The Bryce Newton 50 Miler and 100 Miler take place this Saturday, 22 November 2025. Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu), just outside Rotorua, remains one of the most reliable venues in the country for long-distance water skiing. Its sheltered basin and consistent water state give crews a predictable racing platform. Conditions look workable, with occasional rain easing, light winds and a short settled window between a wet Friday and Sunday.
The 50 Miler features eight women’s teams and four men’s teams. A late entry sees Zoe Kennedy skiing behind Nic de Mey’s new Phantom prototype War Machine. The women’s field includes Joker with Demi-Lee Morris, Slither’n with Jordan Dodwell, Grey Matter with Lexie de Mey, Filthy Addiction with Libby McGowan, Nightfurry with Maddison Vincent, Lucifer with Nikita Alloway and Big Bird with Paige Moore.
The men’s line-up includes No Bull with Australia’s Graeme Briggs, Final Justice with Jake Alloway, Traitor with Jordan Smith and Krüeger with Tom Slack.
The 100 Miler record dates back to 2016, set by Mayhem and skier Perry Jamieson in 1 hour, 18 minutes and 31 seconds. This year’s men’s division draws seven teams, three from Australia: No Bull with Adam Forgacs, Upholstery Services with Carter Robertson, and Filthy Addiction with Jake Clancy with Filthy Addiction. Another late entry sees Sam Hopkins skiing behind War Machine for the full 100 miles. Kyle Taylor with Relentless from Tauranga who competed in the Men’s F2 class in the IWWF World Championships held in Belgium this year, and other New Zealander’s Logan Kennedy with Grey Matter, Max Duckworth with Lucifer and Oakley Plasmeyer with Hulk complete the field.
Kiwi success at 2025 IWWF World Waterski Racing Championships
Five U19 crews also line up, including Bernico with Junior Girls IWWF World Champion Ellison Hollands, and Traitor with Amos Ratuki who came third in the Junior Boys IWWF World Championships. Also lining up are Nightfurry with Ashton Vincent, Big Bird with Cam Moore, and Joker with Jordyn Court.
War Machine arrives at Blue Lake for only its second outing, following its debut at the 2025 Bridge2Bridge. The team is keen to see how the prototype performs across both distances and how the hull responds to the lake’s repeatable loads. This weekend will give the clearest indication yet of how the project is progressing.
