Tournament water skiing consists of three main disciplines: slalom, tricks, and jumping. Each event crowns an individual winner, with an overall champion determined by combining results from all three disciplines.

Slalom

In slalom, the skier navigates a course of six alternating buoys while entering and exiting through designated gate buoys. The boat travels at a maximum speed of 58 kph (36 mph) for men and 55 kph (34 mph) for women. Once a skier completes a pass, the challenge increases as the tow rope is shortened, making it harder to reach the buoys. The skier continues until they miss a buoy or fall. Scoring is based on the number of buoys successfully rounded and returned to the wake, with partial scores given for incomplete passes.

Trick

Trick skiing is a freestyle event where each competitor has two 20-second passes to perform as many tricks as possible. These range from basic surface spins to advanced flips with twists. Each trick has a point value based on difficulty, and no trick can be repeated unless performed in the reverse direction. Skiers select their own boat speed, typically between 18-20 mph. Judges evaluate whether each trick is executed correctly and within the time limit.

Jump

Jumping is all about distance. Skiers approach a ramp—6 feet high for men and 5 feet for women—at high speed, aiming to launch as far as possible. They have three attempts, and only the longest successful jump counts. The key to maximizing distance is generating speed and timing the take-off from the ramp. Unlike other disciplines, style does not factor into the final score—only the distance achieved matters.

Overall

For those competing in all three events, an overall winner is determined using a specialized scoring formula that combines results from slalom, tricks, and jumping. This recognizes the most well-rounded athlete in tournament waterskiing.