Boulder City resident part of U.S. water ski team

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Lori Dunsmore, 51, edges deep while training Monday at Lake Mead for the 16th Water Ski Racing World Championships July 18-25 in Antwerp, Belgium. The event marks Dunsmores 23rd year competing as a member of the U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing Team.

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Lori Dunsmore isn’t supposed to be at the top of her sport.

She should be long retired, a promise the 51-year-old Boulder City resident made to her daughter more than a decade ago.

But there is something about the thrill of competition that keeps Dunsmore coming back to the water.

Dunsmore will compete July 18 to 25 with the U.S. Elite Water Ski Racing team at the 16th Water Ski Racing World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. She been part of the national team for most of the last two decades.

“My family always asks me to quit, but they are always the first ones on the dock carrying my skis,” Dunsmore said. “We do it because we love it. My family has traveled the world (for free) because of my skiing. We’ve got to see and experience a lot of things.”

Dunsmore’s age is hard to ignore, especially when she tells stories about competing with the mothers of the other two women on the elite team. They are 19 and 21 years of age.

“I trained both of them when they were younger,” Dunsmore said. “But they still don’t know all of my tricks.”

Dunsmore, a rough water specialist, is a vital part of the team because the Belgian waters are expected to be choppy. The speeds in most races reach 100 mph, but the rough waters at worlds will decrease speeds to 45 to 60 mph and give the experienced Dunsmore an advantage.

“Anyone who underestimates Lori Dunsmore’s ability to challenge for the world title would be grossly misinformed,” said Randy Jarrell, the U.S. team captain. “There is no doubt Lori is still a force to be reckoned with and will definitely leave her mark.”

Her longevity in the sport is credited to a extensive training schedule, including spending several hours each week on Lake Mead. She also gives lessons at the lake for the Boulder City Parks and Recreation Department.

Dunsmore has six career Women’s Open victories at the famed 63-mile Catalina Ski Race, which is called the most-grueling water ski race in the world, to highlight a resume of multiple titles and awards. She won the silver medal at the 1993 worlds and was part of the bronze medal elite team in 1997.

Her career, though, has also had its share of misfortune.

She broke her fibula in 1997 during a race and has competed with rods and screws in her leg ever since.

“I call it my bionic leg,” she said.

She has also seen friends suffer fatal or permanent injuries during competition and realizes that danger is a reality of the sport — regardless of experience.

“The water will be rough (in Belgium), but that is what I signed up for,” Dunsmore said. “We know that when we sign our waivers.”

It’s that type of attitude that makes the veteran invaluable. Dunsmore’s birth certificate might say she is in her 50s, but her actions are those of someone much younger.

“I just love being out on the water,” she said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.