up,” said Rattray. “I went early on and by having a clean run I knew I was going to make everyone else work a little bit to catch me. They were forced to throw harder stuff.”

It was Rattray’s first final in 2009.

“This is the best I’ve done this year and it’s a big confidence boost with the worlds in three weeks.”

It was also a satisfying competition for 17-year-old Daniele Tipping of Victoria in the barefoot water skiing competition. She was third in tricks on Sunday with a personal best 734.69 points and took fourth spot overall. Medals in water skiing were only awarded for the overall finish. Tipping was also fifth in slalom.

“I still felt I could have done better in tricks,” said Tipping. “But to get a personal best in these conditions is still pretty exciting. And my overall finish is a big step for me after I didn’t do so well at the world championships (in January in New Zealand ).”

In men’s barefoot water skiing, Paul Macdonald of Milton , Ont., earned a third place finish in tricks while Gordie Croteau of Sudbury , Ont., and Macdonald were sixth and 10^th respectively in slalom.

Alex Paradis of Quebec City was seventh in the water skiing jump event.

Canada ’s Jenna Mielzynski second in water skiing jump at World Games

July 24, 2009

KAOHSIUNG , Taiwan – Jenna Mielzynski of Belfountain, Ont., finished second in women’s jump and fourth overall on Friday to highlight Canadian performances in water skiing competition at the World Games.

In the jump event, Jutta Lammi of Finland placed first clearing 45.1 metres, Mielzynski followed at 43.6 and Kate Adriansen of Belgium was third at 41.4. The competition was marred by several delays caused by poor weather conditions.

“I was happy with my jump because the conditions were not great,” said Mielzynski. “I was also fifth overall entering the jump and that second place helped me move up a spot. It wasn’t my best ever distance but there was so much uncertainty throughout the day that it’s a satisfactory performance.”

Mielzynsky is also one of Canada ’s top developmental alpine skiers but she missed all of last season on the slopes due to a rib injury. On Friday she was also fourth in trick and fifth in slalom.

“I wasn’t happy with slalom or tricks at all,” she said. “I couldn’t put it together for either in the final.”

Medals were only awarded for the overall standings and not the event finals.

In the men’s water skiing finals, Alex Paradis of Quebec City was sixth in tricks and eighth in slalom. He has also qualified eighth for Saturday’s jump final.

In barefoot water skiing after preliminaries, Daniele Tipping of Victoria is second in tricks, fifth in slalom and seventh in jump and qualified for all three finals set for Saturday.

In men’s barefoot slalom after prelims, Gord Croteau of Sudbury, Ont., is sixth and Paul Macdonald of Milton, Ont., 10th. In jump after prelims, Croteau is 10th.

In wakeboarding, Kyle Rattray of Guelph , Ont., won his opening heat and is headed to Saturday’s final.

Rip'n Ride goes shore to shore on, 'The Island' PEI Developments for 2009

Jul 15, 2009

By Heather Butts, Sport Development Officer

It has water, boats and enthusiastic athletes, but for some reason Prince Edward Island seemed to be off the water skiing and wakeboarding radar in terms of activity. A pilot project of Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada has taken aim to change that.

In early June I had the opportunity to create an outreach program for the island; I coined it "Project PEI" and started working towards new programs, more instructors and safe places to learn.

The project was divided into four parts. Part one being a tour of schools-, an outreach program that was delivered in gym classes through out the province. Part two was to run a successful instructors course on the island, to ensure there was competent people to deliver the sport on an on going basis. Part three was to create a Rip'n Ride day, an on water day for students to get out and ski or ride, creating excitement that will keep youngsters coming back! Lastly, ensuring we had sustainability for our sport in the province.

Awareness- Drummin' up Interest in Schools

The tour of PEI lasted a little longer then a week, with the main portion being Monday to Friday in schools. The outreach program visited eight schools in five days; delivered a total of 24 presentations and reached over 700 students in grades three to twelve.

I took the program as far North West as the town of O'Leary; as far South as Crapoud and as far East as Morell. This ensured the Rip'n Ride program made it shore to shore on PEI.

The 40 minute school presentations included video, pictures, equipment display and finished with dry land training of how to ski. The sessions informed students of both the recreational and competitive side of our sport and focused on all aspects of skiing, wakeboarding, wake skating, barefooting, and adaptive skiing. Each student walked away from the presentation with an increased knowledge of our sport, including how to get involved and the basics of how to get up and ride!

