Enjoying the Great Outdoors
Enjoying the Great Outdoors U.S. JUNIOR WATER SKI TEAM TRIALS
CANOEING AND KAYAKING IN THE OZARKS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
also:
PROFILE: Gordon Haller, The Original Ironman SPORTS: LPGA’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G STYLE FILE: Summer’s Hottest Looks EATS & DRINKS: The Delicious and Cultural Rebirth of Downtown Rogers
F e at u r e
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By Laurie M arsha l l
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P hotos courtes y of R o g er B oskus and U S A Water S ki
2014 Junior Water Ski Team Trials Coming to Northwest Arkansas Julianna Boskus
Julianna Boskus
Anna Gay
Taylor Garcia
It’s June in Northwest Arkansas, so you’ll be seeing boats on trailers headed to lakes across the Ozarks every weekend. But there is one body of water you may not have heard of that will be crisscrossed with activity at the end of the month.
June 28-29, Cedar Creek Ski Park in Elkins will host the 2014 Junior Water Ski Team Trials. This two-round water ski tournament will be attended by approximately 20 young athletes who will be competing for four highly coveted spots on the U.S. team. The event promises to be exciting for athletes and spectators alike, as it is set up to be capable of producing world-record performances. The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team returned from Mulwala, Australia, with its ninth World Championship title in 2012 and will defend that title at the 15th Biennial Junior Water Ski World Championships to be held at Lake Bujama, near Lima, Peru, Jan. 8-11, 2015. In addition to the official team that will be chosen this month, several independent U.S. water ski athletes will compete in the World Championship event. Scott N. Atkinson, director of communications for USA Water Ski, described the selection process that led to choosing Cedar Creek Ski Park as the location for this year’s team trial: “Many factors are taken into consideration, including quality of water ski site/venue, airport and hotel locations and availability, and community support. 48 | CITISCAPES • JUNE 2014
It also is nice to spread major events like this around the country. The team trials have previously been held at sites in Florida, Ohio and Texas.”
Competition Events 2012 Jr. Water Ski Team
Competition schedule Saturday, June 28 8 a.m. – Slalom 11 a.m. – Trick Rounds 1 & 2 3 p.m. – Jump Round 1 Sunday, June 29 8 a.m. – Slalom 11 a.m. – Jump Round 2
Traditional three-event competition will take place over the weekend at this free, family-friendly event, with athletes competing in the categories of shortline slalom, trick skiing and distance jumping. Slalom water skiing is similar to slalom snow skiing, except that flags are traded for buoys, and the water sport requires a skier to use only one ski while navigating a multi-buoy course. The single ski allows for more agility on the part of the athlete. The difficult maneuvers required to hit the buoys successfully are sure to make for some exciting viewing. Jumpers in the team trial will use two long skis to launch themselves over a jump and vie for the longest distance. After landing a jump, skiers must stay on their skis for at least 100 feet for their distance to qualify for a score.
Trick skiing is usually described as the most technical of the three events. In trick skiing, skiers use small, oval-shaped skis with specially angled edges and a smooth bottom to allow for easy turning on the water.
Local Flavor Julianna Boskus, a senior at Fayetteville High School, will be competing for a spot on the U.S. team at the team trial event. Julianna is unique among her water skiing peers, as most athletes at her level live in Florida and are home-schooled to allow them to focus on training for their sport. Julianna’s parents, Karen and Roger Boskus, own the Cedar Creek Ski Park. When asked if he is concerned about Julianna’s ability to compete against athletes who are able to ski year round, Roger was confident. “I wouldn’t say I worry about her staying competitive. She has always been able to be competitive living here in Northwest Arkansas despite the challenges of our climate,” he said. “We have considered home-school programs and online school, but we are also very happy with her decision to attend FHS.”
Lauren Boskus
Julianna has been water skiing since she was 4 years old, and has siblings who are coming up in the competition circuit as well. Her sister, Lauren, represented the U.S. as an Under-13 competitor at the CANAM challenge last September. Julianna is looking forward to the trials this month as an opportunity to represent her hometown, and eventually, her country. “Being able to make the team and compete and ski with such incredible athletes from all over the world is something I have always aspired to do.” ■ Things to bring: Chairs, sunscreen; coolers are permitted, but no glass please. There are no concessions on site. For more information about USA Water Ski events, visit www.usawaterski.org.
