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All levels invited to water event

Water-ski, wakeboard weekend encourages folks to try sports

By Abbie Beane / The Bulletin

Published: July 10. 2006 4:00AM PST

Water skiers slicing through otherwise still water. Wakeboarders performing inverted maneuvers and jumping from wake to wake.

These may not seem like the most family friendly activities.

But organizers of the Sundance Water Skiing and Wakeboarding Competition, slated for July 22-23 on Lake Billy Chinook, insist they encourage anyone and everyone to participate in the upcoming event, which promises to be a deviation from the conventional family outing.

"I can't stress the family aspect enough," says organizer and water skier Tom Tullis. "It will be a family-oriented event as well as an event for individuals. We encourage all levels to come out. You can be competitive or not."

The event is hosted by the Sundance Water Sports Club - based in Central Oregon - which is more than 20 years old and has put on the competition every summer for as many years. Funds raised from the event go toward maintaining the water-ski course on Lake Billy Chinook.

Tullis notes that those who wish to join the competition are not required to be Sundance club members.

He adds that the event draws water-sports enthusiasts who range from 9 or 10 years old to 60, as well as those who are first-time water-skiers and wakeboarders to water-sports veterans who have qualified for regional and national competitions.

"We would love to see 40 or more participants each day," says Tullis. "Last year we had 35 wakeboarders and 25 water skiers."

Tullis notes that although the number of wakeboarders is up relative to water skiers, wakeboarding's popularity goes in spurts. In general, this also seems to be the national trend.

"You'll have a lot of people who want to try wakeboarding, and then they'll go back to water skiing or do both," says Tullis.

Tullis says that as far as he knows, the Sundance event is the only water-skiing and wakeboarding competition staged in Central Oregon. After the event, competition organizers will present awards in several age- and gender-based divisions. A catered banquet will be provided for participants as well.

Water skiers will be judged on skill level, which will be determined by how far a skier can negotiate a predetermined course and how many buoys he or she can make it around between the start and finish gates.

Water skiers at the intermediate and advanced levels will be further judged on the speed at which they can ski and on the length of their tow rope. A shorter rope will score more points as it is more difficult to use.

According to John Audia, Sundance club member and wakeboarding competitor, wakeboarders will be judged on the tricks they perform during two passes on the course - which will be a certain distance, out and back, on the lake. Points earned by each of the tricks will be added together for a final score. Boarders will get two falls before they must return to shore.

"We call that the 'walk of shame,' '' says Audia.

Audia adds that boarders will also be judged on style, which includes the uniqueness of their tricks, how smoothly, and how aggressively they pull them off, for examples.

Legitimate tricks include being able to touch the water with one's hand, waving to the crowd, hopping the board off the water, crossing the wake, jumping from wake to wake, flips, rolls, inverted maneuvers, and 180- and 360-degree turns. Boarders can also score points simply by getting up on the board.

"We want to encourage people and help them to learn," says Tullis. "The event will be as competitive as a person wants to make it. In the long term, we just want to expose more people to the sport so our club continues to grow."

Abbie Beane can be reached at 383-0393 or at abeane@bendbulletin.com.

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