Viewpoint Winter '95				Paul Jurbala

Counting Our Blessings

It seems fitting at the holiday season to take a moment to consider
what is going right for us. It's clear that as an Association, a
province, and a nation that we have many challenges: a polite way of
saying there is a lot which we would like to fix. But it's also
apparent that as Canadians we should spend a little more time
recognizing what we have, and a little less complaining about what we
would like.

Water skiers have an uncommon amount to be thankful for. There are,
after all, very few genuinely poor water skiers, although making ends
meet may be more difficult for some than it was a few years ago. Simply
discovering and enjoying our sport is plenty to be happy about.

Water Ski Canada, and the Ontario Water Ski Association are undoubtedly
under great pressure these days, as is every organization and program
which is supported by government funding. Water Ski Canada has its
second chance in two years to lose all grant support, and by this time
next year the OWSA will have sustained yet another cut, likely bringing
the total reduction in funding to 40% compared to 1990. Yet Canadian
skiers are still among the best in the world, and we can be proud of
two team World Championships and two individual World Championships in
the last three world tournaments. The OWSA is continuing to develop and
deliver programs to water skiers to improve their safety, increase
their skill, and heighten their enjoyment of the sport. That's quite an
accomplishment after so many years of consecutive cuts.

Our volunteers are, it's true, overburdened and in many cases
overtired. But they keep coming back, year after year, because they
love water skiing. Many have invested not only time but thousands of
dollars in sites and events which are enjoyed by skiers from across
Ontario. And every now and then, new volunteers with new ideas and
energy come forward, like Nicole Maurer, profiled in this issue.

The number of competitors in Ontario is indeed declining, at least as
measured by the number of competitive memberships the OWSA had in 1995.
Yet there is an exciting increase in the number of competitors in the
youngest age categories: although there were only 43 nationally
licenced skiers under 13 years old, Ontario had 30% of them compared to
our 24% share of all WSC licences. And Ontario had 91 WSC-licenced
skiers in 1995, higher than at any time in the last 15 years. So if
Ontario has fewer competitors overall, at least the core is solid and
there are signs of growth.

Water skiing is about having fun. Most skiers understand this well:
their only regret is that they can't ski enough. For a little fresh
air, come out to a wakeboard/kneeboard event next summer- the relaxed,
cheer-each-other-on atmosphere is infectious. Even at traditional
tournaments, sometimes seen as over-regulated and deadly serious, you
will find lots more families and old friends than temper tantrums and
official protests. And at the cottages of Ontario, where water skiing
has its roots, water skiing is as it should be- an exciting challenge,
a diversion, healthy exercise, and people of all ages learning and
having fun together.

My job is meaningful to me because I help people have fun. The trouble
is, sometimes the people I work for- the water skiers of Ontario-
forget how much fun they're having, and how much enjoyment water skiing
has brought them. But water skiing is what you do to get away from what
you don't like to do- remember?