If you’ve attended a slalom tournament in Michigan recently, there is a good chance you’ve seen Gwen and Dan Wamhoff competing. While they may be a familiar presence in the tournament scene and their performances are at the top end of the sport, their path to this point has a story to which many skiers of all levels can relate.
Gwen started skiing in her late 20s at a family cottage on a small lake near Traverse City. A small wooden boat with a 25 HP engine was used and she was up on two skis quickly. After some time skiing and following a fall, she decided to try getting back up on just the one ski. Even with the limited capabilities of the boat, she was successful and moved on to use only one ski from that point forward. Dan started skiing in his early 30s while vacationing with friends at Lake Margrethe in Grayling. His migration to a single ski was through the more traditional, familiar path for skiers: dropping a ski and working on slalom balance until progressing to deep water starts on one ski. With each having a great love for the water, both Dan and Gwen had developed a strong interest in pursuing water skiing, at least, initially, as a leisure activity. They bought a 15-foot Starcraft with an 85HP Johnson and began skiing on Wixom Lake and Sanford Lake in the Hope, MI area. They subsequently met some skiers from Sanford Lake, which had a permanent slalom course installed. After trying the course, they were soon captivated by the classic slalom obsession. Gwen and Dan eventually bought a home on Sanford Lake and enjoyed an active lake life with friends, neighbors, children, and grandchildren. Many summers were spent engaged in various towed watersports: skiing, barefooting, trick skiing. Some of the other memorable activities included Dan and 4 other skiers completing a long barefoot run and a tight loopback over the wakes behind a single boat on Sanford Lake, a skier pyramid, and riding the emerging equipment of the times (such as a Skurfer). In addition to slalom and trick skiing, Gwen also participated in barefooting, including a long line start from a kneeboard. The main focus was on having fun with family and friends while enjoying the water as much as possible. While the traffic on Sanford Lake created a timing challenge for slalom course use, they would ski their sets by spinning the boat (when not shortening the rope) to ski successive passes continuously until tiring beyond another pass. This pattern of practice, paired with long runs of free skiing on the large lake, improved their conditioning and endurance such that they were well-prepared for slalom sets with a skier drop after each pass. The boat upgrades followed throughout the years. A used 1979 Ski Nautique would be the first tournament inboard, followed by a 1987 Nautique 2001 and, mercifully, the much more refined 1990 Ski Nautique. Currently, Dan and Gwen have a 2011 Ski Nautique 200 at their Michigan home and another 2011 Ski Nautique 200 at their Florida extended-season property. They participated in their first tournament about 20 years ago at Buddy’s Pond (one of the early West Shore Water Ski Club sites) in Coopersville. Gwen earned an EP rating (i.e., Nationals qualification) as a Women’s 5 skier at that very first outing and Dan skied into 32 off for a solid first-time performance in Men’s 4. As some of their friends lost interest in slalom, stopped skiing altogether, moved away, or migrated to other disciplines (such as wakeboarding), Dan and Gwen sought to continue their passion for skiing. They began to seek options to extend their season and towed their boat to Kentucky and Tennessee in late September to continue skiing. At one point, they purchased a lot on Norris Lake near Knoxville, Tennessee and would have the lake in near solitude as the locals retreated to post-season pursuits other than watersports. But, the season didn’t last quite long enough there. So, they continued to search further South, until they reached the endless ski seasons of West Palm Beach, Florida and the heart of water skiing, Okeeheelee Park. The slalom course on Sanford Lake eventually was removed after the permit expired and was not renewed. The new permit obtained by Gwen and Dan had restrictions requiring a daily installation and removal of the buoys, which substantially limited its use. In addition to the challenge and extra work now required to maintain a regular skiing regimen, they were interested in practicing/training under more controlled conditions. In 2004, they joined the ski club at Hidden Lake in Clio and were assigned a morning timeslot. The consistently excellent conditions and some exhilarating slalom sets before work each day were extremely beneficial to their fitness and skills. In late 2010, they purchased their own lake in the Greater Tri-Cities region of Michigan. Their first summer at the new lake was in 2011. They ultimately built a home on their new lake, moved in 3 years ago, and sold their longtime home on Sanford Lake. Their list of tournament accomplishments is impressive.
