Summary of 2006 Eastern Region Winter Meeting and AWSA BOD Meeting

While the minutes from the Eastern Region Winter Meeting will be posted and distributed at a later date, I thought I would offer this brief summary of activity at the Winter Meeting.

2006 Regional Officials Announced

The following officials were selected and appointed by Eastern Region Council for the 2006 Eastern Regionals at Lake Holly in Sparta, VA.

Chief Judge:	John Harris (VA)
Asst. Chief Judge:	Bill Baker (PA)
Appointed Judges:	Jean Giove (MD), Dave Robbins (ME), Gary Noll (PA), Steve Lohr (VA), Roger Hammel (VA), Jerry Stansberry (VA), Sara Roach (VA)
Chief Scorer:	Mark Dingeman (VT)
Assistant Chief Scorer:	Ron Ramsey (VA)
Appointed Scorers:	Ann Lohr (VA), Jennifer Frederick-Kelly (NY)
Chief Driver:	Jon Thacher (VA)
Assistant Chief Driver:	Rusty Coffin (DE)
Appointed Drivers:	Ralph Hall (VA), Marie Fields (VA), Al Stokes (MA)
Safety Director:	Kathy Roach (VA)
Appointed Safety:	Pat Byrne (VA), Dave Allen (MA)
Technical Controller:	Chip Shand (VA)
Tournament Director:	Ralph Hall (VA)

2007 Eastern Regional Bid

The 2007 Eastern Regional bid was reviewed by council and awarded to Twin Lakes Waterski Park in Monroe, New York. Twin Lakes was the site of the 1997 and 1999 Eastern Regionals, as well as numerous other class C, and record capability tournaments including pro events.

AWSA Board of Directors Meeting 1/28/06

A few items to report from the AWSA Board meeting…

Competition Task Force Recommendation

The AWSA Board of Directors nearly unanimously supported the Competition Task Force recommendation to prepare a plan to replace the current EP rating qualification system with rankings list qualification for Nationals in 2008. The plan will be created and presented at the 2006 Summer AWSA BOD meeting in Bakersfield in August.

The current ratings qualification system was identified as a deterrent to competition on the local level. The CTF recommended eliminating it, replacing it with rankings list for Nationals qualification in an effort to cultivate competition on local levels.

The rolling ranking list that is available on www.usawaterski.org is updated weekly. It will be used to determine National qualifiers in the future.

The plan calls for the exact same percentages to be applied to ranking list qualification as currently are applied to the EP ratings. In other words, ultimately EP level skier’s rankings will qualify them automatically as they do now. In other words they will not be affected by the change.

Skiers who attain one rating performance and rely on regional placement to qualify for Nationals, will also be unaffected to some degree. The plan calls for a cut off date in late July. The cut off date will “freeze” the rankings list for Nationals. The top 35% will qualify in each division and event. This is the same percentage criteria that EP ratings are established bi-annually now. The cut off date allows at least 3 weeks for travel arrangements for those who qualify.

The cut off date also establishes a ‘cut off score.’ So “bubble” skiers who are close to qualification, can attain a specific performance that meets or exceeds the cut off score at the Regionals or any other tournament to qualify for Nationals.

The current Regional placement qualifiers remain unaffected as well. The tope five in each event will automatically qualify for Nationals if they have not done so via national ranking previously.

Ultimately the CTF plan addresses the concerns expressed to any change from the EP qualification system, additionally it offers expanded qualification opportunity.

• EP level skiers remain unaffected by the change due to the percentages mirroring the current EP rating percentages.
• Adequate time for making affordable travel arrangements is addressed.
• “Bubble” skiers remain unaffected as well from a rankings standpoint. However, they are afforded greater opportunity for last minute qualification by achieving a score that meets or exceeds the ‘cut off score’ in their division / event.
• Regional placement offers expanded qualification opportunity as well under the proposed plan.

In the final analysis, this proposed plan benefits the Eastern Region.

AWSA Rules Committee proposal to adopt IWSF gate rule interpretation

The AWSA Rules Committee proposal to conform rules applicable to slalom entry gates to IWSF interpretation was nearly unanimously not approved.

Proposal to change USA Water Ski to USA Water Sports

The AWSA BOD nearly unanimously voted to direct our USAWS BOD representatives to not support the change in name. No compelling reason necessitating a name change was cited, referenced, or offered, and the basis for the lack of support. At the USAWS BOD meeting the name change issue was tabled indefinitely according to meeting minutes.

Any feedback on these or other topics, can be forwarded to myself or any of our region’s National Directors.

Doug Robbins
EVP – Pennsylvania

Steve Lohr
National Director – Virginia

Roger Hammel
National Director – Virginia

Pat Byrne
National Director – Connecticut