Austria’s most successful water skier, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, once again brought the international pinnacle of action water sports to Upper Austria in the form of the WWS Salmsee Cup. On July 27 and 28, the best Overall skiers in the World competed in Slalom, Trick, and Jump at the Austrian stop of the World Water Skiers (WWS) Overall Tour in Steyregg. Grebe-Llewellyn and her husband, Jaret Llewellyn, a 9-time World Champion water skier himself, have now organized the event for five years and this year’s event was as exciting as ever. Great Britain’s Joel Poland defended his title from last year against his longtime rival out of Canada, Dorien Llewellyn, who made his return to the WWS Tour after missing all of 2023 due to an ankle injury.

 

 

With ten European Championship titles (in a row), two World Championship titles, and four world records, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn is one of the most successful female water skier of all time. Although the Gmunden native, no longer actively participates in competitions herself, she now shares her experience in athlete management and event organization, which includes putting together the WWS Overall Tour. Having completed the first event in Steyregg, she now sets her sights on the second stop of the tour in Canada, followed by the final two stops in Florida at what many consider to be the two best water ski lakes in the World.

At the WWS Salmsee Cup, the top six Overall skiers in the world battle the conditions and each other to see who was the king in Austria. You see, the special thing about the World Waterski Overall Tour is that the athletes have to prove their skills in the disciplines of slalom, tricks, and jumping, making the battle both one of physical and mental prowess.
The trio of favorites fighting for the title were last year’s tour Champion and World Record holder, Joel Poland, the reigning Overall world champion, Louis Duplon-Fribourg (FRA), and former World Record holder and 2021 World Champion, Dorien Llewellyn (CAN). In addition, Austrian Overall national champion, Alexander Gschiel, from Linz, and vice-national champion, Vincent Ahammer, from Gmunden, faced the international competition as hometown favorites. 

The incredible quality of the high-ranking starter field was evident immediately. Joel Poland led the way, scoring the highest scores in the Slalom and Jump disciplines. Ukrainian, Danylo Filchenko, finished close behind Poland with two personal bests and finished the day with the heights trick score of the day 12,340 in his WWS debut. Rounding out the top 3 was Dorien Llewellyn, who proved that he is inching closer to his best form after his injury break last year. Alexander Gschiel and Vincent Ahammer narrowly missed out on the finals, finishing 7th and 8th respectively, with Gschiel only falling short of Italy’s Edoardo Marenzi by a mere 20 Overall points, which, for example, corresponds to a difference of 0.8m in the jump event. However, both Austrians performed admirably well in the extremely strong field of six of the world’s best riders. 

Finals day started with the slalom competition, which started rainy and windy, but changed into a beautiful day. The men’s final day once again turned into an exciting thriller. Most of the field fought through what seemed like challenging conditions, but Joel Poland

put on a masterclass in slalom, pulling ahead to a commanding lead with 2.5@10.25m, 4.5 buoys ahead of Martin Kolman in second place, and Dorien Llewellyn and Edoardo Marenzi just behind in third. Moving into the trick event, Dorien took the lead with a commanding 11460-point score, which would only be narrowly eclipsed by Poland with a score of 11680, meaning Dorien would have to out-jump Joel by 4.5m to win the event. Louis Duplan-Fribourg would pull into third Overall behind Dorien with 11140 points, leaving Dorien with a 2.5m equivalent lead of Overall points over Louis heading into the jump event. Louis, the first of the three to jump, finished the event with the farthest jump score, namely 62.6m, which was enough to hold the lead in Overall until Dorien’s last jump, which was 61.2m. Finally, after failing to grab the victory from Dorien on his first jump, Poland secured the title with a 60.7m second jump and skied to the dock to the sound of applause from the awestruck audience on the shores of the Salmsee

With a total of 2949.47 points, the current world record holder won the heart-stopping final ahead of Dorien Llewellyn (2846.58) and defended his title from the two previous years. “The conditions were still challenging today due to the wind and everyone skied so well, which made it difficult. But of course, I’m over the moon with my third win here and I just love being here in Austria,” said Poland. In the end, the winner of the 2020 and 2021 Austrian stop, Dorien Llewellyn, was able to move up to second place.  “The competition [for me] was pretty good today, although my performance wasn’t at the same level as before my injury. But I did it cleverly, slalom was good enough, trick was good, but there should be more in there. The same as the jumping, but today I did what I needed. And to beat Joel, you just need super performances. But second place is a great start to the tour,” said, Dorien, delighted with his comeback from injury. Third place went to Frenchman Louis Duplon-Fribourg (2828.16). 

 

Watch The Event Recap Show here!

