Nautique Big Dawg World Tour returns to Maiden, North Carolina

[Horton]

AUGUST 5TH & 6TH, 2017 | LITTLE MOUNTAIN WATER SKI CLUB

 

The fourth stop on the 2017 Nautique Big Dawg World Tour will be at Little Mountain Lake in Maiden, N.C., on Aug. 5-6.

 

It will be the Tour's second visit to Little Mountain Lake, with support from area Nautique dealer Race City Marine of Mooresville, N.C.

 

Little Mountain is the largest and last of four qualifying tournaments leading up to the Big Dawg season finale in Rio Linda, Calif., on Aug. 25-26. With some 40 skiers, Little Mountain will host the largest field of the season.

 

Chad Scott won the 2016 event and will return to defend his title. World record holder Jeff Rodgers will also be in the field, along with top competitors Ben Favret and Greg Badal. Little Mountain is the home site for another Big Dawg challenger, lake owner Clay Neil.

 

Rodgers won the season-opening Big Dawg stop in Miami in May, defeating Favret in a runoff after both Americans ran two buoys at 41 feet off in the final. He ran six at 39-1/2 in the runoff, to Favret's 3-1/2 at 39-1/2. Rodgers, a former Open Men world record holder, currently holds the 34-mph world record.

 

The next two Big Dawg stops moved overseas, with Frederic Halt of Switzerland winning in France, where he defeated Jeremy Newby-Ricci in the head-to-head final by one buoy, scoring three at 41.

 

Newby-Ricci of Great Britain was runner-up again at the third Tour stop, in Spain, as Ivan Morros won in his home country with two at 41 off in the final. Newby-Ricco scored a half at 41.

 

The Big Dawg World Tour is in its 12th season and is pulled exclusively by the Ski Nautique 200. The Tour features the world's best 34-mph men slalom skiers ages 35 and older. Each two-day stop includes two qualifying rounds, followed by a bracketed 16-skier head-to-head finale.

 

Little Mountain Lake will also offer a Big Dawg spinoff event for women, the Queens Cup on Sept. 16-17, for the top amateur female slalom skiers 30 and older. As with the Big Dawg stop, it will be the second season for the Little Mountain Queens Cup, sponsored by SportsInsurance.com, after a hugely successful debut as a $10,000-plus cash-and-prizes event in 2016.

 

The Queens Cup, which drew 24 entrants last year, follows the same format as the Big Dawg, including the bracketed 16-skier head-to-head finish on Sunday. Unlike the Big Dawg, the Queens Cup uses a handicapped scoring system to include skiers whose maximum boat speed is 30, 32 and 34 mph.

 

In addition to its support of the Little Mountain Big Dawg stop, Race City Marine of Lake Norman, located 15 minutes from the world record lake, is also an integral supporter of the Queens Cup.

 

The Little Mountain Big Dawg event will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5 and 10:30 a.m. Aug. 6.

 

For information, go to nautiquebigdawg.com. For Queens Cup information, go to the usawaterski.org tournament schedule. Or contact tournament director Jeff Gilbert at gilb41@hotmail.com for information on either event.

[Wish]

 

[AdamCord]

Thatta boy @adamhcaldwell

[waterskicorey]

Anyone know if there is a web cast of this event?

[klindy]

There will not be a webcast. There's nothing close to a decent internet connection at the site.

[Mateo_Vargas]

Can someone draw pictures and post them online?

[klindy]

I can take pics and put them online.

[Wish]

@klindy I think many of us would like to see you draw them and post ...haha.

 

This will be interesting. I think #10 will add some excitement and some serious competition to the mix. @36 he was getting deep down 41.

 

It's also cool to see Jodie Fisher mixing it up again.

[Zman]

You go Jack Everett!! Wow, M7 dude mixing it up with the Big Dawgs! Fanatastic way to enjoy your retirement! Ski well!

[Zman]

OK, slight correction. Not, yet M7, not for another couple weeks. Good luck to all the other M6 skiers this weekend. Good luck to all!

