10/05/2025
9th May 2025
Ski Racing Australia Board Update – Issue 6
The Ski Racing Australia Board (SRA) remains focussed on a return to racing which is only possible with new policy development and significantly enhanced PPE.
The recommendations coming from the Maritime Special Investigation report, which has been delayed until the middle of May 2025, will also play a key role in defining how we go racing.
It is intended that this communication will bring everyone up to date with the current situation as it relates to our ability to realise these outcomes.
Proposed Time Line to Return To Racing
Until SRA have received the final report and are in a position to make a decision on what else is required prior to a return to racing, this timeline will continue to be fluid.
In the meantime, over the next two months, we will have focus in the following areas:-
May
SRA will receive and digest the draft Maritime Special Investigation recommendations. We will have two weeks to provide our response to Maritime and are well placed to achieve this.
The Compliance Committee will continue working on the initiatives discussed below.
The Racing Committee will continue working with the Compliance Committee to refine the new policies & procedures critical to our return to racing.
The Safety Committee will be working on further development of our PPE, with focus moving from wetsuits and towards helmets.
The Safety Committee will review our new guidelines on wetsuits, restraints and helmets.
The Board will determine any additional projects required and the associated timelines.
The SRA Board will next meet on Wednesday 14th May 2025.
2023 Annual General Meeting – 7pm - 20th May 2025
The Board will make a final determination if an Australian team can be sent to the 2025 IWWF World Water Ski Racing Championships in Belgium.
June
Consultation and agreement with Maritime on the path forward to return to racing, ideally from 1 July.
The Board expects to finalise the new PPE options or reset the timeline for completion.
Finalise the SRA Sanctioning Policy review and Return to Racing Plan.
Reset Memberships and agree upon a Return to Racing Calendar, if in alignment with Maritime recommendations.
PPE Update – SRA Safety Committee
The SRA Safety Committee is continuing to work hard at developing the best skier PPE possible, specifically in terms of limiting the range of motion of the head and neck to combat upper cervical spinal injuries.
To date we have developed a number of key changes and additions to the design of wetsuits that have yielded significantly improved performance of anchor points. Regardless of the style/s of head and neck restraint that we ultimately decide upon we need the anchor points that any device and/or tether will utilise to incur minimum displacement under load, whilst permitting the full required range of movement for the skier. We feel we have achieved this and hope to very soon release an updated specification for wetsuits to be used in conjunction with head and neck restraints in upper speed classes.
We have also been investigating how we can improve the performance of our helmets. Most head and neck restraint designs involve mechanical fastening to the helmet at various points. We arguably need helmets that have a higher tensile strength than we have used to date to ensure that helmet integrity is not compromised by the function of the restraint system being utilised and that the helmet is designed to integrate with the restraint system/s to provide our members with the greatest level of protection. Careful consideration is also being given to helmet fit (both front and rear) and liner design.
We have also been testing various hardware items (including P-clips, D-rings, carabiners, webbing, and ropes ) to determine which are fit-for-purpose for head and neck restraint system/s. Ultimately there will also be a specification published and a list of approved hardware items that can be used in a head and neck restraint system.
Several members have put forward alternative head and neck restraint devices and ultimately all of these will be tested, on our test rig, to confirm their performance and reliability.
We are working hard with our suppliers to ensure that when the time comes, we will have sufficient lead time and production capacity to ensure that everyone can access the new PPE.
We are working as fast as we can to finalise development of these specifications, components, and systems, and hope to be in a position to confirm these to you all as soon as we can.
New Policy Development – SRA Compliance Committee
The SRA Compliance Committee has also been working hard to achieve the redevelopment of the Policies and Procedures that will underly a return to racing. The SRA Compliance Committee is on track to deliver these and is working collaboratively with the SRA Board, the SRA Racing Committee and SRA Safety Committee to do so.
The SRACC is comprised of Kelly Lindsell (SRA & Chair), Steve Shipp (MWSC), Josh Tyrell (SRV) and Bobbette McMillan (SRNSW & Region V). Other members who have offered their time to support special projects, which are in progress now, support this core group.
The following is an update on the priorities they are working on, in addition to other projects that have also been started.
