ANDY 

This photo of Andy Murdison Sr. hangs in 
Water Ski Canada's gallery of past presidents.
MURDISON SR.

Water skiers across Canada were shocked to hear of the death of
Andy Murdison Sr. and his wife Alyce in a car accident in late
April, while on vacation in England.

	Murdison, 71 on the day of his death, played a major
	role in the organization of water skiing in Ontario and
Canada, serving as president of Water Ski Canada in its infancy
stages.  He passed his love of water skiing on to his family.
Son Andy Jr., and daughter Bonnie, both skied on Canada's
national team and Andy Jr. recently retired as chairman of WSC's
Marketing Committee.  A second daughter, Jennifer, enjoyed the
sport recreationally.




Long-time friend Bill Cherry remembers Murdison in this
tribute:



Every amateur sports organization starts with a group of
talented people drawn together with fun in mind.   The rules and
objectives of each organization are different, but they have one
thing in common:  the dedication and determination of the people
behind the scenes who really make it all happen.

	Water skiing is no exception and today this water skier
sadly mourns the loss of one of our fathers - Andy Murdison Sr.

	It wasn't that he was a water skier, it was his vital
contribution to our sport, all the way from the grass roots
level on our lake in Haliburton, to the presidency of the
Canadian Water Ski Association, now Water Ski Canada.

	Andy taught us how to ski, back in the 50s, when water
skiing was mostly something we saw on TV and his genuine
interest and encouragement gave us the will to go further and
further.

	Soon we were a water ski club and in competition.
Equipment was needed and shows were done for gas money.
Tournaments got more and more interesting.  We all got involved
... and a life-long fraternity was born.

	At the national level, things were tough - not enough
money to run a country-wide executive, but a great need for
continued organization and devotion to so our country could
compete in world championship competition.  But there was Andy,
keeping the executive together between Toronto and Montreal,
building up the steam required to convince the World Water Ski
Union (now International Water Ski Federation) to let Canada
host the 1967 World Championships in Sherbrooke.

	These are the people who really count:  the volunteers,
the people without whom there would be no grass roots, no crop,
no amateur sport.  And, these days, we really need them.  We
need the Andy Murdisons.

	Let us all celebrate his life, salute his passing, and
	say a prayer for his loss.

Bill Cherry Lake Boshkung Skiers