WINDSOR JUNCTION: It was a Pan American Waterski Championship where all puzzle pieces (hard work) paid off for Olivia Chute.
Chute recorded a personal best score of 7,020 en route to seizing her first-ever international gold medal in tricks as a member of the Canadian Waterski team.
“It was a fantastic way to end my season,” said Chute in an interview on Nov. 9. “Skiing a personal best in the final trick round was an amazing accomplishment for all of my hard work this season.”
The Windsor Junction native said she was as excited about her score—maybe a bit more—as she was about wrapping that gold medal around her neck and packing it in her bags for the trip home.
“It was a phenomenal way to finish off what had already been an excellent season and display my improvement over the course of the year,” said Chute.
Unlike slalom and jump waterski events where the results are immediate, in trick skiing competitors have to wait for the judges to score the runs. That was the case in Chute’s runs.
“When I came off the water, I was fairly confident I had done enough to secure the gold,” she said, “however, there is always that lingering doubt in the back of your mind until you receive that final score.
“When my coach, Drew Ross, went up to collect the score sheet, and I saw the score of 7,020, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
That score was a personal best for Chute.
“Being able to have my best performance ever in the finals of this Pan American championship was a testament to all the hard work I’ve poured into the sport this year to develop this level of consistency and ability to perform under pressure,” she said.
Next season should be less hectic. In 2021 the cancelled tournaments from 2020 were combined into the scheduled 2021 tournaments. She said she will be focused on the Jr. Masters set for May 2022.
So, what will a gold medal trick champion do with the off-season upon her?
“I’m taking the next few months off to recuperate, and catch up with my friends,” chuckled Chute.
