|
Tomorrow starts the new year, and what better way to ring it in than with a full schedule of tournament fun! As 2008 comes to a close the 2009 schedule has been set and ready to go. We witnessed one of the best years and most productive years in Midwest history last year and 2009 looks to be even better! The Midwest is going to be treated to 13 tournaments in the 2009 calendar year, AT 11 DIFFERENT SITES!!!! This is a record on both accounts and truly a big big step forward for the midwest. Thank you to all of the sites that are set for tournaments: Neosho (Lacrosse), Dream Lakes (2 Tournaments - Iowa State), Waterhawks (2 tournaments - Iowa), Pleasant Shores (Ball State), Lake Jepawhit (NEW! - UM-Flint), Lake Freddie (Missouri State), Tivoli Gardens (Michigan State), Lake Lottawatta (Cincinnati), Placid Waters (NEW! - Grand Valley State), Waters Edge Estates (Wisconsin Madison), P.I.T.S. (Illinois). We have seen tournaments at most of these sites before, but there are two sites that are new to collegiate water skiing, complete with two teams that are hosting their very first tournaments! UM-Flint is hosting a tournament at Lake Jepawhit in Gaines Township, MI on the opening weekend of the fall season. This is a nationally recognized site (as seen in Water Ski Magazine in “Sites to See”) and has been the host site for the past "Big Dawgs" tournaments. Other tournaments held here are the Michigan 3 event State, the Michigan Barefoot Championships & Mastercraft Pro Tour Michigan Stop of 2008. This will be the second fully lighted lake to host collegiate water skiing, and skiing on a lighted lake after dark is truly a one of a kind experience! This also permits an extra long practice session friday night, as practice can be run after dark as well. The Great Lakes Conference Championships are moving north this year as well, as Grand Valley State hosts their first tournament on a brand new site! They will host conference at Placid Waters in Allendale, MI about 25 minutes west of Grand Rapids. Placid Waters is a brand new water ski development that currently has 3 ski lakes, with 3 more being built. Two of the lakes have courses and the other has the jump. It will be possible to run 2 events at once and there is a peninsula between the lakes so there is great specatator seating. It sounds like it is set up along similar lines as Waters Edge, but includes a third lake. This should give plenty of opportunity to complete all of B-team with time to spare! This new development also boasts of being secluded with hills around the lakes to block the wind so the water is perfect in almost any weather condition, and the pro-tour is scheduled to be held here in the future. The full 2009 Schedule (spring and fall) is as follows:
April 18-19
Wisconsin Collegiate Open
Neosho Mill Pond
Neosho, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin LaCrosse April 25-26ISU Spring Tourney
Dream Lakes
Huxley, IA
Iowa State University May 2-3Iowa Hawkeye Hypothermia
Waterhawks Site
Evansdale, IA
University of Iowa September 12-13GREAT LAKES
Flint Festival
Lake Jepawhit
Gaines, Michigan
UM- Flint
AND
Ball State Fall Fling
Pleasant Shores
Van Wert, OH
Ball State GREAT PLAINES
Missouri State Fall Showdown
Lake Freddie
Hartville, MO
Missouri State University
AND
Hawkeye Skifest
Waterhawks Site
Evansdale, IA
University of Iowa September 19-20GREAT LAKES
Cincinnati Ski Classic
Lake Lottawatta
Hamilton, OH
University of Cincinnati
AND
Michigan State Ripfest
Tivoli Gardens
Gaines, MI
Michigan State University
GREAT PLAINES
ISU Cyclone Skifest
Dream Lake Estates
Huxley, IA
Iowa State University Conference, Sept. 26-27
GREAT LAKES
GLCC
Placid Waters
Allendale, Michigan
Grand Valley State University GREAT PLAINES
GPCC
Waters Edge
Wilmington, IL
Wisconsin Madison Regionals October 3-4
MCWSA Regionals
P.I.T.S.
Decatur, IL
University of Illinois |
