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World water ski show tournament makes a splash in Janesville

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Photo by Dan Plutchak

The Rock Aqua Jays won the National Water Ski Show Tournament on the Rock River in Janesville last month, their second title in a row and their 17th overall. Eight members of the Rock Aqua Jays will compete this weekend in the first World Water Ski Show Tournament, also in Janesville.

JANESVILLE — For the past five or six years, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation has been discussing the concept of holding a world water ski show tournament. About a year ago, the IWWF decided to move forward with the idea, and sought bids to host a first-time world event.

The winning bid came from the Rock Aqua Jays, and the world tournament will be held at the Rock Aqua Jays Stadium this weekend, Sept. 15 and 16, in Janesville’s Traxler Park.

“With this being the first-ever World Water Ski Show Tournament, we’re extremely honored and proud to be able to host it in Janesville,” said Joel Shapiro, president of the Rock Aqua Jays water ski club.

Others that bid for the world event included the Aqua Skiers club of Wisconsin Rapids and organizations from Korea and China.

Officials for the Rock Aqua Jays have had less than a year to organize the event, but the local club has excellent tournament credibility, having served as host to multiple national tournaments. Just last month, the Rock Aqua Jays won their second straight -- and 17th overall -- national championship as hosts of the Division 1 Ski Show Nationals.

“We created the concept of a national tournament, and hosted the first national tournament in 1975,” Shapiro said. “So, the powers that be probably took that into consideration in giving the Rock Aqua Jays an opportunity to host this inaugural world tournament.”

The world event will mean a tourism boost for Janesville as the city welcomes skiers and spectators from the United States and four foreign countries.

“We anticipate the economic impact to the community, through spending by the athletes, other participants and spectators, will be about $4.6 million,” said Christine Rebout, executive director of the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Because they’re coming in internationally, they’re coming in early … so we expect them to use over 1,100 hotel rooms.”

The timing of the world tournament provides for a more significant tourism “bounce” for the Janesville area, Rebout said.

“By having it in mid-September we have the (lodging) availability,” she said. “We have a chance to expand our tourism season.”

The water ski tournament will differ from the Rock Aqua Jays performances local spectators are used to seeing. Most notably, the Rock Aqua Jays will not compete as a team; however, eight members of the Aqua Jays have been chosen to compete as part of the 35-member Team USA. They are Gerry and Cathy Luiting, who have won multiple national doubles titles; Dave Rezin, who like Gerry Luiting is a former Skip Gilkerson award winner as the nation’s top male skier; Ginny (Rezin) McGinnis, a state and national swivel ski champion; and Jamie Kumlien and Jacklyn Kumlien, both national barefoot skiing champions.

Read the complete story here.

World Water Ski Show Tournament

Schedule

Saturday:

-- 8:30 a.m., team competition begins (three teams perform, followed by one-hour lunch break and performances by two remaining teams)

Sunday:

-- 8:30 a.m., team competition begins (three teams perform, followed by one-hour lunch break and performances by two remaining teams)

-- 5:30 p.m., awards ceremony

Admission, parking

-- General admission: $5 for those 6 and older; or $10 ticket for opening ceremony is valid for admission both competition days

-- Parking: Traxler Park, 600 N. Main St., in Janesville can accommodate about 600 vehicles. On-site parking will be handled by a local charitable organization. A donation of $3 to park on site is recommended. Shuttle service will be offered from satellite parking lots to the tournament site.

For more information, call (608) 754-5879 or visit www.rockaquajays.org.

For tournament updates, go to facebook.com/JanesvilleMessenger.

At a glance

-- These members of the Rock Aqua Jays are members of Team USA, which will compete at the World Water Ski Show Tournament: Gerry Luiting, Cathy Luiting, Dave Rezin, Ginny (Rezin) McGinnis, Jamie Kumlien, Jacklyn Kumlien, Brian Cullen, Brad Springbrum