77th GOODE Water Ski National Championships Begin Tomorrow in Palm Beach

Nearly 700 water ski athletes from across the United States will descend upon the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches and Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday through Saturday, for the 77th GOODE Water Ski National Championships. Action begins at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) each day.

The nation’s top water ski athletes will compete for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall in respective age divisions and two Open divisions. Advancement to the world’s largest three-event water ski tournament is primarily earned through placement on the national rankings list. Athletes also can qualify by placing in the top-five in the previous year’s event or at respective 2019 regional championships.

Held in conjunction with the Nationals will be the 2019 America’s Cup Invitational and the 2019 Nautique Big Dawg World Slalom Tour Finals. Admission to all of these events is free of charge to spectators.

The second annual America's Cup Invitational will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Okeeheelee Park's North/South Lake. Athletes will compete for cash prizes in men’s and women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall. The highlight of the evening will be the jumping event, which will be held under the lights and will feature athletes soaring over 200 feet in the air. Food trucks also will be on site for spectators.

The 2019 Nautique Big Dawg World Slalom Tour Finals will take place on Friday, Aug. 9 at approximately 5:30 p.m. The world’s top slalom skiers – age 35+ – will battle it out in two qualifying rounds on Thursday, Aug. 8, followed by a 16-skier bracketed finale on Friday, Aug. 9. Food Trucks also will be on site for spectators.

Daily scorebooks, schedules, press releases and additional information on the Nationals can be found at www.waterskinationals.com.

The first national championships was held in 1939 at Jones Beach in Long Island, N.Y. Except for three years during World War II (1942-1944), the Nationals has been held every year since 1939.

GOODE Skis, a National level sponsor of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, has been the title sponsor since 2000.

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States.