Teen prodigy Jake Abelson has soared to new heights in water skiing, pushing the boundaries of track records
Jake Abelson’s remarkable feat of achieving a world trick record of 12,970 points has been officially recognized by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), bringing the sport tantalizingly close to the 13,000-point milestone. This extraordinary accomplishment marks one of the swiftest ascents in water skiing history, as 16-year-old Abelson rapidly ascended from a promising junior to the highest-scoring tricker of all time in a matter of weeks.
In mid-April, Abelson’s personal best hovered just below 12,000 points, placing him 6th in the world for Open Men Tricks. However, at the Swiss Pro Tricks, he demonstrated impressive skill, securing a spot in the finals with solid scores before shattering his personal best with a remarkable 12,230 points—a feat that also earned him a US National record and a runner-up finish, his second of the year after a close competition at the Moomba Masters.
Within the same weekend, Abelson further elevated his performance by another 500 points, establishing a new world record of 12,720 points at the Ski Fluid Classic. This marked the first time in 24 years that an American man had held the world trick record since Cory Pickos.
Just two weeks later, Abelson continued his meteoric rise by setting yet another world record, this time reaching an astonishing 12,970 points. In the span of a mere three weeks, the 16-year-old prodigy enhanced his personal best by a staggering 1,000 points, while also elevating the world trick record by 280 points—an advancement equivalent to the collective progress made over 17.5 years between Nicolas Le Forestier’s last record and Patricio Font’s most recent achievement.
Abelson’s momentum surged further during the 2nd round of the Masters Qualifying event, where he executed a daring switch from a ski line back-to-back (SLBB) to a ski line seven back (SL7B). Despite encountering falls on his final two tricks in that round, had he landed them successfully, his score would have soared another 300 points higher than his current record, comfortably eclipsing the 13,000-point mark.
This demonstration, despite the falls, serves as a compelling indication that it’s only a matter of time before Abelson or another skilled skier breaches the 13k threshold. While Abelson boasts the highest recorded hand run of 7,670 points, other skiers have surpassed him in toe runs. The Chilean duo of Martin Labra and Matias Gonzalez hold the two highest toe run scores in recent memory at 5,680 and 5,600 points, respectively.
The men’s trick field, akin to slalom, is witnessing an unprecedented level of competitiveness, with three different winners emerging from the first three professional events of 2024. With a large contingent of skiers capable of surpassing 12,000 points in tricking, the top seeds can no longer afford to play it safe. Each skier must push the boundaries and strive to approach the world record score to secure victory at any given event.
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Abelson Sets Pending World Tricks Record At Masters Qualifier
Jake Abelson (Holderness, N.H.) set his second pending men’s world tricks record in the past two weeks on Friday at the Nautique Masters Qualifying Series 1 event at Lake Ledbetter in Winter Garden, Fla.
Abelson scored 12,970 points – the highest score among all competitors in either round of the tournament – in round 2 to earn a spot in the 2024 Nautique Masters. If approved by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation, the score will eclipse the current world record of 12,690 points held by Mexico’s Patricio Font.
The 64th Nautique Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, presented by GM Marine, will be held May 25-26 at Callaway Gardens’ Robin Lake in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Abelson also set a pending men’s world tricks record of 12,720 points on April 28 at the Ski Fluid Classic in Polk City, Fla.
Font has a pending world tricks record of 12,770 points in review by the IWWF that he set on April 20 at the Swiss Pro Tricks in Clermont, Fla. Abelson, 16, had set a pending Open Men national tricks record of 12,230 points at that tournament.
Great Britain’s Joel Poland set a pending world overall record of 2,674 points at the Ski Fluid Classic after scoring 1 at 41 off in slalom, 11,680 points in tricks and 231 feet in jump. Poland is the current men’s world overall record holder (2,670.62 points).
Source: https://www.usawaterski.org/news/2024/april/29/abelson-sets-pending-world-tricks-record
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