Sport Australia grant for teen competing in 2020 IWWF World Barefoot Water Ski Championships

Elaina McLung's 2020 just got a little bit sweeter.

The NSW barefoot water skiier recently learned she was a successful applicant in the federal government's Local Sporting Champions program.

The Sport Australia grant will provide financial support for McLung while she competes in the nationals and world titles early next year.

She received between $500 to $750 for travel, accommodation and any other expenses.

This grant is recognition for kids aged 12 to 18 who are gifted with their sporting ability.

Barefoot water skiing is water skiing behind a boat without the use of water skis, and requires the boat to go significantly faster than regular skiing.

Elaine was 10 when she started learning the sport, although due to her dad being a skier, she already had experience riding the waves with one ski on.

Since then, she has been training and participating in several competitions, of these she was named champion five of six times.

She has also been chosen to participate in the world titles twice already.

The nationals for barefoot water-skiing will be in Sydney in January 2020.

During the event, McLung, from Branxton in the NSW Hunter Valley, will need to do three things:

  • Tricks - the skier has two rounds of 15 seconds to perform as many tricks as possible to earn points, the amount changing depending on difficulty
  • Slalom - the skier has two rounds of 15 seconds to pass from one side of the waves to the other as many times as they can, and
  • Jump - the skier goes over a 3 small ramps in a run, and the longest one where the skier is in the air and successfully lands counts.

In April, she will visit Sydney again to attend the IWWF World Barefoot Water Ski Championships.

Maitland Mercury

This story Teen gets set for world barefoot water skiing titles first appeared on The Maitland Mercury.