Christina Nadalin is representing Huntsville and Canada at the 2024 International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) Junior World Barefoot Water Ski Championships, which kicked off on Saturday.
The competition is being held in Auburndale, Florida, from October 5 to 12.
Nadalin says she feels proud to represent Huntsville as it is where it all started.
“I would never have gotten into water sports if it wasn’t for my little group up on Bella Lake and the team I worked with at Deerhurst,” says Nadalin. “One of my neighbours, Dick Merritt, got me up on a pair of custom skis that he made, and I kind of fell in love with water skiing pretty quickly and joined the water ski club on my lake.”
She says her partner, Taylor Nullmeyer, pushed her to get on a professional level for barefooting.
“He got me trying tricks in doing one foot and eventually going backwards. And my family was great with it,” she continues. “My family was great with it. They would never make me pay for gas in the boat. They would let me go out as long as I wanted to take whoever I wanted. And that was really great.”
She says she started working at the age of 15, teaching water skiing.
“My boss, David Brandstetter, taught me to barefoot water ski, and I fell in love with it pretty quickly. I tried to progress, and it landed me a spot on the show Skis National team,” says Nadalin.
Nadalin adds the 2024 IWWF is a top competition as the best athletes around the world come and compete.
“There’s three divisions. There’s the open level, which any age can be in. It’s more of a skill-level thing. Then there’s the U23 division, which is anyone under the age of 23 and Junior, which is anyone under the age of 17,” says Nadalin.
She says she will be competing in the open division, adding the preparation and selection process for the competition was challenging for her.
“I had dealt with some injuries, including a separated my shoulder earlier this summer, and I had kind of two chances to get that score I needed,” she says. “In my very last run, I got it, and they were able to add me to the team.”
She says she will try to stand out in the competition and meet peers worldwide.
“There’s not a ton of Canadians into the sport, but around the world, it’s pretty popular. There’s a lot of great people to meet and compete against.”