Demo equipment for students to check out was supplied by Quarter Master Marine, thanks to their support participants could get a better understanding of what equipment is involved and how it works.

Teachers and students were thrilled to have the program come to their school and many were keen to have us visit again.

Creating the Instructional Capacity

After this successful outreach program on the island teachers and parents were eager to sign up for Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada's Learn To instructor's course, the initiation context of the National Coaching Certification Program. The course was run by Shannon Bowie, our 'go to girl' on the East Coast who, despite unfavorable weather conditions, ran a successful course and had participants eager to teach!

Kim Mackenzie's daughter attends Englewood Public School, one of the stops on my visit and took home the information. She was thrilled to hear about the course being run on the island and signed up. "We enjoyed the course thoroughly; Shannon was a great facilitator and adapted the course to our age and the group size. I've been involved heavily on the lifeguarding side of things, so I'm excited to become more active with water skiing," said Mackenzie.

Thanks to this project and Shannon's tutelage, a total of 5 instructors are now trained through NCCP to deliver water skiing and wakeboarding on the island!

Creating the On-Water Opportunity

The third portion of 'project PEI' is a Rip'n Ride on water day. Because PEI does not have a ski school (yet) Keith and Carolyn O'Neill and family have agreed to host a day where participants from around the island can go and learn to water ski. This includes those who have and have not tried the sport yet. Our Rip'n Ride day is set to commence on July 25, and thanks to a small grant from Sport PEI, this will be a very affordable session for participants.

Registration is still open for this event and those interested can contact Heather at the main office 613-526-2685 or e-mail, heather@waterski-wakeboard.ca

Sustaining for the Future

One of the key components of keeping our sport alive on the island is to form a Provincial Sport Organization. There has been much communication and support from Sport PEI and Recreation PEI, along with our volunteers on the island in understanding our long term goal. By creating a PSO we will have access to greater resources for athletes and programs on the island.

With all the support from volunteers, athletes and retailers such as Quarter Master Marine, as well as Sport PEI, the future of water skiing and wakeboarding on the island is looking very positive. Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada is very optimistic that we'll see some great athletes and programs coming off the island some time soon!

Canadians Ryan Dodd and Jaret Llewellyn 1-2 in jump at water skiing World Cup

July 12, 2009

DUBNA, Russia- Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., and Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., went to a tie-breaker in the men’s jump final on Sunday at a World Cup water skiing competition and Dodd upset his legendary teammate for the gold.

In the final, Dodd and Llewellyn tied for first place each soaring 67.1 metres on their best of three jumps. Dodd took the tie-breaker clearing 66.4 metres. Freddy Krueger of the U.S. , the hottest jumper this season, settled for the bronze medal reaching 67.0 distance.

In men’s tricks, Canada was surprisingly knocked off the podium. Dodd placed fourth and Llewellyn 10th. Herman Beliakou of Belarus won the gold medal.

Dodd and Llewellyn will be two of Canada ’s top medal contenders at the world water skiing championships set for August 3-9 in Calgary .

Meanwhile in Gaines , Michigan , Canada ’s David Miller finished second at the second stop on the Big Dawg Slalom Championship circuit held on Lake Jepawhit .

Scott Larson of the U.S. won the event scoring 4-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in defeating Miller, who scored 4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in the head-to-head final. Miller won the opening stop last month in Covington , Louisiana .

AARON RATHY WINS PRO WAKEBOARD TOUR STOP #3

June 29, 2009

KNOXVILLE , TN - The top pro wakeboarders in the world hit the waters of Volunteer Landing today for the final rounds of action at MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour stop in Knoxville , Tennesse.

First off the dock this morning, were the Pro Men’s division for their 20-man quarterfinal. Riders competed in five heats of four, with only the top two riders in each heat advancing onto the semifinals.

The theme of today’s semifinals was old school meets new school, as the two stacked heats ranged from young guns Harley Clifford and Jimmy LaRiche to elite veterans Chad Sharpe and Danny Harf.

The ten semifinalists battled it out on the water for one of four spots in the finals, with Andrew Adkison, Danny Harf, rookie Harley Clifford and top-seed Aaron Rathy advancing onto the last round of the contest.

All four finalists threw down some impressive runs, but Canadian ripper Aaron Rathy stood out from the competition to post a 97-point run, almost 12-points more than his next closet competitor. Harley Clifford and Danny Harf rounded out the podium, respectively.

Today’s win marks Rathy’s second consecutive Pro Tour stop victory of the 2009 season.

