WaterSki Magazine

POLK CITY, Fla.  ¾  The International Water Ski Federation (IWSF) today announced that the sixth Disabled Water Ski World Championships will be held Aug. 26-30, 2003, at Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Crane’s Roost Park was the site of the 2001 Disabled Water Ski National Championships last August, and will host the 2002 Disabled Water Ski National Championships, Aug. 8-10.   

The City of Altamonte Springs will serve as the local organizing committee of the biennial event. “We are extremely excited about the 2003 Disabled Water Ski World Championships being held in Altamonte Springs,” said Steve McDermeit, USA Water Ski’s executive director. “The City of Altamonte Springs Department of Leisure Services, which also will serve as the local organizing committee of the Disabled Nationals in August, has long been a champion of disabled water skiing in the United States. Now it will have the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for the rest of the world.”

The Disabled Worlds was last held in the United States in 1997 at Sunset Lakes in Okahumpka, Fla. Fifteen countries participated in the 2001 Disabled Worlds last March in Melbourne, Australia, where the U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team earned the silver medal with a score of 12,067.8 points. U.S. Team members combined to win 36 individual medals.

“USA Water Ski’s experience in hosting world title events guarantees an excellent championships,” said Graziano Tognala, executive director of the IWSF. “This will be an event that water ski fans will not want to miss.”

Events at the Disabled Water Ski World Championships include slalom, tricks and jumping. Within each event, athletes who are partially (VHB2, VHB3) or totally blind (VHB1), paraplegics or quadriplegics (MP1, MP2, MP3), or have arm and leg disability (with or without prosthesis) compete against skiers with the same disabilities. 

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