Are you a USAWS member?

[The_MS]

I know that there may have been a poll in the past on this subject but how many BOS members are USAWS members?

If you are a lurker, are you a member of USAWS?

Why are you not a member of USAWS?

What would it take to get you to be a member of USAWS?

 

[skihacker]

I don't ski well at all with zero off, I may try to check out b+ and c+ this coming spring, that may get me back to a few tourny's.

[Skoot1123]

Haven't been to any tournaments. Why have a USAWS membership if you don't go to any tournaments? I would like to go to a tournament, but I'm not at a level in skiing where I can compete. At this stage in my life, me traveling around would not be good for family life, unless there are very close tournaments.

[scuppers]

I error on the side of supporting sking in general, but I'm with @Skoot1123. If you're not going to enter any tournaments then you're just laying out $100.00 for the fun of it. I competed at nationals for close to ten years streight - It was fun and a challenge but a big expense. Last year I joined AWSA just to ski nationals and then found out regionals were in KY. I just din't want to invest that much - maybe if I could crack the top 5 I'd feel differently.

[Horton]

if USAWS does not give a reason to join besides tournaments why join? I agree.

 

 

 

[igkya]

I'm a member of USAWS because I have to just to ski at my club, but I do not ski in tournaments.

[The_MS]

Looking to forward some info to our EVP so this is all good stuff. Keep the info coming.

If you are a lurker, please sine up to BOS and tell us how you feel about the USAWS membership.

@igkya Will your club keep up with the sanction requirements?

[kfennell]

I am a member but just because I have to be to ski tournaments, luckily our lake does not mess with USAWS insurance so we don't have to be trained drivers etc.

[Mrs_MS]

I have to be a member for our club.

I'm also a member because I tag along to tournaments with my husband, although at my ability level (34-15) tournaments are just for fun in my case. I do enjoy all the people I have met over the years and I have enjoyed helping out at events with dock starting, judging, scoring, and driving. We will be going to less events this year and its getting harder to hold events at our site for several reasons.

[als2104]

I was a USAWS member in the past, as my club required it. Now, with the new requirements, the club is hopefully moving away from USAWS. The way I see it, we have no benefit from USAWS.

[6balls]

Only for tourneys. As an aside for any of you who don't feel "competitive" at tourneys...I've rarely been to one to win...it's to try to ski my best when it counts, try to set a PB, cheer others on to PB's (especially newcomers) and hang with new and old friends. Not to mention it's fun to ski at tourney specific sites behind great boats/drivers, and I rarely leave a tourney without something to think about in my skiing.

[The_MS]

@kfennell Due to the sanction practice requirements and lack of safety and driver clinics in MN

I do not believe that our club will use the USAWS coverage. Similar to @Scotchipman with the Utah waterski club, we will probably have most of the non-competitors on our lake not renew with USAWS.

[Than_Bogan]

I may have to create some ghost accounts just so I can give 6balls' post more awesomes. (@Horton: Yes, I am kidding. Don't ban me! :) ).

 

But seriously I can't believe how misunderstood tournaments are by folks who haven't tried one. And 6balls describes it exactly right.

 

Now, I recognize that some people just have no interest in any sort of formal measurement. My dad is one of 'em, in fact. He is more that competitive in skeet shooting, and has never nor will ever enter a competition.

 

But if your only reason is "I'm not good enough" then please cross that out and I'll see you at the next tournament!!

[igkya]

@MS, I don't think so. We don't have rated or sanctioned drivers, safety persons, judges or anything else related. We do keep a log book but that's more to make sure people are paying for their gas and not trying to ski for free. While the club use to host tournaments several years ago, no club member has skied a tournament for 3+ years. We're just a small group that love to ski.

[Skoot1123]

@Than_Bogan and @6balls - I certainly think others would agree with me that we'd like to go to a tournament! The level of compete I am talking about isn't to win it......I'm not even skiing at the speed I'm supposed to (36mph)! I don't know that I could drag my wife and kids to an event for a few days, at least not until the kids are a little older.

[jedgell]

Only reason I'm a member is for the tournaments. And don't forget the awesome magazine we all get for "free" with our membership. Other than the typical one page slalom technique article, which is usually good, I could do without it.

[6balls]

@skoot1123 I have tourney video evidence on VHS of @razorskier1 taking his opener at 32 mph, 15 off when he was a M2 skier (36 mph). We all start somewhere. I think my first tourney I opened at 28 mph, 15 off and ended up getting a few at 32 mph. Beginners are fun cuz they PB like crazy in leaps and bounds whereas we veterans are often are stuck...hoping to scrap out an extra buoy or two over prior best.

I understand the family thing...which is why I ski about 3 per season and spend the other weekends with my non-tourney family.

[Skoot1123]

@6balls and @razorskier1 - I'll put this out there: if I can talk my wife into going or coming to a tourney with me this upcoming season I'll go. I'm in central Illinois and would love to meet some more Ballers!

[Lieutenant Dan]

I only join USAWS because it is required for membership to our club. I've skied one tournament in the past 10 years.

[klindy]

@Skoot (and others) if there's a tournament nearby you should go and ski. You ARE at a level you can compete. Surely there will be folks there who can ski better than you and you will likely score better than some but I promise you'll learn something, you'll be encouraged and you'll meet some pretty cool people.

