AMERICAN WATER SKI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

What is it?

Introduction:  USA Water Ski, American Water Ski Educational Foundation!! What is with these two organizations?  How do they differ?  What do they do?  What do they offer? I am more familiar with USA Water Ski, but AWSEF?   Is there anything of interest for me in AWSEF?  Indeed, there is.  Read on.

What is USA Water Ski (USA-WS)?   Like USA Swimming is for swimming, USA Water Ski is THE organization for water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States. The United States Olympic Committee recognizes USA-WS in that role. USA-WS actually consists of nine groups representing all types of activity on water: slalom, tricks and jumping whether on skis, kneeboards (well, no jump) or bare feet; team skiing for your college, show skiing in front of crowds big and small; ski racing (talk about speed!); hydrofoiling, the latest craze; wakeboarding, snowboarding’s exciting equivalent; and skiing for the physically handicapped, even jumping. For details, go to http://www.usawaterski.org/ and click on the Newcomer’s Button.  It gives you a simplified explanation of what USA-WS is and what it offers.

What is the American Water Ski Educational Foundation (AWSEF)?  AWSEF is the national organization that maintains the history of water ski and wakeboard while recognizing its past champions and heroes from the same nine groups described above.  It has the world’s largest towed water sports museum and contains interesting and informative historical displays of all sorts as well as a library with anything you want to know about any form of our sport involving a rope and a boat, well, within safe limits.  Additionally, the organization inducts its former champions into the Hall of Fame each year at a very special and exciting April evening in Central Florida.   There is even a separate display for the international hall of fame, the only one in existence.

These two organizations fulfill the same roles as those for many other sports, both well-known like swimming and not so well known.  They are essentially two sides of the same coin, one dealing with the present, the other with the past.  Together, they complete our sport and both are important to our sport.

How can you participate in AWSEF?  If you are in Polk County, Florida, you should visit and see for yourself. With your attendance, you become part of our history. You can also visit us online at: http://www.waterskihalloffame.com/home.htm.  Do you want to learn more about what is described below?  Same deal or call 863-324-2472. Also, there are many ways that you can get your friends or acquaintances recognized by AWSEF, to make sure that they, or you for that matter, are part of our history.  Read on.

Memberships:  You can become a member for as little as $25 and will get a membership card, newsletter, AWSEF decal and lapel pin. But the main reason to join is to feel part of something, in this case our sport’s past and its history. You belong!

Donations:  In addition to the obvious types of direct financial donations, you can also contact AWSEF if you have an article, a rare old ski or a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing (please make sure it is more or less clean!), to donate that you feel might be of interest.

Scholarships:  AWSEF offers scholarships to deserving college students.  Anyone can fund just such a scholarship in the name of whomever they want, for one year or for more than one year or even forever.  It’s kind of neat to see kids winning a scholarship that you fund.  A scholarship may not be cheap to fund, but it is appreciated by the college student who receives it.

Bricks & Tiles:  Another way is to donate a brick or tile.  A sequel to this program, involving tiles only, is expected to start up in 2011.  You can offer tiles at $120 or $1000 for any person or entity you choose, a family member, relative, club member, club itself, a ski site, a state federation, etc . . . the list is endless.  You may also celebrate or commemorate an occasion, happy or sad, a marriage, a passing, a special achievement and so on.  Then, when you visit the museum in Polk City, Florida, you can actually run your fingers over the tile and feel the letters of the special name or memorable occasion that you have chosen to have engraved, something very concrete that will last forever. You know that it is there, a permanent reminder.  And viewing all the other bricks and tiles is its own walk through history.

Legacies:  The other side of the coin is an electronic tile, which we call a legacy.  This recognition, priced at $1000, is displayed online forever.  Just click on “legacy” on our web site to see an example.  Again, you get to choose whom or what you want to honor. The choices are unlimited as with the tiles.  You need only supply a picture and the text.  And there it is forever for everyone to see no matter where you or they are in the world! You can easily show it to anyone you want. You can’t carry around a brick like that.  This is our latest, most exciting program, one for the age of the computer.

Who can donate to the above?  This may be done by individuals, families, clubs, communities, businesses, state federations or civic organizations, well, by just about anyone.
 

Where do all these funds go?  Why do we need them? Glad you asked.  First and foremost, we have to simply operate the museum keeping it open and ready for your visits, you know, maintenance; just like your own home except for this one is huge and very well decorated.  Additionally, we are constantly improving the museum, the hall of fame displays, the library and so on.  It is a never ending process.  After all, as time passes, the facility must grow.  Where will our sport be in twenty years, in fifty years?  The museum will always have those answers for you, for your grandchildren, for your great-grandchildren and so on.

April, 2010 - jg