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Frankie Dees to be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award Posted on October 10, 2017 by jeff Polk City, Fla. – The USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Selection Committee is pleased to announce the 2018 Water Ski Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Inductee, Frankie Dees. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes longevity in the sport. The award goes to those individuals who have been actively involved in one or more of the USA Water Ski Sport Disciplines of towed water sports for a minimum of 50 years. Whether they are competitors, coaches or behind the scenes tireless promoters and administrators, these individuals have spent at least a half a century in the sport. Dees will be recognized at the 2018 Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 28th at the Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Walt Disney’s grand Fantasia Ballroom at the Contemporary Resort. 31-time National Overall Champion Frankie Dees has contributed to the great sport of water skiing for more than 60 years as a competitor and a coach. Dees first learned to water ski in 1964 at the age of four, won his first trophy at age seven and by age 16 he had been pictured in Life Magazine and honored by Sports Illustrated. Dees broke the junior boys record at age 11 and 12. In 1968 he became the youngest skier to win the coveted overall Masters Title. The following year at the 1969 Masters, he won slalom title. Dees skied in the open division from age 14 to age 37 and won overall national titles in every division. Winning jump national titles more than 40 times, Dees set the Mens 5 jump record in 2008 which he still holds to this day. Throughout his career Dees racked up 49 gold medals at the National Championships. Dees worked at Cypress Gardens for 15 years as a show skier, and coached at the Chuck Dees Ski School for more than 40 years. Dees also did a lot of research and development work in the 1980’s and 90’s with various boat companies while running water ski promo programs for MB boats, Ski Centurion and Malibu Boats. During Dee’s skiing career, he also had the opportunity to ski twice in both the Moomba Masters and the European Masters. Pending Women's World Tricks Records Set
Both scores are pending record verification by the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation's Tournament Council. Online AWSA Judges & Scorers Clinics Set
To view all of the upcoming USA Water Ski officials’ clinics, click here(PDF). AWSA Seeks Officials For 2018 Events
Jaquess, Krueger Win Malibu Open Titles
Jaquess won titles in women’s slalom and overall, and finished second in jumping. Krueger won the men’s jumping title and the Malibu Night Jump. Jaquess won the women's slalom title in the head-to-head final against Canada's Whitney McClintock, scoring 1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off to McClintock’s 4-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off. It was Jaquess’ sixth consecutive Malibu Open slalom title. U.S. athletes Karen Truelove (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) placed third and fourth, respectively. Jaquess won the women's overall competition, tallying 2,839.29 points after scoring 3 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in slalom, 7,990 points in tricks and a personal best distance of 181 feet in jumping. Belarus' Natallia Berdnikava finished second, scoring 2,828.08 points. Krueger won men's jumping with a distance of 234 feet. U.S. athletes Zack Worden (Orlando, Fla.), Scot Ellis (Auburndale, Fla.) and Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) rounded out the top-four placements with distances of 220 feet, 220 feet and 214 feet, respectively. Berdnikava won women’s jumping with a distance of 179 feet. Jaquess placed second with a distance of 176 feet, and U.S. athletes Lauren Morgan (Seattle, Wash.) and Baldwin placed fourth and sixth, respectively. Great Britain’s Freddie Winter won the men's slalom title in the head-to-head final against U.S. athlete Jon Travers (Groveland, Fla.), scoring 6 buoys at 41 feet off to Travers’ 1-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. Chile’s Felipe Miranda won the men’s overall title, tallying 2,807.30 points after scoring 5 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in slalom, 8,630 points in tricks and 209 feet in jumping. For complete results, including those from the Under 17 slalom and jumping events, click here. In the Malibu Night Jump, Krueger soared 218 feet to take the title. Ellis (215 feet) and Worden (212 feet) rounded out the top-three placements. For complete results, click here. Timeline has been extended!
The Southern Region Raffle To Support AWSA Teams! Members of the Southern Region should have received a Team Fundraising request in the mail. We highly encourage all of you to help this effort in any way you can. In the letter, it was mentioned that the first 20 contributors to donate $500 or above will have their dream water ski weekend with the Elite Team in October. If you want to guarantee your spot in this first 20 please visit www.usawaterski.org/donate to make your contribution. The Southern Region has purchased one of these tickets and would like to raffle this off to one of our members. Tickets are one for $20.00 or three for $50.00. Of course, you can buy as many as you want! Either way this donation is tax deductible. All monies collected will be donated towards All Teams of the AWSA. Please see the Payments Page on the Southern Region web site to make your contribution. http://www.awsasouth.org/payments.html Our timeline is very short for you to get involved in the Southern Region Raffle to win a place to ski with our US Team members. The event will be held at Jack Travers, Sunset Lakes. They are planning a Friday night reception 10/6 and Saturday skiing 10/7. The deadline to get into the raffle is now Friday, Sept 22nd so that the winner can be notified and make arrangement to be there. Good Luck Bob Archambeau, EVP EVP@awsasouth.org 
U.S. Elite Water Ski Team Wins Gold Medal
POLK CITY, Fla., Sept. 10, 2017 - The U.S. Elite Water Ski Team won the overall team gold medal and five U.S. water ski athletes combined to win seven individual medals in respective events at the 35th Water Ski World Championships, Sept. 5-10, at Choisy-le-Roi near Paris, France. The United States tallied 7,959.48 points in winning the gold medal for the 27th time in the history of the biennial event. France scored 7,610.76 points to earn the silver and defending champion Canada earned the bronze with 7,522.29 points. Athletes from 31 countries participated in the tournament. Members of the 2017 U.S. Elite Water Ski Team were: Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.), Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.), Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.). Jeff Surdej (Wilmington, Ill.) was the coach, Jody Johnson (Nashville, Tenn.) served as team captain, and Dr. Brad Harman (Alvarado, Texas) was the team physician. The American Water Ski Association's International Activities Committee selected the team earlier this summer based on a pre-determined selection criteria approved by the AWSA board of directors. Jaquess led the way for the U.S. Team as she successfully defended her slalom and overall titles from the 2015 world championships, earned the silver medal in women's jumping, and advanced to the finals in all three events (placing 10th in tricks); Pickos won the gold medal in men's tricks; Krueger and Garcia earned the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in men's jumping; and U.S. independent athlete Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) earned the silver medal in women's tricks. Jaquess won her fifth career world overall gold medal after tallying 2,549.88 points after recording scores of 1 buoy at 41 feet off in slalom (preliminary round), 6,970 points in tricks (preliminary round) and 169 feet in jumping (preliminary round). Belarus' Natallia Berdnikava earned the silver (2,499.54 points) and Australia's Jacinta Carroll earned the bronze (2,424.64 points). Gay (2,251.81 points) and Baldwin (2,165.95 points) placed fifth and eighth, respectively. Jaquess won her fourth career world slalom gold medal after winning a runoff against Canada's Whitney McClintock. Both skiers tied with scores of 1-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in the finals, and then again with scores of 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in the subsequent runoff. In the second runoff, Jaquess clinched the gold with a score of 2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to McClintock's 4 buoys at 38 feet off. Canada's Jaimee Bull earned the bronze (4 buoys at 38 feet off). U.S. independent athlete Karen Truelove (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed sixth (2 buoys at 38 feet off). Jaquess earned the silver medal in jumping with a distance of 167 feet. Carroll won her third consecutive and career world jumping gold medal with a distance of 181 feet. Berdnikava earned the bronze with a distance of 166 feet. U.S. independent Lauren Morgan (Seattle, Wash.) placed ninth (160 feet) and Baldwin finished 12th (154 feet). Pickos won his second consecutive and second career world tricks gold medal, tallying 11,570 points. Australia's Josh Briant earned the silver (11,440 points) and Belarus' Aliaksei Zharnasek (11,320 points). Canada's Neilly Ross won the gold medal in women's tricks (10,220 points), her first career elite world title after earning the silver medal in 2015. Lang earned the silver (9,820 points) and Berdnikava earned the bronze (9,520 points). Gay (7,290 points), the defending champion, and Jaquess (6,940 points) placed eighth and 10th, respectively. Great Britain's Frederick Winter won the gold medal in men's slalom, his first career elite world title, scoring 2 buoys at 41 feet off. Great Britain's Will Asher (5 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off) earned the silver and Canada's Jason McClintock (4-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off) earned the bronze. U.S. independent athlete Corey Vaughn (Bumpass, Va.) placed seventh (2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off) and Smith, the two-time defending world champion, placed 12th (3-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off). Chile's Felipe Miranda won his second career world overall gold medal, tallying 2,751.18 points. France's Thibaut Dailland earned the silver (2,651.50 points) and Briant earned the bronze (2,639.27 points). Canada's Ryan Dodd soared 224 feet to win his second consecutive and second career world jumping gold medal. Krueger earned the silver medal (216 feet) and Garcia earned the bronze (206 feet). U.S. independent athletes Scot Ellis (Auburndale, Fla.) and Zack Worden (Orlando, Fla.) placed seventh (204 feet) and ninth (198 feet), respectively. 
Joy Kelley is somewhat of an ageless wonder in water skiing.
She’s a three-event skier who breaks records and raises the bar almost every time she gets on the water. Kelley surprised probably everyone except herself in 2016 when, at age 58, she advanced to the head-to-head final of the SportsInsurance.com Queens Cup Women’s Slalom Tournament near Charlotte, N.C. The only disappointment was a fluke fall on her 28-off pass in the final against Sweden’s Josefin Hirst of Florida. Kelley, of Tennessee, will return for the 2017 Queens Cup at Little Mountain Lake on Sept. 16-17, likely still riding high from the event’s 2016 debut. Her Facebook post after the inaugural event summed up her feelings: “Wanted to show much gratitude to the sponsors of the Queens Cup! Since the weekend I have been in awe of the cash and prizes awarded, over $10,000. For a first ever event to reach such heights is a direct reflection of the passion, belief and support for women in water skiing and the daily, behind the scenes, focused efforts of the tournament organizers in securing sponsors who also share the same dedication to our sport! Hopefully, we gave the sponsors a good return on their investment by skiing our best, positively influencing others, sharing their product/service with others, and just being an overall strong woman of integrity and character!” Hers was a popular opinion shared by many of the entrants after last year’s event. Year 2 is just around the corner with an even larger field to share the wealth. As Kelley posted: “From t-shirts to goody bags to prizes of ski lessons, ski bags, skis, gloves, etc., and cash awards, I have never experienced an event like this! Thank you so very much to all the sponsors! May the Queens Cup live on in ways that continue to exceed the expectations of everyone involved!” For information on the Queens Cup, which draws support from area Nautique dealer Race City Marine, contact tournament director Jeff Gilbert at gilb41@hotmail.com or look for the tournament at usawaterski.org. It's also on Facebook at Little Mountain Lakes Waterski. 
35th Water Ski Worlds Begins Tuesday
Read all of 35th Water Ski Worlds Begins Tuesday The Southern Region Raffle To Support AWSA Teams!
Members of the Southern Region should have received a Team Fundraising request in the mail. We highly encourage all of you to help this effort in any way you can. In the letter, it was mentioned that the first 20 contributors to donate $500 or above will have their dream water ski weekend with the Elite Team in October. If you want to guarantee your spot in this first 20 please visit www.usawaterski.org/donate to make your contribution. The Southern Region has purchased one of these tickets and would like to raffle this off to one of our members. Tickets are one for $20.00 or three for $50.00. Of course, you can buy as many as you want! Either way this donation is tax deductible. All monies collected will be donated towards All Teams of the AWSA. Please see the Payments Page on the Southern Region web site to make your contribution. http://www.awsasouth.org/payments.html Our timeline is very short for you to get involved in the Southern Region Raffle to win a place to ski with our US Team members. The event will be held at Jack Travers, Sunset Lakes. They are planning a Friday night reception 10/6 and Saturday skiing 10/7. The deadline to get into the raffle will be Wednesday, Sept 20th so that the winner can be notified and make arrangement to be there. Good Luck Bob Archambeau, EVP EVP@awsasouth.org Florida Wins AWSA’s National Team Event
States and areas formed three-event teams of five men, five women and five junior skiers competing in a placement-based NOPS format similar to collegiate water skiing. Competing teams representing respective regions this year were: Eastern – Connecticut and Vermont/New Hampshire/New Jersey/Maine/Rhode Island (combo team); Midwest – Illinois and Ohio; Southern – Florida and Tennessee; South Central – Central Texas and Northeast Texas; and Western – Northern California and Southern California.
