POLK CITY, Fla. — The National Water Ski Racing Association, a sport division of USA Water Ski since 1991, will sanction the biennial competition, which will take place on Lake Mead outside of Las Vegas and the Colorado River's Parker Strip in Parker, Ariz. The races will be held at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead in Boulder City, Nev., on October 14, 16 and 21. Parker Strip's Blue Water Resort and Casino in Parker, Ariz., will host a race on October 18 Competition begins at 9:30 a.m. on each scheduled day of competition.

More than 50 of the world's top water-ski racing athletes representing more than 12 countries are expected to compete in four rounds of marathon races. Competitors will vie for the team world title in the Elite Team category, while individual Men, Women and Junior titles will be up for grabs.
The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team will be looking to win its second consecutive world championships — and seventh in the tournament's 12 occurrences — after winning the world title at the 1999 world championships in Oropesa, Spain.

The U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team will be led by Ashley Lathrop of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., the 1999 Junior World Champion who is unbeaten on the U.S. Marathon Circuit the past two years. Joining her on the team will be Todd Haig of Beaumont, Calif., and Martie Wells of Colton, Calif., both U.S. Team members in 1997 and 1999; Graham Cole of Calabasas, Calif., a bronze medalist at the 1997 Junior Worlds; Debbie Nordblad of Claremont, Calif., a two-time world champion; and Erin Saunders of Agoura Hills, Calif., the silver medalist at the 1999 Junior World Championships. Phil Kramer of Placenta, Calif., a U.S. Team member in 1995, and Deann Shannon of Orange, Calif., a member of the 1999 gold-medal winning U.S. Team, will serve as the alternates.

The U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team will be comprised of Kyle Cummings of Yucca Valley, Calif., the 1999 Junior Boys World champion who has the opportunity to become the first water ski racing athlete to win back-to-back Junior Boys world titles; Lacey Nordblad Claremont, Calif., who joins her mother, Debbie, as a U.S. Team member (the first mother-daughter tandem in world championships history); Marshall Cole of Calabasas, Calif., the younger brother of Elite Team member Graham; and Riley Landreth of Carlsbad, Calif.), who will be making her first international appearance.