Quiet Achievers

Australia is well known in competitive circles as a strong sporting nation. And although our cricketers, swimmers and soccer exports enjoy considerable glory, our lesser-known sports are also producing world champions.

Our disabled water ski team of eight skiers will travel to Orlando, Florida in August to contest the biennial International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) World Disabled Ski Championships in the hope of improving their consistent third place in the team event, as well as racking up a few gold individual medals.

Over 80 tournament skiers will compete for tricks, slalom, jump and overall trophies in divisions covering amputees, leg and arm disabilities, vision impairment, quadriplegia and paraplegia.

The championships are based on the rules for mainstream tournaments, with a few slight changes. Visually impaired skiers are alerted to the start of their trick or slalom run by a whistle from the boat, and are led to the jump ramp by a guide who skis beside them and counts down to the right cutting moment.

Paraplegic, quadriplegic or disabled leg skiers are known as "sit skiers" and use an aluminium frame to sit in - which is bolted to a larger-than-normal tournament ski for slalom and jump - with their knees up to their chest. They use an inner slalom course with closer buoys and follow the same rules as able-bodied skiers for speeds and shortening rope length for each pass, and a slightly lowered jump ramp; maximum five feet. For tricks, a wakeboard is rigged up for spins and jumps.

Four-time world competitor and defending world champion Kevin Murfitt says the team's chances are excellent. For the last three years Australia has won the bronze team medal behind the US and UK, but recent outstanding performances and high morale of the all-male team - including Murfitt, Alan Armstrong, Ernest "Bushy" Brown, Timothy Casdorff, Jayson Hanrahan, Darryl Hoyle, Jamie McDonald and Scott Wintle - means expectations of a successful venture are high.

"Aussies being Aussies, we will not let anything go without a good tussle," Murfitt says. "Even though we've got a small team, we've got a good show."

As a vision impaired skier, Murfitt competes in the V1 division for totally blind competitors. In Orlando he will be facing off the opposition for the slalom, tricks and overall world title he claimed two years ago in Melbourne.

However, the satisfaction he achieves from his sport is not merely a matter of trophies.

"For a blind person it's very hard to do what you'd call extreme sports, or sports with a bit of velocity to them, by yourself. With waterskiing, with tricking and slalom, you're behind the boat by yourself, and that gives you an incredible feeling of freedom."

Most skiers currently competing in Australia have acquired disabilities, and many had only skied infrequently or not at all prior to their accident or medical condition.

Tim Casdorff was a helicopter pilot who lost half of his right leg below the knee and the use of his lower body several years ago in a flying accident. As an active person, he tried out wheelchair basketball and tennis but, as a self-confessed adrenalin junkie, found them too "lame".

An introduction to water skiing gave him the excitement he was craving.

"Even though it's a team sport, it's all about personal achievement - it's a good adrenalin outlet," he says. "When you're restricted with your mobility you can't do a lot of things you used to do, so it's a really good way of expressing yourself."

Casdorff, now an architect, has begun designing his own skiing equipment. His latest jump ski incorporates many features of a helicopter rotor blade "for extra lift", he says.

Jump is his favourite discipline, purely for the fun factor. His first ever attempt was disastrous, though - he skidded up the ramp sideways and fell badly, chipping his elbow and receiving a concussion for his efforts. But he persisted and is keen to improve his previous world championship ranking of eighth, and is ready to have a crack at the jump title for his division.

In competition though, he knows he has to tone down his adrenalin-fed antics - at least until he qualifies.

"I've got to land one jump, because as soon as you've landed one you can go wild. I'll be going absolutely ape if I do land one, and see if I can have a go at the record."

Casdorff and the other team members will be supported by non-skiing officials at the world championships including Robert Allwood - who was recently named Chief Judge - boat driver Waldie Preikulis and team manager Noel Dix.

The sport is small in Australia, but Murfitt says the skill level is improving dramatically. Several state associations conduct "come and try" days for interested skiers, and although there are no women selected for the world team, Murfitt says the mix of men and women at club level is fairly even.

The average age of competitors is 30 years and above, and Murfitt says one of the biggest challenges of the sport is to encourage young people with a disability to give it a go; to embrace water skiing as a sporting option.

Several disabled skiers in the world team routinely compete at able-bodied tournaments for extra practice, and next year the disabled national championships will be integrated with the mainstream competition for the first time.

"We don't feel any different," Murfitt says. "We're just the same as everybody else. We might ski a little bit differently but we've got the same aspirations as anyone else, and we don't feel like we need to be set apart."