TERRANCE PHILLIPS -- The Harbor Column

It was not so long ago you could water ski down the main channel of

Newport Harbor. The Back Bay was also a great place for skiing, with the

bluffs on one side blocking the wind.

It was a time when fiberglass was making its debut and boats were

powered by Ford Flathead V-8s boasting 125 horsepower. Paralleling Lido

Isle on a pair of wooden skis at 30 mph outside the wake was considered

quite daring. Things have changed since those days, changed a lot, as

13-year-old Newport native Marlo Sciarra proved to the world Oct. 8.

Marlo is an eighth-grader at Carden Hall School. She began water

skiing behind her family’s boat, a Spectra 24, when she was 6. At the

ripe old age of 7, she was entering ski races out of the Lake Arrowhead

Ski Club. She is blessed with great athletic ability and is a successful

graduate of the city of Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Program, class of

1997-98 and 1999. For Marlo, skiing behind a boat at 30 mph is tantamount

to Mario Andretti riding a moped.

The National Water Ski Racing Assn. is divided into five regions. Each

region schedules races in several different areas. This year our regional

races were held on Lake Mead (two races), Lake Elsinore (two races) and

one in Parker, Ariz. The events are comprised of several heats, and the

winner is determined by a point system. A first place win is worth 800

points. In five races, Marlo scored 4,000 points -- the maximum possible.

On Oct. 8, Sciarra entered the nationals, held on Mission Bay in San

Diego. Even though this prestigious event is called the nationals, it

also includes the national team of Australia. When it was all over,

Newport’s own Marlo Sciarra was crowned national champion in the division

for 10- to 12-year-olds. The Australians hopped home.

The 5-foot-5, now 13-year-old Marlo averaged 81.07 mph in each of her

heats, hitting straightaway speeds in the 90s. She won the first race by

17 seconds and the second by 11 seconds. Traveling at 81 mph, 17 seconds

is light years ahead of the second place finisher. She was pulled behind

a Schiada-21 owned and driven by Gary Hairbedian with observer Carl

Johnson. The 750-horsepower, 508-cubic-inch, turbocharged Chevy is

capable of speeds well above 120 mph, a far cry from the days before our

5 mph harbor buoys were installed.

“I credit a lot of her success to the Junior Lifeguard Program,” said

Joe Sciarra, Marlo’s proud father. “It teaches kids how to respect the

water. It was also her first experience where she had to physically train

and the value of conditioning.”

Marlo’s no fluke when it comes to racing in the nationals, as last

year she placed fourth and the year before came in fifth. Standing atop a

28-pound, 76-inch “Bushy” ski made in Australia, Marlo is wrapped in a

padded safety flotation suit, wears a neck ring, helmet, goggles and has

two arm restraint braces. Hitting the water at 80 mph is not an option

one wants to experience.

The success of our Junior Lifeguard Program has elevated itself to a

very high profile. Many other cities send officials to observe this model

program, and it’s now imitated all over the state. Although not directly

related to the sport of ski racing, the program teaches water safety and

the knowledge to deal with potential dangers associated with the water.

On Oct. 28 at the Anaheim Sheraton, Marlo will be honored by the National

Water Ski Racing Assn. for achieving the nation’s highest point standing.

Marlo’s parents, Joe and Colleen Sciarra, along with her brother, Joseph,

will proudly sit in the audience.

Not too bad for a girl who once jumped off the Newport Pier as part of

her training in our Junior Lifeguard Program.

* TERRANCE PHILLIPS is the Daily Pilot’s boating writer. You can reach

him via e-mail at terrykp@email.com.