The Fluid Cup: A Thrilling Finale to the 2024 World Water Skiers Overall Tour

The 2024 World Water Skiers Overall Tour concluded with a dramatic finish at the iconic Ski Fluid in Polk County, Florida. Managed by legendary New Zealander Kyle Eade, this world-class venue, renowned for hosting more world records than any other site, set the stage to crown the year’s champions. Despite facing significant challenges, the event delivered unforgettable performances that captivated the audience.

Overcoming the Odds

The road to the Fluid Cup was far from smooth. Just a week before the event, Hurricane Milton swept through Central Florida, leaving torrential rains, flooding, and widespread damage. Ski Fluid’s dedicated team worked tirelessly to repair docks, courses, and backwash systems, ensuring the venue was ready for competition. Their resilience embodied the indomitable spirit of the sport.

Compounding the challenges, the forecast predicted winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph. With no option to reschedule, organizers and athletes braced for unpredictable conditions, demonstrating their resilience.

The Competition Unfolds

Originally scheduled with Friday preliminaries and Saturday finals, the competition faced disruptions due to the weather. Gusty winds forced organizers to cancel the trick and jump events on Friday, following the slalom preliminaries. The decision was made to move all qualified athletes directly into the overall finals on Sunday morning, taking advantage of the calmer conditions expected.

Jump: A Soaring Start

The finals began with the Jump event, capitalizing on the milder morning winds, which ranged from 5 to 10 mph. Martin Labra set the pace with a personal best of 63.9 meters, followed closely by Ukraine’s Danylo Filchenko at 63.8 meters. Canada’s Thomas Daigle and Italy’s Edoardo Marenzi approached the 200-foot mark, but fell short. Martin Kolman surged ahead with a 64.7-meter jump, only to be overtaken by Louis Duplan-Fribourg’s impressive 68.1-meter leap. Dorien Llewellyn responded with 65.7 meters, but Louis remained in the lead. Finally, Joel Poland shocked the crowd with a massive 70.6-meter jump on his final attempt, claiming the top spot and leaving spectators in awe.

Slalom: Navigating the Gusts

By the time the Slalom event began, the winds had increased to 10 mph, with gusts reaching 15 mph. Jake Abelson, recovering from illness, managed 3 buoys at 11.25 meters, a performance equaled by Martin Labra. Edoardo Marenzi and Martin Kolman ran the 11-meter line downwind but couldn’t surpass the leaders.

Louis Duplan-Fribourg ran the 11-meter line into a headwind, scoring 2 buoys at 10.75 meters. Dorien Llewellyn adjusted his strategy after his first run, opting for the 12-meter line. Gambling on running the 11-meter pass downwind, Dorien aimed to get deep into 10.75 meters or even run it completely. Unfortunately, the strong headwind at ball 3 prevented a proper turn to reach ball 4. Joel also tackled the 11-meter line downwind, but a narrow start at 10.75 meters resulted in a finish at 2 buoys. Dorien’s performance closed the gap in points with Joel and Louis, setting the stage for a dramatic final showdown in Tricks.

Tricks: Deciding the Champion

As the Trick event unfolded, winds now steady at 12 mph+, demanded total focus from the athletes. Jake and Martin Labra, the young guns who have consistently posted 12,000+ points throughout the season, faced challenges. Jake, unfortunately fell early on his toe tricks, scoring 8,050 points. Martin also fell midway through his hand pass, finishing with 6,740 points. The tough conditions prevented Thomas and Edoardo from closing the gap to move up in the standings.

Rain began falling even harder during Martin Kolman’s turn, causing him to lose control on his toe pass. Though he salvaged his run, the interruption cost him valuable time, leaving him with 9,370 points. Louis, undeterred by the downpour, posted a strong 11,350 but fell on his final trick (TWL5B) while attempting to push past the 12,000 mark, leaving the door open for Dorien and Joel.

As the rain intensified, Dorien started strong but stumbled on a T5F grab, costing him valuable time and a key trick at the end of his pass. As Dorien switched his toe ski for a hand ski, the rain began to subside. His hand pass was solid, but he bailed on a SL5B, finishing with 10,350 points. With all the scores in, Joel needed 10,700 points to secure the Fluid Cup win. The rain stopped completely, and with everything going his way, Joel stuck to a steady game plan. The toe pass went smoothly, but the big question remained: Would he play it safe, or go big with his signature Mobius 5? Joel, known for never holding back, opted for the daring Mobius 5, executing it flawlessly to score 11,630 points, clinching the Fluid Cup victory.

A Season to Remember

The 2024 WWS Overall Tour concluded with Joel Poland finishing atop the rankings with 300 points. Louis and Dorien tied after 4 events, but Louis edged out Dorien for second place by just 10 points, benefiting from WWS rules that only count the top three stops for each skier. Martin, a consistent performer throughout the season, secured fourth, just 20 points behind Dorien—a photo finish!

This season showcased incredible dedication, resilience, and sportsmanship from the athletes. Relive the action with all five highlight storyline episodes on the WWS Overall Tour page. Special thanks to Huston GMC Motors, Dehilnger Insurance, and Polk County for their local support, as well as the WWS Tour sponsors who made this tour possible.

Mark your calendars for next year to witness and meet the world’s best water skiers in action. Until then, explore all the stops on the WWS Tour page, browse incredible unseen photo albums, and share news stories with friends and family. Make sure you follow WWS on social media so you don’t miss a moment. Let this inspire you to get out on the water and experience the thrill for yourself!

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