2025 News & Events
Junior Development Clinic at Kodiak Lake Ski Club
The annual Junior Development Clinic was at full capacity and held on June 5th and 6th at Kodiak Lake, West of Danville, Indiana. This was a bit moist with showers most of the day, but that didn't stop the boat, a 2025 MasterCraft Prostar nicknamed the “Black Widow”, from pulling skiers throughout the day. Friday was more weather appropriate with "glass" conditions all day. We had several USA Waterski National Champions who joined us this year to give back to the sport they love by coaching our juniors. Thanks to all the coaches and adults who volunteered their time and expertise. Special thanks to Kodiak Lake for opening their doors to all the skiers and HO Sports who supplied us with a Tent for shade and some gear for the kids to rip on.
Let's not forget Kent Hoops who was the "ring leader" for this event.
Let's not forget Kent Hoops who was the "ring leader" for this event.
2025 Indiana State Water Ski Tournament Info
Timberlake is hosting the 2025 IN State Water Ski Tournament!
We are looking forward to having all the Indiana skiers join us in southern Indiana for the event!
We will begin Saturday, July 19th at 7:00 AM CST. We intend to get all events completed on Saturday. It’s difficult to predict the weather, unexpected scratches, etc - we will not be able to give an estimation of events / divisions. We hope you will plan to spend the day with your fellow IN skiers at Timberlake!
See schedule of events and register here: IN State Water Ski Tournament
Follow along on Facebook: Indiana State Water Ski Tournament
A few details we would like to share:
*Hotel - The Fairfield Inn West in Evansville, IN has rooms blocked for the IN State Water Ski Tournament. Be sure to reserve rooms by July 3rd to get the reduced rate!
Phone: 812-429-0900
*Camping - There will be camping available, but there will not be any hook-ups available. Please reach out to Mark Schmitt: [email protected]
*Banquet - We will be hosting a banquet on-site following the tournament. You can purchase your banquet tickets with your registration on USA Water Ski. If you plan to attend and missed adding the tickets when you register please reach out to Abby so we can plan accordingly: [email protected]
*T-shirts - We will be sharing a link to order shirts soon! There will not be any extras available on-site. These will be pre-order only!
*Officials - As we all know - it takes a village to make the event happen! If you are a rated official or would like to volunteer in any way - please reach out to Abby [email protected]!
We appreciate any and all help!
*Practice - Practice will be available Friday evening after 4 PM for $10
*Lunch - We will have deli sandwiches available for purchase on-site for lunch
We are looking forward to having all the Indiana skiers join us in southern Indiana for the event!
We will begin Saturday, July 19th at 7:00 AM CST. We intend to get all events completed on Saturday. It’s difficult to predict the weather, unexpected scratches, etc - we will not be able to give an estimation of events / divisions. We hope you will plan to spend the day with your fellow IN skiers at Timberlake!
See schedule of events and register here: IN State Water Ski Tournament
Follow along on Facebook: Indiana State Water Ski Tournament
A few details we would like to share:
*Hotel - The Fairfield Inn West in Evansville, IN has rooms blocked for the IN State Water Ski Tournament. Be sure to reserve rooms by July 3rd to get the reduced rate!
Phone: 812-429-0900
*Camping - There will be camping available, but there will not be any hook-ups available. Please reach out to Mark Schmitt: [email protected]
*Banquet - We will be hosting a banquet on-site following the tournament. You can purchase your banquet tickets with your registration on USA Water Ski. If you plan to attend and missed adding the tickets when you register please reach out to Abby so we can plan accordingly: [email protected]
*T-shirts - We will be sharing a link to order shirts soon! There will not be any extras available on-site. These will be pre-order only!
*Officials - As we all know - it takes a village to make the event happen! If you are a rated official or would like to volunteer in any way - please reach out to Abby [email protected]!
We appreciate any and all help!