[Zman]

 

[AdamCord]

@Wish they aren't going to let Caldwell ski. I guess the Ballofspray event he skied a few years ago counts as a "Pro" event.

[matthewbrown]

@Horton 's tournaments should be a class J for Joke, so that shouldn't count, let the guy ski for crying out loud.

[MattP]

@Wish Jodi* has been staying and training with me this week. Currently ranked 6th overall.

11 in Miami

5 in France

9 in Spain

 

Great to see him back out chasing the dream.

 

@AdamCord are you serious?!

[Wish]

@AdamCord now that is just beyond rediculoius. No offense to @Horton as it was the best ski event I have ever attended, "Pro"'is a bit of a stretch. It was never geared, marketed or intended for that. I would take it to the bank that the Pros that attended feel and felt the same way. They knew it was more for us mere mortals. Thinkn a little fear may be at play. Silly event coordinators. He woulda brought serious excitment. I know what I have seen @34 mph. So does this take out @skidawg from attending a BD? Or me if I wanted too?

[Adam Caldwell]

Yes he is serious.

[Adam Caldwell]

Perhaps the powers to be can shed more light on how the "rules" were interpreted. It certainly makes no sense to me.

[Wish]

@Horton you better get ready for some top end MM skiers pulling out of your current event and any future ones if they have any ambition of skiing a BD. They may already be in jeopardy if they have.

[MattP]

@AdamCord @adamhcaldwell in years past the official rules have listed the events that have qualified as pro events. That does not seem to be the case this year. Also they let @adamhcaldwell enter and hold a paid posisiton in the event. Unless the position is filled a refund would not be allowed. @Chad_Scott any thoughts?

[liquid d]

Cash prizes get very sticky in all sports. Think of all the problems over the years in ...baseball, track, golf, football, you name the sport.

[MattP]

The ballofspray events are the farthest thing from a pro event. Haveing skied them, helped put them on and been a judge at them they are fun and equal scored for everyone to enjoy and chance to win at a cash event. It's the farthest thing from a pro event. I guess @skidawg, jay leach, @TFIN @horton @Wish @Bruce_Butterfield @Booze @Razorskier1 are now pro skiers.

 

If this is what the big dawg is now then who cares what has become. Jodi has spent years on the sidelines due to his pro event finishes. He is now almost 50 and just now able to ski the big dawg.

[matthewbrown]

Gotta squash that threat by hook or by crook.....I wonder who the "They" is in the "They won't let him ski" scenario?

[Wish]

Damn.. I'M A PRO WATERSKIER..!!!! Anyone want my autograph...it will cost you $5.

 

now if that is not the most obserd thing, I don't know what is. BD is starting to look kinda lame.

[Mateo_Vargas]

I thought @Horton paid out in Bitcoin?

[MillerTime38]

Wow, talk about some serious BS. I didn't realize the BOS tournament was the new pro tour.

 

I wonder if other skiers complained? why let him sign up and then pull the rug out?

[Adam Caldwell]

A "pro" event should be defined as competing against a full line up of other pro/open division skiers - not a mix of open and M2 M3 M4 M5 etc.

 

Suggest an open definition of "wining cash" at an event be revised to have a cap - maybe $600-$800 - defined in the BD rule book to allow BOS and other similar events to exist without hindering people from competing in Big Dog and vice versa.

 

 

[Wish]

@OB1 did your tournament specify Pro vs Am in the tournament guide? Or was it just billed as a single tournament with seperate devisions? Seems to me it boils down to how it is written up in the tournament guide. If you have Pros skiing your event and make them enter a seperate tournament (class REL) on the same day and there is $$s on the line = Pro event. But if you have a tournament where pros can show up and ski with everyone else, pay same entry with same form and there's a few $$s handed out, you just have a backyard event were some of the entry fee goes to the skiers. I won @OB1s event. Should that preclude me from entering a BD?? It was one of THE coolest events I've ever skied. I have the giant check next to my bed and the bib hanging in my closet. Even though we got to feel like a pro for a day..thank you @OB1, there was no delusion on anyone's part that It was an armature event with some pros and high end skier floating around. I just got lucky.

