Abelson Sets Pending World Tricks Record At Masters Qualifier
by Scott N. Atkinson
Jake Abelson (Holderness, N.H.) set his second pending men's world tricks record in the past two weeks on Friday at the Nautique Masters Qualifying Series 1 event at Lake Ledbetter in Winter Garden, Fla.
Abelson scored 12,970 points - the highest score among all competitors in either round of the tournament - in round 2 to earn a spot in the 2024 Nautique Masters. If approved by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation, the score will eclipse the current world record of 12,690 points held by Mexico’s Patricio Font.
The 64th Nautique Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, presented by GM Marine, will be held May 25-26 at Callaway Gardens' Robin Lake in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Abelson also set a pending men’s world tricks record of 12,720 points on April 28 at the Ski Fluid Classic in Polk City, Fla.
Font has a pending world tricks record of 12,770 points in review by the IWWF that he set on April 20 at the Swiss Pro Tricks in Clermont, Fla. Abelson, 16, had set a pending Open Men national tricks record of 12,230 points at that tournament.
Great Britain’s Joel Poland set a pending world overall record of 2,674 points at the Ski Fluid Classic after scoring 1 at 41 off in slalom, 11,680 points in tricks and 231 feet in jump. Poland is the current men’s world overall record holder (2,670.62 points).