The waterski world is tricking, jumping and slaloming into Foothills County next week.
Bragg Creek’s Sofia Pelkey will be among the top U17 athletes around the globe and part of the Canadian contingent when the IWWF World U17 Waterski Championships are held at the Predator Bay Ski Club from July 29 to Aug. 4.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Pelkey said. “I’m really excited they picked me for the team and that I get to compete in this big event.
“I’m also quite nervous, but overall really excited and I think it’s going to go really well because I’ve trained really hard for it.”
Pelkey, 12, earned the opportunity to be one of 11 athletes on Team Canada for the event. She’ll compete individually in trick, jump and slalom and have her points count towards the team event.
“The move from last year to this year, I’ve just gotten way better and made that big step up to the next level,” she said. “It’s just training very hard, having a good mindset and really working for it.”
Predator Bay Water Ski Club, located just south of the Bow River off 230th Ave E, is comprised of two man-made ski lakes.
The facility is a regular host of national and international showcase events, including the Canadian National Waterski Championships in 2021.
Pelkey made her big competition debut at that event, capturing a pair of national gold medals in the U10 category.
The Pelkeys are a skiing family, both in the waterski and alpine worlds, with Sofia following in the footsteps of older siblings Megan, Rebecca and Sarah. Megan, who has aged out of U17, has made huge waves in the sport and was the 2023 Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Female Junior Athlete.
The sisters first dipped their toes into the sport at their cabin on Kootenay Lake and with early success came opportunity.
“My dad (Bob) at our cabin just thought it was a good idea for us to go into the sport,” Pelkey said. “My sister got put in first and us after because Megan did really well. I was pretty good at the start, for my age, but it definitely took some time to get there.
“(Megan) she’s had a big impact on me, seeing her go to all these big events and she’s supported me through my path to get to these big events. I’ve learned quite a bit from watching her.”
For more information, go to predatorbaywaterskiclub.com.
