Welcome to the 100th episode of The Water Ski Podcast. Originally recorded on February 9th, 2023, this is an interview with Fedele Luzzeri, my father. After an initial attempt of recording this in April 2022, we decided to give it another go in 2023. The challenges of translating the subtitles to English in order for skiers around the world to enjoy was marginally made easier by AI. The rest was just multiple listens and work. Dad's story into water skiing mostly follows a chronological...

A few announcements related to the podcast and other :)

Welcome to the one before last episode of The Water Ski Podcast. In this episode I announce the termination of this long standing project after EP100, which is scheduled to be released on May 18th, 2023. This episode was recorded in February and it will feature Fedele Luzzeri, my dad. Given that dad does not speak English, we recorded video and it will be subtitled. Audio and video will be also published on podcast, but some platform may not show the video. Therefore, the easiest way to...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for episode 99! This is the second part of Matteo's interview with Andrea "Bubu" Alessi! Bubu is a former Pro water skier from Italy, the 1993 World Jump Champion, and former coach of the Italian National Team. He is widely regarded as the most influential water skier in the history of the sport in Italy, due to his successes and contribution to the development of the sport. In this second part, Matteo and Bubu discuss the transition from skier to coach,...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast and Happy New Year! Episode 98 is the first part of Matteo's interview with Andrea "Bubu" Alessi! Bubu is a former Pro water skier from Italy, the 1993 World Jump Champion, and former coach of the Italian National Team. He is widely regarded as the most influential water skier in the history of the sport in Italy, due to his successes and contribution to the development of the sport. In this first part Matteo and Bubu discuss the early days, the first...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for a recap of the 2022 season with Trent Finlayson! In this episode, Matteo and Trent look back at the 2022 season and discuss what impressed them, what they have noticed, and specific achievements obtained by some incredible athletes. From key moments in the Pro Tour to incredible performances, from climbing stars to seasoned veterans, historical and personal moments, Trent and Matteo had a fun time reviewing a wonderful season of water...

Welcome back for Part 2 of Matteo's interview with Dave Wingerter! Dave is the Vice President of Product Management and Global Brand Director at HO Sports Company. He is also a great skier who continues to train and test whenever he gets a chance. In this second part, Dave and Matteo dive deep into the role and responsibilities Dave has at HO Sports, including products that go beyond the Syndicate line. This sets the ground for interesting considerations about engineering and creativity, the...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 95 with Dave Wingerter! Dave is the Vice President of Product Management and Global Brand Director at HO Sports Company. He is also a great skier who continues to train and test whenever he gets a chance. In this first part, Matteo asked Dave about his beginnings in the sport and the key moments and choices that carved his path. Dave also delves into the circumstances that brought him to join HO Sports and the early days in a company that was...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 94 with Chelsea Mills! Chelsea is a professional water skier and mindset coach. She has had an unusual path into the sport, starting to practice it regularly at age 26 after a competitive and coaching career in collegiate and pro tennis. Sit back and enjoy this interview as Matteo asks Chelsea about her beginnings and days in tennis, and how the experiences in that sport helped her shape her current waterski career. Chelsea shared key moments...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for part 2 of Matteo's interview with Zack Worden! In this second part, Matteo explores Zack's career in Pro Jumping, starting from the first Pro Tour win to later successes, injuries, the struggles towards the end, and a reborn passion and appreciation for just flying down the lake as far as possible. The two friends also about John Worden's journey into Technical Control, how Zack learned from dad, and the continuation of this work by Zack and Jon...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 92 with Zack Worden! Zack is one of the most recognizable names in our sport. A Junior World Champion while still Under 14, an Under 21 World Champion at age 16, it is safe to say that Zack was a rising star from his early days. Join Matteo as he has a nice chat with Zack covering the first part of his skiing career, all the way to the first win in the Pro Tour! Enjoy Part 1 and see you next week ;-) _________________________ This episode...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 91 with Felipe Miranda! Felipe "Pipe" Miranda is a professional water skier and the 2013 and 2017 World Overall Champion. Tune in as Pipe explains Matteo his quest to obtain a World Title outside of his home country, with the resulting pressures, aspirations, and finally his second win in Overall at the World Champions in France in 2017. In this interview, Pipe also talks more about jump, which he considers his main single event, and the...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 90 with Felipe Miranda! Felipe "Pipe" Miranda is a professional water skier and the 2013 and 2017 World Overall Champion. Join in as Pipe walks Matteo through his beginnings in the sport and how the Chilean water ski scene grew as a result of the Miranda's journey to higher water ski performances. This interview was recorded at Pickos Ski School, a place dear to Pipe and his family. The importance of family and balance of life and skiing has...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for the second part of Matteo's interview with Jacinta Carroll. Jacinta is the current and 5-time World Jump Champion, the first female jumper to break both the 60m and 200ft barriers, and without a doubt the most dominant jumper of all time. In fact, Jacinta has won every event she has entered in the last 9 years! So, how does a champion like this come about? Who took part in the development and preparation? When did she start to be successful? Why...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 88, which is the first part of Matteo's interview with Jacinta Carroll. Jacinta is the current and 5-time World Jump Champion, the first female jumper to break both 60m and 200ft barriers, and without a doubt the most dominant jumper of all time. In fact, Jacinta has won every event she has entered in the last 9 years! So, how does a champion like this come about? Who took part in the development and preparation? When did she start to be...

