Water Rodeo

Waterskiing, speedy, spray-dashed and a little daffy, is a sport that looks as American as rodeo riding. Actually, the accepted story goes, it was invented by officers of France's snow-skiing Chasseurs Alpins, who took to the waters of Lake Annecy in the French Alps some 20 years ago on a dare. Since those days, it has grown up on the lakes, rivers and bays of the U.S. into a lusty-sized sport--although it still has a long way to go before it threatens its hilly, cold-weather cousin in popularity.

So far, U.S. water-skiers have held eight national tournaments. Last week, while most of the U.S. shivered, crowds lined the banks of Lake Eloise in Winter Haven, Fla. to watch the finals of the first international water ski tournament to be held in the U.S. They saw a U.S. team swamp the best from Belgium, France, Switzerland, England, Italy, Canada and Mexico.

Skimming along the water at 35 m.p.h. behind a 160-h.p. boat, Florida's Dick Pope, 19, twisted around 13 of 16 buoys without a miss to win the slalom event.

He bettered the old world's record for the jump? (80 ft.) by four feet, but was downgraded to second place on form.* Belgium's Guy De Clercq won with a jump of 83 feet. A fifth place in the "tricks" event gave Pope enough points to win the title of World's Champion.

The Women's Championship came down to a close race between Oregon's blonde Willa Worthington McGuire, 22, and Florida's Shirley MacCalla, 19. Both girls averaged 44 feet in each of two jumps; Willa won on form. She dropped to fifth place in the slalom, but won enough points in the tricks event (turnarounds, etc.) to ski off with the title.

* One way to lose jump points is by "dusting," touching the water with the rump as the skier comes down.

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