HARPENDEN waterskiing ace Jeremy Newby-Ricci has returned from a very successful trip to the US where he won the 2013 Big Dawg World Slalom Tour Championship.

Herts Advertiser: Jeremy Newby-Ricci stands atop the podium.Jeremy Newby-Ricci stands atop the podium. (Image: Archant)

The event, held in Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, was the conclusion to the 2013 Nautique Big Dawg World Slalom Tour.

Newby-Ricci defeated defending champion Todd Ristorcelli (Orlando, Florida.) in a thrilling floodlit night time head-to-head finale to clinch the title, scoring 4-1/2 buoys at the 10.75m rope length to Ristorcelli’s 3-1/2 buoys.

Coming from a waterskiing family, the new champion said: “Skiing in the dark under flood lights in front of the crowd was a great experience and made the win all the sweeter given the strength of the field”.

Over 40 of the world’s best skiers gathered in West Palm Beach for the annual event from France, Italy, Denmark, Canada, South Africa, Chile and included Great Britain’s Andy Mapple OBE.

The win guarantees Newby-Ricci a place at next year’s US Masters at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, the world’s most prestigious annual Waterski event. In addition he has been invited to the Ski Paradise training facility in Acapulco as a guest Coach early next year.

In Slalom Waterskiing the boat passes at a constant speed in a straight line through a course and the skier has to round six buoys, three on either side. Once completed the line is progressively shortened and the skier scores all the buoys they round until they either miss one or fall.

With less rope it gets progressively difficult and all passes beyond 12m have insufficient rope to reach the buoy, leaving the skier to use his or her body as an extension to get round the buoys.

Newby-Ricci‘s next challenge this season will be the European Championships in Madrid and the Aqua Cup in Paris where his father Tony, 71, will also be representing his country.