Western Region Blog

Hello to All My Friends.
I am training to compete in the most prestigious and competitive event for Water Skiers with Disabilities. It is the 9th World Disabled Water Ski Championships and they will be held in Vichy, France August 30- Sept 6, 2009. I am planning on retiring from International Competition after this tournament. I have been truly honored and blessed to have been able to compete at this level for 20 years. I plan to be on my very best ski game when the time comes for the competition, I am training hard now. I need your help to represent the USA in Vichy, France and be the best skier I can be. As the economy has hit everyone hard, it is hard for me to even ask for your help. I must humbly ask for your support if am going to be able to get there. Forward this on to anyone who can donate $10 to $20 dollars so I can represent the USA as a member of the US Disabled Water Ski Team. 300 donations at $20 dollars is what I need to get there. Please Help, and get as many friends to chip in as possible. The US Team is poised to win the GOLD and be the number 1 team in the world. We need to win the Gold back from the British and take it HOME to the USA where it belongs. Here is my website where you can make a contribution using Pay Pal. Please let me know if you have any problem with Pay Pal. If you prefer sending check, the directions on how to do that are on my website as well. Please forward.

Go to www.stevehornsey.com and help me do my part to capture the GOLD at the 9th World Disabled Water Championships

All donations are tax deductible. Thank you very much in advance for your support.

Steve Hornsey
Access Leisure Program Coordinator,
City of Sacramento, Department of Parks and Recreation
Paralympic Sport Sacramento
Sports and recreation for people with disabilities
(916) 808-2340
www.accessleisuresac.org

You can catch the action at the 50th Masters starting Friday 5/22 and ending 5/24. Catch the video feed at MastersLive.net.

Here are the details:

Where: Bell Acqua Lake 1

JUMP CLINICS - Mike Kusiak Coaching
Saturday May 23 9:00 AM
Thursday June 11 9:00 AM
Thursday July 9 9:00 AM

SLALOM CLINICS - Mike Kusiak Coaching
Sunday May 24 9:00 AM
Friday June 12 9:00 AM
Friday July 10 9:00 AM

For further clinic details please contact Clinic Coordinator Troy Smith, (916) 335-9163, or tsmith@sgwatersports.com. Advertisement for the clinics is found on page 47 in the Regional Guide.

The 3rd season of the Wednesday Night Ski League begins on 6/3 at the Berkeley Aquatic Park. The Ski League is a series of 13 grassroots fun tournaments that run every Wednesday night from June through August. Each skier receives a handicap which allows them to compete for weekly and season end prizes. The cost is $20 for 6 slalom passes and includes dinner. Skiing begins around 4pm and is open to everyone so bring your friends. To see a listing of Ski League dates along with other grassroots events Visit

Also before the Ski League on 7/1, pro skier Marcus Brown’s Face to Face Tour stops at the Berkeley Aquatic Park. Marcus and his crew will teach you the West coast slalom technique and introduce us to the latest in boats, skis, gear and personal fitness. The clinic will run from 9am to 4pm, then you can use your new skills to win the Ski League later that night! The cost is $150 per skier and will be limited to only 10 skiers. Contact Matt Brandt @ 510-421-6926 or matt_does_ski@hotmail.com to register. For more info on the tour and the clinic check out the following links: Face to Face Tour and Face to Face Tour Clinics

Well many of your friends are. USA Water Ski is also. Login to FaceBook at facebook.com and become a fan. There are two pages. USA Water Ski and USA Water Ski Grass Roots Series.

The Midwest Region talled 13,330 points to win the 15th Collegiate All-Stars Water Ski Championships, May 16-17, at Beaver Lake in Ahoskie, N.C. The Western Region placed second with 9,730 points, followed by the Eastern (9,350 points) and South Central (6,110 points) regions.

The event included the top-10 men and top-10 women from each of the National Collegiate Water Ski Association’s four regions vying for a team title and individual titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall.

In the men’s events, Arizona State’s Storm Selsor won tricks, jumping and overall, scoring 5,390 points, jumping 147 feet and tallying 1,070 points, respectively. Louisiana-Monroe’s Daniel Odvarko won slalom, scoring 4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off.

In the women’s events, Arizona State’s Danielle Sligar won tricks and overall, scoring 2,410 points and tallying 955 points, respectively. Rollins’ Michaela Cooper and Louisiana-Monroe’s Karen Stevens tied in slalom, scoring 3 buoys at 35 feet off; and Ball State’s Kayla McClure won jumping, leaping 103 feet.

To view the scorebook, click here.

New U Can Ski 2 adaptive water ski. Great video. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1329229943?bclid=1308023108&bctid=22648942001

OK Florida Skiers !!!!!

Here we are again! Time for the 9th Annual Gator Fest – unreal. THIS YEAR we need lots of people! I’d like to get back to the 40-ish range, so tell everyone and anyone you know and let’s make it happen

All – pass to your skiing friends

Airfare – like last year – get your own. Very Cheap this year.
Cars – I will have rentals for all – same setup as year; seems that worked much better
Cost – $650 (no airfare included).
Dates – May 16th SAT through May 23rd SAT

I need a headcount so send me your replies via email and send deposit of $250 to:
PAUL MATTHEWS
4712 STRAWBERRY LANE
SAN JOSE CA 95129

As you book your airfare . . . Let me know which airport . . . Tampa or Orlando

MORE TO COME - Ski ya later!!!!!
Paul Matthews

Check out Marcus Brown and the gang. http://www.facetofacetour.com/tour

Keep in touch with Marcus on Twitter http://www.Twitter.com/Marcus_Brown_