In Collegiate News

[Iowa_Ski_Team]

Well, still not quite in the real world and enjoying some of the best years of our lives, the college kids of NCWSA and the University of Iowa Water Ski and Wakeboard Team are getting ready for Collegiate All-Stars this coming weekend (May 16-17) at PITS in Decatur, IL. For anyone who doesn't know, this is arguably the second largest collegiate ski event of the season behind nationals as it is the only other event to bring skiers from all regions together. We will have Team Midwest vs Team East vs Team West vs Team South Central with the top 10 skiers men's and women's in each event. Kicking off Saturday morning with Men's Slalom followed by Women's Slalom then Men's Trick , Women's Trick followed by a meet the regions dinner and good old party time on site saturday night. Sunday starting again bright and early finishing off with Men's and Women's Jump before sending everyone home to enjoy the summer.

 

Special thanks to Dean Chappell and the members of the PITS ski club, and our fine officiating crew!

 

Special Congratulations to all qualifying Team Midwest Skiers (we're a little biased since it's our region)!

[RazorRoss3]

@MattP, are you going to be in attendance on this one? I'm 5th round Men's slalom for the Midwest. Are there any other college skiers on here who qualified? There have to be more than two of us young guns on this forum.

 

[MattP]

@RazorRoss3 I am skiing all 3 events. I think 5th round slalom & trick and 1st round jump. I can also safety and slalom judge if you need me. I'm pretty sure @Ilivetoski made the MW team. I'm looking forward to my last college tournament!! Working on my travel plans at the moment. I graduate Thursday and leave Friday morning.

[RazorRoss3]

Wow! Great job getting in for all 3 Matt. I forgot @livetoski was on here, I think you may be right that he qualified. I don't think officials will be a problem for us with the PITS crew there to help however additional help is always welcome so don't be surprised if you hear your name called to come lend a hand during a women's event since your skiing all the men's. Congratulations on graduating, I'm in the same boat (pun partailly intended) last final on Thurdsay, graduation ceremony on Saturday which I am gladly skipping to ski instead and then into the real world I go.

[Than_Bogan]

Real world is somewhat overrated.

 

HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK!

[rab]

I did not qualify but I will be there for fun. It will be nice to meet some ballers there.

[Than_Bogan]

Btw, one thing to be glad for is that you guys are involved in a sport you can continue after college (well, assuming you also win the lottery to pay for it...)

 

I still kinda miss the high jump and triple jump, although in truth my knees wouldn't have taken that much longer anyhow.

[lpskier]

Good skiing (in advance), Matt.

[The_MS]

@RazorRoss3 Go back to school for another 4 years and have the ole man pony up for it. You will gain more buoys by being in school instead of working for a living.

[RazorRoss3]

@MS, something tells me he wouldn't be all for that one! Not to mention I'm clean out of eligibility for collegiate skiing. I'm going to be in Minneapolis for the forseable future so I have no doubt I can find myself some buoys in the coming years. Grad school for the MBA eventually but that would likely be while still working especially if my employer will pay for it. That's 4-5 years out though, CFA first.

[The_MS]

Priority's. Congrats my young Jedi.

[MattP]

@Than_Bogan I agree the real world is over rated, but I am seeking employment...

 

@lpskier Thanks John.

 

EAST COAST, BEAST COAST!

[RazorRoss3]

It's on @mattp,

 

TEAM MIDWEST!

[Razorskier1]

@MS -- I'm not on board with more school! However, he will likely be in MN at least for a while, so I think he'll still get lots of subsidized ski sets! He is a great ski partner, driver, and coach.

[Than_Bogan]

@MattP Lots of jobs in MA, including at my employer (Cognex) in many different roles.

 

There is much to like about MA, but the weather sure as heck isn't one of those things. (Last week was nice, though!)

[MattP]

@Than_Bogan south of the mason-dixon line for me. I like my water in liquid form year round.

[The_MS]

@Razorskier1 He will gain more buoys if you dont require him to hold a job. Plus, he will always be around to drive. I would hate to see the hour meter on your MC after the summer spent skiing with his buddies.

