An identical skiing passion

The twins are lucky enough to have their regular waterskiing spot only a 15-minute drive away.

Riley had to wait seven minutes for his brother Samuel to be born and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

Waterskiing is a shared passion.

At the age of four, the twins learnt to stand up on a toboggan board behind the boat.

Now, at 17 years old, they regularly enjoy waterskiing and barefooting with family and friends.

There's no sign of the sport skipping a generation either. In fact, that's where the love came from.

"Waterskiing has been a part of our lives since we were babies," Riley said.

"We ski now with our mum and dads' friends from school, who they grew up skiing with.

"We joke and call them our ski family, and the next generation, the kids, are just as close as our parents are."

Memories of times spent on the water stem back to a young age.

The pair spent their early skiing days learning behind their first boat, The Bandit.

The furthest the twins have travelled for some glassy water is to the small village of Bundalong, just across the border in to Victoria.

A small fibro house mere metres from the water on the banks of the Murray River is the "hotel" for the Horans and their "ski family".

"We rent this house and about 12 of us all cram in together, sometimes more, whoever wants to come really," he said.

"We're about 30 metres from where we ski off and we spend huge days skiing and then long nights laughing and talking about the day."

"It's great to get up early and have a ski before breakfast."

The twins are set on their favourite waterskiing spots and rarely stray from their usual getaways.

In their younger years they grew up waterskiing at Wyangla Dam, but they now prefer a sheltered strip of water.

"I can remember plenty of days up at Wyangala holding on for grim death while getting put in several whips on the biscuit," Riley laughed.

"But now we both love to seek out skiing spots that are sheltered from the wind so a river or a creek is my ideal spot."

"I like long, wide rivers and a good sandy bank - we have a family hut out at Bundaburrah Creek so it's a great set-up out there," Samuel added.

"It's right on our doorstep."

The Horan twins ski on a lightweight Radar Senate C Sla- lom ski and use a HO Joker kneeboard.

They source their wetsuit gear from Rip Curl and Riley has an Eagle Barefoot Wetsuit.

The family own a Camero Vision 21I bowrider.

"It's our main family activity and we spend most afternoons on the water during the hotter months," Riley said.

"It's a sport where you can really push yourself and improve."

Riley has recently learnt to barefoot backwards on a rope off the boom bar.

"Waterskiing is one of the best family sports you can get because everybody's helping each other learn new things," he said.

For Samuel, it's a liberating sport.

"I love the freedom of being on the water," he said.

"When you're out there nothing else matters and it's really relaxing."

The waterskiing tradition that runs in the Horan family doesn't look like slowing down.

The twins are set on carrying the hobby through for generations to come.

"We love it and it is something your family can enjoy together at any age," Riley said.

"We will always ski and hopefully carry the tradition on into the future with our own families."