Stop 1 WWS Salmsee Cup

Steyregg, Austria

July 27-28

At the Austrian stop of the World Water Skiers Tour, the international elite of water skiing will compete in the disciplines of Slalom, Trick, and Jump. Organized by Austria’s most successful water skier, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, the action-packed water sports event will take place on 27-28 July from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission at Salmsee in Steyregg, Upper Austria.

For the fifth time in a row, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn is bringing top international athletes to Austria with the Salmsee Cup as part of the World Water Skiers Tour. The first stop of the international series will take place on July 27 and 28 at the Salmsee in Steyregg. The last few years have shown how exciting and action-packed this event can be when the best water skiers in the world come together.

The special thing about this tour is that the athletes have to compete in all 3 events, slalom, trick, and jump, and only the combination of these three water skiing disciplines is judged. The top 10 men in the world rankings will be competing, the best and most versatile water ski athletes in the world. The “local hero” and two-time Austria winner of previous years, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn’s son Dorien Llewellyn will be back on the dock after his injury-related time off last year and he has of course prepared himself well for the competition. “I’m looking forward to the competition at Salmsee, it’s a beautiful site. After my injury break last year, I can hardly wait to take part in the WWS Overall Tour again. The ten best men are at the starting dock and everyone is looking forward to competing in Austria. Winning this competition, or rather this tour, is the most difficult title for a water skier to win, It will be a great show, everyone should come and watch it live,” says the 28-year-old, looking forward to the Austrian edition in his second home country. 

The Canadian, with Austrian roots, is the third in an unusual trio leading the water skiing scene. The exciting battle between the Brit and defending champion Joel Poland, who also recently broke the world record in the Overall, and the reigning World Champion Louis Duplon-Fribourg (FRA), will once again come to a head to head.

 

 

 

 

 

From an Austrian perspective, 20-year-old homeboy Alexander Gschiel from Linz and Vincent Ahammer from Gmunden, will be flying the flag at the home event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 

Saturday 27.7. – 1 – 4 pm  Slalom,  Trick and Jump  

Sunday    28.7.  –  1 – 4 pm Slalom, Trick and Jump, Prize giving Ceremony

See Event Page for full details

 

World Water Skiers Announces 2024 Overall Water Ski Tour Stops

World Water Skiers (WWS) is thrilled to unveil the highly anticipated stops for the 2024 World Overall Water Ski Tour. After months of meticulous planning and preparation, we are excited to announce that this year’s tour promises to be stronger and better than ever.

The 2024 tour will feature exhilarating competitions across four spectacular locations, showcasing the best talent in Three Event Water Skiing:

Stop 1: WWS Salmsee Cup, Linz, Austria – Known for its stunning landscapes and pristine waters, the Salmsee Club hosts its 3rd WWS Salmsee Cup presented by Gschiel. This could be the favorite stop of all the athletes on tour! Not only does the lake ski incredibly, but the atmosphere and culture make this stop unforgettable. As the birthplace of the Overall Tour, it will set the stage for an unforgettable start on July 27-28.

 

 

Stop 2: WWS Canada Cup, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada – presented by Korpan Considered the world’s breadbasket, Saskatchewan produces more than a third of the world’s total exported durum wheat. Home to some of the friendliest people, the Saskatchewan Waterski Club will host the WWS Canada Cup, highlighting Overall and Jump disciplines. All the top skiers will be vying for the highest payout the sport has seen in years on August 27-28.

 

Stop 3: WWS Travers Cup, Sunset Lakes, Florida, United States – Presented By Girl Love A Sunset (Luxury Charters) is the 3rd stop will be held at the highly regarded Jack Travers Ski School located at Sunset Lakes in beautiful Lake County. Known in the water ski world as possibly the best site on the planet for setting personal bests, this stop will see world records fall as athletes achieve new heights on September 21-22.

 

Stop 4: Ski Fluid, Polk County, Florida, United States – Presented by Dream Makers, this is the final stop of the 2024 tour takes us back to a place where the sky is the limit for those pushing themselves to win the tour title. Ski Fluid will be where athletes score their final points to become the overall champion of 2024. With such a premier site and athletes striving to win the tour title, there is no doubt that world records will fall again, as they did last year, on October 18-19.

 

This year’s tour is set to elevate the sport of water skiing to new heights, with each stop offering unique challenges and breathtaking scenery. We are confident that the 2024 World Overall Water Ski Tour will captivate audiences and inspire the next generation of water skiers.

