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| Re:PHS: Track & Field Schedule phsrunner 15-05-08 10:32 |
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| West Side water world |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 11 July 2008 | |
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Weekend race celebrates summer’s classic water sport on little-known waves  The figure of a single skier, silhouetted against a setting sun as the blue and white waters of the wake curled over and behind them, has long been a common summer sight. Even in an age of extreme sports and X-Games, water skiing remains the depiction of life on the lake. Though it has lost some of its luster to motorized water toys, local skier and tournament director David McCollough finds as much joy and success in the water as he did when he started water skiing years ago. “I still participate simply for the hobby of the sport,” he said. McCollough, a Ceres native, has skied on the glassy waters of California’s lakes for more than three decades, while competing in local and state tournaments along the way. In an age when loyalty and commitment to a sport seem rare qualities, his 30-plus years of treading the waters have been a labor of love. He now focuses his attention on the Grand American 1 & 2 Waterskiing Events, planned for today and Sunday at Patterson’s Lakeside Ranch. Forty-five competitors, ranging in age from 17 to 78, will compete in the American Water Skiing Association-sanctioned tournament. The weekend’s competition will transform the typically quiet lake just off Highway 33 into an energetic and spirited venue. “Most people don’t know that this oasis exists behind this row of trees,” McCollough said. “Even some of our competitors are surprised by the great setup that we have.” Lakeside Ranch, which opened in 2002, is a private facility owned by a collective of 14 members. “We all buy into a share of this lake, and we pay maintenance fees,” McCollough said. The lake sits on 14 acres of land and measures 400 feet wide and 2,200 feet long. Water reaches depths of not quite 6½ feet. “The athletes that ski out here are elite in their sport,” co-owner Richard Lea said. “Not just anyone can jump in and boat here. We have official drivers and judges that have been rated and tested. Everyone involved must be qualified in order to pull off an event like this.” Men and women from around the state will compete in the weekend’s water slalom events. “The driver will take you down to the course and set competitors at their predetermined speed,” McCollough said. “At that point, it becomes a tug-o’-war with the boat, and the boat is eventually going to win.” Athletes will be judged and rated based on their performances — and some may even qualify for regional and state tournaments. Still, the majority of the event’s competitors are simply looking to share a couple of fun, sun-filled days skiing, camping and barbecuing with friends and family. “This is a great get-together opportunity for contestants to come out and just enjoy their sport,” McCollough said. “(Water skiing) has always been a great family sport.” More on slalom In water skiing, the slalom is performed on a single ski by an athlete trying to negotiate around the outside of six buoys in a zigzag course without falling or missing a buoy in consecutive passes. An athlete receives a point for each buoy successfully rounded. The competitor who skis around the most buoys, scoring the most points, will win the event. Each athlete begins with a 75-foot slalom rope at the minimum boat speed for his or her age or gender division. Once an athlete has run enough passes to reach maximum boat speed for the division, the rope is shortened in pre-measured lengths until a buoy is missed or the athlete falls.
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