Isle of Dogs waterskier Marie Toms looks forward to new season

By Simon Hayes on April 3, 2008 9:00 AM |

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AN ISLE of Dogs sports star has been making waves in the world of waterskiing – but needs help to make an even bigger splash this year.

Marie Toms, who lives in Cubitt Wharf, won the British Open Slalom championship for her age group last year and finished second in the overall competition. This year the 28-year-old student aims to do even better, but desperately needs funding to achieve her ambition.

She said: “My main goals are to defend my national title and hopefully win the overall title. I also want to improve my scores, which will improve my world ranking.

“Last year, although I won events, the weather hampered my scores so it affected my world ranking.

“If I can compete abroad, where the weather is better, I’ll have a better chance of improving my ranking. But it’s expensive to compete abroad so if there is anyone who’d like to sponsor me I’d be very grateful.”

Points are picked up according to the length of cable a skier uses to negotiate the buoys on each run. The shorter the cable, the greater the degree of difficulty and therefore the higher the points.

The top international skiers, who have the benefit of better conditions, dominate the world rankings – not that Marie is letting that deter her as she looks to fight her way up.

However, the recent bad weather has made it difficult for her to start training at her club, Box End Park in Bedford.

“I haven’t been able to hit the water for any training yet,” she said. “I’m hoping it will improve enough in the next couple of weeks for me to get started. But the serious stuff starts in June when I head to Lacanau in Bordeaux for an intensive week of training. I’ll be doing four sets a day and I think my hands are going to suffer from some serious blisters.”

Marie will hope the blisters aren’t too bad because competition starts as soon as she returns from France, as she challenges for the British Ski League Premier Division title. And with the British Nationals taking place in August it will be a busy summer for her.

She said: “It’s a very exciting time and I’m really looking forward to doing well again this year.

“I’d particularly like to enter some events in Italy as their lakes are always perfectly set-up and the scores skiers achieve are fantastic. It would be great for my world ranking, but it depends on securing funding. So if anyone can help me, please get in touch.”

Contact Marie via her website at www.marietoms.co.uk.

simon.hayes@wharf.co.uk