Read all of West Palm To Host 2019, 2020 Nationals 
San Marcos River Ranch July 25 at 5:56pm · The list of events happening each day at Nationals is growing! You won't want to miss out! Bookmark this page http://www.usawaterski.org/…/nati…/MeetingsandFunctions.html 
Little Mountain Lake Big Dawg - Wrap Up
Jeff Rodgers made it a bookend finish at the Nautique Big Dawg World Tour stop at Little Mountain Lake in Maident, N.C., winning the fourth and final qualifier of the series on Aug. 6. Rodgers won the season-opening stop in Miami in May, and skipped the middle two events as they moved overseas to France and Spain. Next up is the series finale in Rio Linda, California on Aug. 25-26. The Little Mountain Lake stop, with support from area Nautique dealer Race City Marine of NASCAR hotbed Mooresville, N.C., drew a season-high 35 skiers from coast to coast. The Big Dawg tour is for 34-mph male slalom skiers ages 35 and older. Rodgers, of Ninety-Six, S.C., ran 4 at 41 off in the first round of Saturday qualifying at Little Mountain Lake, then backed that up with 3 1/2 at 41 in the second round and advanced to Sunday's Sweet 16 as the No 1 seed. There, he opened with head-to-head wins against No. 16 Mark Brandt and then No. 9 Jodi Fisher. Rodgers faced No. 4 seed Seth Stisher in the semifinals, after Stisher won head-to-heads against Scott Larson and Clay Neill. No. 12 seed Neill, whose family owns and developed Little Mountain Lake, was an upset winner against No. 5 seed Chad Scott in the round of 16 before meeting Stisher in the final eight. In the semifinals, Rodgers topped Stisher's 3 1/2 at 39 by getting 6 at 39, then met Greg Badal, the No. 2 seed, in the final. Both ran 39 in the final, and Rodgers got 2 at 41 to Badal's 1 1/2. Next up for Little Mountain Lake is the SportsInsurance.com Queens Cup for women on Sept. 16-17. Little Mountain and SportsInsurance.com came together for the inaugural Queens Cup in 2016, with cash purse and prizes totaling $12,000. The event provides a Big Dawg-type tournament for women 30 and older, whose maximum boat speeds are 30, 32 and 34 mph. The format mirrors the Big Dawg, with two qualifying rounds on Saturday and Sweet 16 head-to-heads Sunday. Reigning champion Josefin Hirst will return to defend her title, and runner-up Joy Kelley is also returning to challenge. Rodgers Wins Big Dawg Stop No. 4
Jeffry Armstrong on the water again
after 20 years! New member of Pickos Ski Club and Southern Region. She has 2018 Sr Worlds in her sights. Happened today in SRB! per Jim Jaquess 2017 U.S. Elite Water Ski Team Selected
Jeff Surdej (Wilmington, Ill.) will be the coach, Jody Johnson (Nashville, Tenn.) will serve as team captain, and Dr. Brad Harman (Alvarado, Texas) will be the team physician. In addition to the coveted world team title, athletes from more than 25 countries will compete for individual medals in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall at the Worlds. Canada is the defending world champion. Defending individual gold medalists are: Jacinta Carroll (Australia), women’s jumping; Ryan Dodd (Canada), men’s jumping; Anna Gay (USA), women’s tricks; Regina Jaquess (USA), women’s slalom and overall; Adam Pickos (USA), men’s tricks; Adam Sedlmajer (Czech Republic), men’s overall; and Nate Smith (USA), men’s slalom 
MasterCraft Trick Skiers –National Information
I have been informed by the Chief Driver that the MasterCraft Trick Boats for Nationals will be set up with no weights. You will be able to add only the normal balancing weights per the rules. This was discussed at length by the LOC along with all committees that would have any input. It should give you enough time to practice accordingly. See you in San Marcos! Bob Archambeau Records Fall At The 2017 Southern Regional Championships
By Jeff Clark The 2017 Southern Regional Championships was a great event hosted by LymanLand USA in Tuscaloosa AL this past week. The excellent planning by Lyman Hardy, Taylor Hardy, Sandy Cates and their group of volunteers prior to the tournament in the event schedule and hospitality provided to all of the competitors and officials made this a Regional tournament to be remembered for a long time. During the Council and general membership meeting on Thursday evening, Bob Archambeau, was re-elected Executive Vice President of the Southern Region for the coming year and Jim Jaquess was re-elected to another 3-year term as Director for the region. The meeting was very well attended by the membership and there was good input from everyone and we look forward to a great year ahead. The details of the meeting will be available when the minutes are posted. The following Southern Regional Records were set during the tournament: The Men 3 Trick record was raised by Benjamin Lohr, Orlando, FL with a score of 7700. This beat one of our oldest records set in 1998 by Mike Morgan with a score of 7400 points. Jack Mills from Jacksonville, FL, raised the Men 6 Slalom record with a performance of 3 buoys at 10.75/55kph which he set last year with a score of 6 buoys on a 11.25m line. Hank Longo from Winter Haven, FL broke the long-standing Men 7 Jump record held by the late Tom Kelly from West Palm Beach, FL and set in 1999 with a jump of 98’/29.8m with a big-time leap of 102’/31.0m. Bill Schouten from Alexander City, AL, tied his Men 11 Slalom record from 2015 with a score of 2 buoys on a 23m line at 25kph. Kennedy Hansen from Milton, FL, broke the Girls 2 Jump record with a distance of 110’/33.6m which broke the previous record held by Brooke Baldwin of 103’/31.5m set in 2013. April Coble-Eller from Lillington, NC, set a new Master Women Slalom record with a score of 3 buoys on a 11.25m line at 55kph, which eclipsed the record set by Jennifer Lapoint with 1 buoy on a 11.25m line in 2016. Joy Kelley from Loudon, TN, upped her jump record in Women 5 to 110’/33.6m from the 108’/33.1m that she set last year. She also upped the Slalom record from the tie with Cyndi Benzel (2010) and she tied in 2015 with 5 buoys at 12/52kph with a score of 0.5 buoy at 11.25/52kph. Brenda Cavenaugh from Santa Rosa Beach, FL, has established a Women 7 Overall record with a score of 1317.9 points Regina Jaquess from Santa Rosa Beach, FL, added another six feet to the Open Women Jump record with a jump of 171’/52.3m and upped her Overall record to 4129.1 points from the previous 4065.4 points that she posted in 2015. Congratulations to all of our skiers for these great performances at the 2017 Southern Regional Championships held at Lymanland USA, a great water skiing facility. 
I believe someone may have accidentally taken Amber Ahos jump rope and handle Saturday during regionals, it was a blue and white Kruger ski fly handle with a black and white Kruger mainline jump rope. It was brand new with almost no use so it looks very new and is in perfect condition. The handle length is 10 inches and the diameter is a .94. If anybody took a rope Saturday that fits this description, please take a look and make sure you didn't accidentally take hers. If found you can contact her at aho@iastate.edu or at her mobile phone which is 763-202-9815.
Regional t shirts for sale 1-$14, 2 for $20 iludes shipping...Lyman Hardy
2017 Southern Regionals
Scorebook for Wednesday Scorebook for Thursday SCOREBOOK FOR FRIDAY SCOREBOOK FOR SATURDAY SCOREBOOK FOR SUNDAY The road to the 75th GOODE Water Ski National Championships continues this week with the Southern Regional Water Ski Championships at Lymanland USA in Duncanville, Ala. Look for live scoring at www.waterskiresults.com.
Attention American Water Ski Association trick technical controllers, judges and ski clubs: In the past there has not been an easy method to time/judge tricks using SD cards on Win7/10 computers. Some are using QuickTime, but due to the steps and process involved, it is easy to make an error and is not recommended. Others use an additional camera/computer/splitter/converter, etc., to play the SD card to a timing computer and to the judges’ screen (time consuming & additional expense).
Read all of New/Upgraded Splasheye Trick Program Boat Draw Announced For GOODE Nationals
Manufacturers Nautique, MasterCraft, Malibu and Centurion will pull the Nationals. Athletes will have their choice of towboat for the tricks event. 
Greetings Southern Region 2017 Junior Development Team, team parents, sponsors, and anyone interested in Jr. Development. We have a great group of Junior skiers in the region and the Junior Development Team are a great group of young athletes. I am proud to know many of the team and look forward to meeting them all. I can truly say that the team members that I know are not only outstanding skiers, but they are also outstanding young people and I am sure they will make us all proud in the Southern Region.
We have a lot planned for this year and while I just got this assignment and it is very late in the season to get started, we are hitting the ground running. Let me ask for your forgiveness in advance for any mistakes, oversights, or flat out blunders that I am sure to make. Rest assured, I will be doing my very best and when (notice I did not say 'if") mistakes are made, please do not hesitate to bring them to my attention so that I may do what is necessary to make things right as soon as may be! So, here are a few of the things that you can look forward to in the immediate future: (I will be sending an email to all team members and their parents with specifics) 1) Sponsorships We will be offering sponsorships that will be for each skier. You will receive a sponsorship packet. Many of you have already received one. This is a way to raise money to cover the cost of team swag, a portion of the cost of clinics, and perhaps some "scholarship" money for attending ski schools or clinics that are offered by other entities.The sponsorships are $100.00 each. Trey has already gotten four sponsorships and has at least four more potential sponsorships in the works! We highly encourage each team member to get at least one sponsor. This is NOT a requirement to be on the team, but it would really help if each member could get at least one. 2) The Regionals Obviously, this tournament is less than a month away. In addition to the great competition that is always a part of the Regionals, the great host site of Lyman Land, and the Junior Development Awards Banquet, this is where your team "Swag" will be presented and where the team picture will be taken. We have some very cool stuff in store for you and you will not want to miss the banquet! 3) National tune up clinic This will be held starting the Monday after the Regionals. This is Monday the 24th of July through Friday the 28th and will be a Swerve Water Sports in Manchester Tennessee. That's it for now! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions. Believe me, I need all the help I can get! I hope you are all skiing well, lots of P.B's and having a fun and safe summer! See you at the tournaments! Freddie Snell 1380 Suzanne Dr. Murfreesboro, Tn. 37128 Junior Development Announcement
Southern Region Junior Development program I am behind it appointing a committee lead for our Junior Development program. I am pleased to announce that Freddie Snell out of Murfreesboro, TN has stepped up to take over this critical role. Freddie not only stepped up but has been endorsed by several council members as a solid choice for this job. We will be quickly starting to catch up. The team will be announced shortly by Freddy and I ask that parents of the Southern Region Team contact Freddie to share your contact information. We will be attempting to contact you also but we need to request your help. Freddie’s contact information is as follows… Freddie Snell whitebayfreddie@yahoo.com 615 631 7611 Thanks Bob A 7 U.S. Athletes Win Junior U.S. Open Titles
Read all of 7 U.S. Athletes Win Junior U.S. Open Titles Sarasota Ski-A-Rees Win Southern Regionals
Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners The USA Water Ski Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of its 2017 Scholarship Awards. The USA Water Ski Foundation scholarships are awarded each year to water skiers who best represent – through achievements in academics and sports – what it means to be an ambassador and an athlete, and whose contributions to school and community set them apart in a special way.Read all of Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners
Five Things To Know This Week Here are five things to know for the week of June 19: Read all of Five Things To Know This Week AWSA Delays Full Level 10 Implementation
What does this mean? AWSA will still track a list of L10 skiers athttp://www.usawaterski.org/pages/divisions/3event/L10List.pdf, but these skiers can ski in Open, Masters, or their respective age division for the remainder of the 2017 ski year. There are two parts of rule 3.03 that will remain in effect. 1.) Rule 3.03F4 “Skiers with a Level 9 or 10 qualification in one or two events and skiing in a tournament with placement, such as Regional or National tournaments, may ski in the Elite division for placement and may also ski a second time in their age division event, for Overall score purposes only, if desiring to compete for Overall placement.” 2.) Rule 3.03C2c “Open, Level 10 ranked skiers may ski in their respective age division for score only and no placement. Their scores will be posted in the Open division and will not be included in the age division rankings list for that event(s). This option would not apply at Regionals or Nationals.” “We will now have the opportunity to view the progress of this new rule regarding the elite athletes,” said AWSA President Jeff Surdej. “There has been quite a lot of feedback and this is a great opportunity for us to test it out and continue to make any necessary upgrades to this rule.” 
Six Water Ski Athletes Selected
To 2017 U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team Team will compete in 8th Under 21 World Championships POLK CITY, Fla., June 4, 2017 - USA Water Ski is pleased to announce the selection of the 2017 U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team. The six-member team, selected by the American Water Ski Association's International Activities Committee, will compete in the 8th Under 21 Water Ski World Championships, July 13-16, in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Athletes selected to the 2017 U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team were (alphabetical order):Bailey Austin (Buda, Texas), Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.), Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Abbi Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Taylor Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas) and Nicholas Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.). The team members were selected based on a performance criteria established by the International Activities Committee and approved by the American Water Ski Association board of directors. The United States has won the Under 21 world team title in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. France won in 2007. 
