Lake teen climbs skiing ranks
Justin Fiore Mckim, Special to the SentinelTHE ORLANDO SENTINEL
OKAHUMPKA -- Jonathan Travers is living a dream and he is enjoying every minute of it.
The slalom skier participated Friday for the first time in the opening round of the prestigious Masters Water Ski Championships in Callaway Gardens, Ga. The finals are scheduled for today.
At only 17, Travers has come a long way since he was first introduced to water skiing when he was 18 months old.
Successfully moving up the ranks, Travers has attained national and international success. He is the No. 1-ranked juniors slalom skier in both the United States and world junior rankings.
Winning last summer's Junior U.S. Open in West Palm Beach and a strong fifth-place showing in March's Moomba Masters in Melbourne, Australia, have bolstered his opportunities.
He will also compete at next weekend's U.S. Open in Fort Walton Beach.
As Travers sits in the office of his parents' Sunset Lake Ski Club, the lanky teenager sums up the thrills of dancing on water.
"It's awesome," said the former Montverde Academy student who is now home-schooled. "I love being on the water. It's like riding a roller coaster, but you're not upside down."
His father, legendary ski instructor Jack Travers, says his son might not be the most athletic skier heading into the Masters, but he certainly works just as hard as any in the world -- hence the top ranking.
Jonathan's daily practice regime includes two or three sets of slalom skiing and some weightlifting. To build up his leg strength and upper body, he mountain-bikes frequently in Ocala with friends. To motivate him before a big event, he pulls out his iPod and listens to AFI and 3 Doors Down.
"When he was younger he didn't always have the best technique," said Jack, who won the Best Coach award from the Russian Water Ski Federation at the 1979 World Championships and has coached various U.S. championship teams. "Jonathan's put in the time, energy and the perseverance."
In a recent tournament at Sunset Lake, Jonathan participated in a jumping competition. He needed a 163-foot jump to qualify in the same category for Masters. He leaped 162 feet.
"Ever since I can remember, I wanted to ski [at the Masters]," he said. "My dream when I was younger was to jump there. That's why I was so upset because I missed it by a foot."
The dream of displaying his skills in Georgia is still a reality, of course, just not in jumping. Jonathan qualified for the Masters slalom championship when he won the 2004 Junior U.S. Open last summer.
"I'm really nervous," Jonathan said of this weekend. "I hope I ski well and make finals."
The Moomba Masters was Jonathan's last major tournament. In the junior boys division, he finished third in jumping, ninth in tricks and 10th in slalom. The fifth-place overall showing capped his first appearance in the Australian tournament.
The passion Jonathan shows for skiing and the benefits he has earned through the sport can be traced back to a warm summer day when most children his age were being potty trained.
Utilizing a pair of training skis with the handles tied to them, 18-month-old Jonathan was pulled around the yard as his dad cut the grass. That led to practices on the beach. Then came his first attempt at skiing on the water.
"I skied about 300 feet away from the dock," said Jonathan, who still remembers the moment. "I was fine."
Until he realized that if he fell, sand or the grass in his back yard would not break his fall.
"I just looked around and said 'Where am I?' and I started crying."
After some consoling by his dad and mother Lelani, he realized the water is where he wanted to be. And it helped orchestrate the father-son, coach-athlete relationship.
"You know how a lot of kids say they don't like working with their dad?" Jonathan said. "I wouldn't be able to work without my dad. It's hard for me to ski with new people I don't really know. My dad knows how to explain stuff to me. He helps me on everything.
"It's really weird talking to the guy who has coached almost every [successful] pro out there."
Dad has taught him everything he knows; now it is time to prove he deserves the distinction of the world's greatest junior slalom skier.
"I'll probably have tears in my eyes," Jonathan said about how he would react if he wins this weekend's tournament. "I'll be the happiest kid alive."