I can't figure out how this figurine isn't falling over. I want to use modelling chocolate and try to do the same. Any ideas? Thanks! 

sure there's wires/dowel inside the body and legs extending down and attached to the board underneath the cake

Wires in the legs, of course.

You could do it without any internal supports, but you do have to build it piece by piece slowly, using lots of CMC/tylose and allowing especially the legs to dry very well in the correct attitude before adding the torso. Then I would attached the figurine to the water skis and royal ice the skis to the cake. I made a figurine of my daughter doing a handstand on top of a cake - it had no internal support, but it did take two weeks to build he figurine.

But otherwise you could use internal supports to drive into the cake and give some structure if you're not confident. I just feel more comfortable completing ostensibly edible objects from entirely edible materials.

i prefer all edible too -- i think you'd have to place a counter sink under the back of the skies like a made to order sandwich cookie or a big chocolate shark under the water to support the angle of the skier -- they lean way back -- but I like shish ka bob skewers for this too - they're not as questionable as wires --

i shoulda never suggested wires -- good call, winniem