Dean Tom Murphy has been selected for induction in the National Collegiate Water Ski Association Hall of Fame. The Bear Bryant of collegiate water skiing, Dean Murphy is the winningest coach in the history of the sport and is credited with bringing 10 national championships to Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe.
Murphy brought legitimacy to collegiate skiing securing school support in the form of funding, transportation, and talent scholarships. He truly believed in the concept of team skiing, stressing that championships are won as a team, not by individuals.
Murphy was integral in the establishment of the collegiate water ski national championships. Prior to 1979 ski teams only competed regionally. When members of the NLU ski team proposed the idea of a national tournament, Murphy agreed and garnered support for the event from the University and the City of Monroe. The team hosted the first National Intercollegiate Water Ski Tournament on Bayou DeSiard in October of 1979.
The landscape of collegiate water skiing today would be unrecognizable had it not been for Dean Tom Murphy.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (February 18, 2021) – The health, safety and well-being of everyone is our top priority at the Victoria Waterski Association. As you are all aware, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a matter of great concern around the world. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been impacted by this virus and especially those who have lost loved ones.
The Moomba Masters International Invitational is the largest three-event waterski and wakeboard tournament in the world. It is our primary goal to stay committed to hosting the world’s best athletes on the water, not only to contend for one of the most premiere titles to obtain in the world, but also to entertain us with all of the thrilling excitement that occurs on the water of the Yarra River.
Our team has been working diligently with the City of Melbourne, local staff, event officials, International Federations and Associations, in navigating the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.
Unfortunately, due to the Moomba Festival being cancelled for this year, a large volume of international athletes that currently reside in countries with travel restrictions and with the current situation in the state of Victoria, the city of Melbourne and Australia as a whole, we are not able to play host some of the best athletes in the world for the 2021 event.
Due to these ongoing challenges, it is with much regret that we have decided to cancel the Nautique® Moomba Masters for 2021. This decision did not come lightly, but we believe it’s in the best interest for health and safety of all parties.
We are already underway with our planning for the 61st Nautique Moomba Masters Tournament, and we wish all our competitors a safe year ahead and look forward to our return in 2022.
In addition, I would like to thank our sponsors, volunteers and families for your unwavering support and understanding during these unprecedented times. Rest assured, the 2022 Moomba Masters will be grander than ever.
We look forward to you joining us again on the banks of the Yarra River.
Regards,
Darren Robertson, President VWSA/Moomba Masters Chairman
Fran Hynes, Secretary VWSA
VWSA Directors
Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp says it was an 'incredibly difficult decision' to cancel Moomba for the first time since it began in 1955.
Read the article from The Age
The 3rd edition of Waterski Journal is putting together the new skis for 2021 as we all love new gears in our bags. Freddie Winter investigated over one of the greatest champions of all time to share his story: Jamie Beauchesne. Snap look over the U21 favorites for the world title in Santa Rosa Beach this summer. And many more!
- Improved performance: Greater rebound, more stability at the ball and dramatically increased durability.
- A thinner profile: The carbon core’s increased strength allows for a thinner side profile, offering skiers a more connected-to-the-water feeling.
- Softer flex patterns: The carbon core led to the holy grail of ski design – soft flex patterns that produce indestructible, symmetrical turns, with quick rebound out of the turn that generates amplified side-to-side speed.
- Larger, rounder bevels: Working in concert with the thinner profile, refined bevels provide a more stable, predictable ride, resulting in more buoys even when things don’t go as planned (read: better scrambling ability).
- Additional features:
- Precision finbox
- Five-year warranty
- PowerShell and G-Flex ready
- Handmade in Ogden, Utah, U.S.A
Forthcoming: The Dane Mechler Interview
First off, it's been a while now since our last piece went out, so my apologies for the long pause. But in this Fall 2020 edition of Forthcoming, I had a minute to hook up with my good buddy, Dane Mechler, for a little one-on-one. Hope you enjoy:
So what's up, Dane... how are you?
I am doing great, Pete. Hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2020. I think we can all agree that we are looking forward to a fresh start in 2021. Hope you are doing great.
What are you doing right at this moment?
Just doing a bit of off-season traveling right now. Orlando last week and Europe as of this moment.
I've really respected your skiing / career / relationship balance over the past couple of years, what has motivated you to live your life this way? And how has it impacted your skiing?
Thank you, Pete. Skiing is a huge part of my life, but it is not everything to me. I love having a career to work towards outside of skiing and there are so many parallels between the two. Unfortunately so many start a career after college and fall out of our sport. For me, this was not an option, and I am motivated to work hard every day to try to be successful at both. Waterskiing is my passion and I could not imagine life without it. If a weekend tournament does not go my way, it does not matter because I am truly standing on the starting dock because I love it.
I know you fought with ski sizes a bit this year, as you are someone who falls right in between lengths. I know the struggle. What did you end up going with, and why? What advice might you have for someone going through the same issue?
2020 was a year of testing and learning for me. I spent most of the season on a 67-inch Goode XTR. There was so much I loved about riding a bigger ski but in the end it, the 66 XTR is better for me at 41. With any major equipment change such as a change in ski size, there is always a tradeoff. Understanding what aspects of a ski/setup compliment your style/technique is extremely important. Always do your best to set up your ski for your hardest pass while it may be tempting to continue riding a ski that feels great on your easier passes.
But you had a good season still. What were the highlights, and I guess, lowlights too?
2020 was somewhat frustrating because I had one of the best years performance-wise in practice but it didn’t quite translate into the results I was looking for in the events. The biggest highlight was fighting my way into the finals at the MasterCraft Pro finally turning two-ball at 41 and getting over to 3. In general, the lowlight of the season was my struggle getting out of 2-ball at 41. This happened in the semi-final at Malibu Open and then it got into my head from then on. Going down twice at 2-ball at the Swiss Pro Slalom made for a difficult drive home. It is important to know when you need a change, and this day was the sign.