 

“We are incredibly proud of the impact that the WWS Tour has had on the sport. Our team is always willing to test boundaries to what this sport could be,” says Jaret Llewellyn of World Water Skiers. “We are so grateful for our list of supporters who believe in our vision to make a difference in our sport. The enthusiasm from our host clubs in getting their cities involved to bring these incredible athletes to engage in their communities has been extraordinary. We can’t wait to see these athletes continue to evolve in slalom, trick, and jump disciplines, leaving everyone around the world speechless.”

Stay tuned for more details on each tour stop, including dates and athlete bios. Join us as we embark on an exhilarating journey through Austria, Canada, and the United States, celebrating the best in water skiing.

Please take the time to recognize our supporters below, and support them when you can.  For more information about the tour, please contact: Jaret Llewellyn Jaret.Llewellyn@worldwaterskiers.com

Follow us on social media for the latest updates:

Instagram: @world.water.skiers

 

 2024 WWS Overall Water Ski Tour Page 

 

                                              

 

The WWS Austrian Open Did Not Disappoint!

With the World Waterski Open, Austria’s most successful water skier, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, once again brought the international elite of the action-packed water sport to Upper Austria. On August 7 and 8, some of the best of their guild competed in Fischlham in the disciplines slalom, trick and jump. The event was organized for the second time by Britta Grebe and her husband, the multiple world champion and world record holder Jaret Llewellyn. Their son Dorien took part again, who is currently the world’s number two in the Overall. He also showed the strongest nerves and reclaimed the WWS Austrian Open title back to back. In the women’s event, the defending champion from 2020, Giannina Bonnemann, also took the victory.

 

With her ten European Championship titles (in a row) two World Championship titles and four world records, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn was one of the most successful water skiers in the world. Although the native of Gmunden, who has now lived in Florida for 36 years, no longer actively participates in competitions herself, she now shares her experience in athlete management and event organization.

 

The athletes had to prove their skills in the disciplines slalom, trick, and jump. The winner of these three water ski disciplines combined is considered the absolute “King/Queen” of waterskiing. Besides Britta Grebe’s son, the 26-year-old Dorien Llewellyn (skis for Canada), Carlo Basic from Austria, Robert Hazelwood from Great Britain, Pol Duplan-Fribourg from France, as well as the German sisters Giannina and Carlotta Bonnemann and the Italian Alice Bagnoli fought for prize money and the podium.

 

Right from the start, the high quality of the small, but fine starting field was evident. Already on the first day of
competition both the women and men showed world-class form and delivered top performances, although the jump competition could not be held on Saturday due to the strong winds. Dorien Llewellyn came out showing he was not here to play, scoring the highest points of all in both trick and slalom. In tough conditions, the big upset was Robert going down on the 11.25m line. This is Robert’s strongest event of the three, so he would have to regroup for Sunday’s finals. In the trick discipline, Dorien was able to live up to his role in being the favorite, posting a 10500 ahead of Robert’s 9090,  Pol’s 8080, and Carlo’s 6800.

In womens’ slalom the older of the Bonnemann sisters, Giannina, had the better start ahead of the Italian Alice Bagnoli and Carlotta Bonnemann and took this momentum into Sunday.

With cooler temperatures on Sunday, the athletes had to give it their all on the final day. Alice came out in the finals in slalom and prevented Giannina from potentially claiming a clean sweep. Alice posts a 3.5 at 11.25, half a buoy better than Giannina score of 3. Traditionally, the jump event is the last event of the day, but warnings of rain later threaten the jump, so the organizers decided to flip the events because of safety for the athletes. Giannina dominated the jump event with 52m, but a real race for second and third was building. Alice (1,710.98) ahead of Charlotta (1,642.18).  Charlotta stood up both her runs putting pressure on Alice. Alice proved on Saturday that she has a big hand run in her bag, but shocked the crowd when she went down on a flip during the final pass, costing her the second podium spot. Giannina ranked second in the World in Overall was overjoyed about her victory in Fischlham: “The competition was just great again, to have an overall event with all three disciplines is what we train for. For me it went extremely well, I was able to dial up my performances from yesterday. In the trick event, I was able to go one better and set a new course trick record of 10,180 points, which really made it perfect.” Giannina took the Overall Crown with 2978.26 points, Carlotta claimed silver with 2160.85, ahead of Alice’s 2092.12.

 

 

 

In the men’s finals, tables turned on Dorien right out of the gates in the slalom event. Robert Hazelwood posted a huge slalom score of 1 @ 41off, a full pass more than Dorien’s top score from the primary round. This is Robert’s strongest of the 3 disciplines and Dorien’s weaker of the three. Dorien said, “my game plan was to stay as close to Robert’s slalom score as possible.”  Dorien, unfortunately, went down earlier than expected and trailed Robert by 8.5 buoys (4.5@11.25m). Robert claimed the 1000pts for the tops score and Dorien was awarded 845.45. Pol was only 2.5 buoys (2@11.25)  behind Dorien and was awarded 800pts, with Carlo is 4 buoys (4@12m) off Pol with a score of 727.27.

