Hundreds of water skiers are competing for national titles in slalom, trick, and jump events at the 83rd Goode Water Ski Nationals in Arvin.
This marks the second consecutive year that Arvin has hosted the prestigious tournament, which began on Tuesday.
"It doesn't really get much better than flying 25 feet in the air and 200 feet down the lake," James Bryans said.
The 22-year-old from Woodstock, Georgia is a six-time national champion who has been waterskiing since he was 3 years old. Bryans was introduced to the sport by his parents, who met through water skiing—a common theme among many competitors.
Also following in his parents' footsteps is Bret Ellis from Auburndale, Florida, who won his title at the event for his 162-foot jump.
"It's tough competition, it's tough, but there's skiers all around that either one of us can come out on top," Ellis said.
Beyond the competitive aspect, many participants value the community the sport creates, allowing them to connect with athletes from across the globe.
"I just fell in love with it, it's such a fun thing, it's so social, the sport is a great community and you get into it and you don't want to leave," Ali Garcia said.
Organizers report that two national records have already been broken, with hopes for more as the tournament continues through Saturday. Spectators are welcome to attend between 7 am and 3 pm.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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