Dollard’s Hannah Stopnicki Leaves Her Ppponents in Her Wake
Article by The Suburban
Hannah Stopnicki of Dollard-Des-Ormeaux is presently in Lago Los Morros in San Bernardo, Chile where she is representing Canada at the 2018 IWWF Pan American Water Ski Championships. A three-event competitive water-skier, Stopnicki, who is 12 and normally would compete in the U14 division, will up the challenge and take on the best U17 skiers in the world.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to go to this competition,” Hannah Stopnicki said. “I am fairly certain I won’t medal but I am looking forward to testing myself against the older athletes.” Steve Bush Canada’s National team head coach selected Stopnicki to the six-member U17 Canadian contingent based on the strength of her outstanding trick scores. Starting at the age of two, she learned to ski at the family’s country house located on Lac de la Montagne Noir in the Laurentians. At the age of nine, Stopnicki entered the discipline of competitive skiing and there has been no looking back. Trick skiing caught her attention in 2016 and has become her passion. “It’s really cool being out on the water and doing tricks,” Stopnicki said. “ I love taking air and doing big rotations, doing this (trick skiing) is so unique.”
This past summer at Shalom Park in Leduc, Alberta, Stopnicki amassed 2,900 points to set a new U12 Quebec trick record while competing at the Canadian Open. She has broken her own record twice, which now stands at 3,260 points and Stopnicki is ranked first in Canada for tricks and fourth in North America for U12F skiers. Stopnicki feels that her rapid advance in the discipline is due to the facts that, “ I love it (trick skiing) and because of that I work harder at it,” she said. “I also have amazing coaches who have helped me to build a strong foundation.” Those coaches would be Boris Laval of MC Ski, who she trains with in the off-season in Clermont, Florida and Jason McClintock who Stopnicki trains with in the summer at McClintock’s Waterski School. Trick water skiing is considered the more technical of the waterski events and to carry out these tricks, participants have to use a special ski that is comparatively smaller and oval in shape. Trick skis are not allowed to have fins on the bottom making them feel slippery and allow easier turns over the water. Trick skiers are allowed two 20-second passes through the course, where they perform any tricks they want. Usually one pass designated for hand tricks such as turns, rotations and flips while on the second pass, competitors do toe tricks including turns and rotations while anchored to the tow rope solely by the foot. Stopnicki, who figure skated in the past found it to be a great help for spatial awareness plus gymnastics the trampoline in particular and cross fit workouts comes into play rounding out her training regimen. The seventh-grade student at West Island College is,” proud to represent Canada and having this chance it motivates me for other challenges,” she said. Getting to compete in the Pan Ams might have accelerated her chance to take part in the next Junior World Championships.