U.S. Athlete Nate Smith Wins Men's SlalomAt 58th Nautique Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament
U.S. athletes Brooke Baldwin and Ryan Canepa win titles at 25th Nautique Junior Masters Water Ski Tournament POLK CITY, Fla., May 28, 2017 - U.S. water ski athlete Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.)won the men's slalom title for the third consecutive year and fourth time in his career at the 58th Nautique Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, presented by GM Marine Engine Technology, May 27-28, at Callaway Gardens' Robin Lake in Pine Mountain, Ga. Smith, the lone U.S. water ski athlete to win a title this year, needed a runoff against Great Britain's Will Asher to secure the title. After both skiers tied with 3 buoys at 41 feet off in the finals, Smith won the subsequent runoff with a score of 4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Asher's 2-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. Canada's Steven Neveu and U.S. athlete Jon Travers (Groveland, Fla.) rounded out the top-four placements (2 buoys at 41 feet off). Neveu won their runoff with a score of 6 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off to Travers' 5 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. In women's slalom, Canada's Whitney McClintock won her second career Masters slalom title, scoring a course record of 5 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off. France's Manon Costardfinished second (4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off), followed by U.S. athlete Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), the top seed in the finals and defending champion (1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off), and U.S. athlete Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.), who was competing in her first Masters (3 buoys at 38 feet off). In men's tricks, Belarus' Aliaksei Zharnasek won his second consecutive and third career Masters title with a score of 12,020 points. U.S. athlete Adam Pickos (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) finished second with 11,440 points and France's Pierre Ballon placed third with 10,750 points. In women's tricks, Canada's Neilly Ross won her first career Masters title with a course record of 10,350 points. U.S. athlete Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished runner-up with 10,130 points, and U.S. athlete Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), the defending champion who set a course record of 10,220 points in Saturday's elimination round, placed third with 9,980 points. In men's jumping, Canada's Ryan Dodd won his fourth career Masters title with a course record distance of 243 feet on first jump attempt. Germany's Bojan Schipner and Great Britain's Damien Sharman rounded out the top-three placements with distances of 222 feet feet and 217 feet, respectively. U.S. athlete Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.), the defending champion, opted not to compete in the finals due to injuries suffered in Saturday's elimination round. Krueger endured a hard crash on his first attempt in Saturday's elimination round, but still managed to qualify as the No. 2 seed for the finals with a 222-foot jump on his third attempt. In women's jumping, Australia's Jacinta Carroll won her fifth consecutive Masters title with a distance of 186 feet. Jaquess finished second with a distance of 178 feet and U.S. athleteLauren Morgan (Odessa, Fla.) was third (165 feet). U.S. water ski athletes Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) and Ryan Canepa (Elk Grove, Calif.) won respective titles on Friday (May 26) at the 25th Nautique Junior Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament. Baldwin scored 8,170 points in winning junior women's tricks. Canada's Paige Rini (8,020 points) and Chile's Valentina Gonzalez (7,130 points) rounded out the top-three placements. Canepa scored 0 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in winning his second consecutive junior men's slalom title. France's Louis Duplan-Frobourg (5-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off) finished second and Hungary's Aron Albert (1-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off) placed third. In junior women's slalom, Canada's Jaimee Bull won the title, scoring 3-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off. Peru's Alejandra DeOsma (1 buoy at 38 feet off) finished second and Rini (1/2 buoy at 38 feet off) placed third. Baldwin, the two-time defending junior women's champion, was not eligible to ski in this year's junior women's slalom event because she opted to ski in the women's (elite) slalom event in the 58th Masters. In junior women's jumping, Canada's Dominique Grondin-Allard won the title for the second consecutive year with a distance of 153 feet. Baldwin placed second (149 feet) andItaly's Ginevra Buonopane was third (135 feet). In junior women's overall, Rini won the title with 2,929.4 points after posting scores of 2 buoys at 38 feet off in slalom (elimination round), 8,020 points in tricks (finals) and 121 feet in jumping (elimination round). Gonzalez finished second (2,612.7 points) and DeOsma placed third (2,345.5 points). In junior men's tricks, Mexico's Patricio Font won the title with 9,510 points. Duplan-Fribourg (9,480 points) and Great Britain's Robert Hazelwood (7,880 points) rounded out the top-three placements. In junior men's jumping, Duplan-Fribourg won the title with a distance of 181 feet. Hazelwood placed second (178 feet) and U.S. athlete Quinn Haines (Avon, Conn.) finished third (176 feet). In junior men's overall, Duplan-Fribourg won the title with 3,000 points after recording top scores of 3 buoys at 38 feet off in slalom (elimination round), 9,480 points in tricks (finals) and 185 feet in jumping (elimination round). Hazelwood finished second with 2,709.6 points and Haines placed third with 2,237.4 points. Both tournaments were pulled by the world-record breaking Ski Nautique 200. For complete results of the 58th Masters and 25th Junior Masters, visit www.masterswaterski.com. About USA Water Ski Media Contact:
Scott N. Atkinson Director of Communications Phone: (863) 874-5682 Email address: satkinson@usawaterski.org Midwest Region Wins Team Title At 36th Collegiate All-Stars Water Ski Championships Seven athletes win individual titles POLK CITY, Fla., May 21, 2017 - The National Collegiate Water Ski Association's Midwest Region won the coveted team title for the fourth consecutive year at the 36th Collegiate All-Stars Water Ski Championships, May 20-21, at Bullneck Lake in Scott, Ark. Hosted by the Bullneck Lake Ski Club and the University of Alabama and University of Arkansas water ski teams, the two-day event included the top-10 men and top-10 women from each of the NCWSA's four regions vying for the regional team title and individual titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. The Midwest Region tallied 13,400 points, followed by the South Central Region (11,480 points), Eastern Region (10,845 points) and Western Region (8,715 points). Individual event winners were: Alabama's Julianna Boskus (Elkins, Ark.), women's tricks (2,930 points); Alabama's Abbi Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), women's overall (1,050 points); Louisiana Lafayette's Brittany Greenwood (Little Rock, Ark.), women's jumping (130 feet); Alabama's Samuel Greenwood (Little Rock, Ark.), men's tricks (3,800 points) and overall (1,150 points); Louisiana-Monroe's Tom Poole (Great Britain), men's slalom (2-1/4 buoys at 38 feet off); Louisiana-Monroe's Siani Oliver (Australia), women's slalom (5 buoys at 35 feet off); Alabama's Santiago Varas (Chile), men's jumping (171 feet) For complete scores, visit http://www.usawaterski.org/rankings/ScoreBks/17U048CS.HTM. DRIVERS All Drivers can go to the following link (follow link) and review their boat path. The files are named by Sanction # Driver name (ex. 17SXXX JOESMITH). We encourage that all driver please review. The file may be downloaded or played thru the drop box online. These files are also available to the Regional Council per rule IWWF 15.06 Other Regions can also use this drop box or create their own, but please provide Larry Gisler and Bob Corson the link if using a different drop box (example WEST). Recommend adding something to your regional Web site. 2017 EC Video UPLOADING EC VIDEO will be done by the Tourn TC or designee as follow: 1) Ensure DVR/Recorder time stamp is in sink with the Scoring Program. 2) Scoring Program now has a time stamp data sheet that can be exported (txt file) that will provide the driver name, skier, rope length, speed, score and the TIME (provide scoring is done live/real time). If not score live, recommend use a print out of running order and record driver name and time on the running order (Driver/Scorer should provide). 3)TC to export file from the record. RECOMMEND coping a file for each driver (Class E/L/R Only), approx 30 minutes of his/her short line skiers. This should include all ELITE Division Skiers. 4)Convert the file to AVI (use the EFPLAYER/DVR player program). 5)Name each file by SANCTION #. RECOMMEND -Name file by Sanction# DRIVER NAME (Example 17Sxxx Joe Smith) 6)Upload the files include the TIME STAMP file from the scoring program (or a copy of running order with driver/time) to the drop box using the following link. NOTE: TC Chairmen or designee will move the files from this drop folder to the 2017 EC Video folder to make available for review. NOTE: This is work in progress to meet the rule IWWF 15.06! Dropbox - Submit files Jerry Jackson Mistake in the Regional Guide Ballot
Jane Ellen "Janelle" (Kirtley) Godfrey (1943 - 2017)
Obituary Dec. 8, 1943 - April 28, 2017 Jane Ellen "Janelle" Kirtley Godfrey, age 73, of Quinton, AL, died peacefully at home on April 28, 2017. Janelle is survived by her husband of 52 years, Roland Godfrey of Adamsville, AL; sons Bill Godfrey of Quinton, Perry Godfrey (Faviola) of El Paso, TX and Doug Godfrey (Kristen) of Southbury, CT; brother Bobby Kirtley (Glenda) of Adger, AL; eight grandchildren: Maelissa, Olivia, Kirt, Mark, John, Miranda, Claire and Stephen Godfrey; and great-grandson Brody Osborne. Janelle was born December 8, 1943 in Birmingham to the late Robert H. Kirtley and the late Mary Leona Perry Kirtley. Under the guidance of her parents, Janelle became a skilled water skier, and began competing in water skiing tournaments in 1956. In 1959, at the age of 15, she competed with the U.S. Women's National Water Ski team in Milan, Italy. She went on to win the overall competition in the Masters Water Ski Tournament in 1960. She won the World Tournament Women's Slalom Title in 1961, and the Tricks and Slalom titles in 1963. She also performed in ski shows at Cypress Gardens. She graduated from Banks High School in 1961, and in 1962 she enrolled in the School of Nursing at St Vincent's in Birmingham. She worked as a nurse at Saint Vincent Hospital in Birmingham Al, and then raised her three sons in Forestdale and Adamsville. Later, she conducted health screenings for Equifax and was a Jefferson County school bus driver for Minor High School until her retirement in 2011. Following her marriage to Roland Godfrey, Janelle joined Crumly Chapel United Methodist Church. She and her family were active members, and Janelle kept the church nursery every Sunday for many years. In 2001, Janelle gained the Award of Distinction from the Water Ski Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Alabama Water Ski Hall of Fame in 2016. She enjoyed attending the ASHOF banquet every year since her induction. Janelle was wonderfully caring and selfless, and always put her family first. She was a nurturing soul that rejoiced in the joy in others. Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 2nd at Crumly Chapel United Methodist Church at 12:00 Noon with viewing from 10 am until time of service at the church. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Crumly Chapel United Methodist Church at 336 Crumly Chapel Rd. Birmingham, AL 35214. The family would like to thank Jasper Alabama Hospital. Brice McHale
It is with a broken heart that I post for the McHale family this news about Brice. Brice passed away Thursday. Brice and his family were our first family ever to attend ski school 24 years ago. He was the first little skier I ever skied between my legs when he was 5 years old! He started working here 10 years later and was one of the best coaches I ever had. He went on to compete Nationally and in college and helped so many skiers. For all of the water ski family, Tammy, Jim, and James invite you to their house on Sunday May 7th at 2pm for a service and BBQ. Their address is 4310 Eno Cemetery Rd Cedar Grove NC 27231 They plan on doing something in lieu of flowers but that is TBD. We will miss you Brice McHale❤️🙏🏼 April Coble Eller 
In Memoriam: Willa Cook, 1928-2017Willa Cook, a three-time world overall water ski champion, one of the greatest female show skiers of all time, and a member of the inaugural class (1982) of the USA Water Ski Foundation Water Ski Hall of Fame, passed away on Saturday. She was 89 years old. Information on services will be published in this space as soon as it becomes available. The following is republished from her Water Ski Hall of Fame biography.
When she came East from her home in Lake Oswego, Ore., in 1946 to enter her first National Water Ski Championships at Holland, Mich., the organized sport was just emerging into true national status. She won the slalom, tricks and overall titles to launch a tournament career that was equaled only by her years as water skiing's most talented show skier. Willa began water skiing in 1942 at the insistence of her father Wally who was operating a marina in Lake Oswego. She was 14 at the time, and her interest in athletics was confined to her training to become an AAU diver. However, she was spending some time on the water riding an aquaplane, and when her father insisted she try a pair of water skis, she was hooked. Her first time around the lake convinced her that this was "the greatest of all sports." Three years later, Don Ibsen, one of water skiing's pioneers, brought a traveling ski show to Lake Oswego, and when he saw Willa' s natural ability, he invited her to perform a hula act with his troupe and convinced her that she should aim for the national championships. Ibsen proved to be a good judge of talent. Until her retirement from active competition in 1955, Willa won the overall crown in eight of the nine Nationals she entered. She picked up 18 national event titles and never lost in tricks at the Nationals. She scored a rare "clean sweep" of all three events in the 1949 and 1951 Championships. She represented the U.S. at four world tournaments – in 1949 at Juan Les Pins, France; 1950 at Cypress Gardens; 1953 at Toronto, Canada, and 1955 at Beirut, Lebanon. She won the overall title three times and scored five world event victories in the process. Willa described as her "proudest moment" in the sport her carrying the American flag in the victory parade of nations at Beirut as the band played "The Star Spangled Banner." Willa's show career began in earnest in 1947, when she organized the Lake Oswego Water Ski Club and encouraged the members to form a traveling ski show that played at festivals. A ballet routine she developed became the most popular act in the show. Word of her talent spread, and in 1948 Dick Pope invited her to join the Cypress Gardens Show to perform as prima ballerina and teach his aquamaids. She continued as the show's star attraction for 10 years, all the while designing costumes, choreographing routines, directing films, performing in numerous motion picture and TV Productions, and teaching water skiing to many young hopefuls who later became champion tournament skiers as well as show stars. She was the first to employ a musical background for show skiing. Among her many other show innovations were the back swan, the backward jump (which they said at the time couldn't be done), the toe 360 and the swivel swan. Willa used the swivel swan in her winning tricks routine at the 1950 world tournament, but it was later outlawed as a "gadget not readily available to all." However, her swivel ski became the standard for water ski shows ever since. Innovations in tricks came naturally for Willa. "My theory is if you can feel it, ski it," she once commented, adding "I do a lot of analyzing and dry-run skiing in my mind and then I transpose it to the practice session." That's the way she taught her skiing pupils, and it serves as a successful formula for trick skiers to this day. As it has done for so many others, water skiing opened a whole new world for Willa. "I was just a country girl," she says. "I knew pigs and chickens and horses, and I knew water, but little did I dream where water skiing would take me." New Trick Timing Program SplashEye Trick Timer for Pre-Recorded Run - Next Generation Water Skiing Technology
New Trick Timing Program: Go to http://www.splasheye.com/ and request from Donal FREE Spalsheye Trick Timer Program that can be used on Windows 8-10 computer for Pre-Recorded Trick Runs (example when using SD cards) . Can not be used for live feed. TC recommends this over QuickTime which several sites have been using. JERRY JACKSON slalomjj@bellsouth.net Clarification Regarding AWSA Rule 10.06C
Registration Open For GOODE Nationals
Read all of Registration Open For GOODE Nationals 
Introducing Nautique Swervin' Weekends
Nautique is proud to announce a brand-new series of events for 2017 dubbed Nautique Swervin’ Weekends presented by HO Skis, USA Water Ski and the American Water Ski Association (AWSA). Designed to expose people to water skiing in a fun and laid-back environment, the nine-stop event series kicks off in April and will be pulled by the record-setting Ski Nautique 200. Completely free of charge for all participants that sign up, these USA Water Ski sanctioned events are aimed to bring everyone together to further the growth of water skiing around the country. Read all of Introducing Nautique Swervin' Weekends 2017 AWSA Rulebook Now Available
Malibu Junior U.S. Open Entry Info Available
Jump/Trick Computers For Sale- Tourn ready; Win XP SP2, ATI All In Wonder Pro video capture card, Bob Corson's Video JUMP and TRICK programs loaded and tested. Includes keyboard/mouse, and monitor.