Also in the Pro Men’s division, England ’s Nick Davies took home the ROCKSTAR Best Trick Award today for his massive Heelside 900 off of the U.S. Air Force kicker. The Award is a $1,000 cash prize.

In the Jr. Pro Men’s division, ten amateur rippers battled it out on the water in today’s semifinals for one of four spots in the final round of the Knoxville contest. Daniel Powers, Mitch Langfield, Jarrod Askew and top-seed Bob Soven faced off in the four-man final with Soven beating out Langfield by a single point to claim his third consecutive Tour stop win of the season. Langfield and Powers rounded out the podium, respectively.

Following Knoxville , the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour will head to Elizabethtown , Kentucky , July 18 & 19, for its fourth stop of the 2009 season. Addition venues for the 2009 Pro Tour include Fort Worth , Texas , Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Sparks/Reno, Nevada .

Canada ’s Jaret Llewellyn second in jump at water skiing pro event

June 28, 2009

ALLENDALE, Michigan – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., won the silver medal in jump this weekend at the $30,000 Global Marine Invitational professional water skiing tournament.

Llewellyn’s arch-rival Freddy Krueger of the U.S. , took the title soaring 68.7 metres to edge Llewellyn who went 68.0. Jason Seels of Britain was third at 67.7. Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., was sixth at 66.2.

“I wasn’t on early in the competition and I had to sort of feel my way through each round,” said Llewellyn, also second to Krueger last month at a pro event in Louisiana . “By the time the final came I was feeling very good. I got close to Freddy and I still felt like I had something left.”

Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion and last year’s International Water Skiing Federation’s male athlete of the year, is tuning up for this year’s world championships set for August 3-9 in Calgary.

“I’ve put a lot more emphasis this year on tricks and slalom because of the worlds this year,” said Llewellyn, who’ll be one of the top contenders for the overall gold as well at worlds. “That’s probably affected my jump a bit. But I’m healthy and I know the adjustments that need to be made.”

In men’s slalom, Britain ’s Will Asher won the event. Jason McClintock of Cambridge , Ont., was 16th and Thomas Moore of Edmonton 21st.

Llewellyn competes in two weeks at a World Cup in Russia .

Susi Graham of Kitchener, Ont., inducted into International Water Skiing Federation Hall of Fame

June 22, 2009

OTTAWA – The International Water Ski Federation announced that Susi Graham of Kitchener, Ont., is among six inductees into its Hall of Fame.

Graham starred on the Canadian team in the 1990’s. She was a slalom specialist who won four world championship medals, five U.S. Open titles and two World Cup crowns. She broke the world slalom record four times holding the mark from 1993 to 1996. She was a key member of the Canadian squad that won team gold at the 1999 world championships.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Graham, who was inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in 2006. “I’ve been out of skiing now for 10 years and it’s nice to know people are still thinking about me and that I made that kind of impact.”

Graham currently lives in Florida where she raises and sells exotic birds. Her two children are both involved in water skiing.

“There’s not a particular event that stands out for me,” she said. “For me it was all about everything I learned. I always tried to keep positive and have a goal. That’s what got me ahead through the good and bad. Negativity feeds disaster.”

Steve Bush, Canada ’s national water ski team coach for 30 years, remembers Graham as a strong team player.

“Susi was amazing,” said Bush about Graham. “She was always able to get the job done no matter what the circumstances. She was mentally very strong and didn’t dwell on things. In a team situation, she was right in there helping the others with issues on and off the water and talking to everybody. Sometimes she would bring one of her birds with her and that would really help the team come together.”

The other inductees are Andrea Alessi of Italy , Tory Baggiano of the U.S, twins Britt Larsen and Tawn Larsen of the U.S. , and Kaye Thurlow of Australia .

The official induction ceremonies will take place at the 2009 World Water Ski Championships set for Calgary August 3-9.

Canada ’s Aaron Rathy wins Pro Wakeboard Tour stop

June 21, 2009

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wisconsin – Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo, B.C., placed first in each of his four heats including the final to earn his first career victory on the Pro Wakeboard circuit on Sunday.

Rathy totalled 93.00 points in the final with Harley Clifford of the U.S. , in second at 90.00 and Andrew Adkison of the U.S. , third at 79.75. It was the same three riders in the top three at the opening stop earlier this month with Clifford taking the gold, Rathy second and Adkison third.

Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt , Sask. , and Olivier Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., were both eliminated in the semifinals finishing third and fourth in their respective heats. Kyle Rattray of Guelph , Ont., was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Last season, Rathy regained the form that made him the rookie of the year on the pro circuit in 2006 earning the silver medal right behind Malinoski at the world championships. The 21-year-old is also the reigning Canadian champion.

Canadian water skier Jaret Llewellyn wins silver medal in jump at LA Night Jam

June 7, 2009

ZACHARY, Louisiana – Canadian water skiing star Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., overcame a back injury to win the silver medal in men’s jump Saturday night at the LA Night Jam competition while Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., was fourth.

Llewellyn’s arch rival for world supremacy in jump Freddy Krueger of the U.S. , successfully defended his event title soaring 229 feet. Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion, followed at 219 while Dodd, who was jumping on new skis, was fourth at 214.

Competing at night provided an additional challenge for the competitors and there were some wipeouts.

“I was decent on my second jump but I knew I had left the door open for Freddy,” said Llewellyn, 38. “On the third jump I really set myself up well but had trouble focusing on the ramp and I couldn’t get into the 220’s. That really would have put the pressure on Freddy.”

Last month at the Masters, Llewellyn injured his back in a third place performance in the jump. The injury kept him off the water for a week and it was only two days ago he decided he would compete this weekend.

This year’s world water skiing championships are set for August 3-9 in Calgary and Llewellyn is confident he can potentially snare the gold from Krueger. At the last worlds in 2007, Llewellyn won the overall title and was second in jump behind Krueger in jump.

“I was probably over-skiing a bit because I am focusing on all three events,’’ said Llewellyn.

‘’Taking the week off may not have been such a bad thing because I felt much better going into this weekend’s event than when I was entering the Masters. I feel I’m on track and headed in the right direction.’’

Llewellyn has a couple of more international events before the worlds including a World Cup event in Russia .

Canada ’s Whitney McClintock wins gold at Water Ski Masters

May 24, 2009

PINE LAKE , Georgia – Whitney McClintock of Cambridge , Ont., won the gold medal in women’s tricks and added bronze in slalom while Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., and Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt, Sask., were also on the podium at the 50th Masters water ski and wakeboard competition.

In women’s tricks, McClintock tabulated 8,250 points for the victory. Natalia Berdnikova of Belarus was second at 8,110 and Alex Lauretano of the U.S. , third at 7,600.

‘’I just went out and did one trick at a time and it turned out really good,’’ said McClintock, 19, the reigning under-21 world champion. ‘’The biggest worry for me was my first trick and once I passed that I was very confident.’’

In women’s slalom, McClintock was the top-seed for the final after finishing first in the preliminaries. Karina Nowlan of Australia came back to win the final with Jill Knutson of the U.S. , second and McClintock third.

‘’I was very confident going into the final,’’ said McClintock. ‘’But it started to rain in the middle of my run and I lost my focus for a split second and didn’t get the run I wanted.’’

Llewellyn finished third in hotly contested men’s jump final. Freddy Krueger of the U.S. , the last jumper of the day, prevailed for the gold soaring 231 feet on his second of three jumps. Jason Seels of Britain was second and Llewellyn took third at 223 feet, earned on his opening jump. Ryan Dodds of Olds, Alta., was fourth at 216 feet.

‘’It’s not the result I wanted and I’m disappointed,’’ said Llewellyn, 38, a nine-time world champion in his 26th season on the national team. ‘’My first jump was bang on and the other two felt good but I wound up short. This jump venue is much different than the others so all you can do is just forget about it.’’

Llewellyn was also fourth in men’s tricks.

In men’s wakeboard, Andrew Adkinson led the U.S. , to a 1-2 finish with 61.00 points. Phillip Soven was second at 59.67 and Malinoski, the defending champion, was third at 58.33. Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo , B.C., was fifth at 45.33.

‘’I made a few uncommon mistakes and that cost me,’’ said Malinoski, the reigning world champion. ‘’Otherwise it was a pretty solid run. I’m on the podium regularly so far this season so I’m not going to complain too much.’’

Canada ’s Rusty Malinoski wins gold at Wake Games

Aug 2, 2009

ORLANDO , Florida – World champion Rusty Malinoski of Humboldt , Sask. , successfully defended his title in the men’s professional wakeboard competition on Sunday at the Wake Games.

Malinoski produced the best score through all four rounds, including a perfect 100 in the quarterfinal, and won the final with 86.00 points. Jimmy Lariche of the U.S. , was second at 82.50 and Adam Errington of Scotland was third at 80.50.