[RazorRoss3]

@MS, at the end of the day, I've spent the last entirity of my life as a ski bum who didn't have to do much but go to school, work a few summers at papa murphy's and ski to my hearts content. At this point I'm ready to get out and moving a little more on my own. I'm well aware that my ski time will likley see a dramatic decrease this year over previous but I'm just going to have to use that as motivation to move up in the world as fast as I can.

 

As for the hours on the MC, if I were not to get a job and @Razorskier1 were the kind of guy to want a group of college kids unsupervised on his new boat then the hour meter would be truly obscene since we'd put 8 hours a day on it on top of the daily hours he puts on every morning! I think he trusts me to dive his new toy just fine but I'm not sure how much he trusts the rest of my ski buddies. Iowa would have the single best men's and women's slalom teams in the midwest region by the end of the summer though!

[klindy]

@MattP you recall the Mason-Dixon Line is the Pennsylvania border right? Personally I'd pick a like further south...something close to the Tropic of Cancer would be a better plan.

[6balls]

@razorross3 you need to do some interviews over here! Low cost of living, no traffic, 4 courses in under 10 minutes, New Germany in 45 min. This is the pitch for being a new ski partner for me and RKO!

[MattP]

@klindy yes it is. Tropic of Cancer does sound like a better plan.

[The_MS]

@RazorRoss3 Get a government job. Like the line from Ghostbusters. "I have worked in the private sector, they expect results"

[Kelvin]

It's not the Tropic of Cancer, but my son's criteria is anything south of I-10.

[RazorRoss3]

@ms, I can choose between the government and the private sector the same way I can choose between having enough money to keep skiing and not.

[Iowa_Ski_Team]

Wow, it's great to see all a post about the collegiate version of our fine sport get this much attention on Ball Of Spray. We're looking forward to seeing some of our BOS friends at the event both on the water and to help out our officiating staff when they're back on shore. We're looking forward to a great event and we'll try and get a post tournament update in here at the end of the weekend!

[Razorskier1]

Go Team Midwest! Looks like a thunderstorm is coming

[MattP]

Guys just finished slalom and women have started. The rain is moving in now. Tough conditions out there today. EAST COAST!!

 

[Razorskier1]

Collegiate skiing is kinda like show skiing - you have to ski regardless of conditions!

[Than_Bogan]

Score, places, team stats? Inquiring minds wanna know.

[6balls]

Crappy conditions in college were always good for me...gave me a shot at Surdej

[mopowpow]

Go team Midwest! It was fun the year we had the collegiate all stars at Dream Lake Estates. Marcus Brown came with the western team. He spent a day coaching.

[thager]

@RazorRoss3 Better stay with the private sector. There's no money in government. : )

[RazorRoss3]

Wow! What a weekend! I (and @Iowa_Ski_Team) now get to say we have hosted NCWSA All Stars successfully. Was a great weekend that ran great aside from the wind blowing the ramp so hard the ancor line snapped causing an hour delay this morning for women's jump. Team Midwest had a demanding 500 point lead after the first event that only grew making us 3 time back defending champs. I personally skied quite poorly offering a mere 3 buoys at my opener to the score books. I'm blaming a combination of not seeing a course for 2 weeks before the tournament and before that a month not to mention the 15-20 mph tail wind off the dock.

 

Regardless of all of that everyone had a great time and I could not be happier with my choice to skip my college graduation to ski and host such a great tournament with such an amazing group of people! I can't express how sad I am to go.

[eleeski]

College skiing rocks!

[rab]

All Stars was a great success. Here is team midwest with their first place trophy, and yes that is @RazorRoss3 in the middle pulling up his shirt.

[Razorskier1]

Nice! Congrats Team Midwest!

[skiinxs]

Great looking Nautique in the shot above :) Seriously though, great bunch of collegiate skiers at the event skiing in some pretty tough conditions.

[MattP]

@skiinxs thanks for bringing the boat! We sat next to each other at dinner. It was great to meet @rab and @RazorRoss3 geat job hosting @Iowa_Ski_Team !! @Ilivetoski You skied great given the conditions!