[skierjp]

17S156R // that would be a Yes!

[gmut]

Who is Eligible NBDWT / Entry Information:

 

Skiers 35 years and older, who have not placed in the top 10 in the Open Division of a Pro slalom cash prize event in the past five years or any skier age 50 or over. All skiers meeting the eligibility criteria above, are extended an invitation and submit to the tournament registrar an (a) entry form, (b) proof of membership as required per the governing body of the host country and © advertised entry fee. Maximum number of skiers is specific to each qualifier. Please see each event page for more details.

@Horton,

Was your event classified as an "Open Division of a Pro slalom cash prize event" ??

[Andre]

Wasn't Horton's tournament a handicap tournament ...???

That can't be classified as a Pro or open tournament ???

[bishop8950]

“They”: the Big Dawg Committee which is made up of representatives from Nautique, the title sponsors and 3 athlete representatives, of which I am one of them.

 

The rule: “Skiers 35 years and older, who have not placed in the top 10 in the Open Division of a Pro slalom cash prize event in the past five years or any skier age 50 or over.” So think of it as: were you entered as OM, did you finish in the top 10, was there a cash prize in the event, and was it in the last 5 years?

 

The spirit: to create a fair separation between Open Men and the Big Dawg. The separation is good for both Open Men and the Big Dawg.

 

The letter of the law: There has been a lot of discussion and iteration on the best way to define this rule. Cash was a clear criteria that worked at the time and events like the BOSCP can challenge whether it meets the intended spirit. However, the Committee agreed to stick to the letter through the end of the 2017 season. The Committee is willing to revisit this after the 2017 Finals if a better definition can be defined.

 

Clarification: Regarding Big Dawg qualification, skiers 35 and over can ski other cash prize events at 34mph, but not OM. Skiers 50 and over can ski anything they want.

 

[Gloersen]

thought the BD minimum age = 35; i.e. M3 and above.

@adamhcaldwell - are you M2 now and not M3 until after next week?

 

[Than_Bogan]

@bishop8950 Thanks so much for the clarification!

 

I'm not sure I agree with the decision, but I greatly respect you coming here and making a coherent explanation of it!

 

Please do consider further ammendment for 2018. I think Mr. Caldwell will bring some entertainment, and in general I'd hate for people to be discouraged from entering Horton-style events in the future.

[Razorskier1]

Ah, this is a joke. Caldwell beat me in the head to head. I'm a M5 hack. BD seems to go out of their way to make people dislike the series. Dislike!

[jcamp]

Yeah another BOS controversy! Queue up the outrage, calls for succession, claims that people are leaving the sport, "I'm done competing!" and then ... nothing until the next one pops up.

 

I'm going skiing.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@bishop8950 so if Caldwell sent his entry in to the BOS as M2 instead of OM, there would be no issue?

 

This really reflects poorly on the BD sponsors to be nitpicking and missing the big picture and intent.

[Than_Bogan]

OUTRAGE!!!

 

And I've already left the sport!!! ... until my back heals up :)

 

Hey it's the internet. Some things are to be expected.

[Gloersen]

too young to be eligible; dang, wish I had that problem!

 

[AdamCord]

@Gloersen the rules specify 35+, which Adam is, not AWSA division.

 

@bishop8950 thanks for the explanation. You can see how Adam thought he was ok since Trent F skied in the same Ballofspray event in OM and is listed on the Big Dawg website as eligible. Why is Trent eligible and not Caldwell?

 

[Gloersen]

but if currently M2 that would be <35.

[Horton]

@AdamCord My understanding of that list is that it is a preliminary list and was not fully vetted. It is my understanding that Trent is not eligible. If you want to be critical you could say the list is sloppy and should not be published. If you were generous you would understand that a few skiers keep this stuff up on their own time and they missed a step.

[MillerTime38]

@Gloersen M2 goes by your age as of Jan 1st, so like myself I turned 35 Jan 23rd but am still M2.

