Despite the weather's complete nosedive, the skiers could not be stopped! The kids (all in costume) braved the morning air and showed everybody else that it's "Game On!"
Click the picture above to go to the 2 minute CBS News Coverage of the tournament. Caroline (the cow) and Sailor (AKA WonderWoman - already skiing during this picture) were the first two off the dock and tied for the "Best Dressed" award amidst HEAVY competition. Each of the 50 skiers in The Buskey Cider Cup got 6 full passes. I'm just proud that everyone kept their spirits up through the cold, wet breezy day. The Cider was certainly helping. The evening bonfire certainly kept the party going, but honestly, I could have listened to Chris Bailey perform for hours. Already looking forward to more next year!
The Class C portion of the tournament could not have run smoother, again despite the cold. There were a solid handful of season bests and PB's (almost all coming from those who have put in time at ski school - *cough). Congrats to the prize winners on Saturday and the great performers on Sunday. Thank you to everyone for keeping the fun vibes strong all weekend. And a special thanks to all of the officials (this was the youngest officiating crew I've ever seen at a tournament - good news for the future!) and to everyone who helped make this event what it was! Lake 38 Pro-Am and the Waterski Pro Tour
As soon as I finish this blog, I'm hitting the sack for my first pro tour stop of the year - Lake 38 Pro-Am! I'm stoked to take my practice, test it out at the highest level, and get a taste of competition again. For those of you who have been following pro skiing, you have probably noticed the incredible improvement in the webcast in the last couple of years. That's thanks to The Waterski Broadcast Company (TWBC). They will be broadcasting this event and all official pro tour stops, sanctioned by a new body called The Waterski Pro Tour.
From now on, you will be able to follow pro skiing from this one hub - waterskiprotour.com They will have the webcasts, the scores, the results, the "pro tour points" leaderboard and will continue to archive these as time goes on. Not only will this make following the sport much easier, but will also be much more enticing to sponsors who are looking to attach their brand to something more than a single event. Between TWBC, Waterski Pro Tour and @WaterskiNation on Instagram, we have some true momentum. And that's not to mention the crazy talent out on the water at every event. Tune in for tomorrow's 2-round qualifier and the Sunday Finals. Save waterskiprotour.com on your browser to follow all season! A Pledge
At some point in the winter, I decided that I would donate all of my prize money earnings for the season to charity. With my first cash prize event coming tomorrow, I just wanted to make a public pledge to do so. I am continuously inspired by those who have pursued their personal passion or calling and found a way to make it do some good in the world. I could come up with a thousand reasons to delay or defer giving, but those reasons will always be there, or a thousand others will... Over the winter I learned of the Effective Altruism Movement. Basically, some of the smartest researchers, who care deeply about making our world better have taken on the task of figuring out the best means of doing so. There are a thousand charities/foundations/non-profits and they aren't all created equally. Effective Altruism seeks to cut through that by identifying the very best organizations across myriad causes/needs. I came across the Good Food Institute (gfi.org) through this channel. It's a cause the resonates with me strongly on a number of levels. Thus, I plan to donate 100% of my prize money winnings to this organization. It is a privilege that I get to travel to these events and ski with the best in the world. It has given me more than money can buy. The amazing community of people that support my ski school and pro shop are responsible for making my water ski passion into a career. And it is from this base that I get to out and compete. So if you are taking lessons, buying ski gear or some PLW swag, you are part of this. We are on a mission. Let's try to use skiing to do a little more good. Only 2 More Weeks with Kuz
On a final note, I just want to remind everyone that our time with Kuz is running short. He will be back in September (thankfully). I simply can't say how fantastic it has been to have him at ski school this spring. As a coach and boat driver for 20+ years, Kuz's presence often feels like having two more arms that all know what each other are doing. We think about skiing and coaching in strikingly similar ways and have been a powerful force in the boat together. Moreover, Kuz has put the same passion he gives to all of the students into coaching me. I've never had that sort of attention from an actual ski coach. My Granddad and Amelia have been my two primary ski partners over the course of my life and I certainly couldn't ask for more commitment or effort from them. To have that level of commitment from a coach with an eagle's eye has gotten me off to the best spring start I've ever had. Thanks Kuz. I strongly encourage anyone who is reading this and wants to get a session with Kuz before September to hurry up and book. His last day (I believe) is June 18.
Goodnight I'd better shut this down. It's time to hit the pillow, get a solid 8 hours of sleep and hit the water feeling good tomorrow. I've been feeling a lot of love from the waterski community/family lately. Just wanted to be sure I shared some back. Love you guys, Corey P.S. Don't forget to click that first picture and watch the news clip!