ROBOT

Post event reaction to an exciting competition which produced exceptional performances – from PB”s all the way to a pending World Record. Discussing this and other topics from the SPT is Tournament Organizer Clint Stadlbaur.

With less than 24 hours before the start of a new Water Ski Pro Tour season we talk tricks with World Champs Pato Font and Matt Gonzalez on this episode of the TWBC Podcast.

The Waterski Pro Tour returned for its fourth season with a trick event in which the female ‘old guard’ underlined, capitalized and circled their dominance while a new generation took flight in the men’s. After a wait of just under 7 months between Tour events, the Swiss Pro Tricks was just the barnstorming opener we were looking for. In the mens tricks, Pato Font, the undoubted dominant force with 11 pro titles, let his crown slip just a touch to allow a pair of 16 year olds onto the podium above him. Jake Abelson started well and improved in each round, culminating in a finals performance of 12,230 that is not only his best ever but a pending USA record. However, 1st place went to Mati Gonzalez as he paired his trademark toes with a huge hand pass that incorporated some exceptional ski line tricks. His 12,440 tied his best as he broke the 12k barrier for the third but certainly most important time in his career. He joins Font, Joel Poland (disappointed with an oh-so-close final run), Dorien Llewellyn and Adam Pickos as only the fifth pro event winner amongst the currently competing pack. Font, clearly devastated after a fall on his toe run that he put down to an uncharacteristic lapse on focus, still managed to finish third with 11,610. Photo by @tiaremirandaphotography That Gonzalez and Abelson were able to put together their best runs in the final in front of the eyes of the world at such a young age suggests pro trick skiing is in for a huge next decade or so. Martin Labra, another 16 year old with a 12k+ score but unlucky to fall in the final, will no doubt share in this future. Font, a seasoned veteran of men’s trick skiing at just 21, no doubt has many more moments of history to make despite his disappointment yesterday. He can take consolation from the pending World Record he set in Round 1 of 12,770. The trio of teenagers emerging to take on the slightly older field in the mens would no doubt have reminded trick ski fans of the same nearly a decade ago in the womens field. In 2015 Anna Gay upset the odds by defeating the seemingly indomitable Erika Lang at the US Open and World Championships back to back at age 15. Two years later Neilly Ross swept all before her at the same age. Since then Lang, Gay and Ross have become an outrageously dominant triumvirate that has taken every pro victory between them to date except one (US Open 2021 - Giannina Bonnemann). Any hope that this dominance would end with the start of a new season on the Tour was extinguished vigorously as they once again finished on the podium together. Ultimately, perhaps, the only real question was the order. Photo by @tiaremirandaphotography One would think that the outrageously high standard of women’s tricks in the last decade wouldn’t allow for any spell of dominance from one skier. Since the start of last season, however, Erika Lang has found a way, with 5 victories in 6 events and yesterday she won once again, and frankly, with some style. She took 3 of the 4 best scores of the event, including a rare glimpse of 11k in the final. She credited the modification of her toe run prior to last season as the basis of her hot streak but all told she has rarely looked so balanced and in tune with her ski. Ross will feel disappointed as an unusually off balance landing from a Front Flip 180 midway through her final hand run lost her some time as she salvaged a still incredibly respectable 10,370. Now two years since her last victory in tricks, she looks back to top form and her time will come soon enough. Anna Gay finished third after being disappointed with some heavy judicial cutting on her toe pass. Her slower start to the year after a January wedding will not have a bearing on where she ends up in 2024. From the top, the ages of those on the podium are 28, 22 and 24. Trick ski fans can look forward to many years of these ladies continuing to grow trick skiing going forward also. Trick skiing has long been the least represented discipline of the three that make up tournament waterskiing. Consistently slalom and jump have had more events and more money at them. Yesterday’s Swiss Pro Tricks, however, showed just how unjust this is; the level of competition is up there with any in competitive towed watersports and the youthful glow is unmatched anywhere. These athletes deserve to be recognised as among the best in the sport and, thankfully, events such as the still fairly new Swiss Pro Tricks give them the place to demonstrate that. Hopefully more events will follow and we can see them do so on a more frequent basis.

