Riding a Wave of Hope : Jet Skiers Plunge Into Auditions for Stunt Show Tied to ‘Waterworld’

To cast a stunt show tied to the upcoming film “Waterworld,” Universal Studios didn’t exactly issue a cattle call--a water buffalo call, maybe.

Studio representatives spent three days this week sorting through a pool of 272 applicants, looking for 40 people who can read lines, dive, swim and act out fights.

But the real cut came Tuesday at Castaic Lagoon’s Paradise Cove--where a slalom course was set up to weed out candidates for “Waterworld--A Live Sea War Spectacular.”

In the futuristic world depicted in the new film--which, sink or swim, will become an attraction at Universal Studios--the jet ski has become the primary method of transportation because water covers nearly the entire Earth.

So in addition to the usual audition crowd of actors, stuntmen and other Hollywood wanna-bes was an unusual group: professional jet skiers.

Not all were as dedicated as jet ski racer Stephanie Finochio, 23, of Oxnard, who said she would turn down the lead role in the show because the character, Helen, “doesn’t ride any jet skis.”

Even if she doesn’t make the cut, Finochio experienced the thrill of meeting a star. No, not Kevin Costner, who produced and stars in the film. A real star, she said: legendary four-time world jet ski champion, Larry Rippenkroeger.

Rippenkroeger, 38, seems a shoe-in for a spot among the five casts being selected for the planned show. Last year, he was hired to spend 10 weeks on the “Waterworld” set near Hawaii performing jet ski stunts. He did so well, movie producers kept him eight months.

During Tuesday’s audition, Rippenkroeger breezed through the buoys that made up the slalom course. He made his jet ski spin in place and even threw in a so-called 180 submarine--diving his jet ski completely under water while turning sideways. He finished off with his trademark freestyle move: riding two jet skis at once.

“I’ve got to make sure I get in the show,” he said, adding he’s ready to move to Van Nuys from Sacramento to start a career like those of the stuntmen he met on the “Waterworld” set.

“It’s their fault that I’m here in Hollywood,” he said. “They got me hooked.”

The film, weighed down by its reported $175-million budget, could sink like a box-office Titanic. But since the stunt show won’t open until early October, the film may not have much bearing on the show’s success.

Jim Timon, Universal’s vice president for entertainment, conceded that a smash box-office draw would likely bolster attendance at the show. “But we design shows to stand on their own,” he said.

The 16-minute show recreates an attack on a man-made atoll by aquatic marauders, known as the Smokers. There are more than 60 stunts planned, including 50-foot dives, water-ski jumps, and a seaplane that crashes a few feet from the audience.

Christian Gann, 28, was also among those looking to use his jet ski skills to get a foothold in show business. He won the national jet ski racing championship in 1992 and has worked as a jet ski sports commentator for cable network ESPN.

He said he felt a bit awkward on the “stock” watercraft used for auditions, which wasn’t as powerful as his own craft. But he didn’t have any problems compared to some of the novice jet skiers who kept falling off--including a performer who plays Batman in the Magic Mountain stunt show.

“Anything related to a jet ski, I can do,” Gann said. “There’s not a trick out there that I can’t do.”

But is he willing to take the 50-foot fall in the script? The one where the guy is on fire?

Gann hesitated only a second. “On a jet ski, I will.”