Seeking new header images

It’s been several years since any new images have been added to the website. If anyone has any they’d like to have highlighted, please email to webmaster. They must be at least 1200 pixels wide and should be croppable to the shape of the header images, three times as wide as tall, losing the top and bottom. It would be nice to get some of Timberlake and Avon Regionals and our new young stars.

In case you are not aware, although pictures are mostly randomly displayed, they can also be assigned to a page, so I will choose the best ones submitted for the header of each of the records pages that I just updated.

Please don’t overwhelm me. Send me your best.

 

The passing of Jerry Stansberry

Jerry Stansberry, a pioneer of competitive water skiing in Virginia, passed away on Saturday, September 10th. Many of us have much appreciation and gratitude for what Jerry accomplished. Roger Hammel provided the following summary regarding Jerry’s contributions toward our sport.Photo from Parsell Funeral Homes website

Virginia Competitive WaterSkiers:

If you are relatively new to VA waterskiing, you may not know Jerry. So this is both a tribute to Jerry and a bit of a history lesson as I remember or know it.

Jerry has been retired from the Virginia and Eastern Region skiing scene for about 5 years, maybe a couple more, electing to become an Emeritus Judge. Before that, Jerry was a very active Senior Judge in our area.

To get a sense of the importance of Jerry to Virginia and Eastern Region waterskiing, you need to go back into the late 50’s and play it forward from there. So lets talk about Jerry and competitive skiing in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and later so everyone gets a sense of who this lady was and her central roles in waterskiing as we know it. It is a wee small history lesson for VA competitive waterskiing, too, focused on Jerry.  Not everyone or every lake is mentioned, as this is a description of Jerry and her roles. You have my apologies for omissions. Continue reading

Paul Allebach 1940 – 2019

Paul Allebach passed away September 19 at his home in Harleysvile, PA, following an extended illness.  He is survived by his wife Sarah, sisters Alice Kolb and Esther Kauffman, brothers Jim and Abe, nieces Nancy Swartout and Kathy Becker, and many other nieces and nephews.

Paul was a member of AWSA for almost 60 years, participating in many local, regional and national tournaments as both a trick skier and a senior driver. He was a member of the Diamond State Water Ski Team, served as chief driver of Nationals and drove several Pan-Am tournaments.  Paul was a member of the AWSA board of directors and chairman of the towboat committee for a number of years.

He also enjoyed many snow skiing trips, visiting new resorts whenever possible.  He followed Philadelphia sports teams and NASCAR.

Read the full obituary at WilliamsBergeyKoffel.com.

Records Updated

Records have been updated. Anyone achieving a record between now and the end of year, please remember:

The skier is responsible to apply for a record in a timely manner. There is currently no paper form; submit your Eastern Region records via online form, or contact Chip Shand directly. It may take some time for the page to be updated after verification. Again, region records (not state), will be included on this site.

Check the appropriate page of records before the end of the calendar year to make sure your record is properly recorded. Year-end is deadline to be included in following year’s guidebook.

 

Directions to Avon, CT, Important Note

The Old Farms Skiers strongly advise that you follow the directions below to the site along the noted main roads. Although alternate routes may look appealing, parts of Old Farms Road are narrow and windy and there is a bridge closure from July 20 through August 5. The best directions are noted in BLUE on map at right. The site is 15 minutes from the highway.

From Interstate 84, take exit 39.

Head west on State Hwy 508.

In 0.8 mile, State Hwy 508 turns slightly right and becomes CT-4 West.

In 0.7 mile, turn right onto CT-10 North.

In 5.6 miles, use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto US-44 West.

In 0.7 mile, turn left onto Old Farms Road.

In 3/4 mile, turn left into The Pond driveway.

(If you reach Avon Self Storage, you have gone too far.)

Ed Brazil Passed Away

Ed accepts the Alan Rossi Award from Bruce Epstein in 2009.

Ed Brazil, a Lifetime Ambassador Member of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, passed away on Friday, April 26. Brazil, a native of Laconia, NH, was known throughout the water ski world for his work as a technical controller, his contributions to water ski site development, and innovation for all things water ski related.

Skip Klemm passed away

Skip was a longtime member of the Abenaki Water Ski Club of Wolfeboro and was a ski jumping fixture in their water ski shows for years. He participated in competitive water skiing over four decades, setting the Eastern Regional Jump record in 1992 and 1993. He was a multi-time Eastern US Regional Champion, placed second in the World Masters Games in 1985 in Toronto, and placed third at the US Nationals in 1983. Continue reading

Betsy Abelson Passed Away

Very sad news: Stuart Abelson’s wife Betsy died in a snowmobile accident Saturday. The family is requesting privacy. More information when available.

Elizabeth (Betsy) O’Leary AbelsonThe following obituary was located at the two links at the bottom of this post and is copied here (with slight modification simply to merge the two) because obituary pages are sometimes removed from their websites.

On February 9, 2019, Elizabeth (Betsy) O’Leary Abelson died tragically in a snowmobiling accident in Greenwood, Maine. She was 30 years old. Betsy was due to give birth in March to daughter Brooke Betsy Abelson, who also passed away in the accident. Continue reading