Qualifying in the Trick Event

Now I’m in trouble. I get hurt Saturday June 14th Jumping in Atlanta and I have a tournament in two weeks June 28th at Port Saint Lucie, Florida. I have to give up training for Jump and start training to qualify in the Trick event in less than two weeks with a bum knee, and my ski partner is now in the UK.

I have to really take it easy and I train very carefully to not injure the knee anymore, but I still have to push as hard as I can. Delicate balance here…

Saturday June 28th arrives and Joe Pressendo the Tournament Director allows me to ski early in the day to give me the best water so that I have the best opportunity to get a qualifying score. My trick run consists of a start called the ‘flying-back-tumble-to-one’ which is worth 700 points (see http://www.barefootwaterskier.com/videos/Back-Deep-To-One-Holt.wmv), by the way qualifying score for Worlds is 2550. I’m probably the only skier the world that attempts this trick in a competition, and to my knowledge, I’ve never missed it, but you know there’s always the first.

I’m on the starting dock with the rope in my hand, the boat proceeds to idle away and I call ‘hit it’ the boat takes off, I jump off the dock, the tumble around and nail the start. The then proceed to do all of my tricks, backwards one foot, one foot reverse (other foot), surface how (while skiing backwards), back-to-front (now I’m skiing forward, all at 43 miles per hour), now a tumble to one 360, reverse 360 to one, a 180 to one, a reverse 180 to one, then a wave and wave reverse (see http://www.barefootwaterskier.com/videos/MikeHoltTrick2July8-2006.wmv)

I’m happy, but now I need to complete my second pass and the start is the second most difficult start in the world, it’s the back-deep-to-one. Okay boat tightens up, I yell ‘hit it’ and we are off to the races. I again make the start, but I’m skiing backwards and I need to turn from the backwards skiing position to the forward position. I make the back-to-front and get ready for my run at 44 miles per hour. I ski with no hands only with my neck, then a neck one foot, reverse neck one foot, two one foots, then teeth, then teeth one foot, and teeth one foot reverse, now a toe, tow reverse, tumble 360 to two fee, reverse tumble 360 to two feet and I’m done!

I receive a score of 2620 which is enough to qualify me for the Trick event at the 2008 World Championships. I did it, I’ve now qualified in two of three events. In 2006, I only qualified for one event, and now two years later and I’m two years older, I’ve improved to the point where I’m going to words for two events.

But a Jump qualify score of 12.7 meters is still to be conquered.