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State water ski rivalry

Posted on January 6, 2012

STATE honour will be at stake this weekend when some of the best water skiers in the nation compete in the fourth South Australia versus Victoria challenge at Cowra Station.

Mike Gilman in action. Photo: CJAM.

Victoria will be well represented with a talent-rich team of Sunraysia skiers including Gavin McMillan, Peter Cornale, Mike Gilman and Ashlee Matthews.

The challenge will be fought out over three disciplines – jump, slalom and tricks – at Mildura Ski Club’s Cowra Station Tournament site tomorrow and Sunday.

Victoria goes into the challenge 2 -1 down and will be hoping the square the ledger this weekend.

Mildura Ski Club’s Nigel Sparrow said if past challenges were anything to go by, this weekend’s competition should go right down to the wire.

“Past challenges have been decided by a very narrow margin, down to the point that the challenge in 2009 was decided by the last jumper of the day,” Sparrow said.

In addition to competing for their state, skiers will have the added incentive of elevating their International Water Ski Federation World Rankings, as their scores from the weekend’s event will go towards their ranking.

“Both junior and senior skiers will be chasing scores that will help them get an invitation to the prestigious Moomba Masters, held on the Yarra River in Melbourne in March,” Sparrow said.

For McMillan and Cornale, who’ve been at the top of the sport for years, the event will ensure they once again have a place at Moomba this year – both skiers having competed at the event numerous times in the past.

In terms of individual performances, McMillan will be out to reach the 61-metre (200 feet) mark in the jump competition.

To put this massive jump in perspective, it would be the equivalent of jumping well over the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool, which is 50 metres long.

It’s a jump only a handful of skiers will ever make in their careers.

“It is truly an awesome site to see someone travel this distance in the air and the height that he will generate from the 1.8-metre jump ramp is spectacular as well,” Sparrow said.

At the upper levels of competition, skiers can hit almost 100km/h at the base of the jump ramp, providing plenty of action for spectators.

Both McMillan and Cornale, who is a slalom specialist, will also be looking to push the boundaries in the slalom competition.

In slalom, skiers must negotiate the course faster and faster, and with shorter and shorter ski rope lengths after each successful attempt.

The competition eventually gets to the point where the rope is so short it won’t reach each of the six buoys skiers must clear.

It’s at this pointy end of the competition that athletes must use their own reach simply to get out far enough to round the buoys, let alone make it back across the boat’s wake in time to make the next buoy, sending plumes of water metres into the air.

Mike Gilman, in Over 35 Men’s Slalom and will be another Sunraysia skier to watch.

Gilman will be gunning to make it into this year’s ‘Big Dawg’ competition, which will be run in conjunction with Moomba this year, featuring the best over-35 skiers in the world.

Ashlee Matthews meanwhile, in Under 17 Girls Slalom will be looking to improve on her past performances after making significant improvements in the wake of this year’s National Ski School, held at Cowra Station several weeks ago.

At the younger end of the scale, Bailey Christie, in Under 10 Boys, could make it into the Victorian Overall record books this weekend, based on a combination of scores from the trick and slalom divisions.

“If he skis to the scores he has been achieving in training he will no doubt go home with the record,” Sparrow said this week.

“The record is currently held by his brother, Jack, and as both boys began their tournament careers at Cowra, it would be fantastic to see the record set here.”

This weekend’s tournament will run from 9am to 5pm tomorrow and 9am to 3pm Sunday.

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