 

@bishop8950 I think you guys dropped the ball on this one. It seems like a stretch that the committee is considering BOS cash prize event as a "Pro slalom cash prize event".

[Gloersen]

@MillerTime38, @AdamCord - understood, but BigDawg age cut-off doesn't state when the season starts/ends regarding eligibility.

 

The BigDawg rules does state:

 

General:

 

All events will follow the rules of the local governing body, e.g. USA Water Ski (AWSA) for events within the United States and International Water ski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) for international events. All qualifiers and event finals will adhere to the rules as outlined by those governing bodies and this document. All participants will be ranked, pulled, and judged at a max speed of 34 mph.

 

I assume "follow the rules of the local governing body" includes age cut-off definition. If the BD event was held after next week then the BOS event as a dq would be more relevant as controversial imo.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@bishop8950 by that cash prize criteria, you, Ward and Jay Leach are also ineligible since you were at the same "cash prize" tournament. Why is Caldwell not eligible and you, Ward and Jay are? Just because you sent your entries in as MM instead of OM? That's a really thin line.

 

I also find it hard to comprehend that the BOSCP tournament meets the intent of "the Open Division of a Pro slalom cash prize event". Is the committee seriously calling that tournament a Pro slalom cash prize event?

[Horton]

@Bruce_Butterfield as I understand it if @adamhcaldwell had entered as a M2 or M3 he would have not been caught up in this mess.

 

The reality is that we need rules for everything. I would say the BigDawg needs more explicit rules then most tournaments. You are never going to find a more contentious and intense groups of skiers then a bunch of affluent, hyper competitive, ego driven BigDawgs. Does anyone remember the fiasco at the BigDawg finals a few years ago with the flashing headlights? This group needs structure.

 

I 100% agree that they need to redefine what a pro event is. A BallOfSpray Cash Prize is designed to be a fun tournament with a "poker" game added. It is intended to entertain the Ballers with the added pressure of cash on the line and a few high level skiers added to the mix.

 

Unfortunately, under the current BD rules a BallOfSpray Cash Prize is a Cash event and that is the same as a Pro event. I expect that will change this winter.

 

On the bright side I did chuckle yesterday when I heard that Correct Craft considered the BallOfSpray Cash Prize to be a Pro event. That is the nicest thing they have ever said about me.

[Dirt]

Maybe they can give him a partial refund and let him ski for score and awsa ranking not BD placement since he travelled all the way there.

[AdamCord]

@Gloersen I think you've done a good job of pointing out that BD may have some rule issues. Hopefully they are able to get them fixed.

 

@Dirt Adam got the call last night before heading up to NC so at least he didn't waste time making the trip. From what I understand something similar happened to Glenn Campbell after flying to Miami all the way from the U.K.!

[MattP]

@bishop8950 I understand the rules are the rules. Do I like the call? No. But in years past the big dawg rules specifically outlined which events they viewed as pro events. Just add that back into the rule book. Then there would be no question. Simple fix.

[bishop8950]

@horton is correct, Trent is not elidgable, that is a mistake on that list.

 

@Bruce_Butterfield skiers are allowed to ski cash prize events at 34mph. Interesting on M2. We will have to look at that. While they are in M2 it doesn't matter because they are younger than 35. But if hey ski an event at 34yrs old that qualifies would that exclude them for 5 years regardless of OM vs M2? Haven't happened yet.

 

@horton is right, we need rules for this. They have been pushed and tested so many times. Defining who is in the Big Dawg and who isn't is critical for its success and differentiation from Open Pro skiing.

 

I ask that you guys consider we are trying do the right thing and live by the rules we have. Rather than make exceptions as we go we are sticking with what we have and ARE willing to write a different rule going forward. Different committees around the world may have done it differently.

 

If you want to help, think of what we are trying to manage wrt spirit, then think of ALL potential scenarios and then come up with a clean rule hat works 100% of the time. The current rule works for most cases.

[bishop8950]

@mattp that may be the most effective solution and will be considered. Thanks