 

Onto the Jump, with the weather conditions holding favorable. Pol posted a 56.1m, next up Carlo with a 59.9m, and Robert tops that with a 60.0m jump. Dorien last out knew he had to gain ground back on Robert after trailing in slalom. Dorien unleashed 65.1 on his final jump and the Two-way battle is underway with Robert 1,872.82 and Dorien 1,845.45 neck and neck, as well as Carlo 1,597.59 and Pol 1,575.56 battling for 3^rd and 4^thspot. Finally, in tricks Carlo stood up his two passes, scoring 7,100 a new personal best. Pol’s prelim run was 8080 so enough to pull farther ahead of Carlo, but unfortunately, Pol went down on his opening trick which ended all hopes of staying ahead of Carlo. Robert stomped his two passes claiming a score of 9880pt putting enormous pressure on Dorien to score a minimum of 10200. Dorien answered back with 11060, just short of the course record he set last year at the Austrian Nationals 11160pt.  “I am so happy with my victory here at Lake Plana. Especially because I really spent a large part of my “water skiing childhood” here and I have such fond memories of this lake. I am very happy with my performance, it was so exciting and then I had to put all my eggs in one basket,” says Grebe’s son, delighted with the successful title defense in his second home.

 

 

Our sponsors, volunteers, and athletes are special people, and this event would not have happened without them, Thank You! We are grateful for their relationship and support and hope you can keep them in mind when making your next purchases.  Great products and special discounts are available to our viewers in the sponsors’ links at the bottom of the

“WWS Austrian Open Event Page”.

For WWS, we would appreciate you clicking on “SUBSCRIBE“ to the WWS website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube page, it will definably help with our algorithm.

 

 

Additional Background- Family business of water skiing

The Llewellyn family is considered to be the most successful family in water skiing because, in addition to Britta, it is also her husband Jaret and their son Dorien who rule the absolute top of the world. Jaret can call himself nine times world champion (in the disciplines combination, trick, and jumping). He also set eleven world records in jumping. He has won 117 pro events in his career (numerous World Cups, PanAm Games, and many more). Thus, Jaret is without a doubt the best water skier in the world so far and was the number one in the Overall for 16 years.

 

In the youth/junior class, 25-year-old Dorien is a European champion (in the overall, slalom and jump). In the U21 class, Dorien moved from Austria to Canada to compete with his famous father on the team at the World Championships, where he also won the silver medal in the U21 Overall, catapulting himself to first place in the world rankings. For three years now, the waterski talent has dominated the general class of the Overall at the PanAm Games (held every four years), and he is number two in the trick, slalom, and jumping disciplines. At the PanAm Championships (held every year and comparable to the European Championships) he is the undisputed dominator Overall. Recently Dorien is also allowed to call himself “King of Tricks”, for winning the King of Darkness, a pro night competition in Orlando.

The dominance of the water ski family was especially evident in 2012 and 2013, as in both years Jaret and Dorien were both number 1 in the World in the Open Division and Juniors, something that has never been seen before in any other sport.

 

 

 

Tough day today in Austria, especially with a tailwind like no tomorrow! As most overall competitions go, there is always drama. Unfortunately, with dangerous conditions, we opted to cancel the jump, instead only having a single-cut competition for the crowd. But today was mainly about seeding and vying for the individual event’s high scores, which hold cash prize bonuses. Tomorrow the finals battle begins anew and with a forecast for great conditions, the performances should only improve! Check the Event Page for LIVE Webcast start time in your time zone.

Scores from today

No Jump yet!

 

 

 

Dorien​ Robert​ Pol​ Carlo​ Giannina​ Alice​ Carlotta​
RAVENOL​ Camaro Watersports​ Akquire​ White Cross Québec​ Centre Nautique Pierre Plouffe Tremblant Inc​ kronehit​ Red Bull​

World Waterski Open takes place at Lake Plana in Fischlham, Austria

At the Austria stop of the World Waterski Open, the international water-skiing elite will compete in the disciplines of slalom, trick and jumping. Organized by Austria’s most successful water skier, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, the action-packed water sports event will take place on August 7 and 8 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day with free admission at Planasee in Fischlham, Upper Austria.

