21st January 2019

WATERSKI  & BAREFOOT ATHLETES TAKE THE HONORS

At the end of each year, all Councils of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), select their respective female and male Skiers/Riders of the year. The IWWF Executive Board members then elect the IWWF Athletes of the Year from their submissions – one female and one male.

Two exceptional athletes have emerged to take the honors for 2018:

2018 IWWF Female Athlete of the Year – Regina Jaquess  (USA) – Waterskiing

IWWF Ranking List End of October:
– NUMBER 1 in Slalom (3.0 @ 10.25) (4 @10.25, 2 @ 10.25 m)
– NUMBER 1 in Overall (3062.76) (4 @ 10.25 m, 8420 points, 51.4 m)
– IWWF Weekly Ranking List
– NUMBER 1 in Slalom on the most recent (4 Dec 2018) weekly rankings list (3.0 @ 10.25 m)
– NUMBER 1 in Overall on the most recent (4 Dec 2018) weekly rankings list (3076.4)

2018 Records and Performance Highlights
– IWWF World Slalom Record & USA Water Ski (AWSA) National Slalom Record: 4 @ 10.25 July 2018 Winter Garden, FL
This performance eclipses Regina’s IWWF World Record of 3.5 @ 10.25 m set in November, 2016. She has held the World Slalom Record since 2009 having advanced that record a total of seven times over nine years.
During 2018 Regina has run slalom passes into 10.25 m during IWWF sanctioned events over 30 times, more
than any other female skier. She has performed in this fashion at a myriad number of sites and behind a
multitude of drivers.

Regina is the most dominant slalom skier in the World.  She is an Overall skier who can jump in excess of 180’, trick 8,900 points while consistently running into the 10.25 line length.

She has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and runs her own business (Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy) in
which she devotes over 40 hours per week.

Regina is an AWSA Senior/Pan American Judge in all three events and officiates at many tournaments,
including elite events.  She is a true Water Ski Ambassador working with juniors throughout the year and
serving as mentor to many.

US Masters Slalom Course Record
1 @ 10.25, May, 2018 Pine Mountain, Georgia
Regina is the only female slalom skier in history to run a complete 10.75 pass at Robin Lake during the US
Masters. Regina established a new US Masters slalom record of 1 @ 10.25 during the preliminary round.

IWWF Pan American Championship Tournament Records (Santiago, Chile), November, 2018
– Slalom (2 @ 10.25) IWWF PAN AM CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD
– Jump (177’) IWWF PAN AM CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD
– Overall IWWF PAN AM CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD

2018 IWWF Male Athlete of the Year – David Small  (Great Britain) – Barefoot

Confederation Rankings:
World: 1st Overall Open Mens

IWWF Europe & Africa: 1st Overall Open Mens

2018 Tournament Bests:
13,800 – Tricks
20.0 – Slalom
29.7m – Jump

Tournaments skied this season:
4 National tournaments, and 1 International.

2018 Achievements:
Men’s International U.S National Champion.
Open Men’s World Champion in Slalom, Jump, and Overall.
Set pending trick records of 12,950, 13,250, 13,350, and 13,800.
Broke the World Trick Record at 13,350 (Current Record).
Won his first ever World Slalom title, now earning him a spot as one of the now five Men (Other four being
Brett Wing, Mike Seipel, Ron Scarpa, and Keith St. Onge) to have won an IWWF Open Barefoot Worlds

About the IWWF:  The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) is the world governing body for towed watersports and has over 90 affiliated Federations worldwide. It was founded in 1946 in Geneva, Switzerland. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sole authority for towed watersports. The IWWF is an affiliate member of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federation (ARISF) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The IWWF’s sports disciplines include, amongst others, Tournament Waterskiing (slalom, tricks & jump), Wakeboard, Cable Wakeboard, Cable Waterskiing, Disabled Waterskiing, Show Skiing, Ski Racing, Barefoot Waterskiing
& Wakesurfing

Official Hashtags:
#iwwf
#wake2024

Social Media & Other Important Links:

IWWF’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwwfed/
IWWF’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IWWFED
IWWF’s Website:  IWWF