WWW.CITISCAPES.COM | 49
CANOEING AND KAYAKING IN THE OZARKS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
also:
PROFILE: Gordon Haller, The Original Ironman SPORTS: LPGA’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G STYLE FILE: Summer’s Hottest Looks EATS & DRINKS: The Delicious and Cultural Rebirth of Downtown Rogers
F e at u r e
|
By Laurie M arsha l l
|
P hotos courtes y of R o g er B oskus and U S A Water S ki
2014 Junior Water Ski Team Trials Coming to Northwest Arkansas Julianna Boskus
Julianna Boskus
Anna Gay
Taylor Garcia
It’s June in Northwest Arkansas, so you’ll be seeing boats on trailers headed to lakes across the Ozarks every weekend. But there is one body of water you may not have heard of that will be crisscrossed with activity at the end of the month.
June 28-29, Cedar Creek Ski Park in Elkins will host the 2014 Junior Water Ski Team Trials. This two-round water ski tournament will be attended by approximately 20 young athletes who will be competing for four highly coveted spots on the U.S. team. The event promises to be exciting for athletes and spectators alike, as it is set up to be capable of producing world-record performances. The U.S. Junior Water Ski Team returned from Mulwala, Australia, with its ninth World Championship title in 2012 and will defend that title at the 15th Biennial Junior Water Ski World Championships to be held at Lake Bujama, near Lima, Peru, Jan. 8-11, 2015. In addition to the official team that will be chosen this month, several independent U.S. water ski athletes will compete in the World Championship event. Scott N. Atkinson, director of communications for USA Water Ski, described the selection process that led to choosing Cedar Creek Ski Park as the location for this year’s team trial: “Many factors are taken into consideration, including quality of water ski site/venue, airport and hotel locations and availability, and community support. 48 | CITISCAPES • JUNE 2014
It also is nice to spread major events like this around the country. The team trials have previously been held at sites in Florida, Ohio and Texas.”
Competition Events 2012 Jr. Water Ski Team
Competition schedule Saturday, June 28 8 a.m. – Slalom 11 a.m. – Trick Rounds 1 & 2 3 p.m. – Jump Round 1 Sunday, June 29 8 a.m. – Slalom 11 a.m. – Jump Round 2
Traditional three-event competition will take place over the weekend at this free, family-friendly event, with athletes competing in the categories of shortline slalom, trick skiing and distance jumping. Slalom water skiing is similar to slalom snow skiing, except that flags are traded for buoys, and the water sport requires a skier to use only one ski while navigating a multi-buoy course. The single ski allows for more agility on the part of the athlete. The difficult maneuvers required to hit the buoys successfully are sure to make for some exciting viewing. Jumpers in the team trial will use two long skis to launch themselves over a jump and vie for the longest distance. After landing a jump, skiers must stay on their skis for at least 100 feet for their distance to qualify for a score.
Trick skiing is usually described as the most technical of the three events. In trick skiing, skiers use small, oval-shaped skis with specially angled edges and a smooth bottom to allow for easy turning on the water.
Local Flavor Julianna Boskus, a senior at Fayetteville High School, will be competing for a spot on the U.S. team at the team trial event. Julianna is unique among her water skiing peers, as most athletes at her level live in Florida and are home-schooled to allow them to focus on training for their sport. Julianna’s parents, Karen and Roger Boskus, own the Cedar Creek Ski Park. When asked if he is concerned about Julianna’s ability to compete against athletes who are able to ski year round, Roger was confident. “I wouldn’t say I worry about her staying competitive. She has always been able to be competitive living here in Northwest Arkansas despite the challenges of our climate,” he said. “We have considered home-school programs and online school, but we are also very happy with her decision to attend FHS.”
Lauren Boskus
Julianna has been water skiing since she was 4 years old, and has siblings who are coming up in the competition circuit as well. Her sister, Lauren, represented the U.S. as an Under-13 competitor at the CANAM challenge last September. Julianna is looking forward to the trials this month as an opportunity to represent her hometown, and eventually, her country. “Being able to make the team and compete and ski with such incredible athletes from all over the world is something I have always aspired to do.” ■ Things to bring: Chairs, sunscreen; coolers are permitted, but no glass please. There are no concessions on site. For more information about USA Water Ski events, visit www.usawaterski.org.
WWW.CITISCAPES.COM | 49
