Hello, Water Ski World Cup sponsors, organizers, skiers, fans ... Here is the latest news from the Cafe de Colombia Water Ski World Cup. If you have any comments, please e-mail them back to me at dt2@worldzine.com, or fax them to me at 407-628-7061. Editor: Dean Turcol World Cup Happenings The official newsletter of the Cafe de Colombia Water Ski World Cup Issue: 2 Date: March 12, 1997 TODAY'S NEWS: -- Schedule -- Moomba Action -- Orlando World Cup Stop Information -- Women's slalom event added to U.S. tour stop SCHEDULE March 8-10 Moomba Masters Melbourne Australia April 12-13 U.S. Pro Tour Orlando, Florida USA May 3-4 U.S. Pro Tour Charleston, S. Carolina USA May 24-25 Masters Waterski Tourn. Pine Mountain, Georgia USA June 7-8 U.S. Pro Tour Austin, Texas USA June 14-15 U.S. Pro Tour Shreveport, Louisiana USA June 21-22 U.S. Open Greenville, North Carolina USA June 28-29 Arena Masters Milan Italy July 5-6 German Cup Lubeck Germany July 12-13 U.S. Pro Tour Hartford, Connecticut USA July 19-20 U.S. Pro Tour Indianapolis, Indiana USA July 26-27 Extreme World Cup Toronto Canada August 2-3 U.S. Pro Tour Sacramento, California USA August 9-10 U.S. Pro Tour Portland, Oregon USA August 23-24 Paddy Classic Golden Falls Ireland August 30-31 British Masters Reading England This is the final official World Cup schedule. There was a possible switch of dates between the Germany stop and the Italy stop, but that DID NOT occur. -- Update on British Masters: There has been a change of venue for the British Masters. It's now being held on the River Tees, in the city of Middlesborough. Also, congratulations are in order for Gil Hill, who brought in a new sponsor for the event. MOOMBA ACTION: The Cafe de Colombia World Cup kicked off with a bang in Melbourne, Australia, with the Moomba Masters this past weekend. Russell Morris and his staff put on a spectacular event with jump records being smashed and huge crowds watching the event. I was fortunate enough to attend my first Moomba, and it was impressive. An unprecedented 12 hours of LIVE TV coverage highlighted with event. Des Burke Kennedy came down from Ireland and did a great job on the microphone for TV and the crowd. Scot Ellis flew 216 feet to break the Moomba jump record, and 19-year-old Australian Curtis Sheers broke the night jump record. Results of World Cup: Men's Jump: 1. Scot Ellis 62.9 m (206') 2. Curtis Sheers 62.1 (204') 3. Carl Roberge 61.9 (203') 4. Bruce Neville 61.3 (201') 5. Jim Clunie 61.2 (201') 6. Michael Heath 59.8 7. Mark Lane 57.4 8. Patrice Martin 56.5 9. Grant Barnett 56.3 10. John Levingston 55.1 11. Jason Stone 54.7 12. Richard Clunie 54.4 13. Brian Swenson 54.2 14. David Cortous 53.6 15. Colin Ellis 52.9 Women's Jump: 1. Emma Sheers 46.7m (153') 2. Toni Neville 44.2 (145') 3. Brenda Baldwin 43.9 (144') 4. Fiona Nairn 41.9 (137') 5. Leander Currie 39.9 6. Jodie Skipper 39.3 7. Britta Grebe 39.3 8. April Coble 38.2 9. Sarah Gatty Saunt 36.8 10. Sook Yoon Jin 35.4 Men's Slalom: 1. Andy Mapple 39.00 2. Patrice Martin 33.50 3. Steve Cockeram 33.00 4. Simon Hill 32.00 5. Jason Stone 31.00 6. Ben Favret 30.50 7. Carl Roberge 28.50 8. Jason Paredes 9. Mike Champion 10. Grant Barnett 11. Bruce Neville 12. Scott Smith 13. Brian Swenson 14. Sebastian Cans 15. Scot Ellis Women's Slalom: 1. Kristi Overton Johnson 32.50 2. April Coble 28.00 3. Susi Graham 27.00 4. Sarah Gatty Saunt 26.50 5. Emma Sheers 6. Jodie Skipper 7. Toni Neville 8. Brenda Baldwin Moomba Jump STORY: Scot Ellis soared 206 feet (62.9 meters) to win the first jump event of the inaugural Cafe de Colombia Water Ski World Cup in Melbourne, Australia at the Moomba Masters. The win, Ellis's first in three years, is even more astonishing because it occurs less than two years after a gruesome crash that left his right foot partially paralyzed. 