16-Year-Old School Boy Is New Water Ski-ing Champion

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 15

16-Year-Old School Boy Is New Water Ski-ing Champion

TT must have come as a x considerable surprise to many of New Zealand’s leading men water skiers, several of whom had proved themselves in top overseas competition, when a littleknown Chirstchurch schoolboy in his first year as a senior came through the recent national championships at Lake Ellesmere with the men’s jump title and the coveted men’s champion-of-champions aggregate. The boy, V. Bullivant, a member of the Christchurch Water Sports Club, is a relative newcomer to water ski-ing. He learned to ski about six years ago but once he had mastered the technique he lost interest All his spare time was taken up with driving around in his own outboard boat which he has owned since he was nine. However, three years ago he again became interested and in the following two years took part in occasional competitions at Rotorua, Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch. He competed in his first national competition last season as a junior and gained several platings, including a second in the aggregate. Bullivants interest grew quickly in the following year and his progress was fantastic. His jumping improved from 60ft to 105 ft and his trick scoring from around 500 points to 1500. Nevertheless, his win was still the sensation of the

championships and all the more meritorous when the fact that he has had no specialised training is taken into account.

Apart from his wins in the jump and aggregate, he was placed fourth in the slalom and sixth in the tricks. His overall consistency brought the aggregate trophy to the South Island for the first time in the last five years. The jump title was won by another Canterbury skier, W. Flewellyn, last season, but he was unable to defend it because of a leg injury. Flewellyn was the first skier to ever reach 100 ft in New Zealand competition but this year no fewer than five reached this high standard. Bullivant must now be regarded as one of the most versatile skiers in the country. His competition standards excepted, he is also a competent clown, an expert kite flyer and an excellent barefoot skier. He is the only person in the country who can leap into the air out of two skis and land on both feet on the water and ski away. He can also start his barefoot demonstrations by running down the beach or stepping off one one ski. The junior girls’ trophy went to Christchurch’s Miss

C. Willetts who was in brilliant form throughout. Her total was made up of a first in the slalom, a first in the tricks, and a second in the jump. She set a New Zealand girls’ record in the tricks event, scoring 863 points with a scintilating run. Her total even exceeded that of the winner of the women’s tricks championship, Miss E. Biggins (Auckland), who trained under an Australian coach for two months last year before attending the world championships at Paris.

Canterbury skiers gained second and third places in all the women’s events behind Miss Biggins, who won the women’s over-all championship. Miss Faye Willetts gained second place in the slalom and tricks while Miss V. Bullivant, the sister of the present champion, performed very well in the jumping, finishing only sft behind Miss Biggins.

In the boys’ events, two Canterbury skiers gained placings in their first national championships. W. Ruske took second place in

the tricks event and G. Sharp, the Canterbury aggregate champion, took second place in the jump and third place in the tricks and slalom. His consistent skiing gave him third place in the over-all. Three Canterbury competitors gained placings in the senior men’s (skiers over 35) and senior women's (skiers over 30) championships, which were conducted at a national meeting for the first time. W. Shaw showed particularly fine form to win the senior men’s jump and the trick event, finishing runner-up in the aggregate. P. Donald was second in the jump. Mrs N. Storer was first in the senior women’s jump.