Crowds at the Backwater Gamblers site in Rock Island got to see a totally different event on Sunday when an Australian water skiing team put on a show of their own.
The Australian Water Ski Show Team traveled to the Quad Cities to use the Backwater Gamblers show site as training grounds for the World Water Ski Show Tournament next weekend.
The teams connection to the Backwater Gamblers started back in 2009, when Ramond Horton started getting his kids involved in show water skiing.
"I wanted to take [the kids] somewhere else where they could learn more about show skiing," said Horton. "So I sent an email to a number of U.S. teams and the Backwater Gamblers answered my email and actively pushed us to come to the USA."
The Horton famils has visited the Quad Cities several times now, always training with the Backwater Gamblers in Rock Island.
So when the entire family was chosen to represent Australia in the World Water Ski Show Tournament this year, the Backwater Gamblers offered to host the entire team by letting them use their site and equipment for training purposes.
"Just the connection we've made from their team has been unbelievable," said Chad Uhde, co-show director for the Backwater Gamblers. "It's nice to see the two different shows come together and see the different acts that they have and the different acts that we have and learn from each other."
After practicing in the Quad Cities for a week, Sunday's show was the first time the Australian team has ever performed for a crowd. The 35 team members were chosen from all over Australia and only came together this week when they traveled to the U.S. to compete in the world tournament.
"Water skiing is a big trust exercise," said Peter O'Neill, the Australian team's show director. "There's a lot of experience on this team and a lot of depth. We might not have all skied together at the same time but over the last three or four years we've all bumped into each other and gotten to know each other. But definitely the first few days there was a lot of team bonding."
The Backwater Gamblers will help transport the Australian team's equipment and team members to the World Tournament next weekend.
To learn more about the Backwater Gamblers or to view their show schedule, click here.