'It feels like three years ago. I have the itch back. I've known I could do it since the injury, but this Cafe de Colombia World Cup win proves to all my doubters that I am back!' says Ellis, who resides in Lakeland, Florida. Ellis's 206-foot jump came just after he almost crashed on his previous jump. 'After I almost ate it on my second jump, I knew had to be completely 100 percent focused for the next jump. My body knew what had to be done and I executed it.' Ellis, who wraps in his injured foot in duct tape before every jump for stability, says he has no emotional scars from the accident. He says he's so focused when he jumps, he blocks out everything other than the ramp. 'I don't see anything or hear anything when I'm on the water.' The 24-year-old skier says he still feels like a kid. 'Winning a World Cup stop, I've accomplished one goal. But I'm still hungry. I want that world record.' Australia's Curtis Sheers took second with a jump of 204 feet (62.1 meters). Carl Roberge took third. In the World Cup women's jump competition, world-record holder Emma Sheers easily won, flying 153 feet (45.3 meters). Sheers, the older sister of second-place men's finisher Curtis, outdistanced Toni Neville's second-place jump by 8 feet. 'I'm a lot more confident now in my jumping. I've been training real hard. I expected to do well here in my homeland, but I had to be sure everything was coming together, and it was.' Complete slalom story not available at press time. ORLANDO WORLD CUP STOP: For those of you who will be attending the Orlando stop of the World Cup, here are directions and hotel information: Cranes Roost Park will be the site for the World Cup stop in Orlando. It is located in Altamonte Springs just north of Orlando. Directions: Take I-4 through downtown Orlando. Exit at Exit 48, making a right turn onto State Road 436. Turn left at the first light onto North Lake. The road will fork at the lake. The folks at Cranes Roost have done some work on the lake, and it should help with skiing and riding conditions. OFFICIAL HOTEL Information: Orlando North Hilton 350 North Lake Blvd. Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 Hotel's direct line: 407-830-1985 Reservations: 800-445-8667 When making reservations, you must identify yourself as a member of the "Pro Water Ski and Wakeboard Tour" to receive the $75 rate. Directions to hotel from Orlando: Exit 48 from I-4. Take a right onto State Road 436. North Lake Blvd. is the first traffic light. Take a right. Follow North Lake Blvd. to Hilton. Directions to Cranes Roost from hotel: Take North Lake Blvd. across State Rd 436. Cranes Roost Office Park is at the fork in the road. ORLANDO WORLD CUP COMMITTEE MEETING PLANNED FOR APRIL 14, 1997: Confirmation from organizers in Ireland, Australia, Germany, England, Canada and the U.S. have been received. Full participation from all parties is sure to make this meeting even more productive than the inaugural meeting in held in Geneva last year. WOMEN'S SLALOM EVENT ADDED TO TEXAS WORLD CUP STOP: Thanks to Overton's, a World Cup stop for women's slalom has been added in Austin, Texas, June 6-8. This will be part of the U.S. Pro Tour schedule. The U.S. Tour organizers are very happy that it has secured a World Cup stop for women's slalom on its tour schedule. Details on entries, etc., will be announced later. FOOTNOTE If you have any comments on this newsletter or questions, please e-mail me or fax me ... Thanks until next time! -- Dean Turcol