HE hadn’t raced there in five long years, but upon returning to the Hawkesbury 120 Ski Race, Mildura’s Jack Stevens and his team came extremely close to breaking the record time.
TR Racing, which included Stevens, Ian Tricker (driver), Nathan Miller (observer) and Jack Coaldrake (skier) finished the 120-kilometre race with a time of 40 minutes and 37 seconds, just 24 seconds shy of the record held by Superman.
It adds to a terrific calendar year for the Mildura skier, who took out his second Mildura 100 with TR Racing over Easter, while also winning a men’s F1 race in Australia during the European Cup series in July.
Stevens said the priority wasn’t to beat the record, instead, the focus surrounded fellow skier Coaldrake who was a fill-in for injured regular partner Jake Ellery.
“We had a really good run down to halfway … at the point we were basically on record time and then decided on the way home we’d just get home in one piece,” he said.
“Jack hadn’t had a win before so we just wanted to get it home, he filled the spot and did a great job.”
Admittedly, like most locals, Stevens said he was most comfortable skiing on the Murray river, but after his long hiatus due to floods and COVID, it was hard not to appreciate the Hawkesbury River at Windsor, New South Wales,
“The shootout was very choppy on Saturday but then on Sunday it was really good conditions, not much wind at all,” he said.
“We opted not to push for the record, but everything fell into place, the day was pretty seamless,” Stevens said.
Water ski racing returns on the local front next weekend with the Murray Darling 110 – Ted Hurley Classic, the unique event beginning at on the Darling River in Wentworth and ending in the Murray River at Apex Park, Mildura.
Meanwhile, Mildura Ski Club members Maddi Boyer and Senna Hedley will represent Australia at the World Water Ski Racing Championships in Gosford, NSW, between November 11 and 18.
Boyer will chase gold at the Open Women’s world level having already claimed three podium finishes, while Hedley will race in the Junior Girls class.