*Practice - Practice will be available Friday evening after 4 PM for $10
*Lunch - We will have deli sandwiches available for purchase on-site for lunch
Don Bucher Bio 2025 USA Waterski Lifetime Achievement
Don Bucher is an Indiana farmer who has been active in water skiing for nearly 70 years. He is a member of the Indiana Water Ski Hall of Fame and a water skiing legend in the Midwest. Don was eight years old when he hit the water for the first time and has never looked back. He started doing ski shows with the Dewart Lake (Indiana) skiers when he was just 10. Don entered his first Indiana State Tournament in jump competition in 1964, and from there, Don went on to rack up accomplishments on and off the water. He qualified for his first nationals in 2001 and was the Midwest region Men's 6 Slalom Champion in 2008. Don has held ratings as a Senior Judge, Senior Driver, Senior Scorer, State Safety Director, Announcer, and Instructor. A longtime tournament director, Don helped organize the first two Indiana State Show Tournaments at Dewart Lake in 1971-72 and the State Tournament held at Pike Lake in Warsaw, Indiana, in 1973. Don started the Water Ski Inc. Ski Team with Jerry Hickman at Hidden Lake in Warsaw, Indiana, in 1974 and organized the Hoosier Classic Pro Water Ski Tournaments from 1975 to 1978. "It was always our mission to provide the very best competition opportunities for water skiers and the very best events," says Don. "It was about great times, great memories, meeting people, and just being involved in water skiing." Don built the first man-made ski lake in Indiana in 1978: Cindonway Shores. With his wife, Peggy, and the Water Ski Inc. Team, Don has hosted hundreds of sanctioned events at Cindonway Shores since 1983. In 1986, Don received the coveted Rollie Williams Award for his contributions to water skiing. Don is a super official and is always one of the first to step up to help. At the Midwest Regionals, he has served as Chief Judge, Chief Driver, Chief Announcer, and Appointed Judge and Driver nearly every year. At the AWSA Nationals, he served as an Appointed Driver in 1990 and 2000. He was Appointed Judge in 1999, 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2009, Assigned Judge in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2004, Appointed Scorer in 2006, and Assistant Chief Judge in 2005. Don has also led water skiing from several board positions, including Midwest Region Executive Vice President 1999-2006, AWSA Board of Directors - 1997-2009, AWSA Vice President 2001-2007, USA Water Ski Board of Directors - Midwest Director 1999-2009 and Chairman of USA Water Ski Board of Directors 2008-2009. And he currently serves on the USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Board of Trustees. But for Don, the most rewarding part of his water skiing journey is now watching seven of his nine grandchildren water ski. Four of those grandkids were on the podium at least once at the 2024 Goode AWSA Water Ski Nationals. "It's so nice to see the next generation on the water. I will continue to compete as long as I can because my grandchildren want me to ski in tournaments with them," says Don. Don is still looking for ways to grow and contribute to our sport, including passing the handle!
Don Bucher 2025 Lifetime Achievement Video
The 230 Foot or 70 Meter Jump Club
Ian Faulkner
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70M CLUB.
In the late 1950s 1960s a cloth Century Club patch was available for skiers who jumped 100 feet or more. By the late 1970s this group of skiers had grown into the 1000s including many women using the much lower ramp height and boat speed. In 1983 Glenn Thurlow jumped 202 feet at the Moomba Masters and the 200 foot club commenced. Membership was slow up to 1996 then with the introduction of the much longer jump skis the 200 foot club membership gained momentum. Still an exclusive group of skiers although there are now over 170 skiers who have officially cleared 200 feet. The data now includes the amazing 5 times World Jump Champion Jacinta Carroll.
A new bench mark club has emerged, the 70M CLUB. This very very exclusive club is for skiers who have officially cleared 70 metres (230 feet). There are currently only 15 skiers in the 70M CLUB.
Jaret Llewellyn(CAN) 4 x World Jump records, 1992,99,99,2002
Scot Ellis, USA Rocket man
Jimmy Siemers USA 2 x World Jump records 2000,02
Freddy Krueger USA 8 x World Jump records 1999,2002,05,05,05,06,08, 2014
Jesper Cassoe USA
Ryan Fitts USA
Zack Worden USA
Ryan Dodd (CAN) Current World Jump Record holder 77.4m
Jason Seels (GB)
Mark Lane USA
Bojan Schnipner (GER)
Taylor Garcia USA
Felipe Miranda Chile
Jack Critchley (GB)
Dorian Llewellyn (CAN)
·
70M CLUB.