Available for $165.00. Only a few remaining; Contact Jerry Jackson slalomjj@bellsouth.net or 706-394-9240. AWSA Zero Based Scoring Modified
New AWSA Level 10 and Rule 3.03 FAQ
You can read all the details and an FAQ by clicking here. U.S. Athletes Freddy Krueger & Franck Desboyaux
Win Titles At 57th Moomba Masters Bailey Austin & Anna Gay win titles at Junior Moomba Masters POLK CITY, Fla., March 13, 2017 - U.S. athletes Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.)and Franck Desboyaux (Windermere, Fla.) won titles in respective events at the 57th Moomba Masters International Invitational, presented by Nautique, March 10-13, on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. Krueger won the men's jumping title - soaring a Moomba Masters' course-record 237 feet in the finals - over Canada's Ryan Dodd (229 feet), who set a course-record of 232 feet in the semifinals. It was Krueger's eighth career Moomba Masters title. U.S. athletes Zack Worden (Orlando, Fla.) and Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed third (221 feet) and eighth (204 feet), respectively. Desboyaux won the men's tricks title, scoring 10,630 points in the finals. France's Pierre Ballon finished second (10,160 points) and Adam Sedlmajer of the Czech Republic placed third (9,920 points). U.S. athletes Jimmy Siemers (Round Rock, Texas), Russell Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Dylan Schaffer (Owens Cross Roads, Ala.) placed fourth (9,920 points), fifth (9,170 points) and seventh (6,950 points), respectively. Other athletes winning titles were: Canada's Whitney McClintock, women's slalom (1 buoy at 39-1/2 feet off) and overall (2,546.79 points); Czech Republic's Adam Sedlmajer, men's overall (2,977.16 points); Italy's Thomas Degasperi, men's slalom (3 buoys at 41 feet off, course record tie); Canada's Neilly Ross, women's tricks (9,920 points); and Australia's Jacinta Carroll, women's jumping (186 feet, course record). Other highlights from U.S. athletes competing: Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed third in women's overall (2,321.03 points) and sixth in slalom (1/2 buoy at 38 feet off) and tricks (7,390 points); Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished second in women's tricks (9,670 points);Alex Lauretano (Windermere, Fla.) placed second in women's jumping (175 feet); Dylan Schaffer (Owens Cross Roads, Ala.), placed third in men's overall (2,430.36 points); Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.) finished second in men's slalom (1-1/2 buoys at 41 feet off); and Karen Truelove (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed fourth in women's slalom (3 buoys at 38 feet off). Gay also broke her own course record of 9,920 points (2016) with a score of 10,350 points in the preliminary round of women's tricks. In the night competitions, Smith won the men's slalom title (1 buoy at 41 feet off) over Great Britain's Freddie Winter (4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off), while Dodd won the jumping title (213 feet) over Krueger (201 feet). Complete results can be found by visiting http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/17AUS318/. U.S. water ski athletes Bailey Austin (Buda, Texas) and Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.)won titles in respective events at the 2017 Junior Moomba Masters, March 8-9, in Melbourne, Australia. Athletes competed for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. The Junior Moomba Masters determines champions by the two-round scoring total. Gay won her first career Junior Moomba Masters girls' tricks and overall titles. She won tricks with a course record 10,440 points in round one and 10,220 points in round two. She also placed fifth in jumping (109 feet/113 feet) and seventh in slalom (1-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off/0 buoys at 35 feet off). She clinched the overall title with 2,597.90 points. Austin won her second career Junior Moomba Masters girls' slalom title, scoring a course-record 2-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off in round one and 2-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off in round two. U.S. athlete Alexandra Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed fifth with a score of 2 buoys at 35 feet off in both rounds, while Gay finished seventh (1-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off/0 buoys at 35 feet off). Ryan Canepa (Elk Grove, Calif.) placed third in boys' slalom, 10th in tricks, ninth in jumping and sixth overall. Ryan Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) placed seventh in boys' tricks.Emma Morgan (McQueeney, Texas) placed fourth in jumping, 13th in slalom, ninth in tricks and sixth overall. Other Junior Moomba Masters champions were: Peru's Alejandra De Osma, girls' jumping;Mexico's Patricio Font, boys' slalom and tricks; Australia's Ethan McKinnon, boys' jumping; and Argentina's Tobias Giorgis, boys' overall. Complete Junior Moomba Masters results can be found here: http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/competition.php?cc=T-17AUS316&page=TimeTable. Online Judges/Scorers Clinic Set For March 11
Notice of Virtual AWSA Judges/Scorers Clinic on 3/11/2017
AWSA Regular and Senior Judges and Scorers are required to attend a clinic once every four years as part of their rating maintenance requirements. The next virtual Judges/Scorers clinic will be held March 11, 2017 via GoToMeeting. There will also be a virtual weeknight clinic scheduled within the next 2-3 weeks (date TBD). If you are interested in participating and have not already done so, please contact Bob Harris at rbtharris@yahoo.com to let him know you'd like to attend and provide him with your membership number. Bob will provide you with any technical requirements/instructions. Clinic Fee Payment: The $10 clinic fee payment can be made by check sent to my attention at USA Water Ski or via PayPal to usawaterski@usawaterski.org. Be sure to include a note with your name, membership number and that the payment is for a virtual clinic and the clinic date. Clinic Credit: The virtual clinic fully meets the clinic requirement for rating maintenance, upgrade and reinstatement credit and is approved by the AWSA Judges and Scorers Committee. Clinic Schedule: Use the link below to view a complete listing of currently sanctioned clinics. Check back often as this list is updated as new clinics are sanctioned. http://www.usawaterski.org/pages/officials/OfficialsClinics.pdf Thanks again for volunteering your efforts for a great sport! MELANIE HANSON Director of Membership Programs Officials’ Program Coordinator ZBS - Zero Based Scoring
Dear Southern Region, Many of our membership have reached out to their directors and myself in reaction to a new rule ZBS. Now it is time to voice your opinion to AWSA Leadership. Yesterday 2/27 a survey went out to all active members to ask for your opinion. I encourage you to all participate in this survey as any rule change has an impact on all of us. This went out to your registered Email address. It is simple to do just click and go. This is urgent. Participate right away. The survey will only be available a short time! Thank you Bob A - EVP Jim J, Lyman H and Leon L - S Reg Directors AWSA Rule Changes Now Available
National Junior Water Ski Teams Selected
Top junior water ski athletes from across the nation have been selected to the American Water Ski Association's National Junior Water Ski Team and the National Junior Development Water Ski Team for 2017. The 36 selections from the Boys/Girls 2 (13 and under) and Boys/Girls 3 (17 and under) divisions were based on performances during the 2016 tournament season. Read all of National Junior Water Ski Teams Selected Water Ski Worlds' Bulletin 1 Available
Schedule Announced For GOODE Nationals
USA Water Ski Board Approves Officers, Budget
The USA Water Ski board of directors held its annual mid-winter meeting on Jan. 29 at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, Fla. Items approved by the board included the 2017 USA Water Ski budget and the 2017-2018 USA Water Ski officers. The 2017-2018 officers are: Doug Robbins, chairman of the board; Tim Cullen, president; Dale Stevens, vice president; and Robert Rhyne, treasurer. Jim Grew retired after serving 10 years as president of the organization. Dave Clark was approved as a new Honorary National Director. USA Water Ski and the American Water Ski Association
are pleased to announce that the 2018 Water Ski National Championships will be held Aug. 8-11, 2018, at Mystic Lakes in Maize, Kan. The bid from the Mystic Lakes Ski Club was approved by the AWSA board of directors at its mid-winter meeting on Jan. 28.The Mystic Lakes Ski Club, which includes two world-record capability water ski lakes, has previously hosted the Midwest Regional Water Ski Championships, Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships and Barefoot Water Ski National Championships. It will mark the first time that the state of Kansas has hosted the Water Ski National Championships. More than 600 of the nation's top water ski athletes from across the United States are expected to compete for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in respective age divisions and two Open divisions at the Nationals, the world’s largest three-event water ski tournament. Advancement to the Nationals is primarily earned through placement on the national rankings list. Athletes also can qualify for the Nationals by placing in the top-five at Regionals or by placing in the top-five at the previous year's Nationals. The first national championships was held in 1939 at Jones Beach in Long Island, N.Y. Except for three years during World War II (1942-1944), the Nationals has been held every year since 1939. The 2017 GOODE Water Ski National Championships, the 75th edition of the Nationals, will be held Aug. 9-12 at the San Marcos River Ranch in Martindale, Texas. Florida Waterski Federation
Official Announcement: The 2017 Florida State 3 event waterski championships have been awarded to the Pickos Waterski Club in Santa Rosa Beach Florida. Chief Judge Curtis Rabe would like to invite all Florida skiers to participate at one of the worlds finest waterski facility's. Dates are July 8/9 2017. Come Join the Pickos ski club and enjoy what the gulf panhandle ofFlorida has to offer. Please see the Southern Regional guide, www.floridawaterskifederation.com or this FB page for updates and information (coming soon). Worlds most beautiful beaches! Jerry Hargis
North Carolina and the World of Water Skiing just lost a dear friend today. We learned that Jerry Hargis (NC) experienced a heart attack this afternoon and has passed away. Messages have been coming in from across the globe which is a great tribute for such a huge contributor to our sport. Our prayers and thoughts are with Brenda and his family. For now, please follow the comments on Facebook and Twitter to understand the impact he had on so many people. More details will be forthcoming… Jerry Wayne Hargis 10/31/1945 ~ 01/18/2017 Angier – Jerry Wayne Hargis, 71, passed away Wednesday. He was born in Lynchburg, Va., the son of the late Denton Wade and Edna Byrd Hargis. Funeral Services will be held Sunday at 3:00 pm at Oak Grove Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Surviving are his wife of 49 years, Brenda Jarman Hargis; daughter, Tammy Hargis-Thomas (Johnny) of Sanford; sisters, Shelia Roberts (Dwight), Denise Wooten (David) both of Angier; brothers, Glenn Hargis and Ronnie Hargis, both of Angier; grandchildren, Brooke Carlie Thomas and John Brody Thomas; brother –in-law, Daryle Jarman (Cindy) mother-in-law, Lou Jarman; niece, Leslie Lambert (Steven); great nieces and nephews, Makayla, Sierra, Wyatt, Brantley; and many other special nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends Saturday from 7:00 – 9:00 PM at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier and all other times at the residence. Special contributions may be made to Adaptive Sports and Adventures Program, Carolinas Rehabilitation, ASAP Water Ski Team, 1100 Blythe Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203 or online at www.givecarolinas.org/asap or memorial contributions to Oak Grove Baptist Church, 851 Oak Grove Church Road, Angier, NC 27501. Visitation01/21/20177:00 PM - 9:00 PMBryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier Service01/22/20173:00 PMOak Grove Baptist Church, Angier Southern Region Guide Deadlines
The deadline for getting your tournament announcement into the Southern Region Guide is Sunday, January 22nd, 2017. There is very little flexibility in this timeline due to publication requirements so please make every effort to get your tournaments into the sanctioning system. To pay the Southern Region Sanction Fee Go to the southern region web site at… http://www.awsasouth.org/index.html Click on “Payments Tab” Select the sanction description that fits your event Follow directions to pay We are also accepting ads to be inserted in the Guide. This is the only way we help fund the costs we incur in the publications. Business Card to Full Page ads is available. All ads and pictures must be in black & white to be printed. Please submit ads to me at EVP@AWSASouth.org or cut2dramp@gmail.com. Cost of Ads are as follows: $ 50 business card $150 quarter page $250 half page $400 full page Payments for ads are the same process as above for S Reg Sanction Fees. Just look for the Ad Payment tab Bob A.
Club Challenge Contest Winners Announced USA Water Ski is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Club Growth Challenge Initiatives Contest. The contest encouraged the USA Water Ski membership and sport discipline organizations to get more people on the water and affiliate with USA Water Ski.The respective challenges and winners from 2016 were as follows:
1. Club Membership Growth Challenge: USA Water Ski challenged all of its 600 USA Water Ski clubs to see which club could enroll the most new USA Water Ski members in 2016. Members had to be registered in the Active (Full Active, Family Active or Under 25) or Grassroots categories. The Lake McQueeney Ski Bees (McQueeney, Texas) brought in 48 new members and will receive a free club membership for 2017 and a $100 donation to be used as the club determines. 2. Collegiate Challenge: USA Water Ski challenged its collegiate clubs – this included clubs with the National Collegiate Water Ski Association and the registered collegiate clubs through USA Wakeboard – to promote membership. The University of Wisconsin Water Ski Team (Madison, Wis.) brought in 28 new members and will receive a complimentary USA Water Ski membership for 2017 and a $100 donation to be used as the team determines. 3. Club Event Challenge: USA Water Ski challenged its clubs to see which club could host the most sanctioned events in these two separate categories during 2016: 1.) Basic Skills clinics; and 2.) Grassroots tournaments. Ann's Angels Water Ski Foundation (Winter Haven, Fla.) hosted nine Basic Skills Clinics; the Knotty Girl (Winter Haven, Fla.) hosted eight stand-alone Grassroots U.S. Team Places Fourth At Junior Worlds
The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team placed fourth and U.S. water ski athletes Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) and Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) won individual gold medals in respective events at the 16th Junior Water Ski World Championships, Jan. 5-8, at Lago Los Morros in San Bernardo, Chile. Canada won the gold medal with 7,616.36 points, France earned the silver medal with 7,472.47 points and Great Britain earned the bronze medal with 7,406.40 points. Athletes and teams from 21 countries competed in the four-day tournament as the world team title and world individual titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall were at stake. Read all of U.S. Team Places Fourth At Junior Worlds In Memoriam: James Salmas, 1925-2017
Tillman Funeral Home & Crematory in West Palm Beach, Fla., is handling arrangements. 
Florida Waterski Federation
6 hrs · On a sad note: Legendary Florida water skier Jim Salmas has passed Away. What I know of Jim he was a very passionate three event skier. Jim a Florida Hall of fame as well as USAWS Hall of fame award of distinction winner. More info to come as is it develops. God's Speed Jim!! Junior Water Ski Worlds Begins Thursday
Kristen Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) and Alexandra Garcia (Winter Garden, Fla.) will be competing as U.S. independents. Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas) is the coach, Brenda Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) is team manager, and Dr. Kurt Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas) is the team physician. In addition to the coveted world team title, athletes from more than 25 countries will compete for individual medals in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall at the Junior Worlds. The United States has won world team titles in 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. France won in 1998 and 2006. Canada won in 2004. Running orders and live results can be viewed at: http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/16IWWF03/. 
Hot off the press!!
