Malibu Open Waterski Championship being held June 21-22

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Malibu Open Waterski Championship and Malibu Open Waterski Championship is returning to Veterans Park Lagoon, on Milwaukee’s lakefront, for the fourth consecutive year. Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, waterskiing’s top professional and junior athletes will compete in traditional slalom and long-distance jumping for $64,000 in prize money.

Athletes from 31 countries will compete during this first event of the 2013 season. The world’s top-ranked slalom skier, Will Asher of England; two-time World Champion, Thomas Degasperi of Italy; and World Slalom Record-holder, Regina Jaquess of the USA will be among the athletes making a splash in Veterans Park Lagoon.

Other festival highlights include free-style jumping, barefoot skiing, a “kids’ zone,” a bikini fashion show, and live music by the Screaming Cucumbers. Also on site will be clothing, boat, and outdoor-activity vendors. Beer gardens, food trucks, and picnic areas will round out the offerings at the free two-day event

Pro Ski Tour, the producer of the event, and Malibu Boats, the event sponsor are estimating attendance at 20,000 to 25,000 spectators.

April Coble Eller, event organizer and competing athlete said, “Fans will have an opportunity to interact with the skiers – to take photos, to ask questions, and to get autographs too!”

In slalom skiing, an athlete is tethered to a boat with a 43-foot rope. The boat travels at a constant 36 miles per hour. Navigating a six-buoy course, the athlete shortens the rope by a set length after each pass. The shorter line increases the difficulty of the event. To win, the athlete must round the most buoys at the shortest line length.