U.S. Athletes Win California Pro Am Titles

U.S. water ski athletes Nate Smith, Lauren Morgan and Freddy Krueger won titles in respective events at the 20th California Waterski Pro Am, Aug. 26-28, at Shortline Lake in Elk Grove, Calif. Some of the world’s top slalom and jump water ski athletes competed in the event. It marked the first time that the California Waterski Pro Am held jumping as an event.

Smith won men’s slalom, defeating Great Britain’s Freddie Winter in the head-to-head final, scoring 5 buoys at 41 feet off to Winter’s 4-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off.. Canada’s Whitney McClintock won women’s slalom, defeating fellow Canadian Jaimee Bull in the head-to-head final, scoring 5-/12 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Bull’s 3 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off.

Morgan won women’s jumping, soaring 181 feet. Hanna Straltsova and Sasha Dashisheuskaya, both representing the IWWF, placed second (180 feet) and third (180 feet), respectively.

Krueger won the men’s jumping title with a distance of 230 feet. Canada’s Ryan Dodd placed second with a distance of 229 feet.