HQ is pleased to announce that Michael Newth has been hired to work at USA Water Ski Headquarters as our Membership Development and Engagement Coordinator. Michael graduated from Kansas State University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. He has served on the Midwest Collegiate Water Ski board, and has made growing collegiate water skiing a priority. He has assisted with websites for AWSA Midwest, MCWSA, Missouri Waterski Federation, Kansas Waterski Federation and more. He has experience with web development and design, software design, media production and has worked within the Sales Force platform, a new initiative for USA Water Ski mass communications. Michael replaces Lauren Pugh, who has been with USA Water Ski since October. Lauren has accepted a contract with Universal Studios to perform as the lead character in the Water World show in Osaka, Japan, beginning in late February. This is an opportunity that she could not refuse and we encouraged her to accept this amazing offer. Michael will begin with USA Water Ski on January 23, 2017. The Membership Development and Engagement Coordinator is the Headquarters lead for social media communications, contests and campaigns, collegiate program education and development, and membership development initiatives. Michael will also work with the Sales Force marketing platform and other membership initiatives. We look forward to his arrival and the talents he brings to our Headquarters operation. Welcome to Florida Mike! SMRR To Host 2017 GOODE Nationals
USA Water Ski and the American Water Ski Association are pleased to announce that the 75th GOODE Water Ski National Championships will be held Aug. 9-12 at the San Marcos River Ranch in Martindale, Texas. The American Water Ski Association’s board of directors approved the bid from the San Marcos River Ranch to host the 2017 Nationals. The San Marcos River Ranch, a private water ski development featuring four world record-capability water ski lakes, is located between Austin and San Antonio along the San Marcos River. It previously hosted the 2014 GOODE Water Ski National Championships. Read all of SMRR To Host 2017 GOODE Nationals Nautique Releases 2017 Big Dawg Schedule
Nautique, a premier sponsor of USA Water Ski, is proud to announce the dates and locations for the 2017 Nautique Big Dawg World Tour, presented by O’Brien. Going into its 12th season, the Big Dawg World Tour is exclusively pulled by the world-record setting Ski Nautique 200. For the 2017 season, the tour will include four qualifying stops around the globe at premier water ski venues as the top 34-mph slalom skiers who are 35+ battle it out for a spot in the Big Dawg World Tour Finals. 2017 Nautique Big Dawg World Tour Stop #1 - May 13-14 at the Greater Miami Ski Club, Miami, Fla Stop #2 - June 10-11 at Ezylake, Rue Pierre Mendes, France Stop #3 - July 1-2 at the Seseña Waterski Complex, Seseña, Spain Stop #4 - August 5-6 at the Little Mountain Ski Club, Maiden, N.C. President’s Summary of FWSF Mid-Winter Meeting
Posted on December 15, 2016 by jeff Clark Here is a recap of the recent meeting in December. Dues increase for the upcoming season is approved and in place. Along with that, Jeff Clark has provided a breakdown to show where the money is applied. We feel this is well needed and is in place to aid our sport with expenses that are not covered elsewhere. Also, PayPal will be in place to assist in collection of these. Finally, we are marketing the federation. We now have our own Facebook page thanks to Monica Seal. Please connect with the federation for updates, pictures, and video. This should give the state more exposure and bring us up to date with social media. Still in need of a host site and LOC for the Florida State Championships. Please contact Curtis Rabe or any of the council/officers with possible candidates. If you need to look at a template for budget reasons we can provide that also. Qualifications for Florida States has also changed somewhat to bring/allow more skiers to compete and become more aligned with our Regional qualifications. Please check qualifications in your respected division for the latest. Some of you may be qualified this year and not know. Also, our general membership meeting time normally held on Saturday night has been changed to Friday night at the host hotel. Time will be determined. This was done to avoid conflict with the Juniors Awards and presentation. Junior development has a new coordinator! Brian Walsh has taken the reins and to date, has already had a successful clinic of 16 participants. Thanks to Ski Paradise, Ruth Johnston, Stan and Donna Switzer for their support. Also a big thank you to all of the volunteer coaches, drivers, and parents for their help. Last, in search of a team captain for next year’s Regional and National team competition. Please contact Curtis Rabe. Thank you everyone for making this sport enjoyable and have a Merry Christmas! Curtis Rabe President, Florida Water Ski Federation AWSA Approves Four-Round Tournaments
Rule 1.09C ROUNDS PER TOURNAMENT: There shall not be more than three rounds per tournament unless subsequent rounds after the third round are elimination based or sanctioned as Class X.Alternatively, one tournament may be held with four rounds over two or more days. Also, see Rule 13.01.A. 13.01A The tournament may consist of either two or three rounds of competition in each event scheduled. The announcement must state the number of rounds. Tournaments shall be limited to a maximum of three rounds of any one event on days specified in Rule 1.09 unless using the four round over two or more day option, except as provided for in 13.02.A. 13.02A Rounds: The tournament shall consist of no more than three preliminary, non-elimination based rounds and no more than six total rounds. Scores obtained in all rounds shall be included in the ranking list in the same manner that non-elimination based tournaments are included (i.e. generally the best round score). (or see 1.09C) 15.02F4. At USA-WS/AWSA sanctioned tournaments rounds are limited to three per sanction per day unless sanctioned for two or more days. Athletes, Team of the Year Selected USA Water Ski and its respective sport discipline organizations are pleased to announce award recipients for 2016. Dane Mechler (Loveland, Ohio) and Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) have been selected USA Water Ski's 2016 Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively. The U.S. 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team earned USA Water Ski's 2016 Team of the Year honors. The award recipients will be honored at USA Water Ski's annual awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Fla. The reception, which celebrates the 2016 water ski season, will be held in conjunction with USA Water Ski's mid-winter board meetings for the 17th consecutive year.Read all of Athletes, Team of the Year Selected
AWSA Approves Four Towboats For 2017
IWWF Approves Jaquess' World Record
"Final" list of Official Nominations
Attached is the final proposed list of Officials for the 2017 Southern Regional's and Nationals. Please review this list for accuracy and make sure that you contact me with any issues by Monday 12/12 (as this will go out to the council for a formal vote). Please email me at EVP@AWSASouth.org or call at 513 673 6079 with corrections. Thank you! Bob A 
Major Project going on at Paducah, KY
2017 Southern Region Midwinter Council Meeting Dates Finalized For Atlanta
The Mid-Winter Council meeting dates and location have been finalized. The meeting will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday January 7, 2017 at the Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel located near the Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. The Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel is located at 1900 Sullivan Road and is a full service facility with all the amenities. A personalized Web site for AWSA occurring (January 6, 2017 - January 8, 2017) has been created for you. Guests can access the site to learn more about the event and to book, modify, or cancel a reservation from November 4, 2016 to January 6, 2017. Below you will find the appropriate link(s) for your participants to access the site: AWSA (OR copy and paste the following link into a web browser) https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1611040130&key=FC90D70 If arriving by air, a free airport shuttle runs every 20 minutes to the hotel. Go to the shuttle location on the west side of the baggage claim area and look for the Westin/Sheraton shuttle bus. The meeting will be from 9 AM - 5 PM on Saturday only. Ten rooms have been blocked under the Southern Region's name at a discounted rate of $109 + tax. A continental breakfast will be served on Saturday morning in the meeting room at 8 AM and lunch will be on your own from 12 PM to 1 PM. The hotel restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch and there are numerous quality restaurants nearby for lunch and dinner. Our meeting will start promptly at 9 AM for those arriving on Saturday morning. The meeting will be held in the meeting/conference room area. Parking will be complimentary for those attending the meeting. Give your parking ticket to Jeff Clark, at the beginning of the meeting, to have it validated prior to the end of the meeting. U.S. Teams Shine At Pan Am Championships
Four U.S water ski teams – Under 13, Under 21, Over 35 and Over 45 – competing in the 2016 Pan American Water Ski Championships earned overall team gold medals at the biennial event, Nov. 14-20, at Boca Laguna in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. The U.S. Elite Team earned the silver medal and the Under 17 Team earned the bronze medal. Athletes on the six U.S. teams combined to earn 55 individual medals, including 19 gold medals. In addition, in composite team scoring (among all teams/divisions), the United States had the top score with 43,723 points. Canada was runner-up with 39,390 points, and Mexico was third with 25,535 points.Read all of U.S. Teams Shine At Pan Am Championships 
Attention All Southern Region Officials!
It is time for you to nominate yourselves for Officials Positions for the 2017 Southern Regional's and the US Nationals. At this time we do not have a host site for the Nationals but we have been instructed to keep the dates as August 8-12, 2017. As you all know, we will be having the Southern Regional's at LymanLand USA and we need to thank Lyman, his Crew and the city of Tuscaloosa for hosting this event again. Please fill out the forms and get them back to me before Dec 1st. We will be voting on these positions immediately after that. Thanks Bob A EVP Southern Region Connelly Renews Sponsorship Through 2018
USA Water Ski is pleased to announce that Connelly Skis will continue as a Gold Sponsor of the national governing body of organized water skiing through 2018. In addition to its USA Water Ski Gold Sponsor designation, Connelly Skis will be recognized as an Official Sponsor for national championships in three-event water skiing and show skiing in 2017 and 2018, and the title sponsor of the 2017 and 2018 Collegiate Water Ski National Championships. The 2017 Connelly Skis Collegiate Water Ski National Championships will be held Oct. 19-21 at Bennett’s Water Ski & Wakeboard School in Zachary, La. Read all of Connelly Renews Sponsorship Through 2018 AWSA Seeks Bids For 2018 Nationals
New and interesting formats are welcome and encouraged. Bids will be due Dec. 31, 2016 in time for the AWSA Regional and National board meetings. Bids for the 2017 Nationals close Dec. 1 as AWSA hopes to announce the location of this event by the end of the year. 
End of the Year News & Meeting Notice Posted on November 8, 2016 by jeff Wow! Another great season of waterskiing in Florida has come to an end and as usual, weekend after weekend the scores just continued to climb. Congratulations to the skiers and many thanks to all the dedicated officials and site hosts that give of their time & lakes. A reminder that we are only a month away from scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 season. Our meeting is moving to the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex this year on December 03, 2016 at 11:00 (09:00 for officers & board members). The address is 2701 Lake Myrtle Park Road, Auburndale and the building for the meeting will be on your right as you enter the complex. At this time, there has not been any bids submitted to host the 2017 Florida State Championships. If you are interested, please send your completed bid form to me at: rabecurtis@aol.com (Bid form & information available in P & P Manual on our Website and/or in Word upon request). Site owners please think about your date selections in advance so we can work together to get this done in a timely manner. The Southern Regionals will be returning to Lymanland in Tuscaloosa, AL. July 19–23, 2017 and the U.S. Nationals site and dates have not been determined. Let’s reflect and take a look back at the Florida ski season. Along with many weekend tournaments, our state was host to: The LCQ at Sunset Lakes, US Open/Big Dawg World Finals at Okeeheelee Park, and King of Darkness at Isles of Lake Hancock. The Florida State Championships were hosted by the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches and a big thank you to Charlotte Melchers, Dennis Longo and all club members for their continued support and hard work! As usual, our state championships were once again, a first class event! Election of Officers and the Summer business meeting was held on Saturday evening of the same weekend. All officers / council persons were retained with the exception of Brian Guyer has stepped in to fill our open councilman position and Stan Switzer has moved from councilman to Vice President. Also, we now have a new Junior Development Coordinator! Welcome with some renewed energy, Mr. Brian Walsh! Really excited about this and with the assistance of Florida Southern College and Ski Paradise have a junior development clinic with approximately 15 juniors on calendar for November 12th. More on this later! New business to be voted on will be change of time and possible location for the July meeting. Looking at Friday night at 6 pm at host hotel (tbd). As a whole the Florida ski season was a busy but successful one. Please remember that all skiers and “Officials” must be FWSF members. Hoping you have a good off season, if there is one for you, and Spring finds you ready to do it all over again. Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas! All the Best, Curtis Rabe President – FWSF Jaquess Sets Pending World Slalom Record
U.S. athlete Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.) also set a pending Girls 3 national record of 1 buoy at 41 feet off, becoming the youngest female athlete to ever run the 39-1/2 off pass. The world-record capability slalom tournament was for juniors and pros only. Nearly a dozen pro water skiers, including Jaquess, Nate Smith, Will Asher, Thomas Degasperi, Joel Howley, Jon Travers, Jason McClintock, Nick Parsons, Karen Truelove, Scot Ellis and Adam Sedlmajer committed to serve as team captains. Each junior was paired with a pro to ski in a team format. Cash prizes were awarded to the top-three teams. For complete results, visit www.waterskiresults.com. IWWF Seeks Hall of Fame Nominations
Read all of IWWF Seeks Hall of Fame Nominations BUD & JANET PIERCY HONORED FOR LONGEVITY IN THE SPORT
POLK CITY, Fla. – The USA Water Ski Foundation is pleased to announce that Carroll “Bud” & Janet Piercy, as a couple, will be recipients of the newly formed Lifetime Achievement Award. The award, established by the USA Water Ski Foundation’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee last year, recognizes longevity in the sport and goes to those individuals who have been actively involved in one or more of the USA Water Ski sport disciplines for a minimum of 50 years. Whether they are competitors, coaches or behind the scenes tireless promoters and administrators, these individuals have spent at least a half a century being ambassadors of our great sport. The Piercy’s will be recognized at the 2017 Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 29th at Walt Disney’s World Showplace Pavilion at Epcot Theme Park. Inaugural King of Darkness This Weekend
