Florida State Water Ski Championships Takes Off at Okeeheelee Park

The Florida State Water Ski Championships will take place at Okeeheelee Park on July 12-13.   The event is sanctioned by the Florida Waterski Federation (FWF), which is affiliated with the American Water Ski Association and USA Water Ski.  Approximately 150 water ski athletes will travel from across Florida to contend for state titles in the traditional three-event water skiing competition (slalom, trick, and jump).  The event features both men and women divisions with a variety of age groups.   

Advancement to the Florida Water Ski State Championships is primarily earned through placement on the American Waterski Association rankings list. Athletes can also qualify by placing in FWF state tournaments or by placing in the top-five at the previous year’s states championship. 

Okeeheelee Park, a 900-acre county park in central Palm Beach County, is widely recognized for its dynamic waterskiing facility. Its waters have been a haven for both professional and amateur skiers for over twenty-five years. There are five freshwater ski lakes custom-designed for competition waterskiing, one of which is even lighted for night-time use. Four of the five lakes feature slalom courses, while one lake provides a jump ramp and is dedicated to jumping and wakeboarding. The lakes at Okeeheelee are a virtual breeding ground for competitive water skiers. Dozens of regional, national, and even world champions and record holders train or have trained at Okeeheelee on a permanent or intermittent basis.

The 2014 Florida State Water Ski Championship follows the USA Water Ski National Championship, which took place at Okeeheelee Park in August of ’12 and ’13.   Palm Beach County has also hosted five Southern Regional Water Ski Championships, the 1989 Water Ski World Championships, and hundreds of other amateur water ski tournaments over the past 25 years.