Four people have been taken to hospital as a result of incidents in the world’s fastest ski race, which was held without skiers for the second straight year on the Murray River.  

The Mildura 100, a three-day ski race, went ahead over the long weekend under self-imposed limitations after a tragic year for the sport in 2024 when four skiers died.

A man in his 60s was taken to Mildura Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition with upper body injuries after his boat spun out of control on Saturday. 

A crew member also went to hospital for a precautionary check.

Yesterday, two men in their 20s were taken to hospital after their boat overturned due to mechanical failure during racing.

And in a dramatic incident caught on video, a speedboat careered up the riverbank and into a large gum tree, with no reported injuries.

Dozens of people on water ski boats at a river bank, with the Murray River in the background.

Mildura Ski Club is confident the event will continue as normal in coming years, despite the incidents.  (Supplied: Admedia Australia/Mildura Ski Club)

“[It was] pretty scary, bit of a shock for all of us that were sitting on the Victorian side of the river watching it,” said Mildura Rural City Councillor Glenn Milne, who recorded the crash.  

“The boat came around the corner and all was going well halfway through the corner [when] all of a sudden it sort of pitched a bit and turned left and straight into the bank and, unfortunately, hit and sort of went up a gum tree on the way and snapped the branch off.”

A Transport for NSW Maritime spokesperson said officers would determine whether a formal investigation was required. 

Need for speed?

Ski Racing Australia consultant and former Mildura Ski Club president Geoff Thomson said speed was most likely a factor in all three incidents.

“Three of the incidents we saw were boats pushing a bit hard around the corners,” he said.13 water ski boats pointing at a sandbar, with people sitting on nearby grass and under blue gazebos

Ski Racing was halted nationally following the death of four water skiers in 2024.  (Supplied: Admedia Australia/Mildura Ski Club)

“I think when you’re limited in a straight line, you tend to try and make up time around corners.”

He said the boat that lurched up the river bank had experienced a steering malfunction. 

“It’s rare that you have an equipment failure like that in one of these boats, and … the guy driving that boat is actually a world champion … very experienced driver,” he said.

Mr Thomson said the incidents weren’t a good look for the sport and that some of drivers should rethink how they approached corners.

He said he remained hopeful boats would be pulling water skiers at next year’s event.

More than 60 boats competed, with a pair of local siblings winning with their boat Hell Yeah.

A man in a black polo near a river, leaning on a ski boat that says Hells Arsenal in green letters

Brandan McGlynn says all individuals involved are well.  (Supplied: Brandan McGlynn)

Mildura Ski Club president Brandan McGlynn said the driver of the boat that went up the embankment was lucky to walk away unharmed. 

He said he was confident the incidents wouldn’t have a negative impact on the race’s future. 

“Each incident has a ‘why’, so we’ve just got to workshop all those whys to figure out what we can do to either prevent them or make the incidents less bad,” he said. 

“We are more than confident that we are able to run the race [again] exactly the way we’ve run it this year,”

A blue speed boat skims across a glassy surface, trailing a tail of fine spray.

The Mildura 100’s high-speed action attracts thrillseeking competitors and spectators.  (Supplied: Glenn Milne)