Read all of Inaugural King of Darkness This Weekend In case you missed it, ESPN, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
last weekend for its ESPN College GameDay telecast for the Texas A&M-Alabama tilt, gave some nice props to collegiate water skiing, and in particular, the University of Alabama water ski team. ESPN reporter Marty Smith visited Lyman Hardy’s world famous Lymanland USA for the segment. It can be viewed here: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=17851014. University Of Louisiana-Monroe Wins
2016 Collegiate Water Ski Nationals Championships Warhawks win their 27th national title since inception of event in 1979 EL CENTRO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2016 - The University of Louisiana-Monroe water ski team won the Division 1 national title at the 38th Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Oct. 13-15, at Imperial Lakes. The Warhawks tallied 11,260 points in winning their 27th national team title since the inception of the tournament in 1979. Louisiana-Lafayette, the 2015 national champion, finished second scoring 11,135 points. Florida Southern College, which tallied 10,970 points, placed third. Alabama finished fourth with 10,705 points and Rollins College was fifth with 9,145 points. Water Skiers with Disabilities Association Selects
2017 U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team Team will compete in 2017 Disabled Water Ski World Championships POLK CITY, Fla., Oct. 16, 2016 - The Water Skiers with Disabilities Association, a sport discipline organization of USA Water Ski, has announced the selection of the 2017 U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team that will compete in the 13th Disabled Water Ski World Championships, April 27-30, in Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia. The selections were announced following the conclusion of the 2016 Disabled Water Ski National Championships, Aug. 13-15, in Harmony, N.C. Within each event (slalom, tricks and jumping) at the Disabled Worlds, athletes are grouped into the three categories of seated (paraplegics and quadriplegics), standing (arm and/or leg disabilities with or without prosthesis) and vision impaired (partially or totally blind). At the 2015 Disabled Water Ski World Championships, the U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team won the world team gold medal for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time (and eighth time in the history of the event). Athletes selected to the 2017 U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team were: Dave Carter (Dallas, Ga.) - Seated Men; Nicholas Fairall (Andover, N.H.) - Seated Men; Chad Guzman (Gilbert, Ariz.) - Seated Men; Elijah Hager (Alexis, N.C.) - Seated Men;Katie Mawby (Grand Haven, Mich.) - Vision Impaired 2/3 Women; Robbie Parks (Lexington, N.C.) - Seated Men; Connor Poggetto (Carmichael, Calif.) - Seated Men; Joe Ray (Wilsonville, Ala.) - Seated Men; Mike Royal (Magnolia, Texas) - Vision Impaired 1/Blind Men; Sarah Switzer (Madison, Ala.) - Seated Women; Craig Timm (Center City, Minn.) - Arm Amputee Men; Kerri Vanderbom (Birmingham, Ala.) - Seated Women; and Chuck Wesson (Charlotte, N.C.) - Seated Men. Geneva Brett (Los Banos, Calif.) will serve as manager, Matt Oberholtz (Chico, Calif.) will be the coach; Dr. Keith Barbour (Monroe, Mich.) will be the team physician, and Jennifer Moore (Lexington, N.C.) and Jessica Van Dyk (Belding, Mich.) will serve as assistant managers. AWSA Seeks Staff for 2017 U.S. Teams
The American Water Ski Association’s International Activities Committee is seeking managers, coaches and physicians who are interested in seeking appointment to serve as team staff members at the 2017 Cam Am Challenge, Under 21 Water Ski World Championships and Water Ski World Championships.All interested staff members must notify IAC representative Jim Grew (jimhgrewjr@cs.com) not later than Oct. 25 by completing and forwarding the IAC’s Notice of Interest form, which can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here (PDF). AWSA Seeks Officials For International Events
The American Water Ski Association's International Activities Committee is seeking judges, scorers, drivers and technical coordinators who are interested in seeking appointment to work at 2017 international tournaments, including the Can Am Challenge, Junior U.S. Open, Under 21 Water Ski World Championships, World Games, and Water Ski World Championships. All interested officials and drivers must notify IAC Chairman Jeff Smith (jsmith@honigman.com) not later than Nov. 1 by completing and forwarding the IAC's Notice of Interest form, which can be viewed and d Gay, Jaquess Win U.S. Open Titles
U.S. water ski athletes Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) won titles in respective events on Saturday at the 23rd Nautique U.S. Open of Water Skiing, presented by Roger Dean Chevrolet, at the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches at Okeeheelee Park. Some of the world’s top water ski athletes competed for cash prizes and U.S. Open titles in men’s and women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. Read all of Gay, Jaquess Win U.S. Open Titles Gay, Carroll Set Pending World Records Badal Wins 2016 Big Dawg World Slalom Title
AKTION PARKS BREAKS GROUND ON ELITE CABLE PARK ORLANDO, FL (September 28, 2016) – Today, Aktion Parks, a subsidiary of Correct Craft, broke ground on its third boat and cable park, Elite Cable Park (ECP). Elite Cable Park will be part of the new USA Water Ski Foundation (USA-WSF) headquarters and training center to be built at the city of Auburndale’s $25 million Lake Myrtle Sports Complex located at 905 Lake Myrtle Park Road, Auburndale, FL 33823. Completion of Elite Cable Park is scheduled for Spring 2017, and it is expected to draw wakeboarding enthusiasts, professional competitors, and world-renowned competitions to Auburndale. The park situated on Lake Myrtle, a beautiful 76-acre freshwater lake, will be staffed with experienced coaches offering lessons in wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and other watersports of all skill levels. Like Aktion’s other world famous parks (Orlando Watersports Complex and Miami Watersports Complex), ECP will provide Hyperlite equipment for all lessons and host events that feature the award-winning Nautique Boats. Bill Yeargin, CEO of Correct Craft (owner of Aktion Parks) stated, “We are thrilled to begin construction on Elite Cable Park, Aktion Park’s third boat and cable park.” Yeargin added, “Elite Cable Park will be one of the world’s finest cable parks and as part of the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex will provide world class training and fun to wakeboarders from around the globe.” The ceremonial shovel-turning, featured representatives from partners including the USA Water Ski Foundation, Aktion Parks, City of Auburndale, Polk County, Visit Central Florida, USA Water Ski, Five Star Family Growers, Rodda Construction, JSK Consulting and some of the world’s greatest water skiers and wakeboarders, on the USA Water Ski Foundation property on the South end of Lake Myrtle. For future updates about Elite Cable Park, visit www.aktionparks.com/elite. The 23rd Nautique U.S. Open Water Ski Championships, presented by Roger Dean Chevrolet, will be held Friday and Saturday at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Fla. The world’s top three-event water ski athletes will compete for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. A live webcast of Saturday's finals will be available at www.nautique.com. For more information, click here.
The 2016 Nautique Big Dawg World Slalom Tour Finals, presented by O’Brien, will be held Thursday through Saturday at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Fla. A last chance qualifier will be held on Thursday, followed by two rounds of skiing on Friday and the bracketed Sweet 16 head-to-head finals on Saturday. A live webcast of Saturday's finals will be available at www.nautique.com. For more information, click here. Pan American Water Ski Teams Selected
Read all of Pan American Water Ski Teams Selected Foundation Announces 2017 AOD Recipients
The USA Water Ski Foundation's Hall of Fame Selection Committee has announced the 2017 Water Ski Hall of Fame Award of Distinction recipients. Ralph Armstrong, Nick Barron, Rob Bemman, Joy Kelley and Gary Thompson will be honored for their extraordinary contributions to our sport on April 29 at the Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., at Walt Disney's World Show Place Pavilion at Epcot. They will be honored along with 2017 Hall of Fame inductees Brenda Nichols-Baldwin and Rachael George-Normand. Read all of Foundation Announces 2017 AOD Recipients Videos Posted For Aspiring Tricks Judges
Trick videos are now posted under the Officials' Resources drop-down menu on the 3-event water skiing page to allow everyone to practice calling tricks and hone their skills. There is a 3,000- to 5,000-point category good for advancing to Regular and most Class C tournaments, and a 6,000- to 9,000-point section for advancing to Senior and most E & L tournaments. All trick runs include the scorer's point tabulation so you know how you did. A similar (not duplicated) list exists for AWSA's Regular and Senior Practical Test. Read all of Videos Posted For Aspiring Tricks Judges U.S. Wins Gold At 35+ Water Ski Worlds
Read all of U.S. Wins Gold At 35+ Water Ski Worlds The eight-member U.S. 35+ Water Ski Team and 55 U.S. independent water ski athletes will compete Wednesday through Sunday in the 4th 35+ Water Ski World Championships at the Seseña Water Ski & Wakeboard Complex in Toledo, Spain. A complete listing of participating U.S. athletes and links to live tournament scoring can be viewed at: http://www.iwwfed-ea.org/classic/16IWWF02/.
Jaquess Wins California Pro Am Title
09/08/16
Jones Duo Rewrites State Record Books Saturday Sept 3rd dawned cool and windy for the 21st Annual Stillwater Labor Day Slalom. Performances weren't up to par for most skiers, but two were of special note. The Jones family came ready to ski and it showed. First off, Lake showed signs of things to come by running 32 off in the first round, then in the third round tied the B2 record held by Austin Collins, which is 2@35 off. Kyle'sfirst round looked like the old Kyle as he ran 2@39 off. Then he came back in round two with a M4 State record performance of1@41 off. A score into 41 has never been posted by a Kentucky skier on Kentucky water, so it deserves special note and congratulations. Our offer of free entry to any first time tournament skier was finally accepted. Not only one, but two first timers took to the water. Our own Hartley Davidson skied and ran his opening pass in his first tournament appearance. Levi Duncan, of Indiana, skied his first tournament and scored a PB in the first round and each successive round. The tournament also featured the return to tournament skiing ofJoe Duff, Kentucky's most experienced skier, establishing the first KWSF record book entry for M10. Leon Leonard 2016 FISU Worlds Underway In Japan
Jeff Rush (Clovis, Calif.) is the team captain and Terry Goodman (Lynden, Wash.) is the coach. The U.S. Team has won every University Worlds (1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2012) to date. 
JOSEFIN HIRST WINS QUEEN’S CUP IN NORTH CAROLINA
Josefin Hirst of Florida won the inaugural Sportsinsurance.com Queen's Cup women's slalom tournament at Little Mountain Lakes in Maiden, N.C., on Sunday, defeating surprise finalist Joy Kelley in the head-to-head final. Kelley outlasted No. 1 seed Chelsea Mills in the semifinals, but had a fluke early fall on her opening pass in the final, leaving Hirst with an easy path to the title. It was the fourth round of the day for both after two rounds of qualifying Saturday. Kelley, a Women 5 skier from Tennessee, entered the Sweet 16 as the No. 4 seed. Hirst, a Women 2 skier, was the No. 2 seed. Jennifer LaPoint finished third, Mills was fourth and Lori Krueger fifth. The Queen's Cup, promoted by area Nautique dealer Race City Marine of Mooresville, N.C., drew 24 entrants from across the nation and Canada, and saw three records fall during Saturday's qualifying. Legendary Leeza Harrison, skiing in her second tournament since moving into Women 7, broke the division record in the first round with four at 35 off. She ran 3.5 at 35 in the second round, which also would have broken the record. Canadians Maureen Mosteller and Rhonda Powell played tug-of-war with their nation's Women 5 record. Powell ran 2.5 at 35 and Mosteller got 3 at 35. Both scores topped the division record in Canada. The Queen's Cup had a $12,000 purse in cash and prizes, and attracted some 40 sponsors. -- By Marjo Rankin Congratulations 2017 Water Ski Hall of Fame Inductees Brenda Nichols Baldwin and Rachel George Normand!!
Click here to read the official press release: http://www.usawaterskifoundation.org/2017-hall-of-fame-pres… 
U.S. Teams Win Can Am Challenge Titles
Jaquess Wins Slalom Title At Malibu Open
Read all of Jaquess Wins Slalom Title At Malibu Open Florida Wins Inaugural National Championships Team Competition
Posted on August 16, 2016 by jeff Florida won the inaugural Team competition at the 2016 National Championships in Caldwell, ID, beating out the Western Region area 3 by over 5000 points. Jeff Surdej, President of AWSA said: I want to thank all of you for making the inaugural team skiing such a success! You guys knocked it out of the park. We will be in touch over the winter on ideas to improve it, but I think we can say it was successful and will only grow bigger form here. Congrats to Florida on your win, and to both west teams on capturing silver and bronze. Next year I hope to see every team in bibs, have awards for top 3 and much more! Where I think this will grow us the best is at Regionals. I know Illinois is already realizing that as great as this was, that we have to at least get to nationals next year to experience it again and the only way to give us our best shot is to bring everyone we have to regionals. Thank you again Below are the top three team placements. Click on the link at the end of the article to view the scorebook for the 2016 National Water Ski Championships and click on Team Results at top of page to see the complete results and the Florida team members and their scores for each event. Combined Team Results PlcmtTeamNameSlalomPlcmtTrickPlcmtJumpPlcmtTotal 1FLAFlorida10,520.010,140.06,840.027,500.0 2WR3West Region: Area 310,420.06,720.05,050.022,190.0 3WR1West Region: Area 17,970.07,380.03,780.019,130.0 Click here for the 2016 National Water Ski Championships scorebook Congratulations to all of the Florida Team members! 08/15/16
From http://www.kentuckywaterski.org/ Hawkins and Davidson “Clean House” In Girls 3 Superlatives Kassidy Hawkins and Saylor Davidson “cleaned house” in Girls 3 at the National Awards Banquet, taking all three of the “Most Improved Skier” awards in their division. Kassidy was awarded the Most Improved in both jumping and tricks, while Saylor received the award in slalom. Not to belabor the point, but ---- THIS IS THE MOST IMPROVED IN THE ENTIRE NATION!!! Super congratulations, Kassidy and Saylor! This is a first for the state of Kentucky, and perhaps the most noteworthy accomplishment of all at the 2016 national level. Optional Junior Slalom Scoring Extended
74th GOODE Nationals Concludes In Idaho
The dates and location of the 2017 Water Ski National Championships have not been announced. 74th GOODE Nationals Underway In Idaho
The first national championships was held in 1939 at Jones Beach in Long Island, N.Y. Except for three years during World War II (1942-1944), the Nationals has been held every year since 1939. 
