I began 3 Event Tournament Water Skiing when I was 8 years old. I spent 20 years in the industry skiing and coaching at sites around the world. I once got held up at Heathrow because the customs woman didn’t believe me that water skiing was a sport. Even with my 40kg/88lb ski bag dragging along behind me. So, I thought I’d write it out to help anyone else who might be wondering.
3 Event Tournament Water Skiing is the traditional competition layout of Water Skiing. These include Slalom, Jump, and Tricks, competitors compete in as many events as they want. Scores are given per event performance and combined to give an overall score.
Skiers compete in any number and combination of the 3 events.
- Slalom, is where skiers run passes of a course made of 6 turns. There are 3 turns to either side of the boat with an entry and exit gate. Boat speed is increased, or the rope length shortened after each successfully completed pass. Skiers continue until they miss one of the turn buoys.
- Jump is where skiers have 3 attempts to go as far as possible, their longest jump counts for scoring, and the furthest distance wins.
- The Trick event has 2 passes of 20 seconds, where the skier must perform as many tricks as possible to accumulate points.
Skiers receive points based on their performance in each event. Points for rounds are combined to give a skier their total score for that event, the athlete with the highest combined score wins that event. If a skier competes in all 3 events, then they are eligible for an overall ranking. This takes their scores from each event and totals them up.
For more information on these three events, I have written these articles to explain each one.
By competing in all 3 events, overall skiers will have a tougher time getting onto the podium for any of the events. There are huge numbers of skiers who will only compete in Slalom or Tricks. In these instances, they become specialized in their event, which can make chasing their scores down pretty difficult. Slalom is the most common event for skiers to compete in, making it the most hotly contested. Jump is the event with the least number of competitors. Many are 3 eventers with only a select few choosing to take it on as a sole event.
How Are Points Awarded In Tournament Water Skiing
Slalom Scoring
In Slalom, one point is awarded for each of the buoys skiers successfully turn around. The scoring begins at the lowest allowed speed for your division, so the athlete to turn the most buoys wins the round. Skiers usually opt to start at a higher speed and shorter rope length than where the scoring starts, as most skiers want to make their third or fourth run their hardest.
For example, if a skier starts at 58km/36mph on the 16m/22 off and they successfully run the pass they will have 84 points, if they miss the pass and only get 5, they will only get 5 points, not 83. Skiers need to complete the first pass for it to count.
Points can also be scored in 1/4 and 1/2 buoys; it all depends where the skier falls around a buoy. See the image below for reference. If the skier gets their ski outside the line of the buoy but does not ski passed the buoy, then the skier will receive 1/4 or 0.25 of that buoy. If the skier passes the buoy but loses the handle before reaching the wakes, then the score is 1/2 or 0.5. When the skier crossed the wakes with the handle, in a skiing position, then the full buoy is scored, 1 point.
Jump Scoring
Scoring in Jump is much more straight forward than Slalom. There are two ways it can be run. First is the biggest jump wins, even if there are 2 rounds. The second is where skiers will add together their biggest jumps from each round to have a combined score, the highest combined score wins.
Trick Scoring
Trickers score points according to the tricks they perform in their runs. Their total point number, in the same style as jump, is their score, the highest score wins. 2 rounds are added together to get their tournament total.
Overall Scoring Water Ski Tournaments
Method 1 – Regional and National level Tournaments
Overall points get a bit confusing. A normalized overall performance scoring system is in place, 0 – 1500. Each year a scoring bell curve is developed based on the previous years’ results for each division. Skiers scores are then compared to this curve to determine overall points.
- A skier scoring 0 in an event will receive 0 Overall points
- A skier who get the median score(middle of the bell curve) will earn 500 Overall points
- A skier who equals their national divisional record will earn 1500 Overall points
Athletes 3 combined scores equal their total overall score, the highest overall score wins.
Method 2 – NON-Regional and National level Tournaments
In this method, skier scores are compared to the winning score of the division. Total overall points awarded are 1000, these points go to the event champ.
In Trick and Slalom, scores are divided by the winning score and multiplied by 1000. For example, a trick skier receiving a total of 1,130 points compared with the winner’s 2,560 would be entitled to (1,130/2,560) x 1,000, or 441 points toward overall.
Jump is a little more complicated in that the scores are squared before dividing them. For example, a jumper going a total of 130 feet compared with the winner’s 150 would be entitled to [(130 x 130)/(150 x 150)] x 1,000, or 751 points toward overall.
Team Overall Scoring
In the team competition, the best three Team members’ scores, men or women, in each event, shall be summed up to obtain the team score. So if you have a team of 6, you still only take your teams 3 best scores from Slalom, 3 best of Tricks etc. The scores can come from any combination of the team members’ scores.
Some countries will not worry about the Overall score going into the Worlds and will select team members based on how they will place in their specialized event. Other countries will send more 3 event skiers to try to take the Overall title instead.