 

If your in Central Illinois there's a few options but PITS in Decatur or even a longer trip to Surdej's near Joliet would be great initiations.

[Kelvin]

I've been a member for more years than I care to count. I joined so I could enter tournaments. I've never been competitive in the normal sense of the word, but I enjoy chasing a PB in tournament situations and still get the nerves to go with it even though there is absolutely nothing riding on my performance and likely only a handful of people on shore actually watching. I last had a tourney PB 2 years ago at the age of 46. This is a great sport - how many other sports can you have the best performance ever at that age. Along the way, I've met some great people and gotten more involved in the sport. Started with judging, then scoring, chief judging, directing tournaments, hossting Big Dawg and Pro Tour events.

 

The key for me was to get the rest of the family hooked on the summer tournament scene. my daughter placed 5th in DII Collegiate Nationals this year is having a great time on the ski team. My son was most improved B3 jumper this year and has PB'd in slalom 3 years in a row at Nationals. My wife has gotten more involved the last few years as well with scoring and judging. It makes for a fun-filled summer.

[sunperch]

We have to be USAWS members as a requirement for our club. We ski tournaments as a family for fun and motivation/justification for the time and money we spend at the lake. The kids skied regionals and nationals last year. Plan to continue to ski tournaments, as is great family time and fun for the whole family. I view the insurance as worthless as we have only one rated driver in our club and the new trained driver requirement for sanctioned practices will null and void the insurance, unless that one person happens to be driving. Not enough regular or senior drivers around to help all of the rest of us become trained drivers. Becoming a regular judge was a difficult enough process for one person, can't imagine coordinating driving tests as required by the trained driver program for all 15-20 people who drive in our club. Not enough safety clinics around here to fulfill that requirement either. If we didn't ski tournaments, probably would not join USAWS.

[Wish]

Ski tourneys with my daughter. wife drives practice. We make vacations out of tournaments. Have for yrs even before my daughter competed. Works great. Even if the tourny goes porly we still have something to look forword to. Takes a lot of preasure off ski performance. Pick tourneys with one day events and spend second day doing family fun stuff around the area the tournament was held. Course here in FL that means beaches, parks, etc.... also go for reasons mentioned by 6balls.

[Texas6]

I may enter maybe one tourney a year and every year I spend literally three fourths of the year preparing for my numerous tournament entries that are a certainly a foregone conclusion in the upcoming season. So far it never happens but I'm training harder this off season than ever before in hopes that THIS season is different and concludes after numerous tourney entries!!!

[6balls]

No one has to become a tourney junkie, either. Pick a good one (3 rounds or a 6 round 2-day weekend) and go have some fun each season. Volunteer to change handles on the starting dock and meet all kinds of people to cheer on to PB's.

2 perspectives: one mentioned above in that one may take the family and make a vacation. The other is to take that weekend or few weekends and hit a tourney w/a ski buddy. As dedicated parents/spouses nearly 100% of the time it can be fun and regenerative to have an indulgent ski weekend with no responsibility.

My bro and I have hit skiwatch the last few years together without families and it is a really nice mental break. We relax, ski, hang out with each other and skiers and don't have a care in the world for a few days. It's only one weekend per year and it's worth it. My wife takes a girls trip once a year as well. Other than that we travel and spend time as a unit.

[Murrski]

Our ski club requires USAWS membership and I also ski tournaments. I agree with @6balls and others about why tournaments are fun. Our family of four (wife and 2 boys 6 and 10) love to camp out and ski at awesome sites in our area. The self challenge of trying to be the best I can regardless of conditions and site are what energizes me for the next tournament. I like skiing tournaments at our home site (Pleasant Grove, CA) but skiing at different sites and seeing old friends, watching swervers of all ages is just FUN! I'm going to miss not skiing at Sky Lake in Chico this year... my old collegiate stomping grounds are no longer hosting!

[John Brooks]

The only way I believe you can improve something is to be involved. Besides the events are fun with a great group of people.

[Marco]

Tournaments are also a way to learn and improve from better skiers. Tournaments are really the only chance for me to ski with people that get deep 38 and into and through 39, and watching them ski and picking their brains is enlightening. Not quite like traveling to Florida or Carolina for pro coaching, but in Colorado, our clinic options are limited.

[GAJ0004]

Tournaments have really helped my trick skiing, and I have picked up some slalom tips which are helping my consistency. I am struggling to get to 35 off in a tournament. At the end of the season in practice I tied my personal best of 3@35off 5 times, and 2@35 off on one other set. I ran 5@32off twice in tournaments, 4@32off most of the time. I had two other tournaments where I scored lower in slalom, but improved my score in tricks. Since my boat is a 1994 Ski Nautique I have no trouble slalom skiing behind any of the new ones. Not enough time behind any of the new ones in tricks to find the one that most closely matches my boat. The MC197 and SN200 both work for me though. Skiing behind different boats, drivers, and on different lakes helps me. I have picked up alot the last two season. I like tournaments because I get to hang out with people who are as crazy about water skiing as I am. I like getting the chance to try out different boats too. At the Dave's Pond tournaments they have me change handles at the starting dock. It has been a good experience for me..