6:33 AM Tue 9 Jun 2009 GMT
 | | 'Part of the Australian team for Belgium - pre-accident - front row, left to right, Fran Hynes (Judge), Cara Jochinke, Bethay Pledger, Maddison Boyer, Andrew Fyfe and Mick Kelly. Second row, left to right, Barbara Osborne (judge), Jan Thurgar (judge), Sarah Teelow, Trudi Stout, Melissa Tidswell, Peter Procter and Richard Souwer. Third row, left to right, Jack Houston, Ben Hackett, Wayne Mawer, Daniel Cotton, Mark Weaver, Mike Avila, and Trent Souwer. Fourth row, left to right, Geoff Jochinke, Murray Hackett, Shaun Williams, Damie'
Cindy Nutley
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Queenslander Mark Weaver, #1 Formula 2 skier in the Australian team for the world titles in Belgium (July 19-26) has taken a serious fall and is likely to miss the European meeting.
Competing in the Queensland ski racing titles held on the Clarence River, in northern NSW, Weaver, skiing behind the crack Force rig 'Burnin' took a heavy fall at an estimated 180km/hr (111mph).
The championships had been moved into NSW because of combined drought and flood conditions on likely Queensland courses.
Weaver was leading the Unlimited Inboard Class when he fell. It was initially thought that Weaver had hit debris washed into the river from recent heavy rains, but shortly after the fall no debris was located.
He was rushed to Grafton Base Hospital and later an RACQ Care Flight helicopter was called in to airlift him to Brisbane's Princess Alexandria Hospital.
Weaver sustained broken bones in a wrist, pelvis, foot and chest and is almost certain to undergo some form of surgery. According to a Care Flight paramedic, Weaver may also have some spinal damage that will need full assessment. Late yesterday, the hospital listed his condition as 'serious, but stable.'
Weaver is expected to make a full recovery, but it could be as long as six months before he can contemplate ski racing again.
Ski Racing Queensland president Don Gulley said Weaver was being pulled by his boat Burnin when he hit a submerged object.
'It bent the fin on his ski, causing him to lose control of the ski and made him come off,' he said.
Gulley defended the decision to hold the event on the Clarence River two weeks after a major flood. He said the river was assessed several days before the competition to see if an alternative venue was required.
He said the river had been flushed well by the flood but extra precautions were still put in place to remove debris.
'It was our job to sweep the river and we then placed two boats at either end of the course, sweeping all day,' he said.
The purpose-built punts travelled backwards and forward looking for anything that could be hazardous for skiers.
'We were keeping a good eye on it,' he said.
Gulley said he did not know what Weaver hit but whatever the object was, it was not felt by the boat.
'It could have been a turtle, it could have been log, it could have been a big bunch of reeds - we really don't know,' he said.
by Bob Wonders
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Macquarie Island, TAS
