Wim Lamot has announced the launch of the 2009 World Water Ski Racing Championships web site at: http://worlds.waterskiracing.be
Federation Royale Belge De Ski Nautique and Koninklijke Belgische Waterski Federatie have announced that the 16th World Water Ski Racing Championships will be held in Belgium from 19 to 26 July 2009. The Executive Board of the Organising Committee will be:
Chairman: Hugo Engelen
Vice-Chairman: André Hendrickx
Treasurer: Sid Adriaensen
Secretary to the Board: Vera Van den Bossche
The board and its organising committee is already hard at work with preparations and the first Technical Bulletin will be published in due course with general information, venues and plans, etc.
Click here to see the full official announcement
Background
On 17th May 2007 at the Novotel in Rotorua New Zealand, Vera Van den Bossche advised the IWSF World Racing Council that Belgium intends to bid for the 2009 World Water Ski Racing Championships.
On 19th July, Belgium submitted its bid and after a series of meetings in Austria and Belgium and considerable discussion via email, the IWSF has confirmed that the 2009 Worlds will be hosted in Belgium.
Many will recall that the last time Belgium hosted the Worlds was in 1995 when the names of Stefano Gregorio (above), Leanne Brown (below), Tami Khan and Alex Ross dominated centre stage. 14 years on, Belgium will be ready to challenge and crown a new elite group of World Champions and the preparations by the organising committee are already underway.
“Proposed” dates and venues:
Sunday 19th July 2009 – Round 1 – Gent
Tuesday 21st July 2009 – Round 2 – Genk
Thursday 23rd July 2009 – Round 3 – Antwerp
Sunday 26th July 2009 – Round 4 – Viersel
1) Viersel
Home of the infamous Diamond Race with unprecedented close up action and some of the largest crowds ever seen in our sport. Home of the legendary Danny Bertels, the past and present Bertels family and many more names that are synonymous with water ski racing.
2) Genk
Twice as wide as Viersel and located on the Albert Canal, Genk was recently voted the friendliest city in Europe.
3) Gent
A new site in a city that’s oozing with European character, culture and nightlife.
4) Antwerp
The site used in the first round of the 1995 World Championships. Right in the heart of the city of Antwerp.
The Belgian Water Ski Federation is now working hard on the event.
About Belgium
There’s just something about Belgium. Maybe it’s the friendly & welcoming people who with three official languages still find it easy to converse in English, the 4th unofficial language. Maybe it’s the stunning architecture decorating the quaint cobblestone squares. Or perhaps it’s the incredible cuisine found in the vast array of restaurants where each meal seems better than the last. Energetic and carefree, the overall mood in Belgium is infectious, summoning in all of us to live as Belgians and enjoy life to the fullest.
Well situated between France and Holland, the kingdom of Belgium encompasses all the best that Europe has to offer in an area no bigger than Maryland. Within the span of one day you can take a romantic cruise down a canal in Bruges, hunt for diamonds in Antwerp, enjoy waffles on the beach in Oostende, frolic in a festival in Binche, get lost in a castle in Namur, discover antiques at an outdoor market in Liege, and explore a fine art museum in Brussels. A dense train network connects all of Belgium and makes navigation simple and comfortable for travelers.
To learn more about Belgium for visitors, visit the official Belgian Tourist Board online at: www.visitbelgium.com
