National Water Ski Championships
Heading to Manitoba By Johnston Hall, Photos courtesy Water Ski Canada
Steve Bush, the head coach of
Canada’s national water ski team, is
excited about spending some of his
summer in Manitoba.
After all, it will be a great
opportunity for the head coach to
get a look at his national team in
action.
Water Ski Wakeboard Manitoba
will play host to the 2016 Canadian
National Water Ski and Adaptive
Water Ski Championships at the
Water Ski-Wakeboard Manitoba
Tournament and Training Facility
– also known as Lake Shirley – in
Winnipeg.
Built for the 1999 Pan Am Games,
this site has since played host to
numerous regional, national and
international events, including
annual Provincial Championships
(2015, 2012, and 2008), Western
14 / sportslife
Canadian Water Ski Championships
(2005 and 2000), National
Championships and the 1998 Pan
American Championships.
“The 2016 National Waterski
Championships will build on
this legacy,” said event organizer
Rhonda Boresky. “And it will also
draw attention to our sport and the
community programs offered by our
association.”
For Coach Bush, it will be a
great opportunity to see his young
skiers in action and it will also give
spectators a chance to watch the
best and brightest in our country.
“Canada’s national teams are
selected for and compete at
international events, so our national
championships are one of the
only events in the season where
spectators have the opportunity to
see Canada’s top
skiers of today
and tomorrow,”
said Coach
Bush. “Skier
results from the
nationals play
a significant
role with team
selection for
international
events later in
the year such
as the Can Am
Challenge,
Pan Am
Championships,
Junior World
Championships
and the Senior
(over 35-yearsof-age) World
Championships.
“We expect
many of our
elite team,
who together
won the World
Team Title in
Chapala Mexico
last fall, to be in attendance. Skiers
such as Ryan Dodd (Current World
and Pam Am Jump Champion,)
Whitney McClintok (Current Pam
Am Slalom and Overall Champion;
second in Slalom, and Overall
at Worlds), Neilly Ross (second
in Tricks at Worlds) and Jason
McClintok (second in Slalom at Pam
Am Games) are sure to impress and
entertain spectators.”
The Canadian Water Ski
Championships occur every year,
hosted by provinces on a rotational
basis. This year’s event, including
Adaptive Water Skiers, will draw
more than 100 participants.
“We will be fortunate to have some
of World’s top skiers participate,
defending their positons on the
Canadian National Water Ski Team,”
said Boresky. “We also expect strong
performances from skiers working
their way to the top. We anticipate
hundreds of spectators to come out
and see their performances.”
What should make this event
stand out is the venue. Lake Shirley
is considered one of the top water
ski and wakeboard facilities in the
country
“Lake Shirley is one of Canada’s
best water ski venues and home
to Winnipeg’s Taryn Grant, a
national team member who won a
gold medal in slalom and a silver
medal in jump at the Under 21
World Championships in Madrid
Spain last year,” said Linda Carroll,
the Chairperson of the 2016
National Water Ski Championship.
“I look forward to exceptional
performances from our junior and
elite national teams.
“We are really excited to be
hosting such exceptional talent
in a world class venue, all open to
spectators at no charge over the four
day event.” l