WATERSKI NEWS

January 1997

World Cup Schedule

Dean Turcol
Public Relations Director
(407) 628-4802

1997 Water Ski World Cup Cities Chosen

Orlando, FL. The Water Ski World Cup announces the 16 cities chosen to host the 1997 worldwide tournament to determine the sport's best athletes. The 1997 Water Ski World Cup brings together for the first time every major professional water-skiing event in the world under one circuit to crown a true world champion.

The World Cup circuit spans three continents. It all starts in Melbourne, Australia, with the Moomba Masters, March 8-10. Then it's on to the U.S., home of the U.S. Masters, the U.S. Open and the eight stops of the Cafe de Colombia U.S. Water Ski Tour, which makes up half of the World Cup circuit. The Extreme World Cup in Toronto, Canada, brings to nine the number of World Cup events on the North American continent.

The circuit takes a European turn with the Arena Masters in Italy and the German Cup in Germany in late June. The World Cup wraps up in late August with the Paddy Classic in Ireland and the British Masters in England.

The Water Ski World Cup will be televised by ESPN2, Prime Network and Eurosport. It is estimated the World Cup will be available to over 400 million households worldwide, making it the largest series of televised events in water sports.

The Water Ski World Cup includes two water skiing disciplines: distance jumping and slalom. In one of the sport+s most popular and extreme events, distance jumpers hit a ramp traveling 75 miles per hour, and then soar 200 feet (61 meters) or more through the air. Slalom skiers zigzag through a course at speeds up to 60 miles an hour.

The world's best women skiers compete against each other in slalom and/or jump at eight World Cup stops.

The Water Ski World Cup is sanctioned by the International Water Ski Federation, the worldwide governing body of the sport.

Here's the complete 1997 Water Ski World Cup 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 U.S. Masters             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