Sam Schmitt
2019 Hall of Fame Inductee
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Sam Schmitt’s waterskiing career began at age 7 on the Ohio River, in Evansville, In. At that time, his dad and his dad’s brother were members of the Evansville Water Ski Club “skiters,” camping at a river camp in the Ohio River every weekend. The families shared a 16 ft. Crownline with an 80 horsepower Mercury and performed at ski show including jumping, clown, and pyramid acts. They trick skied on a Cypress Gardens trick ski and jumped on old Rampmaster jumpers which were shared by Mike, Mark, and Sam. When Sam’s dad could finally afford a pair of Rampmasters, Sam shared them with his sister Pat. Sam likes to tell how when they were getting ready for state tournament, they would break a tip on a ski, would cut the ski in half and send to Cypress Gardens and they’d send another pair!
The jump they used was 12 ft. wide and 2 ft. folded down on each side for pulling! The club pulled this jump to ski shows and to Kentucky Lake to practice. Sam’s first tournament was in 1967 on Decatur Lake in Decatur, Il. This was his fir time in a slalom course as it was virtually impossible to maintain a course on the Ohio River. Sam bought his first EP fiberglass jumpers in 1973 when he was 18. His favorite event was jump, which he did in a pair of cutoff jeans and an EP jacket. Sam never got to ski the Nationals, although he exceeded his EP with this longest jump of his career, 142’ in 1980. He jumped this the same weekend as the Midwest Regionals. He had hoped to get that jump on Saturday in that tournament, the fly to the regionals to ski thus meeting the requirement to ski in Nationals. Fate intervened, however as the jump came on Sunday and he had missed both the Midwest and Southern Regionals!
Sam skied the Indiana State Tournaments every year through the 70’s and became an assistant judge in 1980. He became a regular judge in the mid 80’s and has been a senior judge since the early 90’s. He has regularly served as Sr. Judge in tournaments all over the Midwest, including Nationals, Regionals, and Chief Judge in the 2018 Midwest Regionals in Wilmington, Il.
Sam is one of the original Timberlake Ski Club members, joining with 8 other families to create on of the premier ski sites in Indiana and the only one south of Indianapolis. Sam was awarded the Rollie Williams award in 2009 and has served as both IWSA president and also served on the IWSA Board of Directors. Sam has been a Mastercraft Tournament Team member for 40 years, providing a promo boat for tournaments in Indiana, the Midwest, and at Nationals when held in Duquoin, Il, and Wilmington, Il.
Sam’s actual skiing competition days were cut short due to an illness, but not before he participated in the 2001 World Police and Fire Games. He has continued to promote the sport, helping with disabled waterskiing and teaching others to ski including Levi Duncan who skied in the 2015 Indiana State at Camelot Ski Lake.
While Sam no longer skis, his love of the sport is evidenced by the many miles he travels each summer to judge and take his wife to compete.
The jump they used was 12 ft. wide and 2 ft. folded down on each side for pulling! The club pulled this jump to ski shows and to Kentucky Lake to practice. Sam’s first tournament was in 1967 on Decatur Lake in Decatur, Il. This was his fir time in a slalom course as it was virtually impossible to maintain a course on the Ohio River. Sam bought his first EP fiberglass jumpers in 1973 when he was 18. His favorite event was jump, which he did in a pair of cutoff jeans and an EP jacket. Sam never got to ski the Nationals, although he exceeded his EP with this longest jump of his career, 142’ in 1980. He jumped this the same weekend as the Midwest Regionals. He had hoped to get that jump on Saturday in that tournament, the fly to the regionals to ski thus meeting the requirement to ski in Nationals. Fate intervened, however as the jump came on Sunday and he had missed both the Midwest and Southern Regionals!
Sam skied the Indiana State Tournaments every year through the 70’s and became an assistant judge in 1980. He became a regular judge in the mid 80’s and has been a senior judge since the early 90’s. He has regularly served as Sr. Judge in tournaments all over the Midwest, including Nationals, Regionals, and Chief Judge in the 2018 Midwest Regionals in Wilmington, Il.
Sam is one of the original Timberlake Ski Club members, joining with 8 other families to create on of the premier ski sites in Indiana and the only one south of Indianapolis. Sam was awarded the Rollie Williams award in 2009 and has served as both IWSA president and also served on the IWSA Board of Directors. Sam has been a Mastercraft Tournament Team member for 40 years, providing a promo boat for tournaments in Indiana, the Midwest, and at Nationals when held in Duquoin, Il, and Wilmington, Il.
Sam’s actual skiing competition days were cut short due to an illness, but not before he participated in the 2001 World Police and Fire Games. He has continued to promote the sport, helping with disabled waterskiing and teaching others to ski including Levi Duncan who skied in the 2015 Indiana State at Camelot Ski Lake.
While Sam no longer skis, his love of the sport is evidenced by the many miles he travels each summer to judge and take his wife to compete.