Sanctioning Policy Review, Event Grading Project & Online Compliance & Safety Management System
The SRACC is currently meeting weekly with an initial focus on a full review of SRA’s Sanctioning Policy and all requirements that lie therein.
As part of this process, they have drafted a matrix under which all racecourses and events will be graded going forward for sanctioning purposes. The SRA Race Committee (SRARC) will work with the SRACC on this project, utilising their collective experience to confirm the validity of the proposed assessment guidelines and to determine an initial grading based on a variety of inputs.
The SRACC is aiming to create a comprehensive document that promotes understanding across all SRA subcommittees about the various aspects of event organization and safety.
The importance of an online “Compliance & Safety Management System” for our sport's governance has been agreed, emphasizing not just the management of Memberships, but Event / Sanctioning / Risk documentation, Incident reporting, Various registers (e.g., Risk Register, Competency Register, Data Collection, QR Code usage, Automated Alerts and Reminders). It is time to create a central hub of all information and for this to be managed online.
Sanctioning / Risk / Event Documents
Discussions were held regarding the current set of documents for SRA Sanctioned Events and it was agreed that whilst waiting for the Maritime Investigation, we would continue assessing the documents used at the World Championships and the 2024 Southern 80.
The SRACC have held meetings with a Risk Professional to have our risk documents brought up to date for any legislative change and to conduct an audit on our proposed “Compliance & Safety Management System”. This professional has been heavily involved in motorsport risk management and solutions.
Upon receipt of his quotation, the SRACC will be presenting a proposal to the Board to engage him as an Expert Consultant.
Speed Limits & Training on NSW Waterways
Speed Limits on NSW waterways is a maximum of 60 knots when towing effective from 18th April 2025.
2025 IWWF Ski Racing World Championships.
Recently a communication was sent to members interested in the World Championship event coming up in August. In the interest of transparency, details of that communication have been repeated in this update.
IWWF Position
The IWWF Ski Racing Council have advised that as the official governing body for Water Ski Racing in Australia, Ski Racing Australia (SRA) must endorse all competitors to compete in the 2025 IWWF Ski Racing World Championships.
The IWWF acknowledge that Ski Racing Australia is currently evaluating several safety measures and is awaiting the conclusions of inquiries being conducted by the Australian authorities. Until these processes are finalised, the IWWF has stated that it is unable to take any further action without potentially exposing itself to significant legal challenges.
IWWF Rulebook
The IWWF Ski Racing Council confirms as the official governing body for Water Ski Racing in Australia, Ski Racing Australia (SRA) has the discretion to determine how skiers are nominated for the World Championships.
This includes the ability to excuse athletes from competing in the National Championship in the 12 months preceding the event.
This outlines that SRA will not be required to conduct Selection Races and a team may be determined by other means.
Funding of an SRA Endorsed team
Should SRA be able to endorse a team there will not be any reasonable opportunity to fund raise for the team. Competitors and teams will be expected to be completely self-funded.
Ski Racing Australia Position
The SRA Board are not currently in a position to endorse a team, with the Board in full agreement that any of our members competing in a SRA Sanctioned Event, will be required to wear and comply with our new kit (policy, compliance and PPE). That includes any competition requiring SRA to sign off individuals competing (i.e., World Championships).
SRA has sought legal advice on this and we have been advised that in circumstances where SRA was to send a team to compete at an event, prior to delivery of the safety improvements, there will be risk if a competitor is injured. Furthermore, we have been advised that a waiver (or an expression of interest process) will not necessarily release SRA from all liability, even where it purports to do so.
As such, the SRA Board are striving to deliver outcomes urgently in order to provide clarity and confidence to do so with time for boats to head to Belgium. We will be making a decision by late May and acknowledge that the critical date is middle of June and that this is not ideal.
We ask that if you are interested in competing in Belgium that you nominate your intended team, boat, crew, skier, and class to [email protected] ASAP.
Finally, we would like to thank all members for your patience in this difficult time. The Board and our hard working sub committees remain focussed on effecting change that will see us all return to racing in the not too distant future.
Yours in Ski Racing
SRA Board
