Tara exposed the sport of wakeboarding to a whole new audience with breakthrough sponsors and mainstream media articles. Keep Scrolling USA-WWF 6 days ago 1 min Award of Distinction Spotlight: Betty Bonifay The Wakesports Hall of Fame will permanently enshrine these new members into its hallowed halls with 55 well-known current members such as Scott Byerly, Herb O'Brien, Jimmy Redmon, Shaun Murray, Parks Bonifay, Darin Shapiro and Zane Schwenk, among others (view the complete list here).. He helped develop signature products that include boats, wakeboards, life jackets, wet suits and clothing lines. Board Of Directors 2022-23. As a nine-time member of the U.S. Disabled Water Ski Team, he won 13 gold medals, six silver medals and five bronze medals at the Disabled Water Ski World Championships. Willa McGuire Cook co-created the swivel ski and rocketed to fame as the prima ballerina of the sport. After graduating from high school, he moved to Florida to compete for the Florida Southern College water ski team and teach water skiing at the Benzel Ski School. Schwenk was also a driving force in the boating industry, instrumental in designing the very first wakeboard boat with MasterCraft and he holds patents along with MasterCraft for surf systems and towers. She went on to win three more world championships and dominate the X-Games. The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation wants to spread the love of water skiing and all towed water sports around the United States and the world. "Teaching people to wakeboard, water ski, wake surf that's my legacy and that means more than winning anything," says Schwenk. Jimmy Siemers is a three-time world-record holder and three-time world champion. As with any Hall of Fame selection process, it is recognized that every candidate will have different and unique resumes for consideration. The International Water Ski & Wakeboard Federation has announced that Ron Scarpa, current member of the USA Water Ski Foundation's Water Ski Hall of Fame, will be inducted into the International Hall of Fame on Sept. 8 during the 2017 Water Ski World Championships in Choisy-Le-Roi, France. The Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum is the hall of fame, museum, and archive of the sport of water skiing. Chief boat driver for state, regional, national, and pro tour championships. Hall of Fame Alabama Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame Inductees Joe Ray 2021 Lifelong supporter and promoter of disabled water ski clinics and competitions. The Museum is inside of our Visitor Information Center at 101 Adventure Court, Davenport. But, nothing really clicked until she took a ride one day with Darin Shapiro. Members, At LEGOLAND Florida Resort, everyone is a hero. Inductions will generally take place annually for those elected into the Hall. She was a member of the AWSA and USA Water Ski & Wake Sports board of directors from 1990-2005 and served on the AWSA International Activities, Rules and Awards committees. Lee is a longtime AWSA tournament official and board member. By USA Water Ski & Wake Sports | She also won womens tricks title that year at the Australian Open and U.S. Open and swept both events of the IWWF Water Ski World Cup. The purpose of the Water Ski and Wake Sports Hall of Fame shall be to honor and perpetuate the names and accomplishments of skiers, pioneers, and officials whose dedication and competitive achievements at National and International levels have brought lasting fame to the sport of water skiing. Jennifer Calleri-Schwenk Bio Return to Hall of Fame - Competitive Water Skiers By Scott N. Atkinson | Induction will be limited to a maximum of six (6) individuals the first year and a maximum of two (2) each year thereafter. Murray was the first wakeboarder to land a 900 (Regular Heelside) in a competition, and he is the only rider ever to hold World, Pro Tour and National Championship titles at once. USA-WWF | United States Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation MISSION STATEMENT The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation honors the achievements of our sports' outstanding participants and supports promising young athletes. Deadline for accepting nominations for the current year will be April 15. At age 15, she was the world champion. Visiting the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame in Davenport. Ten-time USA National Disabled Overall Champion. The honored members voted into the U.S. Water skiing gained notoriety during the 1920s in Polk County, and in the early 1930 Winter Haven had become known as the water sports center of the United States. Popes vision and work resulted in thousands of newsreels, commercials, photo shoots, television shows and movies featuring Cypress Gardens, including the movie Easy to Love, a 1953 Esther Williams ode to the sport. Raised in Lantana, Florida, Tara's parents were avid three-event water skiers and Tara did her fair share of water skiing and kneeboarding. Shotgun Start Shamble Tournmanet: Four He served as the Representative for Vermont on the . (Same system as used to elect appointed officials to the Southern Regionals). Skip Gilkerson bio Return to Hall of Fame - Water Skiing Pioneers By default, the Hall of Fame inductees below are ordered by year inducted. She has served as chief judge at numerous international events over the past 30 years, including the 2003 Pan American Games, 2004 World University Games, 2009 World Games, 2011 Water Ski World Championships and 2017 Under 21 Water Ski World Championships, in addition to the Masters, U.S. Open and IWWF Water Ski World Cup. Chris Davenport Class Empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being. At age 14, she started wakeboarding. Holder of Womens 8 national slalom record. Date: April 24, 2021. As an individual competitor, he captured the silver medal in slalom at the 1985 and 1994 Barefoot Worlds. Three-time World Overall Disabled Champion. Around 80% of the place is the hall of fame, photos of past and present riders, short descriptions as to why they . Length of service alone is not be a valid reason for consideration for selection into the Hall of Fame. Director, competitor, driver, and host of tournaments for 40 years. Not long after the Allan's' joined a water ski club, Liz became interested in competition. HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE the athletes, pioneers and visionaries of the United States who have significantly enriched the global sports of skiing and snowboarding, and to showcase their stories and historic memorabilia in our national museum located at the birthplace of organized skiing in America, Ishpeming, Michigan. Ten-time USA National Disabled Overall Champion. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}281322N 813841W / 28.22280N 81.64484W / 28.22280; -81.64484, List of members of the Water Ski Hall of Fame, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Water_Ski_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum&oldid=1118220470, This page was last edited on 25 October 2022, at 19:47. Murray invented several wakeboard tricks, including the Bel Air, Tweety Bird, Square Raley, Crook, Crow 5, Heelside frontside and more. He was a 10-time national MP2 overall champion. The museum is currently housed at the Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau Welcome Center in Davenport. Among those honored with membership in the upper echelon of Alabama water skiing, each one has made an exceptional contribution to the sport of water skiing in our communities in one or more of three categories: Competition Exceptional performance on the state-and national-level. He was chairman of the American Water Ski Associations Technical Committee for many years, a past AWSA president, the executive vice president of AWSAs Southern Region from 1997-2002, and was instrumental in bringing the technical standards up to their current standards and has taught many the tricks of the trade. The many career highlights for Coble-Eller, who won 30 national water ski titles, included winning the 1990 Junior Worlds (slalom and overall), 1992 Collegiate Nationals (slalom and overall), 1996 Moomba Masters (overall), 1997 Masters (overall), 2010 Malibu Open (slalom) and 2014 35+ Worlds (slalom). He currently holds the men's slalom world record of 20.6 points. He helped establish OBrien, H.O. Wisconsin Water Ski Federation - Tommy Bartlett Tommy Bartlett - Hall of Fame Inductee Tommy was inducted into the Wisconsin Water Ski Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1993. Eddie passed away in 2019, but he will be honored posthumously. Details on tickets and sponsorships will be released soon we hope to see you there! She was selected USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Female Athlete of the Year in 1990, 1997 and 2008, and USA Water Ski & Wake Sports National Coach of the Year in 2004. At the 2007 Water Ski World Championships, she was the lone U.S. team member to win an individual medal, earning the bronze in tricks. Dec. 09, 2022, 9:09 a.m. (ET). No member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee is eligible during his term on the Committee. In addition to developing and operating Bolton Valley, Ralph served as a Board Member of the Vermont Ski Areas Association from 1967-1995, including as Chairman of the Board for twelve years. Jimmy is a four-time U.S. Masters tricks champion, two-time Moomba Masters tricks champion, and two-time U.S. Open overall champion. The Wisconsin Water Ski Hall of Fame was created to honor, in perpetuity, water skiing pioneers, competitive water skiers, officials and support personnel whose extraordinary accomplishments and contributions at all levels of the sport have brought lasting fame and attention to Wisconsin water skiing. He tore his ACL, PCL, and MCL. How about a pair of the earliest water skis known made from a barrel. 1-800-828-7655, 2023 Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau, Floridas first theme park, Cypress Gardens, A pair of sport inventor Ralph Wilford Samuelsons original water skis, A hydrofoil from long-time fan favorite Banana George. Individuals whose qualifications relate to the introduction of a new or specific discipline should also be viewed under this category. Official for countless water ski events including tournament director for five disabled national Water Ski Championships. Tara Hamilton-Wynne and Zane Schwenk will be formally enshrined at the 39th Annual USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, March 5, 2022. While considered a formidable three-event water ski athlete, Nightingale was one of the greatest trick skiers of her era, winning back-to-back world championships in 2003 and 2005, and establishing a world record of 8,740 points in 2006. A well-known personality in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California water ski communities, his encouraging and jovial demeanor was an inspiration to water sports enthusiasts of all ages. Event Type: Adaptive. The nominee may be a three, two or one event skier and may have competed in any Sports Discipline. Preserving our history is one of core missions. A candidate will be recognized for major contributions to the sport over a considerable number of years. Submitted The Minnesota. A dominant force in the sport for decades, KSO set the bar high for the next generation. Cypress Gardens skiers continued to set world records and world firsts in multiple disciplines, including the first 3-, 4- and 5-tier human pyramids. 2023 All Rights Reserved to USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation. The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee is pleased to announce the 2022 inductees to the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. Scot Ellis: scoth2o@aol.com Vice President Established in 1968, the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation celebrates the history of all towed water sports and promotes these sports through our Scholarship Programs and the Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to his four trick wins, he was an All-American in tricks, jumping, and overall throughout his college career. Dick Pope Sr., deceased, Built just for families with kids age 2 to 12, LEGOLAND Florida. The USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundations 38th Water Ski Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be live webcast on Saturday, April 24, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). Ralph Samuelson, deceased, Hall of Fame Induction Entry [Usurped!] Inducted into the Florida Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame 2003 Jim McCormick of Seffner has been one of the sport's trainers of champions for years. There is no requirement that candidates be retired from the sport or