QUEANBEYAN teenage Wakeboarding sensation Justin McMahon has returned from six months training and competing in the United States after finishing fourth in the junior world titles in Miami, Florida.
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While the 16-year old said he thought he could have ranked better, he said he was proud of his achievement, and having the opportunity to spend so much time in the USA to practice wakeboarding.
He was up against 24 other competitors at the world titles, which featured competitors from 14 different countries, and he said the experience would allow him to take his game to even greater heights in the future.
"I definitely learnt a lot over there. The way everyone rides, they have a different style," McMahon said.
"Going into the final, you were seeded depending on results in past competitions, and how you went in the semi-finals, and I was ranked first heading into the semis, but had a bad run, and managed fourth in the end."
McMahon sprung into the spotlight when he took out the junior Moomba Masters title in Melbourne in March- the event touted as the biggest in Australian wakeboarding.
He crashed out of the Australian Nationals in Wagga Wagga at the end of March, but then relocated to the city of Orlando and saw good results there and in Texas before the world titles.
He said his time in the USA was a challenge, being his first time living away from his family, but he plans to go back for another six months after March next year.
"My riding has definitely progressed...I've got a bunch of new tricks now."
McMahon will now focus on completing his year 10 certificate at the Canberra Institute of Technology, before aiming to crack the senior pro wakeboarding tour in the USA.
