Teen is walking on water after wins

WATER LILY: Unbeaten runs by Lily Meade on home waters at Lake Wiritoa on the weekend augurs well for the upcoming water ski nationals in Wanganui in March.PHOTOS/LEWIS GARDNER 170115WCLGWATERSKI3

WANGANUI'S own Lily Meade franked the form that gained her selection to the junior world water skiing championships in Peru with unbeaten performances at Lake Wiritoa at the weekend.

The 14-year-old was one of 57 competitors skiing in the annual Gold Star Tournament hosted by the Wanganui Water Ski Club, an event that marks the first major meetings of the New Zealand season. It is also the first New Zealand tournament that allows points to be gathered toward world rankings.

Competing the Under-17 Girls grade for which she is ranked No1 in the country, Meade won gold in all three disciplines - slalom, tricks and jump to give her overall victory in the U17 Girls.

Meade had only just arrived home from the junior worlds in Peru three days before the weekend competition at Lake Wiritoa began on Saturday.

The Wanganui tournament attracted 57 competitors, mostly seeking knowledge of conditions at Lake Wiritoa ahead of the National Championships to be hosted here in March. This is an event that comes Wanganui's way every five years.

Meade said she was reasonably happy with her performances at the world junior championships where she set a personal best jump on 22.5m and now knew what she had to do to be on form at international level.

"I only got home from Peru three days ago, but I'm ready to ski at home. It's a tournament I never miss," Meade said on Saturday.

"I set a new personal best in slalom this morning (1.2 buoys at 55km/h on a 16m rope) and I was pretty happy about that. My first jump didn't go too good, though. I crashed into the side of the platform, but fortunately I escaped injury."

Living literally at Lake Wiritoa water's edge helps Meade hone her natural skills.

"It's all about practice," the teenager said.

That practice certainly paid handsome dividends when she set a new personal best in the slalom yesterday morning.

Standouts for the Gold Star Tournament were Christchurch brothers Hayden and Morgan Diehl who had spend the week leading up to the event coaching at Lake Wiritoa.

Wanganui club president Ron Bakker described the siblings as slalom specialists. They duly placed first and second in the open men's class.

Meade's older brother Brent was also in fine form taking second overall in the Under-21 men's division with thirds in the slalom and jump and second in the tricks.

Bakker's son Nick finished fourth in the open men with a second in the slalom and a first in the jump, although that was outside the open men's grade.

Other locals to do well included Jerome Tindle who won the men's slalom (as opposed to open men) and Simon Meade, father of Lily and Brent, who claimed victory in the senior men 1 (35-45) slalom. Bakker himself bagged thirds in the senior men's 2 slalom and tricks, setting a personal best score for tricks.

Evergreen Wanganui skier Trevor Fowler was at his usual best despite turning 71, with a win in the 65 and over senior men's 4 in the tricks and a third in the slalom.

In Water skiing terms, Fowler is a legend and is in fact one of the only life members of the New Zealand Tournament Water Ski Association. His membership number is 001.

Eleven-year-old Molly Deroles showed a promising future was in store with a third in the junior girls slalom and a second in tricks, while her mum Sara claimed second in the senior women 2 slalom.

Bakker said it was a busy time coming up for the club with four major events on the calendar.

"We host the NZ masters Games in February, then the Central Region Championships just before the nationals."