Come & Try Day – NSW Ski Gardens, Wisemans Ferry
Saturday 25 October 2025
The NSW Water Ski Federation hosted a fantastic Come & Try Day at the NSW Ski Gardens in Wisemans Ferry — and what a day it was! It’s been a while since we’ve held a multi-divisional event, and it was wonderful to see our divisions come together to share their skills, energy, and passion for the sport.
Our coaches for the day, Mark Parsons Head of Barefoot NSW and Amber Wing Smith World Wakeboard Champion & NSW Director, took participants through a range of activities — from knee boarding to waterskiing to wakeboarding — with expert instruction and plenty of encouragement.
Meanwhile, Sharon Paterson, Director of the NSW Disabled Division, coordinated sessions for our disabled skiers, who had the opportunity to either try something new or refine their technique in a supportive environment. With help from family and volunteers, every skier received multiple turns on the water and plenty of smiles to go with them.
We were also joined by Sam Longmore, who is preparing to represent Australia at the 2025 IWWF World Disabled Waterski Championships in Mulwala (November 27–30, 2025). Sam and other athletes will compete in seated, standing, and vision-impaired categories across slalom, tricks, and jumping — an inspiring reminder of what’s possible on the water.
A huge thank you to our Directors — Mark Jeffray, Kris Asprey, Robyn Deane, and Tim Failes — who pitched in throughout the day, from driving boats to manning the BBQ and cheering on participants. President Jan Thurgar, made sure every newcomer had the chance to make the most of their time on the water.
We were thrilled to receive this wonderful message from participant Eva Li, who attended with her husband and daughters:
“Thank you once again for giving me the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful event. It was truly eye-opening to see how individuals with disabilities can enjoy wakeboarding. I was especially impressed by the patience, enthusiasm, and professionalism that each of you demonstrated throughout the day.
Special mention goes to Amber Wing — she was incredible and left a lasting impression on us.
This experience brought my family a lot of excitement and has inspired us to consider pursuing wakeboarding further in the future (to the stress of my kid!).”
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and supported this event. Your enthusiasm made it a truly memorable day for all involved.
We’re already planning our next Come & Try Day for early 2026, so stay tuned for details!