Sport
5 February, 2026
Master of the weekend: Peter's jump with adversity
VETERAN water skier Peter Smith spends almost every weekend on the Loddon River at Bridgewater practising the skills that has him ranked third in the world in jumps in his Over-65 category.
He didn’t make it early in January because he had more pressing business to attend to — saving his farm from the ferocious Natimuk bushfire.
Peter, 67, lives in Horsham and got an emergency warning about the Natimuk fire in mid-January, so he drove the 20 minutes to his property. Our farm got completely burnt,” he said, “but I was out there and saved the house and shed.”
Fences and other infrastructure was destroyed, but a fire break protected the house, “and we’re better off than a lot of others.
“Our next-door neighbour lost the house and the one on the other side lost sheds and machinery.”
Just three weeks later, Peter was back on the Loddon, winning the Australian Masters jumps title in his division as well as taking victory in the overall result over the Australia Day weekend.
Peter jumped in his 20s but had not tackled the event again until he first entered tournaments at the age of 55.
Jumps are his forte.
He won a bronze medal at the world titles in Spain in 2024 in a field of 41 athletes from 27 different countries, soaring 24.9 metres.
“It scares me every time,” he said of ski jumping.
“I’m not sure why that’s a good thing, but there’s not a time when I’ve jumped that I haven’t been scared.”
The oldest skier on the river on the long weekend was Melbourne-based Brian Heys, 74, who has been competing in tournaments for 52 years.
He has won numerous national titles and now skis — slalom only — in the Over-70 division.
“I gave up jumping at 38 because I had a family business and six kids, and I couldn’t afford to get injured,” he said.
“And my wife told me — no more jumping.”
Brian won his division at Bridgewater ahead of Paul Hinves, and reckons he’ll still be skiing on the Loddon at 80.
He has taken to the water competitively all over Victoria, but loves the Loddon best.
“I came here and I have been here ever since,” he said.
“It’s always good water here.”
South Australia’s Josh Wallent has pulled off two of the biggest ever jumps on the Loddon River at Bridgewater to highlight the three-day Masters.
Wallent’s first-round jump was 60.6 metres, and he topped that distance in his second jump of 61.9 metres.
He left Lochie Butlin from NSW in his wake - Butlin jumped 44.4 metres and 42.8 metres in his two rounds.
Wallent finished third in the Open slalom and second in the tricks to take out the overall title ahead of Butlin, who won the tricks event, and 16-year-old Queenslander Dylan Wright. Wright, whose birthday was on Sunday, finished second in the Open slalom while still also competing in the Under 17 division.
He took out the U17 jumps title with a longest jump of 35.9m and finished second in the tricks.
Geelong’s Caitlin Dennis won the overall Open Women’s championship after finishing third in all disciplines.
Anthea Collicoat had the longest women’s jump of 34.1 metres.