First year joining AWSA

[TEL]

This is the first year I have joined the AWSA and planning to do several tournaments this year. I wasn’t able to comment on class R/E/L versus class C.

As I plan on tournaments this year I noticed a lot of them in Florida are R, E, L tournaments. And there is only one grassroots tournament which is held in March. I’m picking tournaments this year not wanting to spend a fortune because I know I’m not going to make it passed my Second or third run through the course since I’m still struggling at 32 off so I picked tournaments on price I don’t mind spending $50 to $100 for three rounds. But when each round is $100 or more which is majority of the tournaments in Florida it makes no sense. My girlfriend wants to join in the fun but she’s is only able to ski the mini course. The only tournament she can go to is the grassroots tournament. it’s a four hour ride so we’re going to spend the night so for the two of us we will have to rent a room,food,and travel we’re going to spend over $500 for a short few minutes on the water. Plus pay for her to join AWSA for one time on the water.If you want more people to join AWSA there needs to be more grassroots and reasonably pricedtournaments. When I have gone to watch my ski buds last year in tournaments there was no intercom system to let us know who was skiing what line length they were skiing we had no clue what was going on. I think the AWSA needs to make it a requirement that there is some kind of intercom system it’s pretty cheap now a couple Bluetooth speakers and a microphone maybe they could have a system where you can borrow the equipment and return it by the next weekend. I don’t want to complain I love this sport and I really want to see it grow

[lpskier]

Florida is unique in that most of its tournaments are L/R. Some L/R tournaments, though, offer a class C. Our tournaments at LaPoint Ski Park the first weekends of April and November do. You can ski two rounds Saturday for $70. Or Sunday. Or four rounds over the weekend for $140.

 

Once you are out of Florida, most tournaments are class C and offer Grassroots or F (Fun) divisions. In NY, a three round class C will cost you $50 total and often comes with lunch.

 

We have music, which is an upgrade from nothing, but no announcer.

[ski6jones]

On the lack of announcing we bought some of the small hand held radios that are used for judging and scoring. Works well to know who's skiing what speeds/lines.

[TEL]

@Ipskier, yep I saw your tournaments I will be skiing in both. Thanks

[Orlando76]

Aaaannnndddd my point exactly. Why would a suck skier such as myself, or anybody that’s skiing shy of a solid -38 waste money on joining AWSA and waste time and money on skiing tournaments? I’m still trying to figure out what AWSA and tournaments do for bottom level skiers? Granted if we joined AWSA we could comment on what seems to be majority of the topics anymore on BOS. For $500 for one round we’d be better off spending $500 in 6 or so lessons at The Boarding School in our own backyard on our lunch break and we can actually see where that money goes. I know y’all have Pickle Man come out a lot to your house and coach, seems like that’s a better use of $500.

 

At least for the ~$90 or so it costs me to join AAA I’m guaranteed 4 tows of my truck and trailer up to 100 miles and a discount at most hotels and campgrounds.

[Than_Bogan]

I'm always confused what ability level has to do with it. Either you want to measure yourself in formal competition or you don't. For many years, I did. Then one day I realized I didn't anymore, so I cut back to just helping my ski partner run his annual tournament. If the day comes that I want to measure myself in formal competition again, then I'll jump back in!

 

Maybe the fact that we have almost nothing but Class C's in New England colors my viewpoint. I guess $100 entry fees might make me view the whole thing differently?

[ScottScott]

That's one thing specifically Jerry and Action Watersports is doing by having a couple low cost C tournaments (separate from the multiple tournaments Kyle holds, usually all record.) @TEL I know you were at the one Action tournament last year as my stellar performance was a motivating factor in you wanting to do tournaments this year....ha!! We were all talking to Jerry and he was interested in feedback. Maybe he would be up for adding a grass roots. A half course was mentioned to him also, and he seemed interested, tho there is some labor in that. Most sites dont have a 1/2 course installed, so adding that and adding PA, adds money......

 

I actually think that if you put all the C tournaments we have in Fl together and compare to other states, we probably arent too far off. It's just that we also have A LOT of record tournaments. If I included all the record tournaments, I could probably do a tournament every weekend within a reasonable drive that wouldn't require an over night stay from mid march through late june....

[MI3Eventer]

The tolerances for mini courses is really wide....last year I hosted a couple of collegiate tournaments and we used some cinerblocks and tape measures to drop in a mini course the day before the tournament, I think we spent $20 and about an hour of swimming.

 

This year we are working to have a PA system at every weekend tournament in Michigan. We found last year at the collegiate tournaments that you don't need to assign someone cause someone will always be willing to listen to their own voice!

 

I flew down for Actions October tournament in Polk City from Michigan because a bunch of my club members went down. It was an awesome tournament....super relaxed awesome site, plenty of rounds a free t-shirt, and lunch. Jerry did it right. I will definitely be heading down again this year. My only hope is we get some more Florida jumpers to compete as I was the only one!