In 2018, Dan set a tournament PB of 1 buoy at 41 off at 32 mph at the Lake Lynette Ski League. Not only is this an excellent score and accomplishment, it’s interesting to note that it was achieved after Dan has been skiing for about 20 years with a shoulder having a torn rotator cuff/supraspinatus. Each of them hold multiple records and they continue to set them as recently as last year. Each has a Midwest Regional Tournament record:
2018 was a noteworthy year for Gwen and Dan. Early in the spring, Gwen had been experiencing pain in her lower back. The pain was severe enough that deep water starts were sometimes enough to cause her to end the pass immediately. An MRI showed many serious back problems, including 3 pinched nerve roots. She decided to try physical therapy instead of surgery. With dedicated physical therapy, Gwen was able to return to skiing, complete the season, and win the USA Water Ski National Championship in Women’s 8 Slalom with a score of 2 buoys at 28 off at 30 mph. But her comeback was not the only triumph for the year. In November, Dan competed in the IWSF World Water Ski Championships in Chile and won the 65+ Men’s Slalom with a score of 2 buoys at 39 off at 32 mph. Gwen still has tournament jitters, which shows that the sport still brings out the excitement now as it always did. Dan admits to some nerves when a placement as top seed in a tournament applies a little more pressure to his round. And, in his recent World Championship win, the competition was very close – as it frequently is. In addition to their achievements on the water, each contributes to tournament skiing in Michigan as an official. Tournament directors can count on them, since both conscientiously volunteer as slalom judges and Dan serves as a slalom driver. They both know that the tournaments always need help and appreciate that the tournament organizers provide these competitive opportunities each year. Furthermore, their continuing achievements in the sport often serve as an example of the opportunity to continue to enjoy the sport to its fullest, even setting higher benchmarks after an already successful track record. And, in Gwen’s case, her performance each year is an inspiration to women and girls to venture into the sport for the first time, continue to work on further achievements, and just enjoy a healthy lifestyle while challenging themselves. Their story demonstrates that the sport can be enjoyed and cultivated wherever enthusiasts choose to take to the water and seek out the challenge and thrill of skiing. As 2019 begins, Dan and Gwen are again ready to enjoy the competition, the company of fellow skiers and friends, family time at the lake, and all that life on the water can be.
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At the conclusion of the 2020 Michigan 3 Event State Championship tournament, Don Francis concluded 17 years of leadership as Michigan Water Ski Association President and informed other board members of his retirement from the MWSA board. While many are aware of Don’s service and contribution to water skiing in Michigan, some may not realize that his significant MWSA presence was a relatively short portion of his overall participation in, and passion for, water skiing.
As a youngster, Don was the oldest of his male cousins and often the first amongst them to attempt new activities or new sports. Don’s father was a competitive swimmer and there were many extended family vacations that centered around lakes and water recreation. It was during these vacations, including cottage stays on Torch Lake, where a teenaged Don started water skiing behind a boat owned by one of his uncles. The challenging, physical engagement of skiing and the opportunity to continually advance in skill fueled his interest to maintain an active connection to the sport during each summer. Later, as the financial resources associated with his career became available, Don sought out opportunities to maximize his enjoyment of water sports. In 1972, he and his brother purchased a house on Middle Straits Lake, with the intention of skiing regularly. They bought a jet boat and became avid skiers. As his adventuresome nature continually emerged, Don kept trying new maneuvers on the water, such as the “big spray” turns, “hot-dog” skiing, barefoot skiing, and other experimental ski moves. Don and his brother pursued the installation of a slalom course on Middle Straits Lake, but the other residents objected. Don met more skiers on the lake and eventually also started taking the jet boat to other lakes, including lakes with ski courses. In 1979, Don met Sheryl Barber and she joined in on the water ski fun. Initially, they continued a lot of free skiing on Middle Straits Lake, Orchard Lake, and the various lakes in Southeast Michigan, but a friend with a Supra ski boat helped Don realize the advantages over the jet boat and an interest in skiing the slalom course fully emerged. In the 80s, Don’s pursuit of the slalom course began in earnest, as a logical progression of his competitive nature. It was during this time, that Don spent time on Williams Lake and met Bud Shear, who held a Summer Festival ski tournament and had a ski club