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Geena
When Miami Ski Nautique offered him the keys to a sweet Nautique 200 to session Biscayne Bay, Smith gladly showcased his skiing talent in the bumpy salt water.
The big question remains: Will Smith tie or break Chris Parrish’s 2-at-43-of world record? Tynan thinks he can. Parrish thinks he can’t. “Three years ago, I would have said no way,” Tynan says. “Now? It’s easy to see him get a piece of 2 ball or even 3 ball at 43 of. I’ve seen him run four buoys at 43 of at 34 mph. Now he just needs to translate what he’s doing at 34 mph to 36.” Parrish ofers a diferent point of view: “He’s got his work cut out for him. People are asking if he can get to 3 ball, and he hasn’t even got 2 ball yet.” And what does Smith himself have to say on the sub- ject? He takes the same laid-back attitude he always has. “Winning tournaments is more important to me right now. It’s one of those things that will happen when it’s meant to happen.”
It’s not tough to imagine Smith echoing Robert Redford’s character, Roy Hobbs, in The Natural, when he says, “My life didn’t turn out the way I expected.” A kid who just liked to ski may be laying the groundwork to become one of the greatest water skiers of all time — and he’s just getting started. A new world record may come, but for now, the slalom world will have to wait with bated breath while Smith sets his sights on more tour wins. But there’s no question that we still have plenty more to see from the champion from Champion Lake. It’s only natural. – Josh Sampiero