“I was just 100 percent confident and my riding was really strong,” said Malinoski. “The key to victory was really in the semifinal. It was a tough heat and only one advanced. I actually felt less pressure for the final. But to win today you had to be textbook perfect.”

Malinoski has been an established star on the pro circuit for the last four seasons with numerous international successes. He is coming off a sensational 2008 season highlighted by victories at the Wake Games, the Pro Am championships and world championships. He also earned four bronze medals on the Pro Tour.

“Ending 2008 with a win at worlds in a really hard final showed me that if I can do it once, I can do it again,” said Malinoski, who grew up playing hockey and riding motorcross before discovering wakeboard at age 13. “It’s a great feeling to be on top.”

Aaron Rathy of Nanaimo , B.C., and Kyle Rattray of Guelph , Ont., were both eliminated in the semifinals finishing second and fourth in their respective heats. Rathy was knocked out of the final by Lariche by a mere quarter of a point.

“It’s a good start to the season but I’m a little disappointed to come so close to the final,” said Rathy, who went last in his semi heat. “I thought my run was going to be enough to advance. Still, this early in the year feel I’m still working the cobwebs out. I’ve been working on some new tricks and I certainly plan to throw them down on the Pro Tour.”

Last season, Rathy regained the form that made him the rookie of the year on the pro circuit in 2006 earning the silver medal right behind Malinoski at the world championships.

Olivier Derome of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., was eliminated in the quarterfinals while Chad Sharpe of Surrey, B.C., Jason Bannatyne of Winnipeg , Mike Maynard of Hastings, Ont., and Canadian Dustin O’Farrell did not advance past the first round.

Ashley Leugner of Saskatoon reached the semifinals in the women’s pro competition.

Canadian water skiing ace Jaret Llewellyn soars to double victory at Moomba Masters

Mar 9, 2009

MELBOURNE , Australia – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., launched his 26th season on the Canadian national team with a double gold performance on Monday to conclude the 49th Moomba Masters, one of the most prestigious water skiing competitions in the world.

The 38-year-old Llewellyn, nicknamed the King of the Moomba by the locals because of his consistent success at the event, posted victories in the day jump and night jump events to the delight of the 40,000 plus spectators that lined the Yarra River . He added a silver in tricks and was also sixth in slalom. He earned more than $15,000 in winnings for the competition.

“It was a really good competition for me,” said Llewellyn, who also won the day jump event last year. “To get to the finals in all four events is a great start to the season. I competed six times yesterday (Sunday) and four times today (Monday). I was concerned that fatigue would catch up to me but I was really energized by my performances.”

Ryan Dodd of Olds, Alta., also had a successful meet with bronze medals in both jump events and a fifth place finish in tricks.

In the day jump final, Llewellyn soared 68.1 metres for the victory. Kyle Eade of New Zealand was second at 66.6 and Dodd took third spot at 65.8. In the night final, Llewellyn prevailed at 62.0 followed by Jason Seels of Britain at 60.1 and Dodd at 60.0.

“This river is a very challenging jump course,” said Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion and last year’s International Water Skiing Federation’s male athlete of the year.

“It’s narrow and it curves and bends. And the tide goes up and down so you never get the same conditions each time. You always have to adapt. It takes most skiers a couple of years before they start doing well here.”

In tricks, Aliaksei Zharnasek of Belarus was the victor followed by Llewellyn while Dodd was fifth.

Llewellyn is particularly pumped for the 2009 season because the world championships will be held at home in Calgary in August. But that won’t be the final competition of his career. He was invited back by organizers here for the 50th Moomba Masters and he gladly accepted.

“It’s going to be special,” said Llewellyn who has competed at the event every year since 1993. “I would really like to bring over my family. I love Melbourne , the crowd is really pumped. There’s no event like it.”

Double bronze for Canadians Gordie Croteau and Caitlyn Rowland at world barefoot water skiing championship

Feb 2, 2009

OTAKI, New Zealand – Gordie Croteau and Caitlyn Rowland won two bronze medals apiece this weekend at the world barefoot water skiing championships held on Lake Inspiration .

In men’s senior competition, U.S. , skiers took the top two spots overall with Michael Salber and Kevin Towers finishing 1-2. Towers finished first in both slalom and jump while Salber earned the tricks title.

Croteau was third in jump, fourth in slalom and fifth in tricks for third place overall. He was the defending world champ in slalom.

Don Schwartz of Whistler, B.C., was ninth overall and Dwayne Rowland of Calgary 10th.

