At the 2023 Masters in Georgia, USA, Joel Poland finished second in both tricks and jump while Will Asher was second in slalom, just missing out in a run-off for the title. 

In the men's tricks final, Joel Poland went one better than last year when he finished in third place.

Going into the final as second seed, he laid down two impressive runs to score 12,160 points, equalling his own British record and taking the lead with just one skier left to go.

That skier was the current world record-holder, Pato Font of Mexico, a tricks specialist. Earlier this month, Pato set a new pending world record of 12,690 points - and he wasn't far short of doing the same at the Masters. He secured the win with 12,470 points.

Louis Duplan-Fribourg of France was third with 10,550 points and Pato's cousin Pablo Font Corona fourth with 10,090.

Joel Poland 2nd in tricks. Photo: Vincent Stadlbaur

Joel's second podium came in the last event of Masters weekend, the men's jump. Wearing the red bib of the defending champion, he was second of the four finalists out on the water, having posted the third longest distance in the elimination round. 

In the final, his second attempt of 67.4 metres was further than he leapt to win at the 2022 Masters and was enough to guarantee a podium place ahead of fellow Brit Jack Critchley (65m).

The 14-times Masters Jump Champion, Freddy Krueger of the USA was up next but could not match Joel, with a best of 65.4m.  Finally, it was the turn of Canada's Ryan Dodd, the World Jump Champion and world record holder.  After a sketchy first jump, he took the title with his second of 67.9m.

Once again, Joel - the Overall World Champion and world record holder -  has demonstrated he is a match for the specialists.  The other three men in the final are all jump specialists.

Joel Poland 2nd in jump. Photo: Vincent Stadlbaur

Earlier, in the men's slalom final, GB's Will Asher and the USA's Nate Smith could not be separated, both scoring 3 @ 10.25 metres, just a buoy off Chris Parrish's course record which has stood since 2005.

It went down to an exciting run-off where the rules state that the tied skiers have to go out at the last completed line length.

Will in the slalom final. Photo: Vincent Stadlbaur

Nate Smith was first off the dock and, uncharacteristically, went down early to score 2.5 @ 10.75m. It seemed that a 6th Masters title in his 19th appearance at the event was in Will's hands but he too faltered, missing out on becoming the 2023 Masters Champion by just half a buoy.

Thomas Degasperi of Italy was third with 5 @ 10.75m and Adam Sedlmajer of the Czech Republic fourth with 2.5 @ 10.75m.

Will Asher & Thomas Degasperi. Photo: Vincent Stadlbaur

The fourth Briton to qualify for the 2023 Masters was last year's bronze medallist in Men's Wakeboard, Luca Kidd. Unfortunately, this year Luca was unable to make it through his heat and into the final. 

The Masters was held over Memorial Day weekend, 26th to 28th May 2023 at Robin Lake, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Full results can be found on the Masters website.