The IWWF is pleased to announce that Visit Central Florida, The City of Auburndale and the American Barefoot Club’s Southern Region has been awarded the bid to host the 2024 IWWF Open, U23 & Junior World Barefoot Water Ski Championships. These highly anticipated competitions will take place at the new Auburndale Championship Event Lake in Auburndale, Florida October 5-12, 2024.
The City of Auburndale is located in Polk County, Florida, which known as the Water Ski Capital of the World. It was in nearby Winter Haven where Dick Pope transformed water skiing into a global sport and entertainment phenomenon when he opened Cypress Gardens in 1936. No other destination on the planet has the history, inventions, world firsts, world records and visibility than Florida’s first theme park, Cypress Gardens, and Polk County.
To this day, all types of water skiing are practiced and performed on the lakes of Polk County. Most recently, the 2022 IWWF World Show Skiing Championships were held here. Polk County is also home to the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame and the physical home of the IWWF Hall of Fame.
“USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, The ABC Southern Region and our Local Organizing Committee is proud to be chosen as the host of these prestigious championships. We can’t wait to bring the world of barefoot water skiing back to Central Florida,” says John Cornish, Tournament Organizer and member of the USA Water Ski Hall of Fame.
This will be the first IWWF World Titled Event on Auburndale’s Championship Event Lake. The event will provide a platform for the best in the world to showcase their skills and compete for the title of world champion.
“I am looking forward to welcoming the world’s finest barefoot skiers to Auburndale. Not only will we crown World champions, we will also revisit the roots of our beloved sport, which originated in Polk County’s waters” says José Antonio Perez Priego, IWWF President.
“Auburndale’s sports business cluster is one of the most unique in the nation,” said Mark Jackson, the Director of Visit Central Florida Sports. “We host the largest college baseball event in the nation, RussMatt, we are home to the state’s largest youth sports group, the Florida Youth Soccer Association, and now we’ll host an international event on our new lake. We welcome the world to one of the greatest sports towns in America, Auburndale.”
The new Auburndale Championship Event Lake is also adjacent to Camp Margaritaville RV Resort Auburndale and the Elite Cable Park.
About IWWF
The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) is the world governing body for all towed water sports and has 90+ affiliated member Federations worldwide. It was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1946 and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sole authority governing all towed water sports.
About USA Water Ski & Wake Sports and the American Barefoot Club
USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is a non-profit association with its headquarters in Polk County, Florida with a mission to promote the growth and development of recreational and competitive towed water sports. The American Barefoot Club is the largest federation of barefoot water skiers in the world! We are committed to growing the sport of barefoot water skiing. Barefoot is one of nine towed water sports governed by USA Water Ski & Wake Sports.
