The Janzig sisters grew up using within the wake of their father’s ardour for water snowboarding, accumulating state championship information and Sophie serves because the College of Minnesota’s Water Ski Staff president.
Sophie, a sophomore on the College, continues to compete collegiately on the Division II stage within the Midwest Collegiate Water Ski Affiliation and independently via the American Water Ski Affiliation (AWSA). In earlier years, she has positioned in nationwide competitions via performances in each leagues, performances that earned her two spots within the state championship document guide for the slalom and trick occasions.
Sophie’s older sister, Hannah Janzig, graduated from the College in 2022. Earlier than her enrollment, she earned two spots within the document guide, each within the trick occasion. Since then she has continued to compete and assist in the transition to get the ski crew organized.
The rationale for his or her successes will be traced to College alumni and the pair’s father, Darren Janzig.
His love for water snowboarding started via studying the way to ski at his household’s cabin and studying books from his native bookstore. Via AWSA, he discovered what aggressive water snowboarding regarded like and has been hooked ever since.
Darren is a extremely achieved water skier, holding a number of championship information in slalom and trick, together with his most up-to-date document coming in 2020.
He took his ardour for water snowboarding and began to show his youngsters once they have been about two years outdated, studying to ski alongside their father.
Through the summer season, the household would pack lunches and spend all day on the lake, snowboarding till sundown. On weekends, they typically went to competitions the entire household participated in.
The household later moved to a property to make sure their potential to coach at the next stage. This web site has two man-made lakes designed particularly for aggressive water snowboarding. Hannah recalled rising up on the lake “loving having the ability to develop and excel collectively via competitions.”
At this time, Darren stays Hannah and Sophie’s head coach.
“Not lots of people get to spend day by day with their teenage youngsters,” Darren mentioned. “I’m so lucky and grateful to spend day by day having enjoyable with my youngsters.”
The College’s Water Ski Membership focuses on instructing individuals with restricted water snowboarding expertise who need to be on a crew. They prepare on Janzig’s household lake beneath Sophie and sometimes Darren’s steerage. Sophie loves the crew and encourages all ability ranges to affix.
The coaching appears totally different on the crew than it does for Sophie. Normally, coaching includes constructing a basis encompassing all points of snowboarding. When she is coaching individually, Sophie focuses on repetition and mastering the ability she is engaged on earlier than shifting on to a different ability.
“I attempt as arduous as I can throughout follow. Some individuals like a bit of little bit of enjoyable and a bit of little bit of seriousness of their follow. I really feel like I like a bit of little bit of each,” Sophie mentioned.
For the reason that Minnesota Water Ski Staff has such an intensive vary of skiers, Sophie continues to compete on her personal along with being on the crew. The fashion and formatting of competitions are the identical on the collegiate stage and with AWSA.
Sophie continues to coach together with her father most days and needs to proceed water snowboarding in Minnesota for so long as attainable.