[unksskis]

$70 for 2 rounds... I can get 6 in Texas for that amount

[lpskier]

@unksskis Everything is bigger in Texas.

[aupatking]

I skied 1-2 pass tournaments for several years @TEL. It sucks. I’m still not running -32 in tournaments but at least I’m getting 4 passes. I feel like 2 rounds of 4 passes is worth my $70-$80 but when it’s getting closer and closer to $100, it’s easier to stay home, ski our lake, and get work done with the wife who doesn’t want me gone all weekend anyway.

[ScottScott]

I understand the position, but I'm not sure "time on the water" is the best measurement of the value of a tournament. Depending on your level, it may not be practical to back up to an opening pass that will allow 4-6 passes. I set an all time PB (not just tournament, but beating my practice best) at the lapoint tournament last year. That round I only skied 3 passes (last pass just getting around 1 ball,) but I posted a score I was very happy with. I felt that was a great value. Aside from one tournament where i didn't get through my opening pass, as long as I can ski reasonably close to my capability I'm happy, and enjoy the experience of meeting new people, skiing different sites, and watching some skiers better than me, but not just as a spectator...being involved.

[BrennanKMN]

For me the ability part comes in with my ski buddies. Of my ski partners I am the only one that could potentially run 3+ passes in a tournament. My two partners could do 0-1 maybe on a really good day 2 passes. That makes them have very little interest in going and I don't have much interest in going if I cannot bring my skiing friends. Yeah, yeah, I am sure I'll make new friends at the tournaments, but I'd rather not exclude them based on their ability so I stay home and we have fun Saturday mornings together instead.

 

Why would I (and my buddies) pay all that money for very little water time? If we all could run 3-4+ passes without fail I could understand a little more. Perfect courses, new boats, great drivers, awesome sites are all great, but they don't outweigh the fun factor I can have with my buddies on the weekend.

 

Just my thoughts as someone who joined the AWSA 4 years ago thinking I'd ski some tournaments and still haven't.

[Adam Caldwell]

@BrennanKMN

 

That is what skiing is all about right there. INT was around when I was in your situation and was able to go to an event KNOWING I couldn't run a pass and still 'compete' having the mulligan pass available.

 

Part of what I didn't realize prior to showing up to the tournaments is how much 'knowledge' about the sport and technique was even out there. Getting to a few tournament events helped me learn more and more and I was able to bring that back to my fathers Wed night ski buddies - which we all benefited from.

 

As a result, I was able to influence that 20 person Wed night crew of water skiers (they started skiing together in 1980 in Maine and NH) who had NEVER shortened a rope before, and were talking full 75', (boring) into running short-line within one summer.

 

The extra speed, pull, swing, and smaller wakes they all felt completely revitalized their passion (20+ years later) and they went crazy...now all these guys are 60-75yo and free-skiing at 35 and 38off and still loving it. Like @MarcusBrown keeps saying...its all about the feeling people get and take away from it that keeps us coming back for more.

 

There is so much to gain from moving out of the comfort zone.

[6balls]

Hit skiwatch in Milton they do a spring and fall 2 day weekend of 6 rounds. Can practice Friday as well.

[TEL]

That's why I am go to tournaments this year. @ScottScott the newest person skiing in our group started skiing in tournaments first. I think he started his opener at 26mph and worked up in speed now he is shorting to 28 off maybe shorter in just a few years. Way to go Scott and you started to convince the group to start entering tournaments. Know matter how you ski on a particular day the knowledge from other skiers and the camaraderie from fellow skiers is worth the price. At Lapoint's in April there will be five of use skiing from our group. Should be a fun summer for our group, Now to at least get up on my ski at my first tournament will be a win for me

 

[ScottScott]

@6balls Yeah, I'm hoping to do one of those ski watch tournaments. I want to move there.... wanting to see that place and trying to convince my girlfriend we need to move there.

[DW]

Reading 2 threads on the site implies a challenging situation is on the horizon. Comments on tournament cost going up past the point of good value, thus fewer participants coupled with the promo boat thread on how to compensate the involved parties properly certainly implies both are headed in opposite directions.

Fortunately a lot of intelligent and passionate people on the site to provide potential solutions.

[eyepeeler]

Save your $500 and just stay home and ski. Tournaments are a HUGE waste of time and money.

[Horton]

@eyepeeler you might be in the wrong forum.

[Than_Bogan]

When it comes to entertainment, telling someone else how to spend their time or money is the real waste of time.

[DaveD]

Actually @Horton I think @eyepeeler is on the correct forum, but maybe the wrong thread. I would venture to say that more slalom skiers in the U.S. feel like him way than than not. You need perspective like that involved in this forum to make positive changes to tournament skiing.

[TEL]

It's getting closer to my first tournament, getting a little nervous the weather here in Orlando has not been kind. Winds blowing down my course 10 -16 mph gust up to 30 mph and Florida cold during the day when we do get calm air. Hoping to get a few good days in soon