Ski team wins three separate events on the way to top honors
The Aquanut Watershows Team of Twin Lakes won National Team Title at the 41st Indmar Marine Engines Division 1 Show Ski Nationals Sunday, a feat that last occurred 31 years ago in 1984.
The award ceremony followed two days of competition involving 14 teams from around the nation on the Rock River in Loves Park, Ill.
The Aquanuts won three individual events on their way to the national title.
All teams displayed skiing tricks and comedy acts for an audience in their themed shows. The 2015 Aquanuts performed the show “College” is loosely based on the 1980 classic movie “Animal House”.
The Aquanuts won top honors with the 31-girl ballet line for the fifth year running, with nine skiers swiveling, followed by a thread-the-needle pick up of the remaining 22 skiers. It is considered a extremely difficult feat by most ski teams.
Kailey Koehler, of Lake Geneva, won the best barefoot act of the competition for her back barefoot circles. She skied backwards barefooted four times around the show course. The act earned a standing ovation.
The Aquanut swivel team won the best swivel act as well. The team has the 2014 National Champion, Kendall Krieger, of Lake Bluff, Ill., and Kaila Coffey, of Silver Lake, who is ranked third in the nation, as anchors, followed by a 360-degree line and a 180-degree line of skiers.
It is the largest swivel act in the nation with 14 skiers.
The Aquanuts also completed two grand pyramids. The team opened the show with a double-top, four-high pyramid and closed the show with three, four-high pyramids that consisted of 36 team members.
Other team highlights included jumping and wakeboard performances by Ethan Shulda, 14, of Twin Lakes, and trick skier Jarad Meyer, of Twin Lakes, completing seven flips through the show course.
Aquanuts regular shows are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6 p.m. at Lance Park in Twin Lakes through Labor Day.
Pick up a copy of Friday’s Twin Lakes Report for a full story and additional photos on the national championship.