WWS Salmsee Cup Prelims Are In the Bag!
The first stop of the World Water Skiers Overall Tour burst into action at the WWS Salmsee Cup presented by Gschiel Die-Ausstatter. With a lineup boasting five world champions and two Austrian national champions, the competition for the six spots in the finals was fierce from the start.
World Champion Danylo Filchenko from Ukraine made an impressive debut on the WWS Tour, setting a new personal best of 3@10.75 off the dock, immediately establishing the standard for advancement. Hometown hero Alexander Gschiel followed with a solid 1.5@10.75. Another world champ, Martin Kolman of the Czech Republic, showcased his skill with 2.5@10.75, raising the bar. Edoardo Marenzi from Italy delivered the standout performance of the day with 4@10.75, making a significant mark early on. Canada’s own world champion, Dorien Llewellyn, returning from an ankle injury last year, impressed with a clean 3@10.75. Louis Duplan-Fribourg of France faced a challenging start at 11.25 but managed to pull off 4@11.25, a respectable score to stay in the hunt. Joel Poland of Great Britain, seasoned from numerous pro events this season, topped the scores with a dominant 2.5@10.25.
Danylo continued to impress in the tricks event, achieving a personal best and breaking the 12,000-point mark with 12,340 points. Vinci Ahammer faced setbacks in slalom but rallied in tricks, ultimately falling short with 6,010 points. Alexander maintained consistency with two solid runs but missed crucial tricks, finishing with 8,530 points. Martin showed his dedication to training with 11,520 points, securing second place. Edoardo encountered early challenges but rallied to post 7,030 points. Dorien’s flawless run, though just off his full pace, earned an impressive 11,230 points. Louis recovered from a slow start in slalom and posted a solid 11,280 points. Joel looked solid and clean, like Dorien, not in full gear but still nailing a whopping 11,650 points.
In the jump event, the battle intensified between Edoardo and Alexander for the final spot in the finals. Vincent and Alexander started on the 5.6-foot ramp, with Vincent struggling under pressure and landing a disappointing 52.9 meters. Alexander achieved 53.7 meters, leaving the door open for Edoardo. Moving to the 6-foot ramp, Danylo continued to dominate with a 61.8-meter jump. Welcome Danylo to the WWS Tour! Martin followed with a solid 59 meters. Edoardo pushed hard and managed 57.6 meters, enough to edge out Alexander by just 104 points overall, securing the last spot in the finals. Dorien and Louis showcased their jumping prowess with 59.9 meters and 59.8 meters respectively. With the boat struggling to give the power that these jumpers are accustomed to Joel capitalized on his aggressive style with the day’s highest jump score of 62.6 meters.
With these six exceptional athletes advancing to the finals, anticipation for the main event soared as they prepared to deliver a memorable performance.
Where It All Started
Salmsee Cup on July 14th and 15th in Steyregg – Waterskiing Elite Rocks Salmsee under Britta Grebe-Llewellyn
At the Austria stop of the World Waterski Overall Tour, the international elite of waterskiing will compete in the disciplines of slalom, trick, and jumping. Organized by Austria’s most successful waterskier, Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, this action-packed water sports event will take place on July 14th and 15th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Salmsee in Steyregg, Upper Austria, with free admission.
For the fourth time, 58-year-old American citizen Britta Grebe-Llewellyn brings international top athletes to her home country for a world-class waterskiing event, the Salmsee Cup, as part of the World Waterski Overall Tour. The event scheduled for July 14th and 15th is the second stop of a world tour, with the first stop taking place in France last weekend. In previous years, the crème de la crème of waterskiers demonstrated how exciting and action-packed this type of competition is. This year, the Austrian stop returns to Salmsee in Steyregg after two editions at Planasee.
International elite competes at Salmsee The special feature of this tour is that the athletes must compete in slalom, trick, and jumping, and only the combination of these three waterskiing disciplines is evaluated. Therefore, the best and most versatile waterski athletes in the world, including the top-ranked men and women (seven men and six women), will be participating. Dorien Llewellyn, the “local hero” and two-time Austrian champion from previous years and Britta Grebe-Llewellyn’s son, will be present as a commentator this year 
due to an injury. The exciting battle for the British athlete and defending champion in Austria, Joel Poland, who also won the first stop in France, and the second-place finisher in France, Louis Duplon-Fribourg, will intensify once again. From an Austrian perspective, Luca Rauchenwald from Pörtschach and Alexander Gschiel from Linz will represent the home team. The women’s competition could also be thrilling because, after the German Bonnemann sisters were unable to participate last year due to injuries, especially the 
older sister, Giannanina, left her competitors far behind in France. In addition to her sister Charlotte Bonnemann, the third-place finisher from the first stop Aliaksandra Danisheuskaya (USA), unfortunately, Kennedy Hansen from the United States has suffered an injury from the first stop and will be unable to compete. However, this opens the door for the two top female athletes from Austria, Lili Steiner from Carinthia, who finished third in last year’s competition, and Leona Berner from Upper Austria, who will also participate in the Salmsee Cup.
“The Austria stop of our tour is naturally the year’s highlight for me. Organizing such an event and then being able to perform in front of a home audience at the magnificent Salmsee. This lake is perfect for a competition like this. I am confident that we will witness incredible performances from the world’s top waterski athletes there,” says organizer Britta Grebe-Llewellyn, looking forward to the Austrian edition of the World Waterski Overall Tour.
This event holds special significance as it is where the World Waterski Overall Tour was born back in 2000. The Salmsee Cup serves as a test event to assess the platform that World Water Skiers has built to support the sport of waterskiing. Jaret Llewellyn, one of the founders of WWS, states, “We have come a long way in four years of building the platform, and we keep adding features that clubs want, which helps them streamline putting on events. It’s like Facebook but sport-specific, with results, profiles of athletes, and clubs. The more the sport engages, the better we will appear to those looking in from the outside.”
Water action for the whole family Spectators and fans have the opportunity to experience the water action live on-site. The competitions will take place on both days from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with free admission and the availability of food trucks, free beer, coffee, and cake.
Program: Friday, July 14th – 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Slalom, followed by Trick and Jumping Saturday, July 15th – 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Slalom, followed by Trick and Jumping, followed by the awards ceremony.
