2014 National Disabled Water Ski Championships
Berry Springs, Darwin, NT
I did not attend these Nationals but here is some information about the event and the results.
Disabled Water Ski Australia (DWSA) held its National Water Ski Championships together with Tournament Water Ski Australia (TWSA) at Berry Springs in Darwin over Easter. It was a great week of skiing and the two events worked well together. This year saw new skiers recognising the growing popularity of disabled water skiing in Australia.
Sharon Paterson was one of these. Sharon has worked tirelessly to promote the sport and it was great to see her on the water reaping the benefits of the hard work she has done to be able to compete. She is the only MP1 (the highest category of disability) woman to be competing in the world. Sharon competed in the slalom, scoring a personal best in the rounds. While she was not able to repeat the performance in the finals, Sharon received a well-deserved gold medal.
In the men’s MP1, two competitors lined up in the slalom, Vaughan Hogan was competing at his third championship while Rob Oakley was attending his first competition. Rob broke the Australian Record in the first round but Vaughan was able to go one buoy better in the final to claim the gold and the record. Rob was the only competitor in the trick event, marking just how difficult it is for MP1’s to master the water. While he did not reach his personal best he walked away satisfied with the gold and was heard saying something about doing the jump next year as well.
Three competitors lined up for the men’s MP2 competition. Jason Sleep from Victoria dominated the slalom with a strong performance. Jason Hills from NSW was second and Ian Hickmott of Queensland was third. Jason Hills and Ian Hickmott went on to fight it out for overall honours contesting the trick and jump. Both tricked well with Jason on top but Ian triumphed overall in a close battle thanks to him jumping over 16 metres.
In the MP3 two of Australia’s senior competitors stepped up. Belinda Sidman contested the women’s slalom and trick events. In a performance we have come to expect, Belinda set a new Australian record in the slalom and also tricked strongly. Darryl Hoyle demonstrated just how talented, or crazy, he is by competing in the over 45 years men’s jump and trick. The crowd was blown away when he jumped over 25 metres! Darryl competed in the MP3 slalom and showed just why he is one of the world’s leading skiers across all three disciplines.
One competitor who deserves a mention is Sam Bell from NSW. A rookie to the sport, Sam competes in the leg amputee category. Unfortunately, Sam injured his ankle training for the jump event and was unable to ski despite a brave effort in the familiarisation run. Despite this, Sam did not stop all weekend working to assist other skiers compete to their best and deserves a vote of thanks from everyone.
Finally, Glen Sidman was presiding over his first Championships as Director of Disabled Water Ski Australia (DWSA). There was plenty to keep him busy but the event went off seamlessly and Glen also deserves a vote of thanks from all those involved. He was seen leaving the event with a smile on his face so with any luck, he’ll be around for a long time to come.
Rob Oakley