7:31am Wednesday 23rd January 2008
By Anthony Marshall
A TEENAGE jet-skiier from Swindon is targeting a clean sweep of three titles when the new season starts in April.
Sixteen-year-old Spencer Wells, who lives in Freshbrook, was the British Junior Freestyle Champion in 2006 and followed that up with the British Freestyle Championship last year.
He finished second in the 2007 World Finals Freestyle Championships, and is aiming to go one better this time round by securing his place as the best in the world.
His dad Danny said: "Spencer is the youngest person who competes in the freestyle category, and can come up against anyone of any age. But it doesn't phase him.
"You've got two minutes to do a routine in front of judges, and have to put in as many tricks as possible.
"The bigger the tricks the higher scoring they are, and the person with the highest score wins."
At 6ft 7ins tall, Spencer is ideally built for his other sporting love - basketball - but maybe not so much for a life on the water.
However, Danny said his size has not hindered his rapid rise up the jet ski ranks.
"People said Spencer would never be able to barrel roll and do tricks because of how tall he is, but that only made him more determined to do it." he said.
"His height can be an advantage for some tricks. I've seen him master a trick in a day, which left me gobsmacked.
"The barrel roll took him four or five days of constant practice.
"He loves to master things and get it perfect, which is why he's doing so well."
This season, Spencer will compete in three competitions - six rounds of the British Pro Freestyle Championship, the Europeans and then the World Championships in October.
And dad Danny believes his hard work could pay off, tipping him to bring home the title in all three.
"He wants a clean sweep of them all," he admitted. You have to win the British Championships to qualify for the Worlds, so obviously he wants to do that. But I think he'll do the lot. He's not the type that settles for second best, and he wants to win everything he does.
"He won't let himself get beaten by anyone or any trick."
Spencer is currently sponsored by Xtreme Freestyle Technology, Booth & Son Welders of Purton, and Old Town Engineering.
Anyone interested in sponsoring him should call Danny Wells on 07967 596140.
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