on the lake. It was at Williams Lake, as their new ski club site, where practice on the slalom course began to generate a lot of improvement. Bud was able to provide expertise, experience, a Ski Supreme boat, and coaching to help Don advance. About this same time, Don was also taking some slalom lessons at the G and L Training Center site in Charlotte (later Water Ski Paradise). In the mid 80s and as Don entered his 40s, he began his tournament experience and competed in some of the informal tournaments at that site. He also helped with the Pro Tour events that attracted thousands of spectators (and headlined ESPN “Hot Summer Nights” broadcasts). During the heyday of the sport, the thrill of skiing and the opportunity to participate was never greater. At one point, Don partnered in a Florida lakeside condo purchase for a winter location of the G and L Ski School. Unfortunately, the school experienced difficulty co-existing with the other residents of the lake and the property was eventually sold. As Don began to compete in regular sanctioned tournaments, he met some of Michigan’s more accomplished skiers and local leaders, including Bill Murbach, Dave Grude, Lowry Brown, and Jerry Hosner. Circa 1988, he competed in the novice division, running a 32 mph pass and even receiving a trophy. At the MWSA Ski Fest in the late 80s, Don and Sheryl met Mary and Ken Clark. With insightful coaching and a vision of a future private ski site, Mary and Ken partnered with Don and Sheryl at a site near Lansing called Tchoupitoula. The years spent at Tchoupitoula helped Don and Sheryl become true tournament skiers. Mary and Ken showed them that understanding tournament skiing was not only training to improve skills, but also becoming officials to run the events, having a boat to train with, and preparing the site for a multitude of novice events held there. Don even spent time as a promo driver for the American Skier boat company. After 10 years at the site with Mary and Ken, the lake was sold. But, the experience and the tutelage from Mary and Ken became the most influential piece of their skiing. In early 2000, Don and Sheryl became ski club members at Hidden Lake. They gained experience running some events there and later, with Terry Turner at Lake Lynette, started the MWSA Slalom Ability Series. In 2004, Don and Sheryl joined at Lake Jepawhit, where they helped put on many local tournaments, along with Junior Development Clinics – some led by pro skiers like Rhoni Barton and Brandi Hunt. There were also 4 Big Dawg events, 2 Pro Tour Events, and numerous Michigan 3 Event State Championship tournaments. In 2003, Don was asked to become MWSA President. Initially, he assumed it would be a commitment of just a couple of years. But, as he worked with the various board members over the years (most notably Dan Connelly, Mark Boender, Mark Johnson, Doug Rooker, Laura Burdick, and Phil and Carol Oppenhiem) he continued to work at increasing the participation and involvement of all of the watersports disciplines into a more cohesive organization with greater visibility. He credits his many years as President of MWSA as successful because of their support and diligence. As additional board members joined or replaced others and brought new energy and commitment, he felt that the continued mission of MWSA was ready to continue beyond his tenure. Among his most notable skiing-related high points, Don notes his 1999 qualification for, and competition in, the USA Water Ski Nationals at Paradise Lakes in Bakersfield, California. The success of the Ability Series was also satisfying, as is the frequently high entry count at the Michigan 3 Event State Championships, with some events exceeding 100 competitors. Don is also proud of Michigan as a very active water ski community and very active regionally, compared to other states, with a very busy summer tournament schedule every year. In 2016, Don was inducted into the Michigan Water Ski Association Hall of Fame. Of course, Don’s most successful event was his 1989 marriage to Sheryl, who has shared his love of the sport and has also contributed much time and energy to officiating, running tournaments, and supporting MWSA and Michigan water skiing. Don is very thankful for the great support from the boat dealers: Jeff Smith at Silver Spray Sports, Jerry Brouwer at Action Watersports, and Ron and Mary Koenig during their time with Skiers Pier. Each dealer was very supportive during Don’s tenure with MWSA and made his efforts to promote water skiing much easier. Don credits his biggest influences as Mary and Ken Clark and Bud Shear. They helped him with judging and all aspects of tournament skiing and slalom course technique. As it began years ago and accelerated over the decades, Don’s enjoyment of the slalom course continues and, as many Michigan skiers might wish, often sees an extended season in warmer winter locales. Tivoli Gardens is a top-notch, 3-event private site located southwest of Flint in Gaines, MI. While many Michigan skiers have heard of it or skied there as guests or tournament competitors, some may not have met the owner, Jason Kenyon. Even fewer know the history of Tivoli or Jason himself.