08/03/16
DATELINE: AWSA Headquarters – Polk City, FL Austin Collins Named to U S Can-Am Team Austin Collins of Murray, Kentucky has been named as one of six skiers who will represent the United States on the “Under 14” team at the Can/Am Challenge in August. Austin joins James Bryans, Zach Butterfield, Kennedy Hansen, Caroline Parker, and Will Roberts on this elite group of young skiers who will compete against Canada in this “team only” competition. Additionally, six skiers from the US have been chosen for the “Under 17” team to compete for bragging rights between the U.S. and Canada. The competition will be held in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) August 20-21. The AWSA International Activities Committee chose team members based upon criteria involving top individual event and 3-event skiers from across the country. Update On Nationals' Jr. Banquet/Night Jump
The final details for the annual junior awards banquet and inaugural cash-prize night jump to be held in conjunction with the 74th GOODE Water Ski National Championships are coming together. The junior banquet will be held under the tent on site at Broadside Harbor beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a country theme and barbecue dinner. Junior awards will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by live music, games, dancing and an auction. Sunset will be around 8:50 p.m., followed by the professional men’s $20,000 cash-prize night jump at 9:30 p.m. Read all of Update On Nationals' Jr. Banquet/Night Jump Regional Teams Set For AWSA Nationals The American Water Ski Association's regional championships concluded this past weekend in the Eastern, Midwest and South Central regions. Regional team champions were Virginia (Eastern), Illinois (Midwest) and Central Texas (South Central). Florida (Southern) and Northern California (Western) had already won titles at their respective regionals. The top-two teams at each regional championships advance to the inaugural team skiing competition at the 74th GOODE Water Ski National Championships, Aug. 8-13, in Caldwell, Idaho.Read all of Regional Teams Set For AWSA Nationals Volunteer Officials Needed For Nationals
The American Water Ski Association is in need of judges, scorers, dock starters and additional volunteer help for the 74th GOODE Water Ski National Championships, Aug. 8-13, in Caldwell, Idaho. All Regular/Senior Judges and Scorers who are planning to attend the Nationals and would like to volunteer some time to work an event should contact Tim Vaio attvaio@mindspring.com or (404) 229-6944 with your judges rating level; days you will be available to work; and what events you would be willing to work.Read all of Volunteer Officials Needed For Nationals Bob Schouten has tendered his resignation effective immediately,July 28,2016. Bob Archambeau, who was Alternate EVP (and our EVP prior to Schouten) has assumed the responsibilities. Please give Bob A. a chance to get up to speed on regional matters. He is in the middle of getting ready for the Disabled Nationals (hosted by his ski club), so he is busy, but certainly drop him a note and welcome him back as EVP. Best, Jim AWSA National Director- Southern Region 
Records Fall At The 2016 Southern Regional Championships
The 2016 Southern Regional Championships was a great event hosted by LymanLand USA in Tuscaloosa AL this past week. The excellent planning by Lyman Hardy, Taylor Hardy, Sandy Cates and their group of volunteers prior to the tournament in the event schedule and hospitality provided to all of the competitors and officials made this a Regional tournament to be remembered for a long time. During the Council and General Membership Meeting on Thursday evening, Bob Schouten, was re-elected Executive Vice President of the Southern Region for the coming year and Lyman Hardy was re-elected to another 3-year term as Director for the region. The meeting was very well attended by the membership and there was good input from everyone and we look forward to a great year ahead. The details of the meeting will be available when the minutes are posted. The following Southern Regional Records were set during the tournament: Cole McCormick set a new Men 1 Slalom record with a performance of 3.5 buoys on at 10.75m line at 58kph. This eclipsed the 12-year-old record set by Billy Susi in 2004 with a score of 3 buoys on a 10.75m line. The Men 3 Jump record was raised by Graham Fizer, Atlanta, GA with a jump of 168’/51.1m @ 57kph on a 5’ ramp. This eclipsed the record set by Chris Eller in 2013 of 165’/50.4m. A new Men 4 Overall record was set by Tony Knight, Jacksonville, FL with a score of 3031.7 points, eclipsing the old record of 2485.2 set by Tommie Newman in 2013 of 2485.2 points. Jack Mills from Jacksonville, FL, set a new Men 6 Slalom record with a performance of 6 buoys at 11.25/55kph which was set by Ed Hickey in 2013 with a score of 4 buoys on a 11.25m line. Dennis Longo from Coral Gables, FL, set a new Men 8 Slalom record with a performance of 4 buoys at 11.25/49kph, eclipsing the previous record set in 2015 by Skip Dunlap of 2 buoys on a 11.25 line. Dennis also upped the Men 8 Overall record with a performance of 3211.7 points, which exceeded the 9-year-old record set by Quinton Cotton set in 2007 of 2472.2 points. Errol Bryant from Beechmont, KY, set a new Men 9 Slalom record with a score of 4.5 buoys on a 14.25m line at 49kph. This eclipsed the 13-year-old record set by Harry Price in 2003 of 3 buoys on a 16m line Kristen Baldwin tied her sister Brooke and Ashley Montgomery by equaling the Slalom record in Girls 2 with a performance of 3 buoys on a 11.25m line at 52kph. Brooke Baldwin shattered the Girls 3 Slalom record with a score of 3 buoys on a 10.75m line at 55kph surpassing the record set by Samantha Dumala in 2014 of 4 buoys at 11.25/55kph. Brooke also upped her Overall record with a score of 4282.2 points. Jennifer LaPoint set a new Master Women Slalom record with a score of 1 buoys on a 11.25m line at 55kph, which eclipsed the record held by Patricia Burt with 4.5 buoys on a 12m line. Joy Kelley from Loudon, TN, upped her jump record in Women 5 to 108’/33.1m at 48kph on a 5’ ramp. Leza Harrison from Chuluota, FL, upped her jump record in Women 6 to 89’/27.0m at 48kph on a 5’ ramp. Regina Jaquess from Santa Rosa Beach, FL, added another buoy to the Open Women Slalom record with a score of 2 buoys on a 10.25m line at 55kph. Congratulations to all of our skiers for these great performances at the 2016 Southern Regional Championships held at Lymanland USA, a great water skiing facility. 
Many thanks to Lyman, Taylor and the entire group that made the Southern Regionals one of the best ever!
I just wanted to congratulate Lyman and Taylor on the outstanding accomplishment by the Lymanland USA organization in hosting the 2016 Southern Regionals. The officials were flawless, the weather was near perfect (a bit warm, but minimal rain delay and no wind), meeting rooms were great, banquet food and facilities awesome, and the Hotel Capstone made for a pleasant experience! Lot of great skiing with PBs and Regional Records all over the place…..I am not sure how many records were broken but I am sure we will be hearing those numbers soon. While participation was down from previous regionals (~204 competitors), the enthusiasm was contagious! Good thing is we will be going back to Lymanland USA in 2017! Best, Jim Jaquess Team Skiing Underway At AWSA Regionals
Read all of Team Skiing Underway At AWSA Regionals France To Host 2017 Water Ski Worlds
AWSA Updates Scoring Tutorial
AWSA Updates Officials’ Documents
Posted on July 12, 2016 by jeff
Read all of AWSA Updates Officials’ Documents 5 U.S. Athletes Win Junior U.S. Open Titles
Read all of 5 U.S. Athletes Win Junior U.S. Open Titles AWSA To Hold Online Judges/Scorers Clinic
Posted on June 30, 2016 by jeff
Boat Draw Announced For GOODE Nationals
The towboat draw for the 74th GOODE Water Ski National Championships has been announced. The Nationals will be held Aug. 8-13 at Broadside Harbor in Caldwell, Idaho. Boat draw information is available for all slalom and jumping events. Athletes will have their choice of towboat for tricks. To view and download the towboat draw information, click here (PDF).For more information on the Nationals, visit the official website atwww.waterskinationals.com. 
Junior U.S. Open Field of Competitors Set
USA Water Ski and the American Water Ski Association are pleased to announce the field of competitors for the 16th Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships. Some of the world’s top junior water ski athletes will compete for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall at the two-round, world-record capability event, July 2-3, at Pangaea Puddle near Canajoharie, N.Y. To view the field of competitors, click here (Excel). Read all of Junior U.S. Open Field of Competitors Set AWSA Holding Rule Changes Review Session
Please join the following Go To Meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/303569525. You can also dial in using your phone – United States: +1 (646) 749-3122; Access Code: 303-569-525. To reference the information on the rule changes, click here. Subsequent sessions will be communicated through the USA Water Ski website. 
2016 Southern Region Junior Development Clinic
HUGE turnout and great fun. A special thanks to Cory Pickos, Lucky Lowe, Correct Craft, Russell Marine, Divorce Lake, and of course, new junior coordinator, Bob Harris. Bob Schouten Four U.S. Water Ski Athletes Win Titles At 57th Masters Water Ski Tournament U.S. water ski athletes Brooke Baldwin and Ryan Canepa also win titles at 24th Nautique Junior Masters PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga., May 29, 2016 - U.S. water ski athletes Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), Freddy Krueger (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.) won titles in respective events at the 57th Masters Water Ski Tournament, presented by GM Marine Engine Technology, May 28-29, on Robin Lake at Callaway Gardens. 
Whitestone 3-Event Tournament - June 18-19
Hello Skiers, I’d appreciate the opportunity to tell you about the “Summer Starter” tournament taking place at Whitestone June 18-19. We are working to put on a tournament where performances will be high, but having fun is the top priority. The tournament will be both “C” and “L”. This is the first World Rankings List tournament Whitestone has hosted since Regionals in 2007. All “L” slalom will be on Lake 2, which is our deeper lake and skis awesome. There have been a lot of PBs on lake 2. As of today, the Summer Starter is the only 3-event “L” tournament in the Southern Region the weekend of June 18-19. We have one of the best in the business as our Tech Controller – Dr. John Carder - so everything will be spot on. Photographer Spencer Shultz is going to shoot the tournament. You may have seen some of Spencer’s work in some of the waterski industry’s foremost publications and websites. Please check out his Instagram here www.instagram.com/spencer_shultz79/ You can arrange for him to shoot your tournament rounds and he will also be around Friday to shoot practice rounds. Email me or get in touch with Spencer for more info. We will have live music on our covered lakeside pavilion Saturday night – Eric Gress plays everything from rock to punk to county, both original and covers. You can check out his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/EricGressmusic/ We will also be having a team competition within the tournament. 4 person teams - most total NOPS wins. Make a team in advance or we will make one for you. There will be a big trophy and a lot of pride for the winning team. There will also be awards for juniors and the highest Male NOPS and Female NOPS scores. We already have some good skiers registered – from former Jr. Masters competitors and Big Dawg skiers to Senior World Champions. There should be some great performances. The North Georgia mountains, are a great place to get a (small) break from the Summer heat and see some beautiful landscapes. There are many options to rent a mountain cabin in the area either for tournament lodging or if you want to make a longer weekend out of it. Here are a couple of booking sites to consider: http://www.blueskycabinrentals.com/ http://escapetoblueridge.com/ http://www.wildernessviewcabins.com/ There is also more traditional lodging available close to the lake in Jasper. Thanks for reading! Please register online here: http://bit.ly/1ThUh73 and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks! Graham Fizer on Behalf of Whitestone Ski Club SR Jr Development Team - Masters Weekend Event
May 5, 2016 Greetings to Southern Region JR Development Team members and families! A very exciting event has been planned for the Team the weekend of the Masters Water Ski Tournament! Tickets have been secured for all Team Members for the full 3 day event, May 27-29. To receive your tickets, please email Bob Schouten, SR EVP and let him know if you will be attending. You’ll need to provide your mailing address so that Bob can send the tickets to you. Depending on how many Team Members sign up, there may be some additional tickets remaining for parents. Those will be distributed on a “first come, first serve” basis. The Monday after the Masters there will be a ski clinic held at Divorce Lake in Valley, AL. This site is located just across the state line and is very close to Pine Mountain, GA where the Masters is held. The Wilkinson family has very been very generous to donate use of their lake for the clinic. It’s a record capability 3 event ski site and will provide for great conditions. http://www.divorcelake.com Cory Pickos and Giannina Bonnemann have volunteered to be the coaches for the clinic! This is a great opportunity for the team to receive instructions from an icon of the sport and one of the current best overall women skiers in the world. All Team members are welcome to attend. There will be a small fee to help offset costs. I’d really appreciate it if you would let me know as soon as possible if you (Team Members) will be attending the clinic. It will be very helpful for planning purposes. This is going to be a fantastic weekend, and we’ll all have a great time! Bob Schouten has used his network to make this event possible. Both Bob and I are very excited that this event is really going to happen. I hope you can all attend. Best regards, Bob Harris Officials Needed For GOODE Nationals
The American Water Ski Association is in need of volunteer judges and scorers to help out during the 74th GOODE Water Ski National Championships, Aug. 8-13, in Caldwell, Idaho. All Regular and Senior Judges and Scorers who are planning to attend the Nationals and would like to volunteer some time to work an event should contact Tim Vaio at tvaio@mindspring.com with your judges rating level; days you will be available to work; and what events you would be willing to work."Since we are going with only 10 appointed judges this year, it is going to be a challenge to fill all spots during some of the events," said Kirby Whetsel, chief judge of the Nationals. "The biggest challenge potentially could come during tricks." For more information on the Nationals, including a schedule of events, visit www.waterskinationals.com. 
