Shortlines SPONSORS BACK ON BOARD Four of the OWSA's sponsors have confirmed their participation for 1996: Mercury Marine will sponsor the Pro Clinics and Ontario Water Ski Instructors Course, as well as a new safety brochure, the Slalom Challenge and other programs O'Brien will supporting the Skill Awards Program and Pro Clinics Summit Ford will provide the vehicle to tow the Pro Clinic rig, as it has for the past two years Slalom Buoys is providing a portable slalom course for the Pro Clinic series. OWSA STAFFER INJURED OWSA staffer slipped on ice in early February and suffered a badly broken leg. After three days in hospital, returned home to spend the next three months recuperating. Until she returns, the office will be short-staffed. Please bear with us. JEREMY KOVAK AIMS AT PRO TOUR Millgrove, Ontario's Jeremy Kovak, winner of the 1993 Wakeboard World Championships and the 1995 Canadian Masters wakeboard event, has bounced back from last year's ankle injury and is aiming at the Pro Tour. He's training to compete in all three tour events- slalom, jump and wakeboard, and according to coach Mike Ferraro, quoted in the March '96 issue of WaterSki, is jumping over 190 feet in training. Father Dave Kovak added a little more nformation in a recent conversation. "Jeremy loves to jump," says Dave, "but after last year he really can't afford another injury. So instead of going to the Moombas, doing 50 or 60 jumps and coming home injured, he stayed in Florida and trained for the Tour. He's jumping over 200 in training and slaloming into 39 off." This out of a guy whose strongest event is wakeboard...go Jeremy! US MASTERS Several Ontarians have been invited to compete in the prestigious US Masters in May: Judy Messer, Susi Graham and Jeremy Kovak. Other Canadian include Jeff Heer and Jaret Llewellyn. MATT RINI SKI SCHOOL Kingston's Matt Rini recently announced the opening of his new ski school, Performance Training Centre, just outside Orlando, Florida. The man-made site, formerly a sand pit, is an L-shaped lake with the longer arm about 2400' long by 500' wide. Matt is pulling clients with a '95 Malibu Response. Dave Kovak, who recently returned from building a new jump and installing the slalom course at the site, rates the lake as one of his favourites. "It just has an atmosphere," he says. "It's only a few miles outside Orlando, but you go down a laneway and when you come to the lake, all you can see is trees around you. The rushes and the way it's oriented keep the water calm even on windy days. It's really picturesque." Matt, who thanks Dave, Sandy and Bill Kovak for their help in preparing the site, says fellow Ontarians Doug and Drew Ross and Jeremy Kovak often ski the lake. WELCOME Welcome to Cole James McCormick, first child of Ontarios Susi Graham and Ricky McCormick. Cole was born Feb. 8 and weighed in at 9 lbs. 10 ozs. Cole has quite a pedigree. Mom, Susi, is a long-time Canadian team member and current co-holder of the World Slalom Record. Dad, Ricky, represented the USA on its national team for many years and was the creator of many of the tricks now used in competition. ONTARIO RECORDS - REVISIONS Boys 2 Slalom Jim Townsend 3= @ 13m/-32 95 National Capital Slalom Boys 2 Tricks Jim Townsend 4110 points 95 Bond Lake Season Final Girls 3 Slalom Sara Townsend 3 @ 14.25m/-28 95 National Capital Slalom Mens 1 Tricks Matt Rini 9500 points 95 Mulberry Mens 4 Tricks Harold Townsend 3010 points 95 Safari Invitational Mens 4 Jump Dave Clarke 31.7m/104 95 Nationals