Tune in as Matteo and guest host Freddie Winter discuss ⁠Swiss Pro Tricks⁠ (video highlights), stop #1 of the ⁠Waterski Pro Tour⁠ for the 2024 season. ⁠Erika Lang⁠ defended the title in the Women Tricks division with 11030 points, followed by ⁠Neilly Ross⁠ with 10370, and Anna Gay with 9390 In the Men Tricks division, 16 year old Matias Gonzalez achieved his first Pro Tour win with 12440, followed by peer Jake Abelson with 12230, and Pato Font in third place with 11610. Check out the ⁠Waterski Pro Tour Leaderboard⁠ after the first event of the year!

Welcome back to Spraymakers, the guys jump right into spring skiing and how to start the season on the right foot!

Syndicate Works are 100% performance-driven, using high end ski construction but without the plastic layers that ski makers usually rely on to create flashy graphics. We want You to reach your ultimate potential...and to do that, we got rid of anything that doesn't contribute to your performance on the water. The Soul of Slalom: Modern materials + Classic construction techniques. https://www.hosports.com/collections/skis

The 6th annual ”Waterski ITALY tour” will happen again between Sept 23rd and Oct 9th 2024. ”Waterski ITALY tour” is a guided tour from the north east of ITALY towards the west and then all the way south to Napoli. There are 8 exclusive spots being open to any level skier and non skiers are welcome as well. Like past years we will visit 10 of Italy’s best ski sites but in 2022 one new lake was added so there will be 11 ski sites in 2024. With skiing and an unforgettable culinary experience, the tour is something that must be experienced as the tour travels through 6 different regions (Piemonte, Lombardi, Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia Roman, Lazio & Campania) and each region producing its own culinary treasures. I would say that there are few if any country in the world where you will find such diversity in food in one country. As a matter of fact it was suggested that I name the tour “Waterski & Eat ITALY tour” Since 1991 I have come to work in Italy running ski school. I have enjoyed these past 30+ years visiting, skiing, competing & capturing photos for waterski magazine of all these different ski sites, and been exposed to some of the best food in the world and become a (as they say in Italy) ”Una buona forchetta”. I hope to share all this with all of you! If you are interested in joining me in 2024 and/or if you have any questions regarding this once in a lifetime waterski dream vacation I can be contact at: info@waterskiitaly.com Thomas Gustafson Photo´s from the 2017 tour https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155888954748175&type=3 Photo´s from the 2018 tour https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156002594708175&type=3 Photo´s from the 2019 tour https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156921860903175&type=3 Photo´s from the 2022 tour https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.924109282295236&type=3

@Horton @Nautique99

https://www.swissprotricks.com/ Date Sunday, April 21st, 2024 Location Swiss Waterski Resort, Clermont, Florida, USA Discipline Tricks Divisions Open Men & Open Women Boat Ski Nautique – 6.2L Entry fee USD 200 Format 2 Rounds + Finals (Men Top 6 - Women Top 6) Waterski Pro Tour - Intro Level 1

https://www.peaceloveandwaterskiing.com/

The recent announcement of Marcus Brown’s hiring as Head of Marketing at HO Sports came as no shock to many within the Tournament Water Ski industry. We talk about the circumstances behind that news, the possible impact upon his existing ventures with Flowpoint and many more topics in this latest episode of the TWBC Podcast.

HO & Syndicate welcomes Marcus Brown, our new Marketing & Team Manager. Marcus was 14 when he first jumped on the HO Limited, and since then he's won many titles, been influential in HO ski design and brought his storytelling to life on the @FlowPoint channel. Marcus is the ideal fit to push HO and Syndicate forward while guiding our team to continued success. Welcome to HQ MB - let's get after it! -Greg Nelson

