What is USA Water Ski & Wake Sports?

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States. USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is a member of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body), the Pan American Sports Organization and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Affiliated with USA Water Ski & Wake Sports as sport discipline organizations are the American Water Ski Association (AWSA), American Barefoot Club (ABC), American Kneeboard Association (AKA), National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA), National Show Ski Association (NSSA), National Water Ski Racing Association (NWSRA), USA Adaptive Water Ski and Wake Sports Inc. (USA-AWSWS), United States Hydrofoil Association (USHA), and USA Wakeboard (USA-WB).

From the beginning, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports has had a dual mission of promoting the growth and development of recreational water skiing, and organizing and governing the sport of competitive water skiing. The largest and most active water ski federation in the world, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports has a paid staff of six people. Headquartered in Auburndale, Fla., the staff serves more than 11,000 members across the country. Nearly 80 percent of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports' members are involved in tournament competition each year; the remainder are recreational water skiers.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports programs include: water ski instructor certification; learn to ski clinics; officials’ education; junior skiers’ development; legislative assistance; safety training and information dissemination; membership development, including affiliation of state federations and local water ski clubs; public communications and media information; industry relations; and local, national and international competition ranging from novice to world-level tournaments.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports' communications program includes publication of a four-times-a-year magazine, The Water Skier, which is sent to all members and other persons with an interest in the sport; and numerous educational materials addressing all aspects of water skiing.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports trains and maintains performance records for competitive skiers and nearly 3,000 judges, drivers and scorers who officiate at sanctioned tournaments.

Approximately 630 local water ski clubs throughout the United States are affiliated with USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. The clubs provide a working base in almost any locale for development of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports programs, and in addition are the local organizers for nearly all water ski competitions in the United States. 

The Beginning

Water skiing was invented in the United States in 1922 when Minnesotan Ralph Samuelson built the first pair of skis and was towed on them behind an outboard-powered boat. What Samuelson originated became an exhibition sport on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1920s and early 1930s. It developed officially into a competitive sport in 1939 when the American Water Ski Association (AWSA) was organized and held the first annual National Water Ski Championships at Jones Beach, Long Island, New York.

As a Recreational Sport

Throughout its history water skiing has closely paralleled the development of recreational boating in its appeal to the general public. Over the years it has shown almost continuous, sustained growth.

Water skiing is a family-oriented activity and the participants tend to be well educated and affluent. Three-fourths of adult USA Water Ski & Wake Sports members are college graduates and many are career professionals and administrators — physicians, attorneys, psychologists, business owners and top-level administrators, among others.

The Competitive Sport

Interest in competitive water skiing has grown considerably over the years and continues to attract many more enthusiasts. USA Water Ski & Wake Sports sanctions more than 900 tournaments each season. These range from small, local events for novices to national and world-level tournaments for more experienced competitors. Male and female skiers of all ages can compete in traditional three-event water skiing (slalom, tricks, jumping) tournaments, as well as in tournaments for wakeboarding, barefooting, kneeboarding, show skiing, collegiate water skiing and wakeboarding, water ski racing, hydrofoiling and disabled water skiing. Watch the Water Ski & Wakeboard – Understanding The Sport Video.

International Competition

As a member of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports and its sport disciplines select teams that compete in several world-level tournaments, notably the Elite, 35+, Under 21 and Junior Water Ski World Championships; Elite, Senior and Junior Barefoot Water Ski World Championships; World University Water Ski Championships; Formula 1, Formula 2 and Junior Water Ski Racing World Championships; Wakeboard World Championships; Disabled Water Ski World Championships; Pan American Games; and World Games.

The Competitive Events

The three events of traditional water skiing are slalom, tricks and jumping.

In slalom, the contestant negotiates a zigzag course of six buoys. The boat speed is increased two mph until a maximum speed for the division of competition is reached. Thereafter the rope is shortened in pre-measured lengths. The winner is the one who rounds the most buoys without a miss or fall. The best skiers do not miss until the rope is shorter than the distance from the boat to the buoy and the skier must try to round the buoy by leaning over it with his or her body! Watch the Tournament Water Ski Slalom Explainer Video.

In tricks, the contestant performs two, 20-second routines of tricks that each have an assigned point value. Some of the most difficult tricks include wake flips, and multiple turns performed with the towrope attached to the contestant’s foot.

