The GB slalom specialist Freddie Winter is back to winning ways, taking the top spot at the MasterCraft Pro in Florida, USA. Will Asher joined him on the men’s slalom podium finishing 3rd while Joel Poland was 3rd in men’s jump.

Freddie fought hard to take the win at Ski Fluid in Polk City near Orlando. He only just made it through to the 9-man final as the 8th seed. But with the true grit he’s famous for, he posted the highest score, crashing spectacularly – and ripping his favourite shorts in the process - in order to secure an extra quarter-buoy which, ultimately, proved unbeatable.

“With Orlando being my adopted home and MasterCraft having sponsored me for 8 years, this was something of a home tournament. That made an already very happy win a little bit sweeter,” Freddie said.

Freddie Winter

Freddie won with 3.25 @ 10.25m. Both GB’s Will Asher and Cole McCormick of Canada scored 3 @ 10.25m but Cole took second place by virtue of his higher score in the semi-final.

Men's slalom podium

Freddie and Will have been regulars on the Waterski Pro Tour podium this season. They have both recorded wins and a series of second and third places.

Will is at the top of WPT standings with three competitions to go, while Freddie is in second. The WPT is a linked series of competitions held throughout the season in the USA and Europe with points and cash prizes awarded at each stop and Tour Champions crowned at the end.

Will Asher

British success at the MasterCraft Pro continued in the men’s jump. Joel Poland, who also made the final and finished 7th in the slalom, came 3rd in the jump. 

In the final, he leapt a season’s best distance of 68.7 metres, which is not far short of his personal best, but he was up against two legends in the sport of water ski jumping – both jump specialists. Victory went to Canada’s Ryan Dodd, the reigning men’s jump World Champion and world record holder with a distance of 73.2 metres. Freddy ‘the nightmare’ Krueger, of the USA, was second with 71.1 metres.

Joel Poland

Joel is lying in third place in the Waterski Pro Tour men’s jump standings with just one competition to go.

Full results of the MasterCraft Pro can be found here: http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/22USA125/

Photos: John Waldron