AWSA Midwest

Summer is Here – Let’s Ski!

The buoys are in, the boats are prepped, and Midwest lakes are alive with spray.

Tournament season is ramping up, and June is packed with skiing opportunities,

camaraderie, and competition across the region. Whether you’re a seasoned skier or

cheering from the dock, there’s something for everyone this month.

THANK YOU – All-Region Judges & Scorers Clinic

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the first-anual All-Region Virtual Judges

& Scorers Clinic! We hope you enjoyed the session and found it helpful in sharpening

your skills, gaining new insights, and sharing a few laughs.

Your feedback is important and will help us improve the next clinic—so please don’t

hesitate to share your thoughts.

Special thanks to our top-tier presenters: Jill Smith, Jeff Surdej, and Dennis & Delaina Downes

Your time, knowledge, and humor helped make this event a success!

Action Needed: A few participants logged into the clinic without providing a name. If

that was you, please contact me so I can ensure you receive credit for your attendance.

Let’s keep building a stronger and smarter official base across the Midwest!

Upcoming Major Events

Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships – June 27-29

Skyview Lake – Harmony, North Carolina

Good luck to our Midwest Juniors who will be skiing in this prestigious event!

National Qualifying Season is Heating Up

Be sure to check out local tournaments and plan your path to the Midwest Regional

Championships and GOODE Nationals. This is the perfect time to submit scores,

support your club events, and encourage newcomers to get involved.

Senior Pan Am Championships – Team Selection Updates

Attention skiers 35 and older! The AWSA Senior Pan Am Team & Independent Skier

Notification is now available on the AWSA website. Intent is due by June 15th . The

2025 Senior Pan Am Championships will be held October 1-5 at Pickos Ski School

in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. If you qualify, this is a fantastic chance to represent Team

USA and the Midwest on the international stage.

Volunteer Spotlight

We can’t run events without our dedicated volunteers. From boat drivers to dock starters

to the ever-vigilant scorers behind the curtain—thank you! If you'd like to get involved,

contact your state council rep or local tournament director. Every hand counts!

See You on the Water!

From grassroots to the podium, let’s continue building momentum for a fantastic 2025

season. As always, reach out with your ideas, questions, and stories. Keep skiing, stay

safe, and enjoy every pass!

Ski you later,

Darren Janzig

EVP, Midwest Region – AWSA

midwestevp@gmail.com

Check out https://www.usawaterski.org/rankings/view-tournaments_usa.asp?sl=on&tr=on&ju=on to see all of the upcoming tournaments!

The Liquid Edge Midwest Regional Championships will be held at Mystic Lakes in Maize Kansas. Tournament dates are July 25,26 & 27 with practice available most of the day on Thursday July 24.

There will be food trucks available on site for breakfast and lunch.

Unfortunately, we were unable to get our standard “Host” hotels for the event this year as they were already heavily booked for a baseball tournament. They do have a few rooms left so please contact them ASAP if you are interested in staying there. There are many other nice hotels in the area at reasonable rates.

Hampton Inn: (888) 790-4560. Located at 10047 West 29th street, Wichita, Kansas

Holiday Inn Express: (888) 410-9949. Located at 10750 Hampton Lakes, Maize, Kansas

RV parking will be available on site both with power and without. A sign up link will be posted on the Midwest website in June.

Practice will be available on Thursday following towboat set up. A sign up link will be posted on the Midwest website in June.

The Awards banquet/Midwest meeting will be held Saturday evening at Venue 3130 located approximately 10 miles from the site. Dinner will be provided for skiers and officials. Additional tickets can be purchased when entering the tournament.

There will be sign ups available on the website in June for “Volunteer Officials”, “Dock Starters” and “Trick camera operators”. Please sign up if you are interested in helping out.

Congratulations and thank you to these officials helping with regionals and nationals this year!

Regionals Appointed Judges

• Grant Schipper
• Mike Testa
• Amy Weber
• Kate Knafla
• Seth Anderson
• Katie Brittain
• Eric Hatch

Regionals Chief and Assistant Chief Scorers

• Aaron Sanders
• Mike O'Connor

Nationals

• Judges
• Mike Testa
• Peter Dahl
• Dennis Downes
• Delaina Downes
• Scoring
• Kate Knafla
• Amy Weber

Minimum age for judges and scorers:

There have been some questions regarding minimum age of officials. The officials’ advancement grid posted online has yet to be updated but the minimum age for officials has been eliminated with the exception of appointed and chief officials who must be 18+.

While all of the nuances of the officials' advancements are established, any minors wishing to advance to a senior rating can follow the following steps to continue to move forward:

1. Ensure you have all requirements met for advancement to senior except for the chief requirements.

2. Submit a request to advance to a senior rating by waiving the chief requirements. Specify that you are unable to meet the chiefing requirements due to the age restriction.

3. Include a resume highlighting mentorship or training you have taken upon yourself that can serve as a substitute for the chief experience.

4. Submit this to the regional officials committee by emailing Maggie (below).

5. This should be sent from the skier themselves, not a representative. However, since the skier is a minor, please feel free to CC a parent/guardian/etc.

We want to hear from YOU! Got thoughts, ideas, or feedback on any of this? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Maggie Cramer at tierneym2@gmail.com.

