"Todd and I are absolutely stoked to get this win," said Rick Kelly.
"Driving our new 'Esky Mojo' boat is a huge challenge on the Southern 80 course, which is so demanding. It's one of the toughest things we've ever attempted.
"We have spent the last four months working on the boat on weekends and at nights after we have finished at the Kelly Racing workshop."
The Southern 80 was first held in 1962 and is the biggest water ski race in the world with over 400 entries each year from all around the globe.
The course spans the distance of the River Murray between Torrumbarry and Echuca and has over 120 bends.
This year's race was marred by the death of a competitor and several other serious injuries.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the competitor who sadly passed away on the weekend," said Rick Kelly.
"Water skiing has been in our family for years and we love the sport, so we are really saddened when a fellow competitor has been badly injured or killed."
