Randy Sharkey
2010 Hall of Fame Inductee
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Randy Sharkey learned to ski at age 12 at Winona Lake in Warsaw In. in 1958. He sold fishing worms to to get enough money to buy his first pair of jumpers with high wrap bindings for $30. Jumping was his sport. He learned how to slalom while riding out some jumps on one ski. He purchased his first slalom in 1962 from Ron Eby for $15. It was home made out of white ash with high tournament bindings. He purchased his first pair of tricks in 1969 from Aaron Brown for $20. Randy skied his first tournament called jumpin' Joe's Tournament in 1966. He attended his first state tournament in Mishawaka in 1966 where he met some locals Don Hoffman, Jim Lang and Chuck Caron, they got him started in tournament skiing and he joined the Spray Riders Ski Club. Randy became a Judge in 1967 and started working tournaments along with skiing through Men's 1 through Men's 6 division in all three events. Randy's first boat was a 16'
Carver with a 30 hp Johnson which he learned to jump behind. Randy sold his 1963 Corvette convertable to get enough money to buy his first boat, a 1968 Ski Nautique which he bought for $3500. His personal bests over the years are: slalom, 4 @ 32 off at 36 mph, and 5 ½ @ 35 off at 34 mph. Tricks:3110 and jumped 122 feet on 5 ½' at 35 mph and 110 feet at 5' at 30 mph. Randy has held 70 combined Indiana State records and titles, 49 titles and 21 records since 1972. 26 overall titles in Men2, Men3 and Men 4 in the 30 years starting in 1972 and Presently holding the Men 5 Overall record.
Here's some more of randy's accomplishments.
Randy was a school teacher for 37 years
Bachlelors degree from Ferris State in Michigan
Masters degree from Indiana University
Carver with a 30 hp Johnson which he learned to jump behind. Randy sold his 1963 Corvette convertable to get enough money to buy his first boat, a 1968 Ski Nautique which he bought for $3500. His personal bests over the years are: slalom, 4 @ 32 off at 36 mph, and 5 ½ @ 35 off at 34 mph. Tricks:3110 and jumped 122 feet on 5 ½' at 35 mph and 110 feet at 5' at 30 mph. Randy has held 70 combined Indiana State records and titles, 49 titles and 21 records since 1972. 26 overall titles in Men2, Men3 and Men 4 in the 30 years starting in 1972 and Presently holding the Men 5 Overall record.
Here's some more of randy's accomplishments.
- Won the Indiana state top male skier award 7 times.
- He's held Indiana state barefoot records and titles in slalom, starts, tricks and overall.
- He skied the Mid West regionals since 1970, placing several times in the top 5 and 1 overall title.
- Skied many nationals was 11th in Men's 3 slalom in 1983, 10th in Men's 5 overall and 10th in Men's 5 jumping in 2002
- Senior driver for 15 years and a regular judge and scorer.
- He drove 15 regional tournaments starting in 1973, and was chief driver in 1972
- Was former President in 74 and 75 and was a Rollie Williams Award recipient in 1980
- Chief Judged the 1981 state tournament
- He drove the 1982 Nationals at DuQuoin Il.
- Member of the National drivers committee for 5 years
- Regional councilman for 9 years
- Indiana board member from the early 70's till 1990 and from 2000 till present.
- Chairman of the committee that formally established the requirements for Indiana's novice division
- Correct Craft promotional person for 15 years
- Sponsored the first Indiana State Barefoot Tournament in 1981 in Mishawaka
- Was on the Cypress Gardens factory ski team for several years.
- Skied the All American Tournament at Cypress Gardens in 82,83 and 84 winning the overall and jumping in 83
- Placed 4th overall in the at the World Masters Tournament in Toronto in 1985
- Ruptured a liver in 1972 and 3 herniated discs in 2002 from a jump crashes
Randy was a school teacher for 37 years
Bachlelors degree from Ferris State in Michigan
Masters degree from Indiana University
