Water is a great equalizer. (Able bodied people can't have any more fun than a person with a disability.) You may need some adaptive equipment, like a sit ski for wheelchair users, or a sling (for single arm amputees) but you can get out there on the water and rip it up, enjoying the sun, the water, the speed . . . and most of all the freedom.   One of the greatest things about waterSkiing is that everyone participates at her or his own level.  There's no need to sit on the sidelines and watch, you can participate in this activity right along with your family and friends. 

You can cruise out to the public lake and ski around it a few times, practice some tricks maybe, or WaterSkiing can take you to places you may never even have dreamed about. Are you competitive?

Did you know there's international waterSki competition for skiers with disabilities? You can ski in some local tournaments, there's regional competition, national competition . . . and then there is the World DisAbled WaterSki Championships. The 2001 World Championships was held in Australia. Click HERE for info.
 

The 1999 Worlds were in England, with a training camp in Ireland for a few days before The World Championships. (That's the 1999 World Champion US DisAbled Ski Team just before the opening ceremony.  The US brought home the Team Gold, 15 Individual Gold, 4 Overall Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Overall Silver, 6 Bronze and 4 Overall Bronze medals!)

Imagine this - you're out in the hot sun, in the refreshing water, enjoying all that nature has to offer, and then you climb into your ski . . . and say "Hit it please!" Within seconds you're on top of the water, feeling pretty good! Slicing through the water, back and forth across the wakes, around the buoys, out the "gates" and stopping for a rest. Or Perhaps you're speeding straight toward a jump ramp, hearing the shusch of the water beneath your ski, then you hear the whump of your ski hitting the ramp - it's over the top and you're flying through the air, slap, you've landed and ski away from another successful jump! (That's Steve Hornsey, Multi time world record holder & world champion, Mens MP3 - he's jumped 67' !)

Or would you rather jump the boat wake, turning 180 degrees, perhaps 360, 720 even, or like only one skier in the world, do a flip? (That one skier is US TEAM member Matt Oberholtz.)

You do that over and over and over until your arms feel like they can't even unwrap a Twinkie. And you get better and better and better, then it's look out world - I'm on my way to the World Championships!  The National Anthem of the Gold Medalist is played for each event, it gave me a lump in my throat just being with the US Team :)

Those of you within traveling distance are invited to give it a try here at our pond, others check out the links to find a place, a space for you to find fun, freedom . . . perhaps even yourself!

      visit  www.iwsf.com (International Water Ski Federation) 

              www.usawaterski.org               (USA Water Ski Association)

              www.dsusa.org  (Disabled Sports USA)

              www.adaptiveaquatics.org   (A ski site)

              www.bdwsa.org.uk/DELGER_SLING.rtf (British Disabled Water Ski Association plans for Delger Sling for amputees)

              and our links page for more info . . . or e-mail us!

                keneva@keneva.com

              we'll do our best to connect you. (Please email us with your own ski links!)
  

What are you waiting for? You aren't getting any younger!          Live it up while you can:)