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Rev Up Big Air Challenge The Rev Up Big Air Challenge kicked off the season for water skiing's extreme jump discipline, Ski Flying. Held at the Orlando Water Sports Complex in Florida the event attracted the worlds top ski flyers. The heat system saw American Scott Ellis and Great Britain's Lottery backed skier Jason Seels qualifying for the finals at their first opportunity by winning their heats with distances of 265 and 263 feet respectively. Seels had beaten World Ski Fly record holder Jaret Llewellyn (CAN) in the first round but the Canadian qualified comfortably from the second round heats with a distance of 258 feet, being joined by the winner of the other heat American Freddy Krueger (USA) who recorded 252 feet. The eight man final was completed with four skiers from the two heats of the last chance qualifier with Marc Shaw (USA), Scott Smith (USA), Curtis Sheers (AUS) and Ryan Fitts taking these last places. The women's Ski Fly event saw four skiers qualifying for the final with world jump champion and record holder Elena Milakova (RUS), competing in her first ski fly event, recording the longest distance of 208 feet, being joined by Emma Sheers from the second heat. Milakova maintained this advantage in the final where she took first place with 213 feet, ahead of Sheers' 205 foot effort. Milakova's winning distance was just 5 feet short of the Women's Ski Fly World Record which must surely fall to the Russian this year as she gains in experience in this new discipline for her. The Men's final saw Freddy Krueger set the pace with an early effort of 272 feet and then have to sit back on the dock to see if the rest of the field could reach his mark. In variable conditions, which lacked the key headwind the Ski Flyers look for to give them extra float, Jason Seels was the nearest to him with an effort of 249 feet before Scott Ellis had Krueger worried with a best of 268 feet. The Ski Flyers travel to Calaway Gardens, Georgia next weekend, being joined by the slalom skiers, for the US Masters. Results: Rev Up Big Air Challenge, Orlando Watersports Complex, Florida
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