Gallery Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Rheenendal, a small village a few kilometres outside Knysna known mostly for its farming community and enticing scenery, was host to the first round of the 2019 Waterski SA season this past weekend, which drew professional skiers from all over the country to battle it out in a four-round competition on the peaceful waters at Portland Manor.

It would be a trio of local Knysna skiers that would dominate, with a few exceptions, of course.

Not only did local skier Jan Johnson win her 65+ age group, but she also established a new SA record in her division, in her first year competing in the age group to boot. Johnson clinched the 65+ title by scoring an impressive 1.5 buoys on a 12m rope at 49km/h. Skiers were dragged up to this speed and much faster by a 6-litre Malibu TXi inboard boat.

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Johnson, who has been European champion on six different occasions and once placed third in the world in the 55+ age group, was also the only female competitor, she said, to get into the 12m rope length, “which is challenging as the distance from boat wake to buoy is only 11.5m, requiring technique and a good reach,” she added. She was a mere two buoys away from matching the current world record.

“My goal, now that I am a ‘youngster’ in my group, is to get deep into 12m and get ranked first in the world in my age division,” she said.

The organisers of the Knysna event hope that this event will become a permanent fixture on the national waterski calendar.

Two other locals, co-organiser Andrew Stam and Giorgio Schmocker, also brought much honour to Knysna when both won in their age groups. Stam walked away with the title in the hotly contested 45+ men’s division, scoring 1.5 buoys on 12m at 55km/h.

Other winners on the day were Worcester’s Robyn Viljoen who won the women 21+ division, Sebastian du Toit who took the boys U12 title, Jason Stegmann who won the boys U14 division, and former world ramp jump champion Lizette Bekker, who won the women 55+ division.

The organisers of the Knysna event hope that this event will become a permanent fixture on the national waterski calendar, while the next round of the national series takes place at Bird Valley near Pietermaritzburg on 2 and 3 February.