Six skiers represented the school at the recent Otago Southland Secondary Schools Water Skiing Competition. Report by Fynn Raines.

Carter Woolsey, Jack Woolsey, Fynn Raines, Max Heaps, Liam Johnston and Leo Brook represented the school at the Otago Southland Secondary Schools Water Skiing Competition held at the Bannockburn inlet on 23 February. 

The team was a mixture of experienced skiers and first timers, on a slalom course. The top three scores from the group made up the team score with Southland Boys' High School coming a close 2nd with a score of 131.0 behind the winners Wakatipu High School, who scored 136.25.  

Max Heaps was the top skier of the day taking out the Championship U16 competition and Fynn Raines took out the U13 Novice section. Some personal bests were achieved too!

Individual best results for the day:

Championship U16 – 1st Max Heaps 2 @ 52km

Novice U16 – 5th Carter Woolsey 2C @ 43km; 15th Liam Johnston 5 @ 46km

Novice U13 – 1st Fynn Raines 3C @ 37km; 5th Jack Woolsey 1 @ 49km; 7th Leo Brook 3 @ 37km

Report by Fynn Raines

Hello everyone I am Fynn Raines and I am a Year 9 at Southland Boys' High School, and I would like to give you a run down on my Waterski competition at Bannockburn Inlet near Cromwell on Sunday 23rd Feb. It was the Otago/ Southland Secondary School Water Ski Champs. 

An early start for most as we got  calm morning weather and launched the boat. 

The skiers were swerving in and out of the buoys and it was a long wait before it was my turn. As it finally rolled around I was quite nervous at the start, but as soon as I'm on my skis everything goes away. Water skiing is one of my favourite things in the world. I have been doing it for as long as I can remember. 

I did not quite get the start that I was looking for but I was still able to put myself to the top, so all I had to do was not stuff up next turn. 

My turn rolls around too fast, yet again I am sitting in the warm water and I get a great start. I catch up to the champion, trying to beat two from my previous round. I give it all I have and more and manage to win the U13 Novice section. 

Championship – have to complete starting and finishing gates and ski championship buoys only. 

Novice – start on the novice buoys and move onto championship buoys. No starting or finishing gates required.