Once again, I feel privileged to be a part of something unique. Although I did not participate in the actual testing of skis, I felt I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge just listening from the driver’s seat. I did have the opportunity to ski on a couple of the skis once the testing was complete. I wish I had the time to ski them all. However, having the perspective I did, it continues to amaze me how much ski manufacturing has evolved to less of an art and more of a science. We had a tremendous selection of skis. I am grateful to John, Ward and each of the testers for making this a memorable event. I want to thank all of the manufacturers who showed confidence in our ability to run an unbiased test. These folks stepped out on the ledge and put their livelihoods in our hands. We viewed that responsibility with reverence. I want to thank Malibu Boats for supporting our efforts and their continued support of competitive waterskiing. A big thanks to the Cottonwood Water Ski members for hosting the event and to my family for putting their lives on hold for another “backyard” invasion.

I hope that this will continue to be an annual or bi-annual happening. The value to the buying public is immeasurable. And a blast to watch!

Joe Darwin