Carlos Suarez, like Rick McCormicic before him and the Carasco sisters and Patrice Martin after him, turned a youthful domination in trick skiing into ultimate success as an overall skier. A trick skiing boy wonder when he competed in his first World Championships in 1971, he placed only 37th that year in his favorite event. Nevertheless he became the first South American skier to achieve international recognition.

 

Skipping the 1973 World Championships, Carlos returned in 1975 to win the Men's Overall title with a first place in tricks, and he repeated his championship performance in the trick event in 1977, slipping to second in the Overall race. His final World Championship was in 1979, where he placed second overall and second in tricks. Carlos is credited with the first trick record recognized by the World Water Ski Union, a score of 6260 points set at the 1975 World Championships, and he went on to set three more such records in subsequent years.

 

Following his success in the 1975 World Championships, Carlos used his dominance in tricks to become the 1976 overall champion at both the U.S. Masters and Moomba Masters. He retired from the sport in 1979 and has all but disappeared from view.

 

I am pleased to announce the induction of one of the water skiing's foremost trick and overall skiers into the International Hall of Fame: Carlos Suarez.