General News
29 December, 2022
River ramping
WATER SKIERS will return to the Loddon River after installation of a new jump ramp on Sunday. Bridgewater Water Ski Club’s jump was destroyed in October’s flood, snapping from its anchors and sent ploughing into two downstream bridges. The club...
WATER SKIERS will return to the Loddon River after installation of a new jump ramp on Sunday.
Bridgewater Water Ski Club’s jump was destroyed in October’s flood, snapping from its anchors and sent ploughing into two downstream bridges.
The club was left with a $52,000 damage bill
Members spent the weekend installing new buoys and wires before manoeuvring the $32,000 ramp into the river.
President Dean Cosgriff said the massive response to the club’s calls for assistance meant next month’s Australian Masters would be held.
And in a boost for the club and Bridgewater, the Victorian championships will move to the Loddon River for the first time in March.
Club tournament director Lee Martin said: “We’ve been lucky. The guy who manufactured the (new) jump just happened to have the material in stock in anticipation of another ski jump order. They weren’t ready to proceed, so six week ago we put in the order and we have the jump ready to go into the river.”
Carrum’s ski club donated $10,000 to help restore the damaged Loddon River course.
Martin said the club was gobsmacked when Glenn Thurlow also donated $10,000.
In March 1983, Thurlow overcame the 200 foot jump mark with a record-setting leap of 61.57 metres or 202 feet.
He jumped with wooden skis and used wooden ramps, and the distance was not beaten for another six years, only when the skis and ramps were made of fibreglass,
Martin said Thurlow had trained at Bridgewater for the record attempt.
“We already have a perpetual trophy named in his honour but we think the new ramp will be called the Glenn Thurlow ramp,” he said.