Athletes heading back to Melbourne’s 2018 Nautique Moomba Masters March 9/12

One year ago, Australia’s Nautique Moomba Masters attracted over 200,000 spectators. As part of Melbourne’s annual Moomba Festival, 1.2 million people also visited this spectacular downtown Yarra River site to enjoy the activities. As a sports spectacle, few events in the world can match these unique Labour Day celebrations.

NAUTIQUE 2018 MOOMBA MASTERS – thrills at night in Downtown Melbourne (Photo Dan Oliver)

Moomba has a special story to tell this year. Born in 1971, Scot Ellis (USA), known as Rocketman to his many worldwide Waterski fans, will once again take part in the most extreme sport of all, Waterski Jump. He first competed here in 1988. To be still capable of hitting the Waterski Jump Ramp at over 100kph and beyond 60m distance exactly thirty years after his first experience here as a junior, is unheard of! Ellis has confirmed that he is not coming to Australia for a vacation – he is chasing a Moomba Masters podium place. This piece of history is not to be missed.

Extreme Sport Jumper Scot Ellis (USA) takes on a unique 30-year Moomba challenge 

Australian Wakeboard legends Harley Clifford, Tony Iacconi, Nick Rapa and Cory Teunissen, will take on USA stars Mike Dowdy, Noah Flegel and Guenther Oka. That promises to produce very special results in the shadow of Melbourne’s towering skyline.

The starting list of the 58th Moomba Masters Waterski and Wakeboard Championships includes five World Waterski Champions and athletes from 19 countries affiliated to the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF). These include Australia, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Switzerland and USA. With so many current IWWF World Waterski Champions scheduled to compete, all eyes will now focus on who are the most in-form athletes for this new season of 2018.

Recently crowned IWWF World Slalom Champion, Freddy Winter (GBR), took fifth place here a year ago, losing out to two-time World Slalom Champion Thomas Degasperi (ITA) for the title. He will now have a point to prove here on the Yarra River.

IWWF World Slalom Champion, Freddy Winter (GBR), now focuses on the 2018 Moomba Masters title

Canada’s Ryan Dodd, crowned IWWF World Jump Champion last September in Paris, must now take on the reigning Moomba Jump Champion, superstar Freddy Krueger (USA). That duel promises to be a spectacular one as Krueger has accumulated a staggering eight World Jump Records to date.

To ensure that the home crowd has an Australian World Champion to support, their own Jacinta Carroll is not only the current World Jump Champion and Moomba Masters Champion but she also set a course record here last year with a massive distance of 56.7m.

The new IWWF World Tricks Champion Neilly Ross (CAN) is also the defending Moomba Champion and may well take that gold medal home again. Finally, Whitney McClintock Rini (CAN), Moomba Masters Overall Champion, is rarely off the podium and is more than likely to hit the Melbourne headlines.

Once again, the new Nautique 200 and Nautique G23 boats will provide the excellent consistency and support services for all competitors during this unique festival on the water.

IWWF World Slalom Champion, Freddy Winter (GBR), now focuses on the 2018 Moomba Masters title

Organised by the Victorian Water Ski Association and sanctioned by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), live scores will be available throughout the March 9/12 championships.