Jason grew up in the northeast part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. His grandparents owned a home on a lake a few miles from Jason’s parents and the family spent many hours each summer enjoying watersports. He started skiing at age 7 and their primary boat was an ordinary tri-hull with a 55HP Chrysler outboard. Jason maximized his time with that boat, as he continued to advance his skiing. While not entirely endorsed by his family, he was able to barefoot behind it at age 13 with a kneeboard start, after directing his aunt to supply all available power and speed that the boat could provide. While in high school, Jason convinced his parents, aunt, and uncle to purchase a new 1992 MasterCraft Prostar 190. That wise endeavor not only allowed Jason the opportunity to advance his abilities, but the family still owns that well-maintained boat and enjoys it regularly each summer with the next generation of his family. While attending his first year of college near his parent’s home, he skied the slalom course for the first time. The only opportunity for those first passes in the course was at a tournament. Despite no previous exposure to the course, he achieved a podium finish. The experience of the slalom course had him hooked and furthered his skiing interest. Jason transferred to the University of Michigan to complete his degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. When he discovered their water ski team, he quickly joined. He skied his first tournament with U of M in his junior year as a slalom-only skier, but eventually participated in all three events to help round out the U of M team roster at the tournaments. He won some of those collegiate slalom events and, became the club president for two of his three years at U of M. Following graduation, Jason starting working in Flint and took up residence in a small apartment above Silver Spray Sports on Silver Lake. Rather than buy a new vehicle or a home, Jason kept his priorities in order and bought a Ski Nautique to maximize his time on the water! It was after college that Jason met local water ski legend Paul Boel. While working for Gould Engineering, the firm that designed Tivoli Gardens at the Gaines location, Jason performed permitting, surveying, and engineering tasks on the Tivoli lake design. Tivoli was constructed during the 1998-1999 timeframe and the first ski season was in 1999. When Paul learned that Jason was searching for property to build a house, Paul suggested that he purchase a lot at the newly completed Tivoli site. The lot Paul offered to Jason was not just any lot, but the lot right at the starting dock. Jason bought the lot at Tivoli in 1999, built his house, and moved into it in 2000. Upon his relocation to Tivoli, Jason managed the Tivoli Gardens Ski Club for Paul. He was responsible for club operations, installing/removing/replacing the buoys, coordinating jump ramp installation/removal, and general site maintenance. Jason and Paul provided an excellent facility, including club boat and clubhouse, to the members, with a goal of sharing the sport in the best setting possible. Jason and his wife, Mary, purchased Tivoli Gardens from Paul in the fall of 2015 and have continued to operate the club as it has existed originally, with about 18-20 members currently. During the ski season, Jason balances his work and family commitments to find time on the water. His three middle school aged children keep him busy elsewhere coaching baseball and softball. As for his skiing, Jason has a personal practice best of 5@35 off at 34 mph, a 34 mph tournament best 1@35 off, and a 36 mph best of 1@32 off. As the 2018 season gets underway, he is ready to challenge those and enjoy some great skiing at a great site. Jason is committed to continuing Paul’s passion for water skiing and his dedication to promoting the sport. Tivoli Gardens Ski Club hosts several tournaments each year, as well as coaching clinics and other events that require the specific site capabilities of a purpose-built ski lake. The Tivoli Gardens Ski Club is geared to bring the sport to families and foster youth participation. Jason hosts the Ripfest collegiate tournaments each year and provides practice days at the Tivoli site for the college teams. This is a valuable opportunity for those skiers to practice, especially for the jump competitors whose time on a jump ramp is usually rare or limited. As Jason continues to carry Paul’s vision and stewardship for 3-event water skiing forward, he is focused on recruiting the younger skiers to expand and maintain the sport. The future of water skier depends on the success we all have in attracting new interest, providing opportunities, and mentoring the new generation of skiers into those that will lead it forward. Membership opportunities at Tivoli Gardens are available. If interested, contact Jason for details at [email protected]. In recent years, water ski tournament activity in West Michigan has seen a significant increase with the Thursday evening ski league tournaments at Summerwood and Billy’s Puddle, several Saturday tournaments each season, and the Meijer State Games. In fact, the 2018 Michigan State Water Ski Championship will be hosted by the West Shore Water Ski Club (WSWSC) at their Conklin site. While this may seem like breaking news, the history of West Shore Water Ski Club and its president, Doug Johnson, spans decades and set the foundations for the very active water ski community we see today.
