Aqua Jays take second place at state water ski tournament

Event: 2007 Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament

Dates: July 19-22.

Location: Lake Wazeecha, South Wood County Park, Wisconsin Rapids

Results: Mad City Ski Team of Madison won with 2,008 points; followed by the Rock Aqua Jays of Janesville, 1,983; Webfooters of Fremont, 1,762; Badgerland of Oconomowoc, 1,629; Aquanuts of Twin Lakes, 1,621; Hydroflites of Chetek, 1,456; Aqua Skiers of Lauderdale Lakes, 1,414; Ski Sprites of Eau Claire, 1,377; Waterbugs of Muskego, 1,355; Shermalot of Rome, 1,338; Waterboard Warriors of Green Bay, 1,294; Minneiska Ski Team of Whitewater, 1,233; Aqua Skiers of Wisconsin Rapids, 1,184.

The Rock Aqua Jays won these specialty awards: Dock and equipment personnel, pick-up boat crews, showmanship, plus the highest scoring individual club act.

In Swivel individual competition, Nikki Noonan placed fourth, Roni Cook placed 10th and Jackline Kumlien placed 11th.

In doubles, Matt Klay and Bryanna Barkely placed first, Jon Debelak and Kim Stoner placed third.

The jump team took second.

Tournament highlight: "All the girls (in swivel individual competition) stood up their runs, and Nikki Noonan was able to complete her 720-degree overhead spin," Dave Rezin, Rock Aqua Jays show director, said.

"We did real well on individual events on Thursday. All of our skiers stood up their runs and skied to their maximum potential."

Quote of the day: Regarding team competition, "We did not ski, drive or perform to our capabilities ...That cost us the state championship. Mad City left the door open for us, and we were unable to capitalize," Rezin said.

Next competition: Show Ski National Championships, Aug. 10-12, Shorewood Park, Loves Park, Ill.

Dock dudes learn the ropes

(Published Monday, June 18, 2007 12:38:09 PM CST)

By Shelly Birkelo
Gazette staff (listen to Shelly's interview on WCLO radio).

They didn't get roped into it.

They volunteered to be dock dudes.

They don't wear colorful costumes like the Rock Aqua Jays skiers, but they are an essential part of the team.

During rehearsals, semiweekly shows and tournaments, this behind-the-scenes group is responsible for 10 miles of rope and other ski equipment, said Gerry Luiting, club veteran.

"They're hustling quite a bit," he said.

Jared Wagner, 7, was proof of that Wednesday night.

Just as the skiers finished the first half of their show, he ran out of the staging area and onto the dock. Reaching down, he wrapped his short fingers around 30 pounds of river-soaked tow ropes and flung them over his shoulder. He trudged back up the concrete embankment in his bare feet before wrapping the ropes around the rope run to avoid knots.

Nearby, fellow dock dudes rushed to pick up helmets and water skis scattered along the Rock River shoreline and starting dock. They unloaded skis and ropes from the boats and carried them off to carts, pegs, buckets and barrels.

None seemed to mind that his clothes were sopping wet. They were too busy and breathlessness to notice.

With sweat dripped from bangs on their foreheads, they had 20 minutes to prepare for the second half of the show. There are no intermissions during tournaments, which occur three times a season-June through August.

The dock dudes will be hustling even more during Sunday's 2007 Mercury Marine Invitational Water Ski Show Tournament at their home site in Traxler Park.

They will prepare ropes for 13 acts, make sure every ski and rope is hooked up and confirm that boat drivers know the number of skiers.

"If they screw up, the act doesn't go on as it should. It's a lot of responsibility," said show director Dave Rezin.

Dock dudes explained the attraction of the job.

"I had a couple older friends who were dock dudes. I wanted to be just like them," said Aragorn Luiting, 12, of Edgerton.

The work allows him to "help everybody as a team," he said.

Chase DeBelak, 10, of Juneau became a dock dude to avoid boredom.

"This is something I could do to help out," he added.

Over the years, many of the dock dudes have become some of the Aqua Jays' most talented skiers, Gerry Luiting said.

"In addition to their commitment and dedication, they learn the show from a whole different perspective. That knowledge is something others never pay attention to," he added.

The dock dudes reap just as many benefits from their efforts as the team.

"They feel important and take their jobs very seriously,"" said Nichole Kumlien, mother of 7-year-old dock dude Mikey Kumlien, who followed in the footsteps of his big brother, Jamie.

Rounding out the dock and equipment crew are the barge dudes, who drive ropes and skiers to the opposite ends of the river on the show site. They are: Dane Wagner, 14, of Oregon and Dan Wallisch, 18; Josh Fox, 27, and Scott Christopherson, 32, all of Janesville.

The dock and equipment personnel for the Aqua Jays have won local, state and national awards since the 1970s even though they're competing against water ski show teams that use adults for the job, Rezin said.

They train hard and learn from their mistakes.

"Before I leave the main dock, I count the number of skis to make sure skiers have everything they need for their acts," Dane Wagner said. "I've messed up twice when skiers got pretty mad, but I've learned to deal with the pressure by remembering what went wrong so I won't make the same mistake again.''

Dan Wallisch keeps extras of everything he needs on his barge and relies on reinforcements available by radio.

"The compliments help, and if you do something wrong, you prevent it the next time," he said. "It takes a lot of communication and working together."

Home show season begins Memorial Day weekend!

After a long and cold winter, the Rock Aqua Jays are ready to heat up the summer fun with the 2007 show season opening this weekend at Traxler Park in downtown Janesville.

"The show is going to be different in many ways," says Dave Rezin, co-show director this season. "We are looking at changing the way we run our show and try to give our audience a different perspective."

The Aqua Jays plan to unveil their theme show on Memorial Day that will include new music, costumes and prop as well as a new act order and faster paced show, according to Rezin.

"Everyone from boat drivers to skiers are looking for ways to improve on a great tradition," says Rezin.

Indeed, it will be a busy summer for the Jays. In addition to twice weekly shows, they team also will host Ski Camp June 9-10 for other Wisconsin teams to hone their skills. The Jays will host the 2007 Mercury Invitational Water Ski Tournament on June 23-24. The event will feature several of last year's top national teams.

Rock River level in Afton, Wis.