The Australian Show Ski Team is intensively training, gearing up to challenge the dominant USA team's grip on the IWWF World Show Ski Championships this weekend.

Australian Show Ski Team Director Pete O’Neill said the USA team are the ones to beat at the championships which will be held on March 22 and 23 at the Mulwala Water Ski Club’s Max Kirwan Ski Park.

Pete is optimistic the home ground advantage could be the key to toppling the US team, whom they nearly defeated in a nail-biting contest in Canada back in 2018.

“We may never get this opportunity again, so we hope the ‘one-percenters’ of having it in our own ski park and country will help,” Pete said.

Pete acknowledged the formidable USA team, noting their exceptional talent pool drawn from over 150 ski teams nationwide, setting the stage for an intense competition.

But he said it comes down to how they perform on the day.

“After travelling all this way and having to deal with some of the things we have to deal with it will be interesting,” he said.

“We're hoping to come out on top, but the reality is we're just going to put on the best show we possibly can and see where we go from there.”

Pete revealed that the Australian team's hour-long performance is their most intricate yet but expressed confidence in their thorough preparation and readiness for the challenge.

“At this stage we're further ahead than we've ever been in the past, but the other teams have now arrived and will also have time to train.”

As for the other competing countries, Pete said Canada will put on a very fun and entertaining show while Belgium is a relatively new team but will be “raring to go” and will no doubt bring a high intensity show that will be sure to thrill.

The 40-strong Australian team boasts an impressive 22 local Mulwala Water Ski Club members (see team lists on page 4 and 5), showcasing the exceptional depth of homegrown talent in this thrilling event.

“Just think of the best skiing you have ever seen, but this time designed to be in one choreographed show...it’s funny, entertaining and exhilarating,” Pete said.

“What we're doing out here is so much bigger than the show we do in the harbour over Christmas.

“Some of the skiing the Australian team will be doing scares me,” the multiple world barefoot champ conceded.

“Some of the stunts that are being done off the ski jump you will not see that anywhere else in the world.”

This world championship event is poised to elevate the club and the entire region's global standing, cementing its reputation as a premier destination for world-class water skiing.

“The club is ready to deliver a top world class event and will continue to show the world why it’s in a class of its own,” Pete said.

“And this is thanks to the help of many volunteers and generous sponsors, their support has been nothing short of amazing.”

Crowd reaction will count

Crowd reaction and participation will play a big part in helping our Australian team’s quest to be World champions at this weekend’s IWWF Show Ski World Championships at the Mulwala Water Ski Club’s Max Kirwan Ski Park.

Pete O’Neill said the louder the cheering of the crowd and their reaction could help add valuable points to the team’s final score.

“The difference in the points and placing could come down to somewhere around 20 to 50 points out of 3000,” he said.

The Aussie team is calling on all locals to come out in force to the park to help create a sea of support which could potentially influence the outcome of this nail-biting competition.

“The more of us cheering for the Australian team, the more chance we may have in getting close to the never-been-defeated USA team,” Pete said.

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Sunday, 20th April 2025

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