In jumping, the object is distance. Although there is a maximum boat speed for each age division, the skier can increase his or her speed by “cracking the whip” behind the boat; men jumpers approach speeds of more than 60 mph at the base of the jump ramp. Some men skiers in Open Division competition, the highest achievement level, jump more than 230 feet off a six-foot-high ramp. Women competitors are jumping more than 170 feet using a five-foot-high ramp.

Variations of these same events are performed by barefoot, kneeboard and disabled athletes, except that kneeboard athletes do not jump from a ramp.

Tournament Sanctioning & Proprietorship

As the national governing body for water skiing and wakeboarding, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports sanctions three-event (traditional water skiing), wakeboarding, barefooting, kneeboarding, collegiate water skiing and wakeboarding, show skiing, water ski racing, hydrofoiling and disabled water skiing tournaments, as well as professional cash-prize events.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is the proprietor of the U.S. Elite Water Ski Team, U.S. 35+ Water Ski Team, U.S. Junior Water Ski Team, U.S. Under 21 Water Ski Team, U.S. World University Water Ski Championships Team, U.S. Elite Barefoot Water Ski Team, U.S. Senior Barefoot Water Ski Team, U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team, U.S. Formula 1 Water Ski Racing Team, U.S. Formula 2 Water Ski Racing Team, U.S. Junior Water Ski Racing Team, U.S. Wakeboard Team and U.S. Adaptive Water Ski Team. USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is also proprietor of the Water Ski National Championships, U.S. Open Water Ski & Wakeboard Championships, Barefoot Water Ski National  Championships, Division 1 Show Ski National Championships, Division 2 Show Ski National Championships, Kneeboard National Championships, USA Wakeboard Nationals, Adaptive Water Ski National Championships, Collegiate Water Ski National Championships, Collegiate Wakeboard National Championships, U.S. Open Water Ski Racing National Championships and US Hydrofoil Nationals.

TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE WATER SKIING

History in the United States

Organized competitive water skiing began in 1939 with formation of the association by a small group of enthusiasts living in New York state. That same year saw the first national championships, held at Jones Beach, Long Island, New York. The slalom course at that tournament was a string of pointed buoys set in a straight line. The skier had to ski around each to the end of the course. The tricks event consisted of a skier removing one ski and holding it over his head, and a side slide or two. The jumping event provided the most excitement. The surface of the jump ramp was made of wooden rollers.

With the exception of 1942-1945 (during World War II), the national  championships has occurred every year. Today, more than 800 contestants enter the five-day tournament in 30 divisions of competition.

Age Divisions — Divisions of Competition and Performance Rankings

Competition in traditional three-event skiing is based on age and sex (see list). The Open Division is divided into men and women and has no age requirement. There is no distinction between amateurs and professionals. Competition for the three major events shall be separated into the following divisions as determined by the contestant's age. The "ski year" shall begin on the day after the conclusion of the Nationals, and shall end on the final day of the following Nationals. The contestant's age on December 31 of the ski year shall determine his or her division for the entire ski year. For example, if a skier's birthday within the "ski year" could result in an age division change and his or her birthday is between the day after the conclusion of Nationals and Dec. 31 inclusive of that "ski year," he or she will ski in the older division, beginning the day after Nationals. Otherwise, he or she will remain in the younger division for one more season concluding with the end of the following Nationals.

  • Boys and Girls 1 -- 9 years and under*
  • Boys and Girls 2 -- 11 years and under
  • Boys and Girls 3 -- 13 years and under
  • Boys and Girls 4 -- 15 years and under
  • Boys and Girls 5 -- 17 years and under
  • Men and Women 1 -- 18-24 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 2 -- 25-34 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 3 -- 35-44 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 4 -- 45-54 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 5 -- 55-59 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 6 -- 60-64 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 7 -- 65-69 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 8 -- 70-74 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 9 -- 75-79 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 10 -- 80-84 years inclusive
  • Men and Women 11 -- 85 years and over
  • Masters Men and Women -- 35 years and over
  • Open Men and Women -- any age

* This is an optional division established to give youngsters an introduction to the basics of competitive skiing. Skiers compete only in the slalom and tricks events.