Every year the IWWF (International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation) awards the top athletes of the year across all disciplines of the sports. However this year, they’re doing something different.

Given the global pandemic, the IWWF Bureau decided last year that it would skip the 2020 IWWF Skiers, Riders and Athletes of the Year Awards. Then, as 2021 is the 75th Anniversary of the IWWF, it was decided to instead choose the Skiers and Riders of the entire Decade, running from 2010 – 2019 (selected by the Sports Division Council). Additionally, each Council could select their Female and Male Skiers and Riders of the past 25 years.

Having scanned the achievements of the past 10 years (no mean feat!) the IWWF has finally announced its winners of the Athletes Of The Decade & ¼ Century!

The winners are categorised into all disciplines from cable, to racing, to disabled. The majority of riders hail from the US and Australia, with winners also coming from European countries like the UK, Germany, and Belarus.

Atheletes of the Decade – Female

• Barefoot – Ashleigh STEBBEINGS – AUS
• Cableski – Julia MEIER-GROMYCO – BLR
• Disabled – Claire ELLIS – GBR
• Racing – Kathrin ORTLIEB – AUT
• Show Ski – Alisha STEWART – AUS
• Waterski – Jacinta CARROLL – AUS
• Wakeboard Boat – Raimi MERRITT – USA
• Wakeboard Cable – Julia RICK – GER

Athletes of the ¼ Century

• Barefoot – Ashleigh STEBBEINGS – AUS

• Disabled – Katie MAWBY – USA
• Racing – Ann PROCTER (KENNEDY) – AUS
• Show – Ski Cathy LUITING – USA
• Waterski – Regina JAQUESS – USA

We hope this inspires you and maybe next time, there will be more representatives of even more countries, with even more diversity!

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