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WATERSKI MagazineThe bright sun has finally set in the distant horizon. There is no one standing along the shoreline, and there is no one in the bleachers. A podium surrounded by only a few people can hardly be made out by the headlights of the cars that are just now leaving the parking lot. A few hands may clap, but the only real sound that can be heard is the swatting of mosquitoes on these triumphant victors' backs, arms and legs. This is the U.S. Nationals. This is the big moment they've been waiting and training for all year.
While the U.S. Nationals has been titled the most prestigious amateur water-ski event, the dynamics of the competition are changing dramatically every year. With nearly 1,000 competitors flocking to Bakersfield August 10-14 to compete on three lakes for almost a full week, it's no wonder people are starting to ask if the Nationals is all it's cracked up to be.
The first and most obvious problem is the size of the tournament. The Men 3 event takes place on two different lakes, with different boats, different drivers and different officials. More than likely, while the 187th-ranked Men 3 slalom skier is on the water, he is missing his daughter's jump event, which is being held on a different lake. Rex Hunt, father of overall skier Brandi Hunt and triplet sisters Holli, Jami and Tobi Hunt, suggests that water skiing follow a format more similar to one of basketball.
“In basketball, there are other events that act as stepping stones,” he says. “Teams must advance from districts to regionals, from regionals to sectionals and, finally, from sectionals to state. If we could do something like this with our Nationals, skiers who do advance through the state and regionals would end up competing in a 'true' national competition.”
At a “true” national tournament, there probably wouldn't be a 187th-ranked skier, and he surely wouldn't be missing his daughter's jump event on another lake.
In addition to the number of competitors at the Nationals, there are also hundreds of judges, officials, announcers and volunteers who sit for countless hours in the sun to keep the tournament running.
“Currently, it takes five senior judges to count six buoys,” says eight-time Men 3 national slalom champion Chuck Forrest. “Sometimes I find this a bit ridiculous. If we could eliminate many of the judges and implement some sort of video system with maybe one or two officials, it wouldn't matter how many competitors there were in an event.”
Thelma Salmas, who has 60 national titles, believes that reducing the number of years skiers spend in each division could eliminate the problem of long events. Skiers in the middle divisions, like Men 3, compete in their respective divisions for ten years. According to Salmas, if these divisions were split into five-year segments, the number of participants in each event would be less, which would result in less work for the officials.
At the end of the day, when all the skiers have finished competing and the last judge is struggling off the tower, there is little energy left for applause.
“One thing needs to change,” says April Coble, owner of more than 20 national titles, “the awards ceremony needs to immediately follow the event so that all the winners' friends and families can attend. Placing in the top five at the Nationals is a huge deal, and it should be a special time for all who have supported and helped those who have placed.”
Coble is also frustrated with the fact that the Nationals banquet has been canceled. Unfortunately, there is no more times for a banquet. The competitors have already come and gone; many of them even miss their own chance to stand on the podium.
