Cody Siolka provided the highlight for an inexperienced Shawano Ski Sharks team at the 48th annual Wisconsin State Water Ski Show championship last week in Wisconsin Rapids.
Siolka placed second in the individual freestyle jump Thursday.
“He was competing against all the pro skiers across the state, and he did an amazing job,” teammate Brad Keuschel said.
However, the Sharks did not fare as well in Friday’s team competition, finishing last among the nine Division II teams.
The Sharks’ 25-member team competed against teams with up to 35 members.
“We had a good day of skiing but skied against teams much larger than us,” said Dave Passehl, Ski Sharks’ manager. “Size matters in show skiing, and because of our small size, it is hard to compete at that level.”
Passehl said nearly half the members of the team were new and had never competed in a state competition.
“There were up to 28 total teams with thousands of people at the competition, so it was a big deal for them,” Passehl said.
Teams were judged on difficulty of performance, spectator appeal, showmanship, music style and costumes. There were also categories awarded to support staff, including announcing and boat driving.
Keuschel said the state experience will help the team in the future.
“We are going to keep growing by adding more skiers for next year,” he said.
The Sharks won the Division II title in 2010, finished third in 2012 and placed fifth in 2013.
The Ski Sharks will continue their weekly shows at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Wolf River Beach through Aug. 13.
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