WATER SKIING: Jerome Tindle was just six when he tried on a pair of water skis at Hipango Park during a family holiday. Maybe the results weren't great then, but 10 years later the Wanganui High School youngster is on his way to the famous Moomba Masters water-ski festival in Victoria in a few weeks ? one of the largest water-ski events in the world.
Tindle was recently third in his junior class in the Australia-Kiwi Challenge at the Viictorian border town of Albury-Wodanga, showing just how quickly he has been improving recently, courtesy of some specialist coaching in Australia.
Watching the national championships at Lake Wiritoa in 2000 inspired Tindle to get solidly into the sport.
"I didn't do much until I was about 10 or so, and when I watched the nationals I got really enthusiastic. But I didn't achieve much that year. As time went by I managed to get through barriers ? I pressed on more and here I am now," Tindle said yesterday.
Last year, as a 15-year-old, he was ranked sixth overall in the under-17 age-group in New Zealand, and gained selection in the national team for the Aussie-Kiwi Challenge.
Despite his slightly lower ranking he chosen in the four-man team, and performed above his ranking. Against the best from two countries he finished third overall, winning the slalom, and finishing third in the jump (top Kiwi), jumping 33.4 metres.
He's already added two metres to that in a meeting last weekend near Hamilton, a fair measure of the effect his exposure to good competition has produced.
Slalom, though, remains his best event, and the tricks section his weakest, although he's continuing to work hard on improving that.
"You want to be top in every event you do, but some are harder than others," he says. "Tricks is not my favourite, but you just have to concentrate on them equally."
A strongly-built lad, Jerome Tindle is ideally suited to the slalom, and therefore not quite as suited to the tricks area.
"On the right day in the slalom he can match it with the best," says Dad John Tindle, a water-skiing stalwart.
Probably Aucklander Thomas Gilbert is consistently New Zealand's best in the age-group at present but Jerome has one answer to a suggestion Gilbert is the better. "No, we can catch him."
Tindle received two weeks of specialist coaching in Australia at Stoney Park near Port McQuarrie just before Christmas, under the guidance of professional coach Jason Stone.
Stoney Park has two man-made lakes and a camping facility. The Australian national championships will be held there this year. New Plymouth's John Connell and Aucklander Anthony Perry also assist in Tindle's coaching.
The Moomba Masters is the mecca for water skiers. For Tindle, it's a golden opportunity to aim at his ambition of making as much of a life of water-skiing as he can ? although there's a prospective teaching career not far away as well.
It's not a cheap task, pursuing this kind of career. But anyone with an eye for a promising youngster could help him reach his aim.
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