This month last year, the City of Dubna north of Moscow in Russia, created a perfect stage for the best Waterski athletes in the World. With 54,000 spectators over two days, 56 Journalists and 10 TV Companies present – and great performances on the water, it was one of the most exciting events of the entire Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series.

On July 30/31 next, Dubna will pull out all the stops again to deliver an even greater World Cup Stop for the International Waterski Federation. Having also successfully hosted a leg of the 2004 F2000 Boat Race series and the 2005 Aquabike Russian Cup, this venue on the Volga River has been further upgraded with additional stadium seating and improved spectator facilities. Since 1961, Skiers from the famous Nekhaevskie’s Waterski School located here have won 8 World Championships Medals, and have set 5 World Records and 9 European Records.

Better known as the home of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna’s Mayor, Valery Prokh, has fully supported  the programme to make this a national centre for Watersports in Russia. Directly opposite the Waterski World Cup Stadium, Dubna will soon begin the construction of an IT Technopark which will eventually employ 30,000 people.

Following a very successful Wakeboard World Cup in Enghien Paris in June, this will be the first 2005 Stop for the World’s best Waterskiers. All are chasing a slice of the season’s US$500,000 total cash prize purse.  Athletes from fourteen nations are scheduled to attend. These will include the defending Dubna Stop champions in Slalom, Glen Campbell (GBR) and Natalie Hamrick (USA) – in Tricks, Clementine Lucine (FRA) and Nicolas LeForestier (FRA) – and in Jump Freddy Krueger (USA). The only Dubna Champion not returning this year is Australia’s World Champion Emma Sheers. Knee surgery will keep her off the water for some months.

By any standards, the Dubna site, located where the Moscow Canal flows into the Volga River, is a great site for the international line-up of Skiers. New Course Records were set last year by Nicolas LeForestier (FRA) Tricks 11,810 points, Glen Campbell (GBR) Slalom 2 Buoys on the 10.75m line, Freddy Krueger (USA) Jump 65.5m and Emma Sheers (AUS) Jump 48.5m. In fact, the Jump Course Record was broken 15 times in the Preliminary Round alone. This is what makes this such a special venue for the Waterski World Cup.

MasterCraft, as World Cup Sponsors, will continue to provide the competition boats for the entire series. The City of Dubna recently announced that they have also purchased a MasterCraft boat to give their athletes the quality they require to compete at the highest levels. The Board Chairman of Akrilan, Igor Gorelov, whose company is a national market leader in the production of hydromassage baths and shower enclosures will again be one of the sponsors of the Dubna Stop. He commented this week that the company has a social responsibility to Dubna and that bringing the Waterski World Cup back to the City will provide a weekend of enjoyment for the entire region.

Russia set a very high standard for the World Cup in 2004 and Dubna is all set to repeat this perfect record again in 2005