History

Although there has been an extensive history of water-ski teams at the University of Minnesota starting with the team that is now known as the River Rats, the current team is a rather new team but growing rapidly. This team really got rolling in 2003 with the induction into the corporation started by Scott Coley, which allows us to get a brand new Malibu ski boat each season. Since then the team has been increasing in both talent and members to the point we are today.

The Team

Obviously the main goal of our team is to get on the water as much as possible. Our team is the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to begin in the sport, maintain current skills, or improve on what you have already done. Our team has two seasons; one in the spring and one in the fall. The amount of time you wish to put forth is completely up to you. We are a part of the Student Activities Office of the University of Minnesota and are completely self funded. If you are looking for a way to have fun and meet new people, our team has a very friendly atmosphere and will give you the chance to meet a lot of new people from not just our school but others as well.

The Corporation

Currently the team is a part of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Water-ski Teams INC. The program was set up years ago by the president of the Wisconsin Water-ski Federation, Mr. Scott Coley. The design of the corporation was to purchase new boats from the dealers at a relatively cheap price and finance the boats through the bank. The teams are then required to make the interest payments on the boats as well as the insurance payments. At the end of the season the boats are then resold at a cheap price to consumers and the loan is paid back completely from the sale. This program has grown greatly throughout the last few years and has given many colleges the opportunity to experience premier ski boats. For more information about the corporation please visit: http://www.collegiate.waterski.org/

Waterskiing

The water-skiers compete in the three event tournaments that are held throughout the spring and fall.

Slalom

Slalom is scored based on running a course. A course consists of 2 gate buoys on one end of the lake which the skier must go through or touch. They then must make it around six alternating buoys in the course and through the gate at the other end of the course. To increase the difficulty the rope is shortened and the speed is increased up to 36 miles per hour. If you have never heard of a course before or skied one do not worry because you are not alone.

Trick

The trick event consists of one 20 second pass in which the skier is scored on what tricks they accomplish in the pass. Scoring is done on a strictly trick bases so as long as the trick is executed properly you receive points. The trick competition is designed for people to use one trick ski, but many people also use two trick skis or a wakeboard in which case they receive half the points as one trick ski. In the trick competition there is no added ballast to the boat to make the wake larger or a pillion provided. Many of the wakeboarders for our team compete in this competition.

Jump

Slap on two 92 inch skis, take the boat up to 34 miles per hour, and hold on tight because you're going off a 6 foot ramp. That's about all there is to the jump event. In the tournaments distance is the key and a few cameras pinpoint exactly how far you go. Jumping is very exciting and fun to watch which makes it one of the best events at the tournament. Very few people on our team have had previous experience jumping but it is one of the most exciting events to learn and partake in. Our team is looking for a jump to practice on so if there is anyone who would be able to help us out with this that would be great.

Wakeboarding

The Wakeboarders

Our wakeboard team is arguably one of the most dominating in the Midwest. The increase in talent on our team has made it very fun and exciting to watch. Currently we have riders who are just starting out to ones that are doing some of the top tricks in the book. By having the spread of talent on our team it creates a great learning environment for both experienced and new riders. If you are in hopes of becoming a better wakeboarder in any aspect of our riding, our team is for you. There is plenty of knowledge on the boat every day that will help you become a better rider, and the only way to really improve your skills is by getting out every day, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Competitions

At the current time there is not as much for wakeboarders as far as competitions go. Wakeboarding is still on the up and up in the Midwest and our school hopes to be one of the frontrunners in creating more competitions for wakeboarders. Currently there is one tournament in the fall hosted by our corporation in the Wisconsin Dells which is a barefoot/wakeboard tournament. This is one of the biggest competitions for our team since the winning team gets a one year lease on a new boat. In the spring University of Wisconsin Whitewater also hosts a wakeboard tournament. Our club is looking to further build Midwest wakeboarding by hosting a tournament in the fall of 2006, if anyone is interested in helping out with such event as far as boat sponsorship, location, judging and driving, please contact our president.