World’s top junior water ski competition is this weekend in Maize. It’s free to watch
Some of the world’s top junior water ski athletes are in the Wichita area this weekend competing for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall events. Spectators are welcome, and if conditions are good at Mystic Lakes Ski Club in Maize, just northwest of Wichita, you could see jumps pushing 200 feet in length along with surface and air tricks ranging from flips to 720-degree rotations and skiers maneuvering a zigzag course of six buoys at 36 miles per hour.
Forty athletes from around the world are competing in the 20th Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships. More than half of the event champions from last year’s competition, held near Milwaukee, Wisc., are in this year’s field. Also among the competitors is Brooke Baldwin, who holds a U.S. Junior record in the girls slalom and is competing in the women’s division of all three categories.
“These are the skiers who are going to be upcoming pros, and you’ll see some of the best skiing that you’d see at any tournament,” said Dennis Downes, one of the organizers of the event. A professional engineer and competitive water skier, Downes helped develop the competitive water ski lakes at Mystic Lakes 20 years ago with the vision of hosting these types of events. Mystic Lakes is recognized among competitive skiiers for its course accuracy, protection from winds and sand shorelines that limit water movement, Downes said.
The Mystic Lakes Ski Club hosted regional championships in 2007 and 2008, then went on to be selected as the site for Barefoot Water Ski National Championships and, in 2018, the GOODE Water Ski National Championships. This is the second time the club has hosted the Junior U.S. Open; it was first there in 2011.
Visit Wichita, which markets the Greater Wichita as a tourism and event destination, and the Mystic Lakes Ski Club were cleared just four weeks ago to go forward with the tournament. Downes believes this is the first high level water ski tournament since the coronavirus pandemic canceled events around the world.
Organizers had to change officials for the event because the original crew is based on the East Coast and did not want to fly commercially or make the long drive. Downes said only one competitor who qualified to participate canceled and that was because he lives in Canada where the border remains closed to nonessential travel.
There are no local competitors, but many are from the Midwest and a number are international skiers, who were able to travel because they are based in Florida for training.
Downes hopes Kansans will take advantage of the rare opportunity — especially this year — to see top up-and-coming skiers so close to home. The competition features four divisions: boys 16 and under, girls 16 and under, men 21 and under and women 21 and under. The event is free and open to the public.
Practice is scheduled to start by 8 a.m. Friday and will wrap up by 6 p.m. Downes said practice day is a good time to see a mixture of events in a short time because the events are run one at a time on competition days.
Saturday’s qualifying rounds start at 9 a.m. and is expected to last about eight hours; the finals on Sunday will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Social distancing and safety practices for competitors and spectators are in place, Downes said. Visitors will see 10 foot by 10 foot shade canopies placed around the lake and concessions will be available on site for lunch Saturday and Sunday.
“This is typically a throw your towel on the grass type of event but we’re hoping that offering some shade on a first come first serve basis will encourage people to come out to watch while being able to keep a safe distance from others,” Downes said. “We encourage people to bring their chairs and take advantage of being able sprawl out along both shorelines. We have a good half-mile of real estate on both sides of the lake where you can sit and watch the competition.”
2020 Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships
When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, June 19; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 20; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 21
Where: Mystic Lakes water ski facility, near West 53rd Street North and Ridge Road, Maize
What: Forty of the world’s top water ski athletes ages 21 and younger competing for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall events will practice on Friday, followed by qualifying rounds on Saturday and finals on Sunday. Concessions available Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: Free for viewing public
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 5:01 AM.