Nautique Boats: Congratulations on winning your 10th Nautique Moomba Masters Open Women’s Slalom Title! Tell us more about this accomplishment and what has contributed to so many years of success!
Whitney Rini: Thank you! I really appreciate Nautique’s consistency in sponsoring Moomba and supporting me over the years, giving me the ability to train behind the very best boat in the industry. It is such a unique opportunity to travel to Melbourne, Australia every March to compete there. It is a great way for me to start my season; it keeps me training on the many cool winter days in Orlando that most people would not go skiing.
I know my unique success at Moomba is based on my faith in knowing God has me right where I am meant to be. I remember being stressed for many years because I had an 8-year streak of winning that I somehow believed was impossible to continue - but my God is a way-maker, a promise keeper, and He makes a way where we cannot see a way. 10 wins in Open Women’s Slalom at Nautique Moomba Masters is only possible because it was God’s plan for my life and all the Glory belongs to Him.
NB: What strategies did you use to be successful with the Yarra River’s current?
WR: The Yarra was certainly challenging in 2025! The water line was a little higher this year than in years past, so the low tide didn’t offer much relief from the backwash. Even though the current wasn’t moving too rapidly this year, I still tried to adapt my skiing based on the current.
In the first round, I felt like the tail current combined with the headwind made my first pass feel slower, so on the second pass, I anticipated the head current and tailwind to feel quite fast. I decided to pull out softer and earlier on my gate on my second pass… my knowledge of the river certainly didn’t pay off as I had hoped in the first round as I went down early, which forced me to ski in the last chance qualifier. This turned out to be a blessing, and I was able to dial in my gates and experience the challenging conditions one more time before I went out first in the Moomba Monday Finals!
NB: What changes did you have to make to your gates to accommodate for being on a river?
WR: Because the Zero-Off in the Ski Nautique is set up for maintaining a perfect GROUND SPEED of 34.2mph in women’s slalom, this means that a river current of 1mph would allow the boat to maintain a running speed of 33.2mph in a tail current and still get a 16.95 second time from gate to gate. Whereas in the head current, the boat is forced to work harder and maintain a running speed of 35.2mph in order to get from gate to gate in 16.95 seconds.
With this in mind, I attempt to modify my gates based on how the boat will be running in the water AND based on how the wind direction affects my gate pull out as well.
I try to pull out later in a tail current (because the boat is running slower) and earlier in a head current (because the boat is running faster).
Also, I feel I have an advantage in doing a one-handed gate at Moomba. By pulling out later, I avoid the rollers on the gate pull out on the bridge end and the boat path swinging into the course on the city end.
NB: What are your favorite Nautique Moomba Masters memories?
WR: I have so many beautiful memories sitting on the banks of the Yarra watching Moomba and chatting with friends and fans. I also love attending Hillsong Church in Melbourne every opportunity I get.
Another favorite memory is my brother releasing for me in tricks in 2012 when I won tricks at Moomba! I also remember getting my personal best in jump as I soared 170ft and stood on the only jump podium of my career (Second to Natallia “Birdy” Berdnikava).
My favorite memory from Moomba was riding the Ferris wheel with my son, Zane, when I brought him to Moomba with me in 2023 (when he was 2.5 years old).
NB: Tell us about your waterskiing journey and what inspired you to pursue a professional waterskiing career.
WR: I was born into a water skiing family and started water skiing before I even remember. I had the opportunity to move to Florida in 2002 to pursue my career. In 2004, I won the Jr. Worlds Overall Title and got sponsored by Nautique Boat Company. With the dedication of my parents and some really amazing coaches (including Steve Bush, Matt Rini & Jaret Llewellyn), I developed an understanding of what it took to become a high level professional waterskier. This included making good choices in high school, choosing to skip partying, alcohol, and even going to the beach on the weekends so I could train both on the water and in the gym at the highest level.
In 2006, I went pro in slalom, and a year later I won my first pro title. My career came together quite quickly, but I certainly worked hard and put in my 10,000 hours to make it to the top of my sport at such a young age.
Now I’m almost 20 years into my professional career and am so grateful for the life it has offered me and the amazing support I have received. Huge shout out to Nautique, my parents, Matt and Busher for being there every step of the way!
NB: What does an average day in the life of Whitney Rini look like when training for tournaments?
WR: I usually wake up with Zane (my 4.5-year-old son) around 7am and we get ready to go to the lake. I make a salad for me, pack his lunch, and blend up a protein and fruit smoothie for breakfast as I head out the door.
I do a warmup and ski 1-2 sets, and Zane usually skis at least one set as well. When we go home, I get some computer work done (I do real estate and book work to keep up with being an entrepreneur).
I like working out at 4pm, so I will go to the gym and do the stair climber and treadmill work for cardio or do reformer pilates for strength and core work.
When I get home, I make a healthy dinner of organic meat and veggies for our family, and we like to play outside until sunset in the summertime.
NB: Where is your favorite place to ski?
