Siblings barefoot skiing on top of the world

Kapiti Observer

Tyler Groen in action.

Relevant offers

College Sport

Spinners set to make fortunes turn for HIBS St Pat's face tough foes in national sevens pool Discus star intent on defending title Milomilo Nanai off to US juinor college College sport results: Nov 28 Kapiti footballer wins US scholarship Hutt Valley push for place in final Late national call-up cheers Hopkinson College sport results: November 19 College sport results: Nov 14

There was perhaps never any doubt that the Groen siblings – Tyler and Georgia – would become involved in barefoot waterskiing.

After all, their parents Fred and Brenda and older brothers Mitchell and Ryan, along with extended members of their family, are all involved in the sport.

Such was the keenness of Tyler, 16, and Georgia, 14, that they were trying their hand at barefoot waterskiing before they started school. "I started when I was about four," Tyler said.

Ten years later, Georgia is on top of the world in the sport for her age. The Kapiti College year 10 student has returned from the world championships, which were held in Brandenburg, Germany last month, with the junior girls' tricks gold medal.

She also won silver in both the junior girls' slalom and jump competitions to finish third overall.

"Tricks is my favourite event," she said.

To win the gold medal in the tricks event, Georgia had to beat world record-holder Megan Roberts, of Australia.

Georgia also competed in the open competition and came seventh overall.

Tyler, a year 12 student at Kapiti College, was also among the medal winners at the world championships. He returned home with the silver medal for the junior boys' jump competition. His jump of 22.8 metres was a personal best and also a New Zealand record.

"I was stoked with that," he said. "I was aiming for a medal."

Overall, Tyler finished fifth in the junior championship.

Those performances helped the New Zealand team finish third overall in the junior competition, behind the United States, which won the teams' event, and Australia, which finished second.

Their Groens' success in Germany came on the back of months of hard work, including spending as much time as possible on Lake Inspiration, which is in their Otaki backyard. That makes training a lot easier for the pair.

"It means we get home from school and can go out training straight away. There's no excuse," Tyler said.

While the siblings' medal wins at the world championships will remain a highlight for the year, that is not the only success the pair have had in 2010.

Competing in the national championships in April, Georgia opted to compete in the women's open event and won it – becoming the youngest skier to take the senior women's title.

- © Fairfax NZ News