Calgary's Predator Bay hosting international event in waterskiing over the August long weekend

Predator Bay is ready for its international waterskiing closeup.

The 2024 International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) World U17 Waterski Championship kick off Friday at the lake just south of Calgary.

The event features more than 130 of the top 12 to 17 year olds in the world, competing for top honours in three different disciplines.

"Slalom, trick and jump," said Taryn Grant, from Waterski and Wakeboard Canada. "We have three events and then there's also the overall where all of those events are combined, where you'll get an overall score and then each country also is competing together for the overall team title as well." 

Grant is also on the Canadian national team and knows how hard these young athletes work to prepare for competitions all over the world.

"We have competitors who have been training for years and years, all their life," she said. "They either have to qualify on the world ranking list or qualify as national team members so they qualify as a competitor for their country -- so they have to be at an elite level to compete here."

Youngest member of Team Canada

At just 12 years old, Sofia Pelkey is the youngest member of Team Canada, and the youngest competitor overall. Pelkey competes in all three disciplines but says jump is her favorite.

"I'm honored to be here," she said. "That I got picked for the team and it's kind of nerve wracking knowing that there's a lot of good athletes out there, but it feels pretty cool overall."

Her goal for this competition is to make it into the finals for jump and trick. She first started competing at the international level at 10 years old and she's been waterskiing for a long time.

"(My) Dad, when we were younger, about eight, he thought it was a good idea to just put me into water skiing,' she said. "So we just started at our cabin in B.C. and then he put my sister in first and she really liked it and she became world champion too -- so he decided to put me in."

If Pelkey makes it into the jump finals, she'll likely be going up against Krisy Appleton from Australia. Jump is her specialty and she's a fraction off the world record distance of 46 metres. Her best is 45.6.

"Yeah, you think about all the technique and like trying to get you to lift off the ramp and get you to float through the air," she said. "It's pretty hard, but when you get it right, it feels really good."

Appleton is enjoying her time at Predator Bay that she says is a world-class facility just south of Calgary.

"It's absolutely beautiful, it's one of the nicest sites I've ever skied at," she said. "I'm so grateful to be here, it's beautiful like it's amazing, it feels so nice to ski, the ramp, the conditions, the weather, everything's just perfect."

'All I say is wow'

Paul Fong is overseeing the event for the IWWF and is impressed at this year's talent on the water.

"All I say is wow," he said. "Not just because of what the lake looks like and the scenery, wow, it's because when you look at the kids who are out there on the water, they're blowing your mind.

"We've got a world record holder amongst the kids here," he added, "and that's not what it used to be, you got two of the boys skiing, either one of them could be the world record holder."

Seb Hron is on Team Canada and is focused on slalom and trick. The 15-year-old from Ontario is excited to ski in the worlds.

"Well, it's kind of it's a big thing to me," he said. "Because I only started skiing like three years ago so the fact that I'm like, already here and skiing against some of the world's best, it's kind of crazy."

The event runs from August 2nd to the 4th. Learn more about it here: https://iwwf.sport/world-title-events/u17worlds2024/