New for '96: The Slalom Challenge

The Slalom Challenge is the OWSA's major new initiative for 1996,
joining the highly successful and continuing Pro Clinic travelling ski
school (1994) and Wakeboard/Kneeboard Series (1995). Announced in the
Winter '95 issue, Slalom Challenge is continuing to take shape as an
exciting new opportunity for Ontario water skiers.

In brief, Slalom Challenge is a participation series for
non-competitive slalom skiers. Participants can go to their nearest
OWSA club or ski school and run the slalom course; their highest score
of the season will be recognized by the OWSA, which will publish a
results list and issue a rating card. Participants in the program will
also be eligible to enter the Slalom Challenge Championship, a
novice/recreational level tournament which will be held August 24,
1996. The championship will feature a BBQ and presentation of slalom
skis donated by program sponsors.

Why the Slalom Challenge? Many reasons, says OWSA Executive Director
Paul Jurbala. We know there are many avid slalom skiers out there who
don't have the time, or inclination, to take competitive memberships
and enter our sanctioned tournaments - but they would still like to
know how they stack up, and would get a kick out of seeing their name
in print in the magazine, says Jurbala. Then, there are the skiers who
would like to try slalom, or improve their skills, who we hope to reach
through Slalom Challenge publicity. If it all goes well, we'll
introduce a lot of skiers to organized skiing and help them get some
coaching, and we'll draw some skiers who once competed and left back to
the OWSA and it's activities.

Novice slalom programs are by no means new. Ontario once had a
flourishing novice tournament circuit, which fell on hard times when
the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources introduced regulations which
lead to the elimination of slalom courses from many lakes. Alberta runs
a popular series of recreational events, while in the United States, a
company called International Novice Waterski Tour, based in Redmond,
Washington, markets pre-packaged novice tournament kits. The AWSA has
introduced a new F (fun) class tournament sanction to accommodate this
type of event, and F-class sanctions have increased from 24 in 1994 to
107 in 1995. We could have tried this as a novice tournament series,
says Jurbala, but a series of tournaments is relatively hard to
organize. This way you can participate in Slalom Challenge virtually
any time, and still ski the the big tournament in August.

Slalom Challenge divisions will be based on skill level, not age. New
slalomers can start on the half-course, progressing to the full course
without entrance and exit gates, then to the whole course. After that,
the skier will be ranked on their best runs, with self-selected boat
speed. According to Jurbala, At the tournament, we'll likely award the
ski prizes by draw, not by result. We'll recognize the tournament
winners in a much smaller way. We want there to be a fun atmosphere,
and a tournament atmosphere, but we don't want top skiers coming in to
scoop the big prizes and we don't want lots of protests. We'll be out
to give skiers a sense of achievement and draw them into more advanced
competitions, not to scare them away.

Skiers can register for the Slalom Challenge at participating OWSA
clubs and schools- Rini's, Bush's and McClintock's schools have signed
on, as have the Bond Lake and Safari Lake clubs. The annual
registration fee is tentatively set as $10 plus OWSA membership, on top
of which is the club/school fee for ski  runs.

The 1996 program still faces challenges: more sponsors could be brought
on board, and a want-ad in the Winter Ontario Water Skier for a
volunteer coordinator for the program went unheeded. Still, Jurbala
sees lots of potential to expand the program in the future. Summer
camps can run their own Slalom Challenge, possibly with a multi-camp
tournament finale.  The program could go national, with a Canadian
recreational slalom rankings list. And, of course, the program has a
built in talent identification function, where new Slalom Challenge
stars can be spotted and invited to take part in competition clinics.

Dust off that slalom ski!