deceased to be considered for inclusion in the Hall. 2015 Hall of Fame Charity Golf Tournament Friday, April 17th 8:00 A.M. He was the Chief Technical Controller at the Moomba Masters from 1982-1991 and the was the Chief Technical Controller of the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Wisconsin Water Ski Federation - Skip Gilkerson Skip Gilkerson - Hall of Fame Inductee Skip was inducted into the Wisconsin Water Ski Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1993. TARA HAMILTON-WYNNE Tara Hamilton-Wynne helped push the sport of wakeboarding into the future. (WJZY) Charlotte FC defender Anton Walkes died early Thursday morning after a boat crash in south Florida, the club has confirmed. Life-long supporter of the sport serving as judge, director, and competitor. KSO is a two-time International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation Athlete of the Year, he has won the USA Water Ski Athlete of the Year multiple times, is a Banana George Blairfooter of the Year, competed in the ESPN X-Games, and served as an American Barefoot Club Tournament Driver and Judge. Election requires a 2/3-majority vote of the Selection Committee. The building is visibly located off of Florida's busy I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando - just 20 minutes west of the Walt Disney World Resort, and serves as an attraction in the . While Cypress Gardens might not have been the biggest theme park in Central Florida, it certainly was one of the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team hosts a free, monthly show-ski event at Lake Silver in Winter Haven. The award recognizes, appreciates, and understands the incredible contribution each recipient has made to their discipline, their community, their clubs, federations, confederations, the world and the IWWF. He also volunteered immeasurable hours at tournaments, clinics, clubs, and trade shows promoting the sport. Tommy Bartlett bio Return to Hall of Fame - Water Skiing Pioneers Sport Disciplines Membership Evelyn Chapin Duvall, of White Bear Township, became the third member of her family to be inducted into the Minnesota Water Ski (MWSA) Hall of Fame July 21. Ed Brazil will be honored posthumously as the 2020 recipient of the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award. But, just months later he was back riding. She was even a character in a video game produced by ActiVision for Playstation and XBox. The Hall of Fame was created to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions and excelled in the sport of water skiing in the State of Florida. Six-time recipient of the Male Athlete of the Year award by the Water Skiers with Disabilities Association. American Water Ski Educational Foundation Award of Distinction 1995 Inducted into the Florida Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame 2003 Leo Bentz of Miami was the "inventor" of the Ski Nautique. Lifelong supporter and promoter of disabled water ski clinics and competitions. Preserving our history is one of core missions. General Eligibility Requirements Must be a U.S. citizen. Hall of Fame Selection Committee: Jeff Clark (Chair) Scott Atkinson Cyndi Benzel Rhoni Bishoff Betsy Anderson Gilman Frank Harrison Gary Heinbuch Three members for a period of three years. Hall of Fame nominations may be submitted to awshof@gmail.com prior to the conclusion of the American Water Ski Association National Championships. 2023 IWWF International Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced By USA Water Ski & Wake Sports | Dec. 09, 2022, 9:09 a.m. (ET) The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation's International. Cockburn was the first Australian into the International Water Skiing Hall of Fame. His wakeboarding career started in 1995 and was full of innovation and accomplishment, including many pro tour and world championship titles. Must have been a member of the Florida Water Ski Federation during the competitive years, unless the competitive period was prior to the formation of the FWSF in 1975. Committee membership will be staggered so that no more than three members shall be elected in any one-year. Entrepreneurism This category is for people whose contributions do not fall into the other categories, i.e., Ralph Samuelson, Dick Pope, etc. At the only two Disabled Pan American Championships held, he won the overall gold medal both times in Seated Men. Eddie Roberts' involvement in the industry dates back to the 1960s. Committee shall be elected by the FWSF membership at the annual (State 3 event Tournament) Summer Meeting. The Selection Committee will vote by secret ballot on all nominees upon conclusion of appropriate research into each nominees qualifications. The Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum is the hall of fame, museum, and archive of the sport of water skiing. Zane Schwenk is an athlete, entertainer, and water sports ambassador who has inspired thousands of people to get on the water. Service as any type of official, administrator or promoter of the sport. KSO was the first barefooter to score more than 10,000 points in tricks and has set world records in all three events. This category is intended for people whose contributions to the sport are considered to be original. The most inspiring and accomplished members of our sport are honored annually in the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Additional consideration may be given to serving as tournament chairman of a major tournament, tournament announcer or water skiing writer or promoter. Event Details. Described as someone who "Bleeds towed water sports," Schwenk has spent much of his life doing what he loves and spreading the love through the initiative he helped start: "Pass the Handle.". Join our email list and stay up to date with all the great things happening in Floridas Sweetest Spot. Emphasis will be on overall, cumulative contribution to the sport. Competitor and promoter of the sport for seven decades. Contact the AWSF Treasurer if you have questions regarding membership dues. He was the 1995 recipient of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Award of Merit, the organizations highest honor for volunteerism. Resident of the State of Florida for at least ten (10) years. Candidates are to be submitted, noting one category as the major area for selection while background in other areas will be included as secondary.