SNOQULAMIE, WA – HO Sports & Syndicate Waterskis are pleased to welcome Marcus Brown as Marketing Manager. His journey with HO began back in 1994, at 15 years old, with the HO Limited. Over the years he has worn many hats for the HO/Syndicate brand: pro athlete, ski designer/engineer, grass roots ambassador and coach, filmmaker and producer of FlowPointTV. His vast knowledge of the sport and our brands will bring a ton of value to HO & Syndicate moving forward. As a youngster Marcus was drawn to the HO brand and what it stood for. In 2008, Marcus’ childhood heroes, Wade Cox and Bob LaPoint, were integral in bringing Marcus back to HO as a professional athlete. His past titles include a Jr. Masters, University World, Moomba Masters and U.S. Open Championship as well as an induction into the Collegiate Water Ski Hall of Fame. For over a decade Marcus has worked hand in hand with HO Sports’ Production Director, Dave Wingerter, who also leads the Syndicate brand vision. HO & Syndicate have so many exciting products and plans for 2024, we couldn’t be happier with the addition of MB. “I’ve known and been a fan of Marcus for years…” says Sr. Marketing Director, Greg Nelson “he’s a respected skier and his FlowPointTV series has been epic, looking forward to having Marcus lead the way for our brands.” “Much of the success I’ve had in the industry has been thanks to the people who made HO/Syndicate what it is today… the risks they took on my crazy ideas has made all the difference.” says Marcus. “I am humbled and honored by this opportunity” Sr. Director, Product Development, Dave Wingerter adds “Marcus is a watersports visionary. From winning pro water ski events, reinventing water ski technique to crafting the finest watersports films in the industry. I am excited for Marcus to showcase our brands.” About Syndicate Works: Syndicate Works is a factory-run, competition ski program. Works skis are 100% performance-driven, employing classic ski construction, but with modern materials. Syndicate Works begins a new era of ski customization for competitive water skiers. The Works program gives competitors access to tailored Syndicate skis previously reserved for Syndicate athletes. All Syndicate Works skis are engineered and handcrafted outside Seattle, Washington. About HO Sports: HO Sports designs and manufactures Waterskis, Bindings, Kneeboards, Life Jackets, Wetsuits, Towables, Inflatables and more. Our tournament waterski division - Syndicate Skis - is widely known and respected as the most successful and best-selling line of tournament waterskis on the planet year after year. Our history has largely been designing towed watersports equipment, but our love for innovation has helped us evolve into THE Premier Watersports Equipment Manufacturer across the globe.

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Take a deep dive into Rob’s Season with the Boys! After a season with some big ups and downs, Rob and Marcus discuss everything and even take some tangents into family life, mentality changes he's trying to make and goals for 2024! Happy Flowpointing For more FPM info head to: https://www.FlowPointMethod.com This podcast is Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify! - Search "FPM Podcast" Time Stamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:44 - Highlights 01:44 - King Of Darkness & New Ski 03:34 - Swiss Pro 05:30 - Off season 06:18 - 2nd podium of the Year 07:14 - Europe 11:20 - Rob’s Relationship with Will Asher 14:05 - The importance of taking Joy in Your Skiing 16:00 - How this Reality links back to his childhood 17:35 - Hardest Part of the Season 19:05 - End of Season 21:50 - Goals For 2024

In the past few seasons with the Moomba Masters just around the corner we have interviewed organizers and officials before the action takes place on the Yarra River. This time around we get to talk to a first-time competitor in the form of Arron Davies. We talk on a bunch of topics for this episode including how he got started, his most prized accolade, how he has recovered from a career-ending injury, the ski he rides and his expectations going into his first appearance in Melbourne. Recorded at Bennett’s Water Ski School live and in person. Looking to support this 4th season of the TWBC Podcast? Email Tony at podcast@waterskibroadcasting.com to get more details on how to be a supporting sponsor.

https://waterskination.com/waterski-journal/

Official page here https://ncwsa.com/nationals/y2023/

The TWBC Podcast took the opportunity to talk with Ryan Dodd as he prepared to compete at the World’s at Sunset Lakes. He explains his training regimen and why he has been largely absent for much of the tournament season. Looking to support this 3rd season of the TWBC Podcast? Email Tony at podcast@waterskibroadcasting.com to get more details on how to be a supporting sponsor.

With the World Championships at Sunset Lakes just hours away from starting we spoke to the defending World Overall Champ Joel Poland about his new boat sponsorship deal and the potential conflicts that could come into play – namely his ability to perform his best behind any boat and where he gets to use his boat. Looking to support this 3rd season of the TWBC Podcast? Email Tony at podcast@waterskibroadcasting.com to get more details on how to be a supporting sponsor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBzzNzql_7g