20th November 2020
Maria Isabel Mancheno from Colombia was elected President of the IWWF Pan American Confederation (IWWF Pan Am) earlier today during the IWWF Pan Am Congress held virtually. Maria Isabel has been Vice-President of IWWF Pan Am since 2018 and succeeds Jeffry Armstrong from the USA who has stepped down from her role after 3 years of service.
At national level, Maria Isabel was President of the Colombian Waterski and Wakeboard Federation from 2014 to 2018. Her other appointments include being a member of the IWWF World Wakeboard Council and Chairperson of the IWWF Pan Am Wakeboard Council. She has been involved in multi-sport games as Technical Delegate for the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar, 2017 Bolivarian Games held in Colombia and 2015 Colombian National Games.
Maria Isabel who is fluent in Spanish, English and German will join Karen McClintock, who was re-elected Secretary-General of IWWF Pan Am, as a member of the IWWF Executive Board with immediate effect.
Congratulations, Maria Isabel!
Van Dyk, Rhonda On Wednesday November 18, Rhonda Kaye Van Dyk (Wishnew), a loving mother, wife and friend, passed away due to complications associated with Covid-19 at the age of 62. Rhonda was born November, 1958, and was raised in Elmhurst, IL with her two siblings, Roger and Robin. In August of 1982, she married Dan Van Dyk and had two daughters whom she loved dearly, Jessica and Jackie. She had a passion for people that shined through everything she did. She loved her family first and foremost and never failed to step up and help. Those who were fortunate enough to meet her also knew this love and were immediately welcomed into her ever growing little family. She was one of the kindest, most generous, and selfless humans and will be dearly missed by everyone she knew. She loved her work at Mel Trotter Ministries as the Events Director and regularly volunteered for the USA Adaptive Water Ski & Wake Sports Association. Her selfless dedication to the people of Grand Rapids through Mel Trotter and her passion for the sport and people in the water skiing community was unmatched. Rhonda was preceded in death by her father, Howard. She is survived by her husband Dan; her two daughters, Jessica and Jackie; her mother Cynthia; her sister Robin and her brother Roger; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the USA Adaptive Water Ski and Wake Sports Association in her name. www.usaadaptivewaterski.org/donate. There will be no public Celebration of Life until it can be done safely, hopefully in the spring or summer of 2021.
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Read more: Lake County Selected To Host 2021 IWWF World Waterski Championships
Webster, MA - The Webster Water Ski Collective is honored to partner with Foxy Travel / FTI Coach, Wachusett Mountain and the Menard family to host the inaugural “Swaterski to Fight Cancer” event at Point Breeze, Webster, in memory of Christine (Repsys) Menard. The event will benefit the National Brain Tumor Society.
“December 5th isn't a day I like to remember, it is the day we lost my Mom to glioblastoma, a very aggressive and currently incurable form of brain cancer,” said Keith Menard. “
Participants can sign up before 11/20 at websterwaterski.org/events. If you aren’t local, send in a donation and a picture or video of you participating on your home site. If you prefer to stay a little warmer, you can still support the event by making a donation. All checks can be made payable to the Webster Water Ski Collective, or participants can pay online via PayPal via the Websterwaterski.org/events site. Following the event, the Webster Water Ski collective will then make a single large donation consisting of the full proceeds from the event to the National Brain Tumor Society. Participants may get their own sponsors to cover their registration fee, and the fees will be tax deductible. We hope to see you at Point Breeze on December 5th!
The University of Louisiana Monroe community mourns the loss of Michael Woodgate, the ULM water ski team head coach.
Originally from Boroughbridge, England, Woodgate was named head coach of the champion Warhawk water ski team in May 2019.
Prior to being named head coach, he served as a graduate assistant for the team and kinesiology department. Woodgate earned his M.S. in Exercise Science in May 2020.
ULM extends sympathies to his family, friends, and team as they cope with this unexpected loss.
Source: https://www.kedm.org/post/ulm-mourns-loss-michael-woodgate-warhawk-water-ski-head-coach#stream/0
Foundation Awards More Than $25,000 In Scholarships
The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation is pleased to announce the awarding of more than $25,000 in scholarships this year to 15 young people in from different towed water sports disciplines. The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation’s scholarships are awarded each year to individuals who show leadership abilities and demonstrate how their involvement in the sport has helped them grow both personally and academically.
For the second consecutive year, Krista Butterfield of Sherman, Texas, has won the $5,000 Barbara Bolding/Jim Grew Scholarship. Krista is a senior at Texas A&M University, majoring in nursing.
Zach Butterfield of Sherman, Texas, is the recipient of the $2,200 Banana George Blair Ambassador Scholarship. Zach is a freshman at Texas A&M University, majoring in engineering.
Anna Gay of Winter Garden, Fla., has won the $2,000 Elmer Stailing Southern Region Scholarship. Anna is a senior at the University of Alabama, majoring in nursing with a minor in nutrition.
Landon Geels of Westminster, Colo., is the recipient of the $1,500 “Big Al” Wagner Western Region Scholarship. Landon is a senior at Florida Southern College, majoring in Business Administration.
For the second year in the row, Grace Petzold of Mequon, Wis., has won the $1,500 Tim Olson Memorial Scholarship. Grace is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in chemistry/biology.
Jaxen Stabel of Chico, Calif., won the Boys 1 national overall title at the 2020 GOODE Water Ski National Championships in Zachary, La., and has been awarded the Jim Grew Boys 1 Overall Scholarship sponsored by Jim Grew in the amount of $2,000.
Read more: USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation Awards More Than $25,000 In Scholarships
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