Waterskiing: Youngsters impress at Kai Iwi Lakes

Northland 17-year-old Ryan Baldwin will be tough to reckon with at the upcoming New Zealand Waterski Championships at Kai Iwi Lakes next week.

Baldwin claimed the under-17 men's division at last weekend's Kai Iwi Lakes Waterski Club pre-event tournament.

Baldwin's jump of 48.5m was close to the 51.6m national record he will be chasing at nationals, which get underway on April 2 at Kai Iwi Lakes, and conclude April 8. Baldwin's overall performance at the two-day tournament saw him win his division while Auckland's Jasmine Hini won the women's under-17 division.

About 40 competitors were in action with many using it as a last chance to qualify for nationals.

"It was a good event, but we were missing some of the South Island competitors who didn't end up coming along with a few others, so there will be some tougher competition at nationals - although it was a fairly good indication of the standard we can expect to see competing next week," president of the Northern Region Waterski Association Glen Williams said.

Another Northland waterskiier to stand out at the weekend was Curtis Williams, who scored 3950 points for his tricks performance, which is very close to the junior competitor's personal best effort.

Whangarei's Xanthe Williams and eventual Under-10 champion Courtney Williams were top performers in their age grade, and hopes are high for a gold medal winning effort at nationals from the dominant Northland junior team, Glen Williams said.

Overall men's winner Michael Evans from Auckland executed one of the biggest jumps seen this year in NZ, when he jumped 53.2m off the standard 1.6m high ski ramp.

Also from Auckland, Thomas Gilbert tried to match Evans, by jumping 52.8m. Gilbert also scored 7710 for his tricks.

"That's one of the biggest scores we have seen in New Zealand in the last three or four years," the president said.

Gilbert is the current NZ record holder in the trick event, and hopefully he will give his own record a nudge next week, Williams added.

Meanwhile, Stacey Gilbert took out the women's division, and in the over-35s, Northland's Sarah Wainwright and Mark Adams won the men's and women's divisions respectively.

Over 100 competitors are expected to line-up at Kai Iwi Lakes for the NZ Championships that start on Monday. Finals will begin on Good Friday, and conclude on Sunday night.

Places in the NZ Under-17 mens squad to contest the Under-17 World Championships are up for grabs, along with spots in the NZ team to contest the Asian Australasian and Oceanic Championships, in Korea in August. Both teams will be named following the nationals.