6x Champs & A World First! 2025 Show Ski Worlds Recap

The IWWF Show Ski World Championships once again delivered a radical showcase of entertainment in Mulwala, Australia on March 21-23, 2025. Held every two years, this exciting event brought together the world's best show skiers from around the globe, serving up a weekend of stunning performances, beer tent camaraderie and nightly parties for all in attendance.

Unlike many traditional competitions, each team hit the water twice, performing full-scale, one-hour shows on both Saturday and Sunday. This format gave teams a chance to refine their execution and push their scores even further.

Led by show directors Matt Heilman and Dave Rezin, Team USA was ready for an Australian redemption after a 2020 cancellation of this event due to Covid-19. Their Saturday performance was rock-solid with only 9 falls—impressive considering the complexity of their show. But it was Sunday where they truly leveled up. With even cleaner execution and fewer falls (only 6) Team USA boosted their overall execution and upped their final score by 73 points.

Co-show director Dave Rezin is the only skier to have competed in all six world competitions over the years and added another accolade to his phenomenal career in show skiing.

"Each World Tournament brings new experiences and unique memories. 2025 was no different because we had a really solid Saturday performance with only 9 falls. Given the difficulty we are putting on the water, it was a very respectable performance.

However, during the five previous Worlds, Saturday was always the stronger and higher scoring of the two shows. We were able to better ourselves on Sunday of this tournament by increasing our execution and decreasing our falls to only 6, increasing our difficulty, improving upon our overall production, all of which led to increasing our Final Score by 73 pts which was a first for TUSA.

As well as we skied as a Team, the TUSA Ladies absolutely stepped-up and crushed it in both Saturday and Sunday shows. They skied out of their minds and showed why they continue to be the benchmark when it comes to all-around skill in Swivel, Doubles, Barefoot, Freestyle Jump, etc."

History was made on the water with the successful landing of the world’s first all-female quad front flip—not once, but twice in competition. This impressive feat was a testament to the growing strength of female athletes in freestyle jumping. Skiers included Gabbie Taschwer, Bailey Hyatt, Josie Smerchek and Sarah Fiedorowicz (L-R as pictured).

🥇 Team USA – 1,920 points

🥈 Team Australia – 1,854 points

🥉 Team Belgium – 1,447 points

4️⃣ Team Canada – 1,261 points

Before the team action heated up, Friday featured the individual competition, giving athletes a chance to showcase their solo skills. From wild freestyle jumps to high-end doubles and graceful swivel routines, the individual performances wowed the crowd and set the tone for the epic weekend ahead.

🥇 Alisha Stewart (Australia) – 18.70
🥈 Caroline Grubs (USA) – 18.48
🥉 Brea Lebda (USA) – 17.86

🥇 Kim Stoner & Cory Krivitz (USA) – 17.78
🥈 Sarah Yost & Ryan Hoops (USA) – 17.00
🥉 Makayla Bazeley & Zeke Tiedt (USA) – 16.96

🥇 Sarah Fiedorowicz (USA) – 492
🥈 Gabbie Taschwer (USA) – 153
🥉 Bailey Hyatt (USA) – 96

🥇 Callan Ashcroft (Australia) – 994
🥈 Cale Ducane (USA) – 937
🥉 Pete Hegarty (USA) – 855

A huge thank you to Pete O’Neill and the Mulwala Ski Club for being incredible hosts, rolling out the red carpet for athletes and fans alike. And a special thanks to the IWWF and Water Ski & Wakeboard Australia Federation for their outstanding support and flawless execution of this world-class event. The awards banquet capped off the weekend with over 540 guests in attendance.

With the 2025 championships in the books, fans and athletes are already gearing up for the next Show Ski Worlds in 2027. The event will take place in Warsaw, Indiana, which won the bid with support from the Lake City Skiers. Known for their top-tier show skiing and die-hard fan base, Warsaw promises to bring the heat, the hype, and maybe a few surprises to the world stage.