Doug began skiing when he was six years old and first saw a slalom course at age 23. According to Doug, competitive skiing in West Michigan began in the late 60s or early 70s when George Whitfield moved to Michigan from Florida. This provided the opportunity for Doug’s first tournament, in 1971, and he became hooked after completing 2 buoys. Afterward, he sought a place to practice and, while searching, spent as much time as possible free skiing and barefooting. Doug initially formed a ski club called the West Michigan Ski Club with Tom Terbeek around 1978. The club still exists today, but as a show ski club. Soon after the formation of the club, they received permission from the city of Grand Rapids, purchased a slalom course, and held a tournament on the Grand River with over 150 skiers. The club used the substantial proceeds from the tournament to build a jump ramp and continued to seek out more suitable sites, as the restrictions from the city made it difficult to maintain a regular presence at the original river location. The club attracted many skiers who dreamed of having a jump and slalom course on the west side of the state. Members of that first club who collaborated with and were influenced by Doug have later become prominent officials and competitors, such as Ron Pattyn, Dan Vandyk, Terry Roer, Mark Boender, Mary Clark, and Katie Mawby. Doug skied in quite a few tournaments, competing in slalom and jump. Doug’s tournament participation waned in the early 80s as he spent weekend time with his family, including 4 daughters, all skiing at his father’s cottage and enjoying family time. Doug led the original West Michigan Ski Club until 1985. The West Shore Water Ski Club was the successor to the original club and it was formed in the late 80s by Jerry Brouwer, with Doug arranging for the incorporation in 1989 of both clubs, pro bono, through attorney and skier George Whitfield. Jerry had located the slalom course in a gravel pit near Riverside Park that was essentially an adjacent, isolated section of the Grand River known as Max Lake. Doug joined the new club and a new jump ramp was built, as the old jump ramp remained with the original club. While skiing with the club there in the early 90s, Doug and Ron Pattyn discovered a secluded gravel pit within the Bass River Recreation Area. Fully detached from the Grand River, it was known as Buddy’s Pond. After some measuring and depth checks, they concluded the weed–infested pond was suitable as a private ski site. Doug and Ron worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to obtain permission to install an anchored course and, after much trial and error and hard work, were able to successfully begin WSWSC operations at the Buddy’s Pond location. After Jerry Brouwer became occupied with his commitments to Action Water Sports, Doug became president of the club and has been ever since. Many tournaments, including Michigan State Water Ski Championships, were held at the Buddy’s Pond location. WSWSC created a Tuesday night ski league, which was essentially a tournament competition with some relaxed rules, for its members. While the site provided excellent conditions and privacy, its location within a public park prevented the club from purchasing and docking a club boat there. This, to Doug, was a key capability to which he believed the club should aspire, as he envisioned those amenities to be the pinnacle of what a water ski club should be. In 2011, the DNR changed its policies concerning the Buddys’ Pond location and required daily removal of the slalom buoys. Also, in later discussions, the DNR began to suggest restrictions to the number of times WSWSC could install the buoys at all. This, in essence, forced WSWSC to abandon that site and secure another option. The club leased a private lake near West Olive in 2012, but left after a season, due to some conditions requiring expensive dredging to correct. WSWSC obtained a lease at Placid Waters in 2013 and skied there through the 2015 season. They hosted the 2015 Michigan State Water Ski Championships at Placid Waters, along with several other tournaments. After the 2015 season, Placid Waters embarked on a project to reconfigure the lakes and, due to the elimination of the slalom lakes, WSWSC evaluated many sites in the Grand Rapids area. Ultimately, the club obtained a lease for a private gravel pit in Conklin and moved operations to that location. For the first time, the club had a long term arrangement at a fully private site and plans could be made to provide an on-site boat lift and club boat. The club installed an anchored course, upgraded the side curtains on the jump ramp, and held the Meijer State Games at the site in June, 2017. Like many dedicated skiers who place priority on the pursuit of the sport, Doug heeded the advice of other tournament competitors who told him he needed to have his own inboard ski boat to improve. At the tournament, a Correct Craft was used. In 1972 at age 24, he traveled to the Correct Craft distributor in Indiana (he didn’t know of any dealer) and bought a Correct Craft Mustang, which may have been the first inboard boat available to the skiers in West Michigan until the clubs were formed. Over the years, he has owned 2 Ski Nautiques, 2 Ski Supremes, 3 MasterCrafts and his current 1998 Malibu. But, his lifelong goal was to have a water ski club on a private site with a club boat readily available. In 2017, Doug achieved that goal when the WSWSC worked with Action Water Sports, purchased a 2015 MasterCraft Prostar club boat, and placed it at their Conklin site. Doug’s tournament record includes some podium finishes and he has continued to ski in the WSWSC Tuesday ski league, as he enjoys just being able to ski the course and working hard to achieve the best he can. Illness and injuries have interrupted his participation at a few points over the years, but he has returned to ski and lead the clubs as a testament to his passion for the sport. In September of 2017, this author pulled Doug at the Conklin site cold off the dock and right up the rope to complete all his passes through 4 buoys at 28 off at 32 mph. At age 70, Doug is looking forward to sharing his love of water skiing with his grandchildren and continuing to promote the sport to younger 3 event skiers through WSWSC via clinics, partnership with Action Water Sports, tournaments, and a strong, dedicated club membership. |
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