WATER SKIING – WATER SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS – TOM HAYES
HIDDEN away in the hills of Yallourn North, on Halls Bay off Lake Narracan, sits the Latrobe Valley Water Ski Club.
And for just the third time in its history, it will be the host location of the PSC Griffiths Goodall Australian Junior Masters Water Ski Championships across the weekend of January 20 and 21.
The championships will feature about 40 of Australia’s best young water skiers take to the water to go for glory, divided into three age groups: Under 14s, U17s and U21s.
Coming into the 31st edition of the championships, over the years the event has produced some incredible individuals comprising of four World Champions and three world record holders.
The weekend itself has been backed by the state government, through the Significant Sporting Event program.
Not many may know the depths of the sport of water skiing, and this journalist is no expert, but it is an international sport which can take competitors all over the globe.
Its gnarly nature can take a toll on the body, with major injuries arising from the sport like broken ankles and dislocated hips, so it’s not all fun and games as it may seem.
Injuries have already prevented a few competing recently, but opens the doors for others to have a crack at the championship.
Speaking to the Latrobe Valley Express, the event organiser and former club president, Craig Stephen, was excited for the upcoming championships, emphasising how the best youth will be on display.
“You will see the best of the best junior skiers that represent Australia internationally,” he said.
Entrants will compete in three categories: jump, slalom and trick, and when doing so there is no room for error, as a shot to go to the Junior World Championships is on offer.
“The significance of this is that it is leading up to the Junior Worlds (Championship) that’s going to be in Canada in July, so that’s the key,” Stephen said.
“The Under 17s skiers, there is a big field of Under 17s – there’s like 13 boys and 10 girls competing for spots. There is only six (spots for the Junior World Championships). So half of the field is competing for that opportunity to represent Australia in Canada.”
In terms of the club itself, to put it this way – if you aren’t looking for it, you won’t find it.
Down the track of Hall Road, off Howlett Road in Yallourn North, people often don’t believe that this facility could even exist in the Latrobe Valley, yet there it is.
“It’s really significant to have a site like this just for the sport, because it needs certain conditions and it needs the facilities out there to enable it to run,” Stephen said.
“So you can’t just run this on an open lake, we can’t go to the bay, you’ve got to have a jump, you’ve got to have a slalom, and it’s all got to be set up millimetre perfect,” the event organiser added.
The Latrobe Valley Ski Club will be welcoming skiers, families and spectators to the club on January 20 and 21 for two days of junior water skiing.
Some intense action is set to take place on the waters of Halls Bay, which is set to wow crowds who come to watch.