In the late 1950s 1960s a cloth Century Club patch was available for skiers who jumped 100 feet or more. By the late 1970s this group of skiers had grown into the 1000s including many women using the much lower ramp height and boat speed. In 1983 Glenn Thurlow jumped 202 feet at the Moomba Masters and the 200 foot club commenced. Membership was slow up to 1996 then with the introduction of the much longer jump skis the 200 foot club membership gained momentum. Still an exclusive group of skiers although there are now over 170 skiers who have officially cleared 200 feet. The data now includes the amazing 5 times World Jump Champion Jacinta Carroll.
A new bench mark club has emerged, the 70M CLUB. This very very exclusive club is for skiers who have officially cleared 70 metres (230 feet). There are currently only 15 skiers in the 70M CLUB.
Jaret Llewellyn(CAN) 4 x World Jump records, 1992,99,99,2002
Scot Ellis, USA Rocket man
Jimmy Siemers USA 2 x World Jump records 2000,02
Freddy Krueger USA 8 x World Jump records 1999,2002,05,05,05,06,08, 2014
Jesper Cassoe USA
Ryan Fitts USA
Zack Worden USA
Ryan Dodd (CAN) Current World Jump Record holder 77.4m
Jason Seels (GB)
Mark Lane USA
Bojan Schnipner (GER)
Taylor Garcia USA
Felipe Miranda Chile
Jack Critchley (GB)
Dorian Llewellyn (CAN)
TWBC: Episode 2 of The Rise Of Waterskiing
Revised 2025 IWSA Event Calendar
April 2025 AWSA Midwest Region Newsletter
Revised 2025 IWSA Event Calendar
March 2025 AWSA Midwest Region Newsletter
TWBC: Episode 1 of The Rise of Waterskiing
Tentative 2025 IWSA Event Calendar
Last Weekend For Boat, Sport & Travel Show
Hey Skiers,
The Indianapolis Boat, Sport, and Travel Show began on February 14th and continues through this next weekend. There were even some displays of interest to skiers. Some skis were available and, don't miss Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel, so fun! With lots of snow this past weekend, the Paradise Party Island looked inviting!
The Spring Thaw is just around the corner!
For all times, dates, ticket info and directions, please visit:
Website: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/
Tickets/Pricing: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/time-prices-directions/
The Indianapolis Boat, Sport, and Travel Show began on February 14th and continues through this next weekend. There were even some displays of interest to skiers. Some skis were available and, don't miss Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel, so fun! With lots of snow this past weekend, the Paradise Party Island looked inviting!
The Spring Thaw is just around the corner!
For all times, dates, ticket info and directions, please visit:
Website: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/
Tickets/Pricing: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/time-prices-directions/
Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show 2025
70th Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show
Dates: Friday, February 14, 2025 - Sunday, February 16, 2025
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - Sunday, February 23, 2025
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis IN
For 70 years the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show has been inspiring families to embrace the outdoor lifestyle which includes boating, RVs, fishing, hunting and travel.
The Show is the largest in the nation with more than 750,000 square feet of the great outdoors, indoors. The February dates are the perfect time to gather at the Show. Bring your extended family and plan the trip of a lifetime, or see, touch and compare the new boat, RV, motorcycle or other powersports purchase you've been contemplating. With more than five and a half acres of boats and four and a half acres of RVs you'll find the Midwest's largest selection of new models, and you can meet with hundreds of experts all under one roof and all in one trip!
Website: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/
Tickets/Pricing: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/time-prices-directions/
Dates: Friday, February 14, 2025 - Sunday, February 16, 2025
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - Sunday, February 23, 2025
Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis IN
For 70 years the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show has been inspiring families to embrace the outdoor lifestyle which includes boating, RVs, fishing, hunting and travel.
The Show is the largest in the nation with more than 750,000 square feet of the great outdoors, indoors. The February dates are the perfect time to gather at the Show. Bring your extended family and plan the trip of a lifetime, or see, touch and compare the new boat, RV, motorcycle or other powersports purchase you've been contemplating. With more than five and a half acres of boats and four and a half acres of RVs you'll find the Midwest's largest selection of new models, and you can meet with hundreds of experts all under one roof and all in one trip!
Website: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/
Tickets/Pricing: https://indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com/time-prices-directions/