After 2020, the 55-year-old American by choice Britta Grebe-Llewellyn will bring international top athletes to her former home country for the second time for a top-class water-skiing event with the World Waterski Open. The event, scheduled for August 7 and 8, is the kick-off of a World Tour whose second stop will be in the USA at the end of the water ski season. At the premiere of the event last year in Steyregg, the crème de la crème of water skiers already showed how exciting and action-packed this type of competition is. This year, the Austrian stop will take place at Lake Plana in Fischlham, Upper Austria.

The athletes must prove their skills in the disciplines slalom, trick and jumping. Only the combination of these three water ski disciplines will be scored. Invited are the top women and men of the world ranking list, eight men (CAN, GB, CZ, UKR, FRA, AUT), as well as four women (GER, ITA). Once again, some of the world’s best athletes are taking part, which promises an action-packed event and makes the fight for the podium even more exciting. Last year’s two winners, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn’s son Dorien Llewellyn and Germany’s Giannina Bonnemann will also be back at the start to defend their titles

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“We are trying to give wings to the sport of water skiing in Austria again and bring a breath of fresh air to Austrian water skiing and I believe with events like this, which are also exciting and entertaining for the spectators, this can succeed. An action-packed afternoon awaits the visitors”, organizer Britta Grebe-Llewellyn is looking forward to the Austrian edition of the World Waterski Open.

Sectators and fans will have the opportunity to experience the water action live on site. The competitions will take place on both days from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with free admission.

For full details of the Austrian Water Ski Open

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World Waterski Open findet am Planasee in Fischlham statt 

Beim Österreich-Stopp der World Waterski Open misst sich die internationale Elite des Wasserschifahrens in den Disziplinen Slalom, Trick und Springen. Organisiert von der erfolgreichsten Wasserschifahrerin Österreichs, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, findet das actionreiche Wassersportevent am 7. und 8. August von jeweils 15.00 bis 18.00 Uhr bei freiem Eintritt am Planasee im oberösterreichischen Fischlham statt.

Nach 2020 bringt die 55-jährige Wahlamerikanerin Britta Grebe-Llewellyn mit den World Waterski Open zum zweiten Mal internationale Top-Athleten zu einem Wasserschi-Event der Extraklasse in ihr ehemaliges Heimatland. Der am 7. und 8. August geplante Event ist der Kick-off einer World Tour, deren zweiter Stopp im September in Florida stattfindet. Bei der Premiere des Events im Vorjahr in Steyregg zeigte die Creme de la Creme der Wasserschifahrer bereits, wie spannend und actionreich diese Art des Bewerbes ist. Heuer findet der Österreich-Stopp am Planasee im oberösterreichischen Fischlham statt.

Die Athleten müssen dabei ihr Können in den Disziplinen Slalom, Trick und Springen beweisen. Gewertet wird nur die Kombination dieser drei Wasserschi-Disziplinen. Eingeladen sind die Top Damen und Herren der Weltrangliste, acht Herren (CAN, GB, CZ, UKR, FRA, AUT), sowie vier Damen (GER, ITA). Mit dabei sind wieder einige der weltbesten Athleten, was einen actionreichen Event verspricht und den Kampf um das Stockerl noch spannender macht. Auch die beiden Vorjahressieger, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn‘s Sohn Dorien Llewellyn und die Deutsche Giannina Bonnemann werden wieder am Start sein, um ihre Titel zu verteidigen.

Die Athleten müssen dabei ihr Können in den Disziplinen Slalom, Trick und Springen beweisen. Gewertet wird nur die Kombination dieser drei Wasserschi-Disziplinen. Eingeladen sind die Top Damen und Herren der Weltrangliste, acht Herren (CAN, GB, CZ, UKR, FRA, AUT), sowie vier Damen (GER, ITA). Mit dabei sind wieder einige der weltbesten Athleten, was einen actionreichen Event verspricht und den Kampf um das Stockerl noch spannender macht. Auch die beiden Vorjahressieger, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn‘s Sohn Dorien Llewellyn und die Deutsche Giannina Bonnemann werden wieder am Start sein, um ihre Titel zu verteidigen.

„Wir versuchen dem Wasserski Sport in Österreich wieder Flügel zu verleihen und frischen Wind in den österreichischen Wasserschi-Sport bringen und ich glaube mit solchen Events, die auch spannend und kurzweilig für die Zuseher sind, kann das gelingen. Hier wartet ein mit Action vollgepackter Nachmittag die Besucher“, freut sich Organisatorin Britta Grebe-Llewellyn auf die Österreich-Ausgabe der World Waterski Open.
Zuseher und Fans haben die Möglichkeit, die Wasseraction vor Ort live mitzuerleben. Die Bewerbe finden an beiden Tagen jeweils von 15.00 Uhr bis 18.00 Uhr bei freiem Eintritt statt.