Heavy rain and strong wind marred the first few days of the championships, delaying events and causing organisers to shuffle the schedule to finish last night
Around 85 competitors from around New Zealand travelled to Northland for the event, and people had planes and ferries booked to get back to their home towns so extending the event was not an option, Northern Region Water Ski Association president Glen Williams said.
"However, we got some good weather thankfully, and while the wind was still present, it was not as bad ... it has been tough with the weather but in the end we came through - everyone has been in good spirits and there's been some good skiing," Williams said.
Northland water skiers were to the fore, the defending Northland Water Ski team looked likely to retain the team national title for the third consecutive year, while Toni Atkinson secured a gold medal in the open women's jumps, landing a personal best of 36.9m.
Fourteen-year-old Curtis Williams was third in the under-17 boys' slalom event, and Aaron Baldwin won bronze in the open men's slalom.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Sarah Wainwright's experience paid off when she fought off competitors 17 years younger than her in the open women's slalom event. "She was the oldest skier in the field and she was up against girls with an average age of 19 or 20, so it was a pretty good effort," Williams said.
