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From peaks to waves: Surat woman puts India on Waterski map
Surat: Having already conquered the world's seven summits, 27-year-old Anuja Vaidya from Diamond City — has now made waves in the world of water sports. The adventure sport enthusiast has become the first Indian to participate in an international waterskiing event.
Anuja, who summited Mount Everest in 2019 alongside her elder sister Aditi, recently represented India at the 2025 IWWF Asian Waterski & Wakeboard Championships, held in Thailand from June 24 to 29.
"I've been learning and practising waterskiing with my father in the Tapi river for nearly seven years," Anuja told TOI. "I believed I had the potential to compete at a higher level, so I gave it a shot. The experience was absolutely thrilling."
While Anuja has been honing her waterskiing skills in local waters using limited resources, she was surprised to learn during the event that she was the first Indian to officially compete in waterskiing at the international level. "Officials from the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation informed me at the venue — it was an unforgettable moment," she said.
Rajpal Singh, secretary of the Wakeboard & Water Ski Federation of India (WWSFI), confirmed her achievement.
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"She is the first woman to represent India in wakeboard and waterski championships internationally. It's a proud moment for all of us."
To prepare for the event and acclimatise to the competition standards, Anuja travelled to Thailand in advance to train with regulation equipment. "In Surat, we practised with different gear. Competing with professional setups in Thailand was a major learning curve," said Anuja.
She successfully cleared the qualifying round and reached the final, where participants from Malaysia and Japan secured top spots.
Her father, Anand, expressed pride in her determination. "We used basic equipment for her training in Tapi. To our surprise, she performed remarkably well on the international stage."
Waterskiing is an adrenaline-pumping sport where athletes glide across water on skis, pulled by a motorboat. It demands a perfect mix of strength, balance, and timing, making it both challenging and exhilarating.
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