04/06/16
Stillwater Lake is offering free entry to any skier making their first tournament appearnce at either of Stillwater's slalom tournaments for 2016. You must be a member os USAWS with at least the GrassRoots member level. You must also be a member of KWSF, but Stillwater will even pay that for you! What a deal! First time skiers will be allowed two falls or misses per round. Our tournment dates are June 4 and September 3. Please check the box on your entry indicating FIRST TOURNAMENT." Leon Leonard Revised Q&Ps For 35+ Worlds/Pan Am Team
The American Water Ski Association’s International Activities Committee has posted revised Qualifications and Procedures for the 2016 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team and 2016 Pan American Water Ski Championships Team. The revised qualifications includes a new date by which independents must provide notification of their intent to participate, and reflects an update in the jump score offsets for comparing scores. To view and download the Q&Ps for the 35+ Water Ski World Championships Team, click here (PDF). To view and download the Q&Ps for the Pan American Water Ski Championships Veteran Team, click here (PDF).The 35+ Water Ski World Championships will be held will be held Sept. 14-18 in Aranjuez, Spain. The Pan American Water Ski Championships will be held Nov. 14-20 at Boca Laguna, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Complete AWSA Tournament Forms Package Version 3.0.16 Is Now Available For Download
Posted on April 29, 2016 by jeff Version 3.0.16 of the AWSA Essential Tools package, a complete package of all of the administrative forms, Rulebooks (AWSA & IWWF), officials’ applications, and officials’ event Judging and Scorers forms has been assembled into one comprehensive package that requires only a one click download for Judges, Scorers and tournament sponsors to use by Jeff Clark. Included in the package are all of the Judging and Scoring forms for Slalom and Jumping events in a computer oriented “cut and paste” format so that you can prepare all of the forms for these events in a much easier fashion The complete packet is located on the Florida Water Ski Federation Website in the “Links” section. 2016 U.S. Open Set For Sept. 30-Oct. 1
Hosted by the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches, the U.S. Open, a two-round world-record capability tournament, will feature the world's finest water ski athletes competing for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. The Big Dawg World Slalom Tour, now in its 11th year, features four qualifying stops at premier water ski sites around the world as the top 34 mph amateur slalom skiers – age 35 and older – vie for a spot in the Big Dawg Finals. Each stop, including the finals, includes two rounds of 34 mph record-capability slalom action, followed by a bracketed, 16-skier, head-to-head final. The final rounds of the U.S. Open and the Sweet 16 of the Big Dawg World Tour will be broadcast live via webcast beginning at 8 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, Oct. 1 at nautique.com. For more information regarding U.S. Open registration and the competition schedule, visit nautique.com. To view the full list of invited Nautique Big Dawg World Tour finalists, please visit nautiquebigdawg.com. 
Download The New AWSA Mobile App Have you downloaded the new AWSA Mobile App? Now you can enjoy your water skiing experience online anytime from anywhere. You can search for events, get tournament details and enter where online registration is offered. The AWSA Rule Book, NOPS Calculator and other useful functions are at your fingertips. You can also find your rankings and qualifications for Nationals and Regionals, and you can set up your own virtual team with friends, family or club members. Your team will appear in the rankings. The Mobile App easily installs on the Home screen of your device.Download the App today at:http://www.usawaterski.org/rankings/mainmenu_m.asp. IWWF Changes Jump Surface Tolerance
A ramp designed in any method to be other than flat (wedge, kick, bow, etc.) is illegal and NOT allowed. Class E, L, R: The tolerance of the plane deviation is maximum 2.0 cm as a concave deviation. The 2.0 cm restriction goes into effect May 1, 2016. In addition, the maximum deviation, if larger than 1.0cm, must occur in the center of the out of water surface +/- 50 cm. Example: If the jump surface out of the water is 6.8m, then the maximum measured deviation must be between 2.9m and 3.9m from the top of the jump. No overall convex deviation is allowed. Minor convex at bottom where the hinge is against the surface may occur or where there is a main support. The intent is that ramps not have a general upward bow (convex) from bottom to top. Class C and F – No rule change ...click on link below for form Ramp Certification Form & NEW tolerance BIG DAWG STOP SET FOR NORTH CAROLINA The third stop on the 2016 Nautique Big Dawg World Tour will be at Little Mountain Lakes in Maiden on July 16-17, marking the first time the series has been in North Carolina.
The series featuring male slalom skiers age 35 and older has gained popularity as legends of the sport such as Jeff Rodgers and the late Andy Mapple joined top amateurs in heated competitions at 34 mph. A maximum of 45 skiers will be accepted at Little Mountain. Entry fee is $200 and competition will begin early July 16 with two rounds of qualifying, followed by an on-site banquet at the end of the ski day. The top 16 qualifiers will advance to the Sunday head-to-head bracketed final. Practice will be available Friday afternoon, July 15 for $10 per four passes. Race City Marine of Mooresville is the area Nautique dealer supporting the tournament. For more information, contact tournament director Jeff Gilbert at gilb41@hotmail.com. Entries should be mailed to 119 Castleton Drive, Mooresville, N.C., 28117. New Judges Clinic
Continuing Education (CE) Program Approved by AWSA Board The AWSA Board has approved a CE program for Judges recommended by the Judges and Scorers Committee. There are four modules- General, Slalom, Trick and Jump. Participation is optional and is free to all members. Completing the CE Modules can also count as a clinic credit by additionally sending $10 to HQ. The modules are geared to our rules, especially those recently approved. They are currently being updated for 2016 Rule Changes. Read all of AWSA Offering CE Judges Program/Clinic You can complete the appropriate CE modules for your events at home in your ‘leisure time”. Also, each module does not have to be completed in a single session. There is no minimum score required, including for clinic credit. Simply go to the below links: Jump http://quizegg.com/q/60964 Trick http://quizegg.com/q/60969 Slalom http://quizegg.com/q/66363 General http://quizegg.com/q/66426 Enter a unique user name and password and you're set to go! For clinic credit PayPal your $10 to usawaterski@usawaterski.org or send check to HQ. Be sure to note your name and CE Clinic Credit. The CE clinic counts for clinic credit, advancement, reinstatement and, every two years, a tournament credit. Also, a Judge’s Clinic counts as a Scorer’s clinic; however in 2016 we hope to add a Scorer’s Module! Robert Schouten EVP AWSASOUTH AWSA Offering Online Judges Clinics
he American Water Ski Association’s 2016 official tournament rules and summary of rules changes are now available to view and download. To download the 2016 AWSA Rule Book, click here (PDF). To download the 2016 Summary of AWSA Rules Changes, click here (PDF).Read all of 2016 AWSA Rule Book Now Available
Technical SR Judges Clinic in Georgia The Georgia Water Ski Federation is doing a SR Judges Clinic (all 3 events) March 5 (1day). Focus is going to be on the technical aspects that all Sr judges should know (Hands On) by Jerry Jackson. Clinic will cover: 1) New rules changes. 2) Slalom setups and Judging. 3) Jump; Setup and operating Video Jump (BC & Splasheye). 4) New Trick Timing system (QuickTimePro) , plus setup of BC & Splasheye Tricks. Various setup for timing & Judging Tricks. Will have several computers setup for everyone to have hands on as we go thru the clinic. The clinic will be held in the North Atlanta area and the cost will be $20.00 for non GA Federation members. This includes the AWSA fee and lunch Contact Craig Bryans 5166 Narda Grace Cove Acworth GA 30102 404-954-1675 
Schedule Set For GOODE Water Ski Nationals
The American Water Ski Association has announced the schedule of events for the 74th annual GOODE Water Ski National Championships. The Nationals will be held Aug. 8-13 at the Broadside Harbor Water Ski Club in Caldwell, Idaho. More than 600 of the nation's top water ski athletes from across the United States are expected to compete for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in respective age divisions and two Open divisions. To view and download the schedule of events, click here (PDF). To view a listing of accommodations,click here (PDF).Read all of Schedule Set For GOODE Water Ski Nationals 
Board Approves 2016 Budget, OfficersThe USA Water Ski board of directors held its annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 31, at USA Water Ski headquarters in Polk City, Fla. Among the items approved by the board: the slate of officers for 2016-2017 – Doug Robbins, chairman of the board; Jim Grew, president; Dale Stevens, vice president; and Tim Cullen, secretary/treasurer.Read all of Board Approves 2016 Budget, Officers
Regional Guide Deadline
The deadline to get your tournament in the Regional Guide is January 19th. Just sanction your tournament on the USA Water Ski website and it will be included. Happy New Year, Bob Schouten 
USA Water Ski
Save the date! On Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 we will be celebrating the 2015 Award winners at the 2015 USA Water Ski Awards Banquet. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Lake Eva Banquet Hall in Haines City, Fla. Stay tuned for more details and information and where to purchase your tickets! 
American Water Ski Association Approves
Five Towboats To Pull Tournaments In 2016 Towboats approved for AWSA competitions in 2016 are: Centurion Carbon Pro,Malibu Response TXi, Malibu Response LXR, MasterCraft ProStar and Ski Nautique 200 (open bow and closed bow). In addition, the Malibu Wakesetter VTXhas been certified as a USA Water Ski Approved Ski Boat for recreational use only. Members of AWSA's Towboat Committee, technical experts, drivers and top water ski athletes conducted this year's evaluations, which were held Oct. 26-27 at Lake Grew in Polk City, Fla. For technical information on the 2016 Approved Towboats, click here (PDF). 
National Junior Water Ski Teams Named
Top junior water ski athletes from across the nation have been selected to the American Water Ski Association’s National Junior Water Ski Team and the National Junior Development Water Ski Team for 2016. The 36 selections from the Boys/Girls 2 (13 and under) and Boys/Girls 3 (17 and under) divisions were based on performances during the 2015 tournament season. Selected to the 2016 National Junior Water Ski Team were (alphabetical order): Brooke Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.), Kristen Baldwin (Windermere, Fla.), Krista Butterfield (Sherman, Texas), Ryan Canepa (Elk Grove, Calif.), Anna Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Taylor Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Quinn Haines (Avon, Conn.), Benjamin Leutz (Jacksonville, Ill.), William Montavon (Dixon, Ill.), Emma Morgan (McQueeney, Texas), Jordan Porter (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Garrett Stallings (Rossville, Tenn.). Selected to the 2016 National Junior Development Water Ski Team (alphabetical order) were: James Bryans (Acworth, Ga.), Zachary Butterfield (Sherman, Texas), Nathan Cherry (San Diego, Calif.), Austin Collins (Murray, Ky.), Ryan Gay (Winter Garden, Fla.), Bailey Grathwohl (Martindale, Texas), Kennedy Hansen (Milton, Fla.), Blake Keller (New Hartford, Conn.), Tianna Kosek (Buffalo, Minn.), Jonathan Leutz (Jacksonville, Ill.), Noah McCormick (Dundee, Fla.), Dylan Melnar (Seguin, Texas), Ashley Montgomery (Lake Worth, Fla.), Allie Moodie (Sammamish, Wash.), Mia Morgan (McQueeney, Texas), Charlsey Newman (McDonald, Tenn.), Caroline Parker (Martindale, Texas), Garrett Reese (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Edward Roberts (Dow, Ill.), William Roberts (Dow, Ill.), Brett Stackpole (Dow, Ill.), Samantha Stackpole (Dow, Ill.), Griffin Stange (Sherman, Texas) and Thomas Witczak (Clermont, Fla.). AWSA Approves QuickTime 7 For Tricks
Grassroots in Class C
Hey all, I m sharing a letter from our President Jeff Surdej. Please pass on the word to all tournament orginizers. Thanks and as follows Bob Schouten Attention Tournament Host Ski Clubs: We are setting a goal to have a grassroot event at every single Class C tournament in the country in 2016. Why host a GrassRoots Series event? To get new people, regardless of age and ability level, involved in organized towed water sports. There is no extra charge for hosting this as add on to your class c event. What this does is allows new skiers to enter our events in slalom or trick for a $35 membership fee. The division and format is up to you but typical we give these skiers a mulligan or 4 passes so that they walk away with a good experience. USAws will provide a goodie bag for you to give away for each grassroots skiers. So let's make this happen in 2016, it's basically just like adding a novice division to your event. So why not? there is no harm to do so and if a few skiers are grassroots level and want to come out it is all the better for our sport and getting new members and making them feel welcomed to our regular events. So now that sanctioning is open please add a grassroots slalom and/or trick to your class C tournament. Or better yet host some stand alone grassroots events during the week. All you need is a safety and trained driver and your event has full insurance coverage. Thank you for your time, we can increase our membership but we must all welcome our doors to new beginner skiers. Bob Schouten EVP Southern Region 
2016-17 Southern Regionals
2016 and 2017 Regionals will be going to Lymanland in Duncanville (Tuscaloosa), Al. If you haven't been there, it is a great one lake site and has hosted Regionals in the past. The dates for this 2016 event will be July 20-24, 2016. Please attend if at all possible, as we plan on marketing to make this an outstanding occasion. Bob Schouten EVP South (256) 750-1546 
The USA Water Ski Foundation Hall of Fame Selection Committee is pleased to announce the 2016 Water Ski Hall of Fame Award of Distinction recipients.
Paul Boel, Leza Harrison, Hank Longo, Les Todd and Mark Voisard have made extraordinary contributions to our sport and will be honored on April 16th at the Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies along with Hall of Fame Inductees Gerry and Cathy Luiting, William Farrell, Lori Dunsmore and Martie Wells. http://www.usawaterskifoundation.org/#!2016-award-of-distinction-press-release/c1l0i — with Paul Boel, Leza Lee Harrison, Hank Longo, Les Todd and Mark Voisard. 
IAC Seeks Officials For 2016 Events
In late October, the American Water Ski Association’s International Activities Committee (IAC) will nominate officials for select 2016 international events, including the 2016 Junior U.S. Open. The Junior U.S. Open officials will not be chosen by the IAC. However, the names of those interested will be sent to AWSA President Jeff Surdej. The Junior U.S. Open can now serve the purpose, along with the Can Am Challenge, of providing officials the chance to gain experience for working international events. If you are interested in being considered for appointment to any of these tournaments, please complete this form (PDF). 
Foundation Establishes 'Lifetime' Award
The USA Water Ski Foundation's Hall of Fame Selection Committee has established a new Lifetime Achievement Award that will be given for the first time at the 2016 Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 16. The award recognizes longevity in the sport and goes to those individuals who have been actively involved in one or more of the USA Water Ski sport disciplines for a minimum of 50 years. Whether they are competitors, coaches or behind the scenes tireless promoters and administrators, these individuals have spent at least a half a century being ambassadors of our great sport. The USA Water Ski Foundation is pleased to announce that Jim McCormick (Seffner, Fla.) and as a couple, Harry and Artis Price (De Leon Springs, Fla.), will be the inaugural recipients of this new award. 
Jody Seal Elected National Director
Jody Seal, Panama City, FL has been elected as the new National Director for the Southern Region, replacing Chris Eller from NC. This opened the Council seat that Jody held and the FWSF Board of Directors elected Monica Seal, Tampa, FL to finish the open term of office. All of the Council representatives and officers of the FWSF will stand for election at the summer meeting of the FWSF. We look forward to the new leadership of these individuals. Surdej Elected New AWSA President
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