WR: There is no place like home! There’s no place I’d rather spend my days than at Matt Rini’s Waterski School in Orlando. We have such a comfortable set up and only good vibes at our school. I love watching Zane play in the sand and learn to ski with all his favorite pros. Of course, I also love hanging out in our Ski Nautique with my hubby, Matt Rini!
I do love to compete at Winter Garden Water Ski… this lake was built perfectly for the highest scores and its home to some of the best athletes in the world. I’m thankful for the Ross family for hosting (and letting me be a part of) many record competitions every season!
NB: You have skied in tournaments across the globe. What are your top 3 favorite destinations?
WR: Lakes of Kastynstone, Calgary, AB, Canada - My favorite waterski memory was made here (2009 World Championships) - it is one of the most beautiful places on earth as you drive down the hill to the beautiful twin lakes. Plus, it’s just a short drive to Banff & Lake Louise! If you have never been - put it on your bucket list!!
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - I attended the Pan Am Games in Rio in 2007. My mom came with me, and I’m so grateful she wanted to stay a day to tour. We hiked up the mountain to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer. This is certainly something I’m glad I got to see!
Perth, Australia - One year, we had a World Cup stop in Perth after Moomba, so a bunch of the pros made the trip across Australia to some of the most beautiful beaches. A group of us went to Penguin Island to see the penguins in their natural habitat. There were even dolphins swimming in the bay where we competed! Such a cool experience!
NB: What are your favorite things to do off the water and in the off-season?
WR: My favorite hobby is hanging out with Matt and Zane. I enjoy organizing play dates for Zane with my mom friends. We like to attend Hope Church in Winter Garden. We also love hosting family and friends for meals at our home in Clermont. I am also a real estate agent, so I enjoy looking at houses with clients any chance I get!
NB: Are there any other watersports that you enjoy?
WR: When I get the opportunity to hang out with Correct Craft engineer, Paula Sleiman Abel, for a mom and Zane play date with Paula and her son, Kai, I enjoy wake-surfing behind her Air Nautique.
I also recently had the opportunity to try E-foiling, and I really enjoyed the feeling of gliding along the water with a similar feel to snowboarding.
NB: What does Nautique mean to you?
WR: The foundation of Nautique and Correct Craft is “Building Boats to the Glory of God.” This has played an integral part in both my professional career and my faith journey through the profound influence of Mr. Ralph Meloon. Nautique is the leader in design and innovation in our industry, and I’m honored to be in my 21st year of partnership with Nautique Boat Company! Nautique is so much more than just a boat - Nautique has given me the opportunity to live my dream life and spend my days at the lake with my family making memories together. So, I guess to me, Nautique means faith, family and living my dream!
NB: What are your favorite Ski Nautique features?
WR: Coming out of winter in Orlando, I would have to say the heated passenger seat has been a huge blessing! Of course, I always appreciate the strong and consistent pull of the PCM engine, and I must say my Reef Blue and Steel Blue metal-flake Ski Nautique is an absolute stunner to look at!
NB: Do you train with any Team Nautique athletes?
WR: I train with my amazing husband, Matt Rini at our Ski School in Orlando, pulled exclusively by the Ski Nautique. On a daily basis, I am training alongside my son, Zane, my superstar stepdaughter, Paige, and her husband, Robert Pigozzi. We frequently have Team Nautique athletes show up at the lake for a couple sets from time to time. We always welcome visits from Neilly and Charlie Ross, Thomas Degasperi, and Erika Lang.
NB: Who has been your biggest influence or role model and why?
WR: Growing up, I had the unique opportunity to watch my Aunt Judy train in the summers. She became a 2x World Champion the year I started skiing! If you were there, you would have heard 5-year-old Whitney telling everyone, “I am going to be a world champion one day!”
Dreams become realities when we believe they are possible. Watching my aunt bounce back to training after 3 pregnancies to be a world champion again made me believe that I could do that one day too! My Aunt Judy is a really amazing lady, mom, and now she’s a grandma too! I am grateful I had her as a role model growing up!
NB: Do you have any advice for aspiring junior waterskiers?
WR: I have a quote I came up with a long time ago: “Go for what your mind wants and don’t give up until your heart is satisfied.” I still believe this fully. I believe God puts dreams in our minds to pursue and we are called to follow those dreams enjoying the ride until 1, we accomplish them or 2, until God calls us somewhere else that changes our dreams!
We are on this planet to shine the light of love on everyone we meet. What a beautiful opportunity we have been given to live these days in the sun and on the water! I encourage young people to not get frustrated (I wasted so many years being frustrated). Feel gratitude every day for the goals you are pursuing and work hard to achieve them. Replace any fears with faith that God has you right where you are meant to be and pursue those dreams with everything you have! When you arrive at your goals, continue to be grateful to everyone who helped you get there (because you didn’t do it alone)!
NB: Looking ahead, what are your goals for the future?
WR: I am looking forward to an awesome 2025. I plan to ski at some local pro events in Florida and I will go to the Nautique Masters in May. Then, we have Cali Pro Am mid-summer and World Championships in Italy at the end of August. I plan to attend a bunch of record rounds at my favorite sites pulled by Nautiques this summer for opportunities to run 41 too!
