BEIJING BRINGS SUCCESS FOR USA, FRANCE & CANADA IN WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP Fifty top ranked athletes from seventeen countries qualified for this World Cup Stop at the spectacular Foban-Emin Water Ski Club located just forty minutes north of the Olympic City of Beijing in China. Constructed just four years ago, the first class facilities delivered one of the highest standards yet both on and off the water. Within view of the Great Wall of China, the Preliminary Rounds produced a few surprises. In Ladies Shortboard, 10 contestants fought for 4 Finals places. Ageliki Andriopoulou (GRE), positioned 6 in the IWSF Rankings, failed to meet the 7050 points level required following an early fall on her first pass. In Mens Shortboard, two of the 14 contestants, Jimmy Siemers...

RUSSIA READY FOR OVER 30,000 SPECTATORS IN DUBNA AT THE INTERNATIONAL WATERSKI FEDERATION’S WORLD CUP STOP Since 2004, Russia’s Dubna Stop has been one of the most spectacular of the entire Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series.  Better known as the home of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the City is located just north of Moscow. The perfect choreography of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the enormous Volga River Grand Stand filled to capacity, the full support of the City of Dubna, plus high level performances by the athletes, produce the perfect combination for a high quality event. This venue of the World Cup has also hosted F2000 Boat races, the Aquabike Russian Cup and is the site of the famous Nekhaevskie’s Waterski School. This School’s athletes have...

WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP STARS ARRIVE IN OLYMPIC CITY OF BEIJING Practice day today began early as the World Cup stars arrived at Beijing’s Foban Emin Water Ski Club for the next stage of this US$780,000 World Cup season challenge. This exclusive Club is one of the most impressive on the global circuit, incorporating a gymnasium, athlete accommodation, dining, computer and extensive entertaining and conference facilities along the tiered and landscaped lake shoreline. IOC President Jacques Rogge sent a special message to Kuno Ritschard, President of the International Water Ski Federation, wishing all the participants good luck and an enjoyable stay in this city of the XXX1X Olympiad.  Central China TV will broadcast the two hour World Cup Opening Ceremony live on Friday...

WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP NOW HEADS FROM FRANCE TO BEIJING, CHINA Following glorious weather conditions in France on Sunday, record numbers of spectators and outstanding performances, the athletes and officials now head for next weekend’s World Cup Stop at the Foban Emin Water Ski Club just 40km  from Beijing’s Forbidden City. With only 780 days remaining to the start of the 2008 Summer Olympic  Games in Beijing, the focus of the City’s 12 million  population is definitely on high level sport at this time ! The Foban Emin Water Ski Club is one of the most spectacular in the world. Construction was completed in 2003 in this natural valley site surrounded by forests and towering mountains. All is ready now for the top athletes of the International Waterski Federation. The...

SOVEN & MAJOR TAKE WORLD CUP TITLES IN STYLE AT ENGHIENS-LES-BAINS IN FRANCE This was the second Stop of the 2006 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series organized by the International Waterski Federation. Seven Stops around the world are involved with a total cash prize fund of US$780,000. This was a Wakeboard Stop. In 29C sunshine beneath the Casino Barriere, the World Cup Qualifying Heats got off to a perfect start. The 15,000 spectators on site for the opening day on Saturday enjoyed the calm conditions. Enghiens-les-Bains’ thermal lake produced some high class performances. Athletes totaled 29 from 12 countries. In the Ladies event, Meagan Major (USA) pulled off a Tantrum to Blind maneuver, rarely seen in competition, to secure her place in Sunday’s final four. Others...

WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP SERIES HOTS UP – FRANCE AND CHINA IN JUST ONE WEEK ! This third season for the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series is completely booked out ! Well that is the situation for the athletes striving for a place in this US$780,000 cash prize global event. As the details of each Stop are released by the International Waterski Federation, every slot on the starting list is quickly snapped up. So far this year, the acceptance rate has been 100% by the World’s top ranked athletes. As with Formula 1, Football, Golf and Tennis, the logistics involved in managing a truly global series like the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup are enormous. Today, 28 top athletes from more than a dozen countries are on their way to Enghiens-les-Bains on the outskirts...

QATAR RISES TO WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP OCCASION With a calendar of seven Stops around the globe in 2006, this year’s first Stop of the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series organized by the International Waterski Federation (IWSF) took place in Doha, Qatar. The season’s Cash Prize of US$780,000 is the largest to date. Qatar has a major sports focus. The US$2.3 billion investment in the new Sports Dome facilities for the Asian Games in December has created a unique and positive atmosphere. Against this dynamic background, IWSF World Cup sponsors Qatar Marine Sport Federation and Aspire, the Academy for Sports Excellence, not only supported this IWSF World Cup Stop, but also the Arab Waterski Championships, the Qatar Open Waterski Championships and the Aspire Waterski...

QATAR RISES TO WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP OCCASION In glorious hot sunshine today, Qatar put out the welcome mat for Waterskiers, Wakeboard Riders and the team of the International Waterski Federation World Cup as they arrived in Doha to prepare for the major weekend events ahead. The atmosphere is electric as the huge construction projects throughout the City all aim for completion before the December Asian Games. These Games will rival the Olympics for scale. The world’s largest Sports Dome, within view of the IWSF World Cup competition venue, is a truly  impressive sight. Doha’s exclusive Diplomatic Club hosted the IWSF Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup Press Conference on Tuesday evening. Qatar TV and the Press covered the details. Kuno Ritschard, IWSF President ...

QATAR SET TO MAXIMISE WORLD CUP IMPACT NEXT With the arrival of the first Stop of the 2006 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup in Doha, Qatar, next week, the main sponsors, Qatar Marine Sport Federation, Aspire and MasterCraft, are taking trend setting steps to maximize the impact in the region. Spectators on the Palm tree lined 7.5km Corniche walkway overlooking the blue waters of the Persian Gulf, will enjoy the skills of the top ranked Wakeboarders and Shortboarders from 17 countries in the April 21/22 World Cup. It has just been announced that two other major related events will also take place as a direct result of this World Cup programme. Both are an example of the real impact of this World Cup series created by the International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) two years ago....

QATAR INVESTS US$ 2.8 BILLION AHEAD OF WATERSKI & WAKEBOARD WORLD CUP STOP The first Stop of the 2006 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup series kicks off in Doha on April 21/22.  Qatar, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It will again be the centre of global attention in December when it also hosts the 15th Asian Games and has allocated US$2.8 billion to bring the general facilities up to Olympic Games standard. This will all create a perfect backdrop for the Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup. The International Waterski Federation has created a unique formula this year for Qatar. Only the top ranked Wakeboarders and the top ranked Shortboarders (name change from Tricks) were invited to participate. The response from the athletes...