Five Seasons Ski Team Wins Division 2 Show Ski Nationals
by USA Water Ski & Wake Sports
The Five Seasons Ski Team (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) won the team title at the 22nd Division 2 Show Ski National Championships, Aug. 4-6, at Shorewood Park in Loves Park, Ill. Hosted by the Ski Broncs, the tournament featured five teams competing for the Division 2 show ski national title. The Division 2 Show Ski National Championships is comprised of teams and/or individuals not qualified by their respective regions for next weekend’s 48th Indmar Division 1 Show Ski National Championships, presented by Visit Central Florida.
In competitive show skiing, each club has one hour to present a theatrical performance on water skis. Judges score acts by awarding points based on originality, presentation and execution. Elaborate costumes and staging intermix with music and fast action on the water as an announcer leads the audience through the show. Individual national titles for Swivel Open, Swivel 360, Swivel 180, Doubles Open, and Freestyle Jumping Open also were at stake.
Five Seasons earned high-scoring awards for Dock & Equipment Crew, Towboat Driving, Sound Crew, Showmanship, and Production in tallying a grand total 1,377.73 points in narrowly defeating runner-up Muskego Water Bugs (Muskego, Wis.), which scored 1,373.63 points. The Ski Broncs (Loves Park, Ill.) placed third (1,218.83 points).
The Division 2 Show Ski National Championships also featured athletes competing individually in Swivel Open, Swivel 360, Swivel 180, Swivel Pairs Open, Doubles Open, and and Freestyle Jumping Open. Hailey Planton (Muskego, Wis.) won Swivel Open (13.50 points); Ava Schlichting (Machesney Park, Ill.) won Swivel 360 (13.83 points); Madelyn Palomaki (Winter Haven, Fla.) won Swivel 180 (7.63 points); Ava Schlichting (Machesney Park, Ill.) and Lily Roman (Freeport, Ill.) won Swivel Pairs Open (13.00 points); Kate Draeger (Lac Du Flambeau, Wis.) and Jack Misina (Fitchburg, Wis.) won Doubles Open (11.90 points); and Nathan Fiedorowicz (Waupaca, Wis.) won Freestyle Jumping Open (181.67 points).).