Central Region Tournament
July 2000

Dry Land Competition Keeps Water Skiers "Sharp" Through the Winter

Whitmore Lake, MI - Whitmore Lake Water Ski Club members, Megan Atkins and Mike Ball won the Mastercraft World Indoor Doubles Championship in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin last week. They performed a 5-minute dry land "Adagio Doubles" routine, which is similar in style to pairs figure skating.

In Adagio Doubles water skiing, the man skis with a strap around his waist attached to a tow rope, freeing his hands to perform complex lifts with his partner. In a dry land competition, the couples perform on a stage, with judges closely evaluating the lifts for technique and flow.

"In a lot of ways, a dry land competition is more difficult than on the water," said Ball. "First of all, you have to work a lot harder to protect your partner, and it takes a lot more courage and trust from her. The stage is a lot less forgiving of falls than the water. Also, you can't hide a thing from the judges."

Atkins and Ball packed more than thirty tricks into an energetic and tightly choreographed interpretation of the 1960's song, Mississippi Queen. "Going in, I really wasn't completely sure we could pull off a routine that aggressive," said Ball. "We went into the first lift 9 seconds into the music and pretty much kept Megan in the air until the music stopped. When it came down to it though, I was so pumped up and she was so strong that I barely knew she was up there."

Betty Bonifay, the legendary Show Skiing innovator and one of the couple's primary coaches, was pleased with the victory. "Megan's lines were amazing. She hit every move, and her smile lit up the room. Mike's got poise and a lot of experience, but you'd think Megan had been doing Doubles her whole life."

Ball, 49, has been a national-level Adagio competitor since 1996. His past accomplishments include the 1997 Florida State Adagio Championship, 3 trips to Show Ski Nationals, and Michigan Indoor titles in 1998 and 2000.

Atkins has only been in the sport competitively since July of 1999 when she teamed up with Ball to place second in the Michigan State Show Ski Tournament - her first Adagio competition. She and Ball became full-time partners and placed third at the Indoor World Championship in 2000, won the Michigan Indoor tournament, then qualified for and performed at the 2000 Show Ski Nationals.

Atkins and Ball ski star Adagio with the Whitmore Lake Water Ski Club during the summer, where they can be seen in the ski show every Thursday night in July and August. The pair also teach Adagio lifts by appointment and are available for exhibitions.

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