Palm Beach County Sports Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 11, 2005
CONTACT: Natalie Angley, USA Water Ski, (863) 324-4341, ext. 138, nangley@usawaterski.org

Water Ski National Championships
Returning To West Palm Beach

World’s largest three-event water ski tournament set for Aug. 2-6

POLK CITY, Fla. -The nation’s top water ski athletes are returning to West Palm Beach, Fla., Aug. 2-6, to compete at the 63rd annual GOODE Water Ski National Championships, presented by Speedo. The world’s largest three-event water ski tournament, hosted by the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches, will take place at Okeeheelee Park.

“USA Water Ski is pleased to bring the Water Ski National Championships back to Okeeheelee Park for the second consecutive year,” said Steve McDermeit, USA Water Ski’s executive director. “West Palm Beach’s world-class water ski facilities make it an ideal location for the world’s largest water ski tournament.

Okeeheelee Park has hosted eight Water Ski National Championships, including the 2004 Nationals, one Water Ski World Championships, five Southern Regional Water Ski Championships and several cash-prize professional events. It also is the site where Kristi Overton-Johnson set the current Open Women world slalom record in 1996. Ski West Village near Bakersfield, Calif., will host the 2006 and 2007 Water Ski National Championships.

Advancement to the Nationals is earned through exceptional performances during the summer tournament season and by placement at regional championships held in the five USA Water Ski regions in late July. Nearly 1,000 water ski athletes – ages 5 through 92 – from across the United States will compete in 28 age divisions, two Open divisions and a Men’s Masters 55K division for titles in slalom, tricks and jumping. Athletes competing in all three events will be eligible for overall titles.

The first national championships was held in 1939 at Jones Beach in Long Island, N.Y. Except for three years during World War II (1942-1944), the Nationals has been held every year since 1939.

USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Water Ski Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing in the United States. With more than 40,000 members, USA Water Ski is the largest water ski federation in the world.