By RUSSELL BENNETT
YOUNG Pakenham waterskiing sensations Jack and Bailey Christie continue to reach for the stars in their quest to make their indelible mark on the sport.
Big brother Jack and little brother Bailey have both showed incredible form over the holiday season, reaching personal-best marks in most tournaments.
Back in December they set their own tough, yet achievable goals for the season.
“(But) I believe when our feet actually hit the ground we’ll need to reset (those goals) as most of them have been achieved and excelled,” mum Josie explained.
Bailey – bottom for his age – finished second overall in the Australian Junior Masters and second overall again in the Australian Masters.
Jack, top age for his division, won both the Australian Masters and Junior Masters. He also broke the state jump record and received the prestigious Glen Thurlow Award for the most outstanding skier of the tournament.
Soon after the Christies returned home they received an invitation for Jack to ski at the high-profile Junior Moomba this year. The tournament is typically for under-17s and above, yet Jack was invited despite still being in the under-14s.
He also accomplished one of his biggest goals for the season, skiing an Australian record in the slalom, and now holds the best score in Australian history for his age group.
Over the past week Jack and Bailey both skied in the Australian under-14 team at Myuna Bay near Newcastle, New South Wales. In the annual ‘Aussies versus Kiwis’ event, Jack won the slalom and jump competitions and came runner-up in the trick segment – leading to a first place overall. Bailey, meanwhile, finished third in the jump and slalom competitions and fourth in trick to place fourth overall.
Jack and Bailey were both last year named in a preliminary squad to compete at the 2016 Junior World Championships. The honour came after the Waterski Nationals in Darwin over Easter, where they both competed in the under-14 age group.
Jack is regarded as the more gifted jumper of the two brothers, while Bailey typically excels at his trick work.
The boys are by each other’s side throughout their competitions and will back each other to the hilt to achieve the ultimate success.
Keep any eye on the Gazette for more on the Christies’ wet and wild journey.
