I learned a lot about ski racing for this article, and I’ve been in the water ski industry since the mid-90s. Even having been around the sport, there is a lot of information that is really hard to find if you don’t know someone who races.
Water Ski racing is a MotorSport, where an athlete(Skier) has been added to limit the boat drivers’ ability to go full throttle from start to finish. Races can be laps of a course, or a point to point, ranging from 2km – 150+km. Speeds will be consistently over 200km/120MPH throughout a long race.
Divisions are based on boat engine sizes, though there are also novice divisions for Novice Skiers, where boat teams will take new skiers on shorter races. Lap style races are in Heats, often with a ten boat final. Point to point races are done along rivers, they can be up to 150km long and up to an hour. The skier and boat driver work together to go as fast as possible, while not taking the skier beyond their abilities or endurance.
World Record Water Ski Racing Speed is 230.26km, or 143.08mph. Set in 1983, by Chris Massey.
The 1500+hp Boats Of Ski Racing
Australia has a vast MotorSport following, and with the long winding unpopulated rivers, it is no surprise that they are considered the home of Water Ski Racing.
Boat Classes
Formula 1 is the top division, and Boat restrictions are few.
- Boat length max of 21 feet
- Max 9.42 Litres engine
- Not larger than 575ci or 9500cc
These restrictions leave a considerable amount of room to add some insane power to the boats. Many boats being in the range of 1500hp, capable of over 200km/120mph
Formula 2 is the class for boats with outboard engines.
- Minimum boat length is 19ft; max is 21ft
- Engines are restricted to the Manufacturer’s rating of 300hp.
The 20+ Divisions
Water ski racing is broken down into over 20 divisions, these are based on the size and power of the boat, the ability of the skier, sex, and the age. The Open Class F1, F2, are run with only boat limits, while other divisions are based on age, sex, and experience. In most countries licenses are needed for each member of the 3-4 person team.
Boat Crew
Driver – The drivers’ focus is entirely on maneuvering, accelerating and decelerating as efficiently as possible while maintaining a high enough speed to win the race. It requires massive amounts of concentration as 100mph on the water is 10x as dangerous as on land. Water movement, undulations or chop can disrupt the boats’ balance causing the need to slow down or risk crashing, which can be fatal.
Drivers also have to make the ride as smooth for the skier as possible; if the skier comes off or gets tired, then you need to stop or slow down, which will cost you the race. Even the trim of the motor is vital as it can give the skier a smother or rougher water surface, which will affect their energy drain.
Observer – This position is far more vital than they are often given credit for. Observers pass information between the driver and skier so they can both maximize their abilities and go faster. Drivers and skiers are so focused on their own jobs, that the observers’ task is passing info between the two regarding adjustments and other boats on the course. They are also the first responder in crashes and emergencies.
“You can have the best boat in the world, but if you haven’t got the skiers you need to win in the back, you’re just not going to win,” Mark Cranny – Head of Hell Racing Team
All About Ski Racers
A brief look at a skier behind a race boat and it really doesn’t look like they are doing much, or need to do much, but looks are deceiving. Those skiers that look like they are not doing much are just experienced enough to know how to preserve energy.
Getting Started
Trying a ski race for the first time is relatively simple if you already know how to ski. Go to a race event and enter the novice division. You can use your own boat, or many of the developed teams will tow novice skiers as they can get points for placing in those races too. Often you will also be able to borrow a bit of gear. The industry isn’t huge, so new skiers and interest is always welcomed warmly.
Behind The Race Boat
Skiers can be behind the boat for up to and over an hour at a time. To be able to handle this, skiers must have incredible stamina and mental focus. They need to learn and strengthen their position behind the boat as just standing on the ski at 200km/120mph is a feat of body control. If you lose focus while on the water and aren’t paying enough attention, then you could hit some rollers or any aspect of your position; at that speed, you have no time to recover.
In lap races, there are other boats wakes to contend with, so you are constantly bouncing around behind the boat, which is very tiring—also needing to maneuver around tight corners regularly.
In long river races, skiers need to constantly be moving around to avoid the banks and trees as they are winding around corners at speed.
Things To Keep In Mind While Racing
- Never say to a new crew “just go flat out, I’ll be right!” – You Won’t Be!!!
- Eat and drink before a race.
- Don’t let your mind wander, going too fast for that
- Don’t get your capabilities mixed up with your ambitions.
- Don’t worry about the other boats, that’s why there are observers
- Bend your legs, it makes rough water heaps easier.
- Adjust your rope according to the race and conditions.
- Enjoy yourself, how many people can say they’ve been 200km/120mph on the outside of a vehicle?
Crashing at 100+mph
If you do go down, there really is not all that much you can do but hope and pray. Initial impact, hitting something in the water, and tomahawking is where you risk the worst injuries. Water is really solid at that speed, so initial hit could be bad depending on what body part hits first. Tomohawking can wrench and twist any of your joints and ligaments, and those take time and effort to heal.
Coming back from a crash might take a bit of time. Your confidence will have taken a hit, and you will need to rebuild that trust with both yourself and the driver.
From the Hell Racing team Article, found here – The consequences if you get it wrong can be on the ugly side of serious, as Cranny related. The team was involved in an incident at Robinvale, Victoria, in 2003 in which a skier ran a little too wide on a bend and punched a largish hole in a houseboat with his body. Fortunately, in an incident that could have been a lot worse, the skier survived with a badly fractured arm, while the houseboat was in need of some serious renovation.
Speed Skiers Equipment
Safety gear is paramount! Special wetsuits, neck braces, helmets, goggles, are the bare minimum should you make a mistake.
Skis are specially made for racing, they are longer and more stable to take a beating at full speed.
Ropes have a 3 piece handle so you can wrap it around your body to support yourself in the long races. It’s easier when you can make the pull come from your hips.
Care of the rope itself is crucial as well. You can adjust the length depending on the race type, within regulation. Don’t want it breaking at the start of a race.
Water Ski Racing Fatalities
Due to the extreme speeds and the locations that speed skiing takes place, there will always be the risk of death. There are deaths in the sport almost every year. These can be both skiers crashing or boats themselves. Recently a boat crashed and killed both the driver and observer. Since the crash, there has been a call from the coroners’ office to impose speed limits on races.
Competitors of any sport should understand that at a high level, there is a significant risk to their health. Participants should always assess the risks and their own capabilities, to acknowledge, mitigate, and accept the risks they themselves are taking.