‘Awesome foursome’ set to go

By Gary Caffell
The “awesome foursome” from the Ruamahanga Barefoot Waterski Club will be competing for New Zealand at the world barefoot waterski championships to be held on Bluemoo Lake, Wisconsin, from August 13 to 20.
Sarah Linton and Bevan Kelly are part of an open team also including Hugo Schaw (Hawke’s Bay), Georgia Groen (Otaki), Brooke Fitch (Palmerston North) and Ben Groen (Florida).
And the 12-year-old Kelly twins, Toby and Meg, will travel alongside father Bevan as members of a junior squad also including William Leigh (Tirau) and April Foster (Rotorua).
Greytown’s Ross Linton – father of Sarah – will manage the New Zealand line-up and he is justifiably proud that despite being one of the smallest clubs in the country Ruamahanga has the biggest representation in his team. A fifth member, Megan Atkinson, also qualified as an independent skier but unfortunately is unable to participate.
Bevan Kelly is the world senior champion in the over-35 age group and is hoping to successfully defend that title while also making a decent impact in the open division.
His is a busy schedule considering that he will also be coaching and supporting his children, both of whom have been training hard in sometimes very trying conditions. Toby only managed to qualify for the New Zealand team in June when the Ruamahanga River was 8C, a somewhat different story from the high 20Cs the Kiwis are training in at San Francisco at the present time.
“It’s all very exciting, we have a great bunch of skiers and supporters and I am sure we will do New Zealand proud,” Ross Linton said.