Successful dry run for next year's national championships
Northern Region Water-Ski Club's successful running of the Caltex/Rockgas Northland Kai Iwi 3 Event tournament was a major confidence boost ahead of next year's national waterskiing championships, which will also be held at Lake Waikere.
The club hosted 80 competitors from around the North
Island in its largest annual meeting, at Lake Waikere - part of the Kai Iwi Lakes - in a three-day contest which concluded yesterday.
It was carried out without a hitch, and club secretary Tim Robinson said the club were pleased the event went smoothly, and he was proud of the effort that went into organising the contest.
"It was pleasing because this is sort of a practice run ahead of nationals where we will be working closely with Kaipara District Council to attract the public and create a carnival type atmosphere out here," he said.
The club host the national championships every five years and they were last held at Lake Waikere in 2007. The club is looking forward to the opportunity to show off the region and the facilities at Lake Waikere in April next year, and encouraging people to come and watch 130 of the country's best waterskiers in action, Robinson added.
"We will also be trying to run some sort of "Pro" competition at Nationals, where the skiers will compete for cash prizes. Hopefully we can lure some foreign skiers over here - perhaps from Australia and America," he said.
The weekend's Caltex/Rockgas Northland Kai Iwi 3 Event saw three disciplines contested - the slalom, jumps and tricks.
On Saturday, skiers were competing for the $3000 prize money in the Kaipara District Head to Head Pro Slam which Northland skier Aaron Baldwin came up trumps in.
He took home $1000 with his best score of the competition of two buoys on the 12m line. Auckland's James Donald was second, while Whangarei's Cole Atkinson strolled home in third.
Atkinson claimed the overall open men's division, with the best scores across the three disciplines. His 53.4m jump was the best of the tournament.
Emily Donald won the open women's class, while Whangarei's Curtis Williams won the most improved junior of the Tournament. Northland dairy farmer Rhys Williams executed the most spectacular jump in the men's division, but had to retire afterwards, Robinson quipped.
Results will be published later in the week.
