Outside of the Midwest, How important is show skiing

gregy

Just curious as it pertains to the break away from USAWS. I've never seen or heard of it outside of the Midwest. Is it practiced in florida or NW. I'm thinking its a fairly small group of people that show ski that are having a big impact on the USAWS's funds and practices as far as insurance.

I guess the only place I've actually seen show skiing were at Cypress Gardens and Sea World San Antonio, both a while ago, like the 80s.

Chef23

I would say not at all. I am not aware of any in the Northeast.

ForrestGump

The McQueeny ski bees are the only functioning show ski team in Texas. A state of 26,000,000 and we've got roughly 50 show skiers. I got into skiing when I lived on Lake McQueeny and enjoy the Ski Bees shows. BUT, they have absolutely nothing in common with 3 event skiing as we know it.

RichardDoane

I've seen no show skiing in WA state in the past 10 years

ForrestGump

In all honesty, when I lived there I didn't see show skiers come over to 3 event. But I did see 3 eventers that would become show ski club members. After the last flood, I don't even think they ever reinstalled the slalom course buoys. We spent a lot of time with diving gear setting and maintaining those anchors and I bet you can't even find them now.

gregy

I live about an hour away from Lake McQueeny, I'd heard of the Ski Bees but had no idea they were a show ski club, I thought it was just a ski club. What got me thinking about this is the fact that a ski show is a less controlled environment than tournament skiing. There's more people and often more than one boat all in the water together. Just seem a lot more dangerous and their record seems to show it.

The other incident as I recall was barefooting. Those guys are just totally nuts!

Than_Bogan

Concur with Chef23 and the total lack of importance in the Northeast. That said, there have been occasional shows (not sanctioned that I know of us -- just for entertainment) on Lake Winnepesaukee in NH.

BK

@kfennell you're 100% correct
@shaneh Your comparison to the 26M in the State is ridiculous, unless you also say water skiing in general is just as irrelevant. Second, there are other active show ski clubs in Texas.
More importantly, I can think of at least 15 junior skiers that competed in 2012 AWSA Nationals that came from show skiing with the Ski Bees...not the reverse. And since I've been involved with the Ski Bees, off and on for the last 25 years, many others got their first taste of AWSA tournament skiing after a beginning in show skiing. Another place you see the transition is into collegiate water skiing - there isn't a USAWS collegiate show ski association, so many show skiers get involved in USAWS collegiate water skiing. One of our AWSA Board Members in the SCR is a former show skier. And Jay Bennett was a show skier. Show skiing has and will continue to be a great avenue to involvement in competitive water skiing, in less of course we decide to shoot that foot.
Also, the slalom course anchors are still at McQ today...and the buoys were still in two summers ago but we decided against it last summer since most using it are now at a private ski site...which by the way, three families that started in show skiing purchased lots at SMRR and compete in AWSA at the National level. Anchors are still in at McQ for anyone that wants to put the buoys in - just need to join the Ski Bees and you have access to a slalom course. $50, not a bad deal.
I think it is important to know the facts and not discount the connections show skiing has had with competitive water skiing, at least in the SCR (since we're not talking about the Midwest on this thread). Show skiing is still alive (maybe not well) in FL, too. In my opinion, show skiing has the least amount of red hair of all the USAWS step children.
16 of the 97 ranked (2012) scr slalom skiers in awsa came from show skiing, including the #1 ranked g3 slalom skier for '12. These 16 are from the scr - probably more from the midwest or other regions.
Sorry about the rant, I just think it's a disservice to take away from the true connection. Get with a Ski Bee and go to a ski show and see how many juniors are there (more than 50 for sure) and see it for what it really is; if you don't, no worries...you'll see many of them at awsa or ball-of-spray nationals in the future.

Than_Bogan

Thanks @BK. Great info. Makes sense to me that kids would see the fun in "showing" at a younger age than they would see the fun in individual competition.

dcovington

Sounds like a grass root show ski program in the regions outside of the midwest would be a great idea to foster future skiers. Everyone from the industry to the federation could benefit by the growth of added skiers of all kinds. There definitely is a correlation between show ski clubs and future competitive skiers. The Kruegers also started in a ski/show club. All those hours riding jumpers sure paid off for lori, freddy and julie. Its been years ago for me, but if you never were involved in a show ski club, you missed out. I guess my point backs up Bk. Show skiing is time on the water and is proven to develop future involvement in competitive three event skiing.

BraceMaker

While I agree show skiing should be a source of three eventers, the competitive types need to be sure to provide ways to move into competitive skiing.

Imagine doing a round of night jump right after the conclusion to a ski show.

Might help get jumpers started - of course most show skiers cut to the right to jump.

gregy

@BK thanks for the input. My personal thought was that we have more in common with show skiing than wakeboarding, wakesurfing, etc. Anyone know, was there a separate governing body for Show skiing before USAWS.

6balls

@bracemaker I've heard of kids on collegiate 3-event teams who were former show skiers pulling tricks off the jump and still going a fair distance in competition...what a riot. The 3 best distance jumpers on our collegiate ski team were show ski team guys. I've heard of swivel skiers and wake boarders becoming good trick skiers as well.
Night jump after show skiing...cool! Throw night slalom and jump in there as well as a finisher on the show ski nationals! That would expose 3-event to a skiing crowd who would probably love to sit around, relax and watch some insane stuff after skiing all weekend.