GETTYSBURG, Pa. — There are a few sports you just have to wonder how people in central Pennsylvania get involved in.
With, what can be a long weather, there’s a small window to water ski. However, that doesn’t stop Solie Stenger, a Gettysburg High School sophomore. Her goal is to qualify and compete for Team USA on the U17 team.
She didn’t start as young as some, but once Stenger was introduced to water skiing, she was hooked. She finds her passion on Lake Heritage in Adams County.
“It's very unique for this area. Most people, whenever I say I’m leaving to go train for water skiing, they don’t even know what it is or have even heard the word before," said Stenger.
There are three different divisions she competes in; slalom, jump and trick.
“I grew up slalom over the other two. I learned how to jump and trick much later on. I grew up slalom so, I just think I’m just best at that and like it the most," said Stenger.
Her ski instructor at the Lake Heritage Marina noticed her talent and suggested a tournament.
Sure enough, Stenger's success turned into a bigger focus. She gets home from school and then hits the water to train.
“It’s awesome. It’s an unexplainable feeling. It feels like you’re flying in some events, you get to flip, it’s speed," said Stenger.
This past season was a breakout year for the 16-year-old. Stenger not only balances being a full-time Gettysburg High School sophomore, traveling to Florida and Virginia to train, competing around the states but also represents the country.
She qualified to compete for Team USA and represented the red, white and blue at the Pan American Games, placing fifth in November. Then at the World Championships, the team took gold in early January.
Slalom is her first love. It’s what she excels at on the international stage.
Stenger explained slalom by saying, “You have to make the entrance gates and then go around each buoy, basically, for the pas to be complete and to keep moving on. So, the faster the boat goes the harder it is. Obviously, to make it to each one, and then the shorter it is, you actually have to reach and extend your body. So, basically, it’s scored on how fast the boat is going and how short the rope is.”
Her next goal is to qualify for the Masters in Georgia on Memorial Day weekend, where just the eight best in the world will compete.