Welcome back for another episode of The Water Ski Podcast! This week, Matteo sits down with Lauren Morgan, one of the World's top jumpers and a PhD Candidate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. In typical TWSP fashion, Matteo asked Lauren about her beginnings and early competitive days in the sport. Although not particularly into water skiing at first, Lauren got the competitive bug and quickly became one of the best skiers in her area, in the United States, and in the World. Currently, she...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for the second part of Matteo's interview with Matt Rini! Matt is one of the most famous and sought after water ski coaches in the world. In this second part, Matteo digs deep into Matt's coaching method and philosophy. Starting from his general approach, Matt delineates what his keys are and explain how he has been applying them to his current students. Enjoy and catch you next week :D _________________________ This episode is also brought to you by...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 85 with Matt Rini! Matt is one of the most famous and sought after water ski coaches in the world. In this first of two parts, Matt guides Matteo through his journey into water skiing. At first a summer passion, water skiing gradually became a passion and a sport in which Matt and his brother were pursuing excellence. Matt's story is also a good window onto the water ski scene in Central Florida in the Mid 80s and early 90s, a context ripe...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 84 with Becky Lathrop! Becky is highly regarded as one of the best tournament drivers in the World. In this interview, Becky covers her early days into waters skiing, and how ski partners pushed, coached, and trusted her to be sitting in the driving seat. Once life brought her to West Palm Beach, the opportunities to drive various skiers and on different boats accelerated her process of becoming a versatile and reliable driver. Matteo asked...

Welcome to Episode 83 of The Water Ski Podcast. In this fun episode, Matteo interviews Matt Heilman and Adam Schaller, the hosts of The Ski Show! Show skiing is a discipline of towed water sports that most people have either heard of or seen, whether on TV or during a live show. Admittedly, Matteo did not know much about show skiing, so he decided to ask questions to the hosts of this successful podcast. Through this episode, you will hear a lot about the skills of show skiers, rules about...

Here we are with the second part of Matteo's interview with Dorien Llewellyn! In Part 1, Dorien went through his early years in the sport, balancing hockey and water skiing while being away from his family at a young age. In this episode, Dorien covers what the decision of committing entirely to water skiing brought to his life. Dorien is not afraid of talking about the great times and the sorrows, and opens up about some recent difficulties with burnout and how his support team helped him...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for Episode 81 with Dorien Llewellyn! Dorien is a professional water skier and the current World Champion in Tricks, just to cite his most recent success. Born and raised by water ski royalty, Dorien had the opportunity to foster his passion for skiing. And yet this didn't refrain him from pursuing another sport at a young age, thereby truly exploring through sacrifice what was going to be his path. Matteo spent a long time interviewing Dorien, and this...

Welcome back for Episode 80, the second part of The Water Ski Podcast interview with Jon "JT" Travers! JT is one of the best slalom skiers in the world, and a constant force to be reckoned with at any of the top tournaments worldwide. Akin to past guests of the show, JT's involvement in the sport of water skiing goes beyond his competitive side. In this second part, JT covers what it is like to experience his ski school and how it runs, including lessons he learned from his father Jack. He...

Welcome back to The Water Ski Podcast for the first of a two-part interview with Jon "JT" Travers! JT is one of the best slalom skiers in the world, and a constant force to be reckoned with at any of the top tournaments worldwide. Akin to past guests of the show, JT's involvement in the sport of water skiing goes beyond his competitive side. In this first part, Matteo digs deep with JT about growing up as Jack Travers' son, and the environment that he grew up in. JT covers it all in detail...