Barefoot waterskiers bring home medals

There was a strong Wairarapa connection in the New Zealand squad which has just returned from the 2012 world barefoot waterski championships at the Barefoot Ski Ranch in Waco, Texas, with their best-ever results at that level.

Greytown's Ross Linton was team manager and his daughter, Sarah, was part of the hugely successful Kiwi contingent whose junior team took away the bronze medal after coming third in their division.

The open team was fourth and the senior team eighth.

Individually, there were some outstanding performances by the New Zealanders with 16-year-old Georgia Groen from Otaki leading the way. She finished with five gold, one silver and two bronze medals and broke two world records in the process.

Her cousin, Ben Groen, set New Zealand records in his jump and slalom events while 14-year-old Brooke Fitch from Palmerston North, skiing in her first major tournament, was the bronze medallist in the junior girls jump event.

Sarah Linton also performed with distinction. She was disappointed with an early fall in the slalom but skied a personal best in the semifinals of the tricks and also made a bold showing in the jumps.

Unfortunately, however, she was unable to make the cut into the final top five.

Ross Linton said with temperatures reaching 43C, and winds from the tail of Hurricane Isaac hitting the two lakes constructed on the man-made championship site, conditions for the skiers were "very challenging" at times.

The Kiwis warmed up for the worlds by training for 10 days on the many lakes available at Winter Haven, Florida.