Record, PBs as skiers warm to task

Former WHS student Lily Meade was a standout in the U17 slalom girls and set a personal best in the jumps event at Lake Wiritoa.

Looking to obtain both world and national ranking points served as the main motivation for the 41 competitors who entered the annual Gold Star water skiing tournament at Lake Wiritoa over the weekend.

In much warmer conditions than what greeted the field 12 months ago, there were many personal bests achieved in the first tournament of the season.

Ten of the younger competitors had spent the week at the lake training, before competition began on Saturday.

"A lot of them will be representing New Zealand at the end of the February for the Aussie vs Kiwi Challenge," said Wanganui Water Ski Club spokesman Ron Bakker.

Slalom was the first discipline, followed by two rounds of tricks on Saturday.

Sunday saw the jumps competition, and then the second round of slalom to finish.

For slalom, Whanganui's standout Lily Meade was first in Under 17 girls, followed by Northland's Courtney Williams and Auckland's Zoe Atkinson.

The Under 14 girls grade was won by Christchurch's Diaz McKay, with Whanganui's Molly Deroles in second while reaching a new Central Region record in the process.

Lucy Silver, also a Wanganui club member from Lower Hutt, was third.

The Under 14 boys was dominated by Waikato skiers. taking first, second and third, although 12-year-old Jack Silver was a very creditable fourth against his more experienced competition and also set a new Central Region record.

Lily Meade's father Simon won the Over 35 men's slalom, while clubmate Nick Bakker was second in the Open men's.

Marie Griese won the Under 21 women's slalom, and Sara Deroles took out the Over 45 women's grade and Trevor Fowler was first in 65+.

Bakker finished third in the Over 45 Slalom,

In the jumps event, Lily Meade set a personal best of 35.6m, also a new Central Region record, to win the Under 17 girls grade.

Silver's 20.2m leap saw him finish second in the Under 14 boys, while Lucy Silver's 11m was first in Under 14 girls, followed by Molly Deroles with 9.4m – all of them jumping for the first time in a tournament.

Griese won the Under 21 women's jump with a personal best 15m.

For the two tricks rounds on Saturday, Molly Deroles was first for Under 14 girls, followed by McKay and Lucy Silver.

Once again, Jack Silver was fourth behind some very strong opposition from Northland and Waikato in the Under 14 boys.

Lily Meade did not have her best day on the tricks by her own standard, but still finished second behind Griese, who made a clean sweep of the Under 21 women's discipline.

Bakker was second in his grade while Fowler again finished first in the 65+.

When combining the three disciplines, Lily Meade won the Under 17 girls grade and finished runnerup to Griese in the Under 21 women's division.

Jack Silver would finish second overall in the Under 14 boys grade.

By Jared Smith
Wanganui Chronicle 23/1/18