Excitement is building for four local youngsters who have been selected to barefoot ski overseas later this year.
Harry Hogan, 17, from Yarrawonga, Sam Taylor, 15, Mulwala, Rhys Driscoll, 15, Yarrawonga, and Zeke Peebles, 14, Bundalong, have all been selected for the Australian team to compete in the US in October after strong performances at the national championships in Perth last month.
The quartet will jet off to Texas in September for a 10-day training program before crossing over to Auburndale, Florida for the World Championships from October 5.
But before that they face a gruelling winter training regime which has them out on the water three or four times a week under the tutelage of Murray River-based barefooting legends Brett Sands and Pete O’Neill.
“Right now, there are more nerves than excitement,” parent Sean Driscoll said.
“But they can’t stop talking about it – it’ll be a great experience.”
The world championships are held every two years and were last in Mulwala, where some of the youngsters competed, however, not as part of the Australian team, rather as independent participants. The group will be joined by Ayden Peebles, 16, from Bundalong, as an independent skier at the Florida event.
The group is training three to four days a week, whenever the weather is calm and the water flat, including before school on our crisp autumn mornings.
“They’re skiing as often as they can; before school, after school, on weekends,” Driscoll said.
“We’ve had warm buckets of water in the boat to keep their feet and hands warm when they get out.
“They’ve really stepped up their training.”
While the Americans and Canadians are the dominant nations at world championships and will be coming off three months of balmy summer training, hopes are high for Australia’s up-and-comers with realistic chances of some podium finishes.
Barefoot skiing is judged on tricks, slalom and jump with competitors given two runs to show their mettle – with no extra chances in the event of falls.
At speeds up to 60kmh, the juniors will choose a range of tricks from turning on one foot, taking off with a foot in the handle, flipping from front-to-back and vice versa, executing tumble-turns, and other manoeuvres.
To reach the top not only requires lots of hours on the water, but the likelihood of injury with Sam currently trying to shake off a shoulder injury, Harry recently overcoming two ligament tears in his knee, including an ACL, and Rhys enduring neck, back and shoulder blows in his brief four-year career.
The sport is self-funded in Australia and already the Yarrawonga Holiday Park Committee of Management has pitched in $15,000 alongside Barefoot Australia Water Ski’s contribution - with the young skiers planning some fundraisers of their own to help with the accommodation and training camp costs.
In addition to the juniors, also among the team will be Bundalong’s Masey Hicks, 21, and Zali Peebles, 21, while Echuca’s Sands and Mulwala’s O’Neill will also be competing.
While the young skiers will head off to Texas alone with the 20-person Aussie team, a strong contingent of the group’s parents will join the tour for the Florida leg, where they will camp out at a caravan park in nearby Orlando.