Ashburton twins Hugh (left) and George Donaldson are off to the world under-21 water skiing championships in Canada. Photo Erin TaskerIf Hugh and George Donaldson can make a final when they take to the water at the world under-21 water skiing champs in Canada that will be a win in their books.

The 19-year-old Ashburton twins boarded a plane this week bound for Florida where they’ll get back on the water and acclimatise to the warmer conditions before heading north to Edmonton in Canada for their latest tilt at a world title.

They know that they’ll be up against it, because when it comes to world water skiing New Zealand is a small fish in a big pond, and to make a final they’ll need to be top 12 after their single qualifying runs in slalom, tricks and jump.

New Zealand’s team for the world under-21s consists of four young men, and for one of them to podium would be a massive feat. New Zealand has only once before claimed a medal at the worlds, but interestingly, it came at the same site in Canada where this year’s under-21 worlds are being held.

It would be nice to continue their country’s good run in Canada, but realistically, it would take something super special to do it against the best skiers from the other 21 countries taking part. So Hugh and George are both focused more on beating their personal bests, and helping New Zealand to a top 10 finish in terms of team scores.

Mum and dad Janeen and Neil will be there, taking in the action on the ski lane, as they have been for almost every tournament Hugh and George, and their older siblings Rachel, Lana and Karl before them, have been in.

They’re a family with a rich water skiing history and the twins have been the top two in their age group in New Zealand since they were under-9s. They’ve never had a shortage of incentive, because there’s always been a brother, a sister or a dad to beat, and that’s helped to make them the skiers they are today.

Being twins, there’s always been a friendly rivalry between them, and there’s never been much separating them. At the moment there’s just one buoy between them in slalom, 10cm between them in the jump and both have similar tricks runs.

Both Hugh and George rate jump as their favourite, and their best of the three events, and both have their sights on distances in excess of 50 metres in Canada. The current world under-21 record for jump is 66.9 metres.

They know that anything can happen on the day though.

“There’s a small gap between a good jump and a bad one,” Hugh said. At the nationals at Easter, Hugh finished second in the overall men’s section, while George was fourth, and with the worlds in mind they were still on the water at Lake Crichton until Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Since then they’ve been to Australia for four days of full-on coaching, and during the stop-off in Florida on the way to Canada they’ll refine their skills with the help of a top Kiwi who is now a successful coach in the US, Kyle Ede. When they return to New Zealand it will be back to polytech in Christchurch, where Hugh is studying architecture technology and George is studying quantity surveying, and back to the gym to ensure they’re at their best for their next big challenge – the open worlds in Malaysia in August.

The world under-21s in Canada is the first and last time the Donaldson twins will compete at that level. The under-21s are held every two years and they were selected for the event in the Ukraine two years ago, but did not end up making the trip, and now – at 19 – this is the last year they’ll be eligible.

Hugh was a reserve for the New Zealand team for the world opens last time, but ended up being called in, while for George the trip to Malaysia in August will be his first open worlds.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 20 June 2019