Duane Snow, left, and J.R. Wilson go over plans for the 50th National Water Ski Show Tournament, set for Aug. 8-10 at Traxler Park in Janesville. Snow and Wilson founded the national tournament first held in Janesville in 1975.
The Rock Aqua Jays compete in the National Water Ski Show Tournament in Janesville in 2015, taking second place that year. The national tournament, first hosted at Traxler Park in Janesville in 1975, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in August.
JANESVILLE Its not every morning that someone wakes up and decides to form a world-class organization.
But thats what happened in 1974 when Duane Snow had a vision for the Rock Aqua Jays water ski team.
Duane Snow, left, and J.R. Wilson go over plans for the 50th National Water Ski Show Tournament, set for Aug. 8-10 at Traxler Park in Janesville. Snow and Wilson founded the national tournament first held in Janesville in 1975.
STAN MILAM/CAPITOL NEWS SERVICE
At the time, most water ski tournaments were individual, three event affairs, Snow said. However, show ski events were popular in the Midwest area thanks to organizations such as the Tommy Bartlett shows in Wisconsin Dells.
In 1974, Snow teamed up with J.R. Wilson to pursue establishing a national show event.
We started traveling around the state to get reaction to the idea, Snow said. Then we went to regional headquarters in Chicago and convinced them that a national show event would fly.
Snow credits Wilson with eventually establishing the national show tournament.
The Rock Aqua Jays compete in the National Water Ski Show Tournament in Janesville in 2015, taking second place that year. The national tournament, first hosted at Traxler Park in Janesville in 1975, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in August.
69蹤獲 file photo
J.R. was a member of the Wisconsin association and had a lot of contacts around the country, Snow said. We would not have succeeded without his involvement.
With regional approval, the pair went to Winter Haven, Florida seeking approval from what is now the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Association.
Their efforts paid off when Snow and Wilson put together the first National Water Ski Show Tournament in 1975 in Janesville. The tournament was hosted by the Rock Aqua Jays the first four years.
Since the beginning the tournament has been held in Janesville 20 times with the Rock Aqua Jays winning the tournament 23 times.
This year, the 50th annual National Water Ski Show Tournament will be hosted again by the Aqua Jays.
Its at Traxler Park, 600 N. Main St. in Janesville, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 8-10. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, including a beer tent. Admission is free. The Rock Aqua Jays ski team requests a donation for those parking a vehicle
The Rock Aqua Jays and the Traxler Park venue are not only nationally recognized, but are known and respected around the world.
Every two years a world tournament is held. Janesville hosted the first two world tournaments in 2016 and 2018, Snow said.
The Rock Aqua Jays, Traxler Park and Janesville are known by national teams around the globe, Snow said. For example, we have been invited by China to join their national team nine times, and we have accepted that invitation every time.
While fans enjoy the shows, Snow and Wilson join other team members in the endless list of details that must be addressed to provide a successful show.
We are grateful to Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac for the three 300 horsepower motors on each of our two boats, but those motors are equipped with special props with the best pitch to ensure maximum torque needed to tow a 40-person pyramid, Snow said.
The teams boats are manufactured by D&S Marine in Roscoe, Ill. The boats, called Legacy, have become the standard in the industry.
Our core business is repair and restoration, but we got into the ski boat business to help out when things got slower in the winter, said D&S co-owner Jeff Shuga. The ski boat business, primarily the Legacy, has grown and we now see them on teams around the country.
Shuga gave a special thanks to the Janesville Rock Aqua Jays for introducing the Legacy.
The Rock Aqua Jays arranged for free demonstrations when other teams were considering our boat, Shuga said. We are grateful for their early support.
The Rock Aqua Jays of Janesville has been responsible for significant infusions of revenue to its community. For example, at the first world tournament, hosted by Janesville in 2016, visitors and team members spent $4 million in Janesville.
Snow said Christine Rebout, the executive director of the Janesville Convention and Visitors Bureau, can be credited with bringing the world tournaments to Janesville. This national tournament is expected to pump more than $500,000 into the Janesville economy.
Its only fitting that the Rock Aqua Jays should host the 50th anniversary of the national show, Rebout said. They are well known and respected for putting on a spectacular event.
Its a pleasure to be able to work with this great organization, she said. Its not just work when joining the Rock Aqua Jays to bring these events to Janesville.
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