New or Upgraded Officials

To view a summary of the rule changes for 2025 please click HERE.

Loren Adamczyk is a force to be reckoned with on the water! A dedicated competitor and 2025 U.S. Junior National Team member, she’s been making waves—literally—with record-breaking jumps and impressive podium finishes at national and regional events. From smashing the Missouri state record with a 110-foot jump to earning multiple “Most Improved” titles, Loren’s drive and talent are undeniable. But she’s not just about water skiing—she dominates on land, too, as a varsity athlete in tennis, lacrosse (team captain!), and soccer. With a heart for giving back, she also volunteers for adaptive sports and community programs. Whether she’s flying through the air on her jump skis or leading her team on the field, Loren is all about pushing limits and having fun while doing it!

Quick Stats

Age: 17

Hometown:

Slalom PB: 80 Buoys

Trick PB: 2780 Points

Jump PB: 113 Feet

George Bulfer, a 15-year-old from Northfield, Minnesota, is a true all-around athlete who's just as fierce on the water as he is on land. A decorated skier with multiple regional and national titles in slalom, trick, and jump, George is known for his focus, drive, and big energy. When he’s not carving up the course behind a Nautique 200, you can find him playing football, running cross country, alpine skiing, trap shooting, mountain biking, and crushing it in the classroom on the A-Honor Roll. Whether it's water, trails, or turf, George always brings his A-game—and a big smile!

Quick Stats

Age: 15

Hometown: Northfield, MN

Slalom PB: 1 @ 35 off 36mph

Trick PB: 6070 Points

Jump PB: 112 Feet

Don’t blink—13-year-old Bode Bulfer is moving fast! Hailing from Northfield, Minnesota, Bode has already racked up an impressive collection of regional and national titles in water skiing, with record-breaking performances in trick, slalom, and jump and already getting his open rating in trick! Away from the water, he’s just as adventurous, hitting the trails on his mountain bike, racing in track and field, and carving up the slopes on his skis. A proud A-Honor Roll student with a competitive spirit and a love for the outdoors, Bode is always chasing his next big goal—and having a blast along the way!

Quick Stats

Age: 13

Hometown: Northfield, MN

Slalom PB: 2 @ 38 off 34mph

Trick PB: 6570 Points

Jump PB: 118 Feet

The team will be selected at the Midwest Regionals and announced at the banquet. Applications (available on site) must be submitted to the Junior Development Tent at Regionals by noon on Saturday to be eligible. The elite team of twenty skiers is selected from the division of Girls/Boys 3 through Girls/Boys 5. It is based on a performance ratio from a yearly ranking and Midwest Regional performance. Future team members will complete an application form at the regional tournament. Selected team members must sell raffle tickets and provide a basket for the regional auction, which covers a portion of the cost camp. If you have any questions about the Elite Team, don't hesitate to contact Shane Bucher.

Junior Pan American Games - Aug. 18-21 - Asuncion, Paraguay

AWSA Senior Pan Am Team & Independent Skier Q&P Notification (35+) – Available on the AWSA website.

2025 Senior Pan Am Championships – October 1-5 at Pickos Ski School in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

The first-ever Collegiate Alumni National Waterski Championships is set for August 28-30, 2026, at Bennett’s Ski School in Zachary, Louisiana—a legendary host of NCWSA events.

It’s time to reunite alumni from across the country for an epic showdown of waterski skills, nostalgia, and school pride. Whether you're chasing the alumni title, reconnecting with old friends, or daring to hit the ramp for the first time in decades, this event is for you!

The competition format is still in the works—team sizes, independent entries, and qualifications are all up for discussion. We need your input! Help shape this historic event by filling out our survey.

Fill out the survey here!

Any questions reach out to Jeff Surdej or Christy Kingsmill

Please see the below link for applying to the 2025 Midwest Collegiate Scholarship! Due July 1st!

https://forms.gle/CfYdyL3ovsxBhybH6

We’re thrilled to welcome Amy as the newly appointed Secretary for the Midwest Board of Directors! A senior scorer, regular judge, and multi-time national official representative, Amy brings a wealth of experience and energy to the team. Together with her husband, daughter, and son—all accomplished collegiate and three-event skiers—she’s hosted countless tournaments at their lake in Nebraska. Known for her exceptional organizational skills and fresh ideas, Amy consistently finds creative ways to make junior, collegiate, and AWSA events more inclusive and fun. Often the behind-the-scenes force keeping things running smoothly, we’re excited to have her step into a more front-and-center role. Welcome, Amy!

Get ready, Midwest — Molly Voska is joining the team, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! 🎉 Molly has already made huge waves in the world of collegiate water skiing, serving as both the NCWSA Marketing Chair and NCWSA Secretary, where she crushed it with her hard work and bright spirit. She skied for Western Michigan University and has been an incredible behind-the-scenes force, helping MCWSA with marketing and all things water ski more times than we can count! Molly will be joining our team to help with social media, create fresh newsletter content, and help manage the website. We’re so excited for everything she’ll bring to the table. Everyone, please give a big warm welcome to Molly!

Please email Christy Kingsmill to become a part of the newsletter or if you are interested in writing for the newsletter! It is a great thing to put on a resume or an easy way to help out without a huge time commitment!