Life's a struggle despite sporting success

Aaron Larkin is rated sixth in the world in slalom water skiing but struggles financially. Photo / Christine Cornege

He hasn't seen a winter since 1997, recently won a major world waterskiing title and jets around the world to compete in exotic locations.

But Hamilton-raised Aaron Larkin, who spent his summers learning to waterski on Lake Karapiro, still thinks things could be better.

The professional waterskier, who spends half the year in Florida and three months in Europe training clients in the sport, realised a childhood dream in Melbourne last weekend, when he pipped American world-record holder Chris Parish for the Moomba Masters slalom title.

It was the sixth time the world's sixth-ranked slalom waterskier had made the final but just the first time he had won at Moomba, which with the US Masters and world championships is one of the big events for waterskiers.

Larkin, 32, beat Parish, a three-time Moomba winner, in a run-off, exacting revenge after defeat last year.

"For me it was like Michael Campbell winning a major ... I mean this is arguably the biggest waterskiing event in the world," said Larkin, a professional of eight years.

"It really was a big deal, huge mate. It's just a pity not many people back here actually knew about it."

Despite the afterglow of victory, a healthy pay cheque, the probability that his world ranking will improve and a fifth placing at last year's world championships in Calgary, Larkin says the sport in New Zealand is "in decline".

He finds competing a struggle financially, as the waterskiing circuits he competes on require him to travel around the globe for events.

Larkin tries to earn his keep by teaching people to waterski.

"I don't have a paying sponsor. I finished fifth at the world championships in Calgary last year but was told [by Sparc] that I have to finish in the top three," he said.

Larkin returns to his Orlando base on Saturday to begin training for the US Masters in May.