In women’s senior competition, Cathy Tuleck of Edmonton was sixth overall.

In women’s junior competition, Ashleigh Stebbeings of Australia swept gold in all three events to take the overall crown. Shannon Heller of the U.S. , was second and Caitlyn Rowland of Calgary third. Rowland added a bronze in tricks, was fourth in slalom and seventh in jump.

Danielle Tipping of Victoria was seventh overall and Katie Godfrey of Georgetown , Ont.,13th. Richard Blackmore of Langley , B.C., took 20th overall in men’s junior competition.

Tipping was also eighth overall in the women’s open event followed by Rowland in ninth and Nicole Blackmore of Langley in 13th. In men’s open competition, Paul MacDonald of Milton , Ont., was eighth overall, Croteau 12th and Schwartz 19th.

Full results at www.iwsf.com

Canada ’s Jaret Llewellyn named International Water Skiing Federation’s male athlete of the year

Jan 12, 2009

OTTAWA – Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., has been named the International Water Skiing Federation’s male athlete of the year for the second consecutive year and fourth time in his career.

“I’m a bit surprised to get it this year,” said the 38-year-old Llewellyn, a nine-time world champion. “I had some trouble in the middle of the season but the start and the ending were very strong. I would have liked more wins in jump but I did well overall in all three events and that probably helped me get the award.”

Llewellyn, currently preparing for his 26th season on the national team, set the tone early in 2008 landing a record jump for the southern hemisphere at the season opening pro event in Christchurch, New Zealand this past March en route to a double gold performance.

A week later, he collected gold in jump and silver in tricks at the prestigious Moomba Masters in Melbourne , Australia overcoming a frightening crash early on in the jump event.

Later in the summer, Llewellyn made two more trips to the podium with gold in tricks and silver in jump at the World Cup stop in Dubna , Russia and capped the year with his seventh overall national title in Newmarket , Ont.

In such a physically demanding sport, Llewellyn hasn’t lost a beat in what is now considered a legendary career. He won’t need any further motivation in 2009 with Calgary hosting the world championships from August 3-9.

“I’ve been real lucky with my health,” he said. “I changed my training program three years ago and I haven’t had trouble with injuries since then. So that’s pretty good. Having the worlds near my home is very exciting and is going to generate a lot of interest in the sport in Canada .”

Four top-10 finishes for Canada at world junior water skiing championships

Jan 11, 2009

LIMA , Peru – Janice Stevens of Morrisburg, Ont., Megan Collins of Toronto and Taryn Grant of Winnipeg all posted top-10 finishes this weekend at the world junior water skiing championships. Canada was also 10th in the team standings.

In women’s tricks, Stevens posted Canada ’s best result this weekend finishing seventh earning 3,320 points in the final. Iris Cambray of France won the gold medal, Caroline Hensley of the U.S. , was second and Silvia Caruso of Italy third. Collins was 12th and Grant 18th.

Stevens was disappointed with her score.

“The judges didn’t think it was as good as I thought,’’ said Stevens. ‘’They were tough and I lost some valuable points. Still I’m happy with seventh place. I did pretty good.’’

Collins, a double medallist at the Canadian junior championships this year, took eighth spot in slalom in her world junior debut. Hensley won the gold while Stevens was 21st and Grant 25th.

‘’I came within half a buoy of my personal best so I was happy with that,’’ said Collins. ‘’Reaching a final here was my big goal. I battled nerves all week but once the competition started I was less nervous than usual. There were a lot of good skiers so I just tried to ski for the team.’’

Grant, 14, took ninth spot in women’s jump clearing 34.2 metres to equal her personal best. Manon Costard of France was the winner. Collins was 13th.

‘’It was exciting to come here and experience this whole event,’’ said Grant, who started water skiing at age five. ‘’The jump was the last event I learned but it is now my favourite. So I felt I could have jumped better here this weekend.’’

Hensley won the overall title with Collins 11th and Grant 18th.

In men’s competition, Martin Kolman of the Czech Republic took the overall crown. Matt Weninger of Saskatoon was 25th overall placing 19th in slalom, 25th in jump and 27th in tricks.

In the team standings, the U.S. , France and Australia were 1-2-3 respectively. Canada was 10th out of 22 countries.

‘’This is a rebuilding year for us with the juniors and I was pretty impressed with how we did,’’ said Canadian national team coach Steve Bush of North Vancouver . ‘’Right off the bat on the first day everyone on our team got personal bests. To break top-10 here as a team and make some finals exceeds our expectations.’’