USA WS issues statement

[martho]

USA-WS Issues Statement Regarding Wisconsin Event

USA Water Ski is aware of the incident at last weekend’s event in Wisconsin and, per American Water Ski Association (AWSA) rules and AWSA and USA Water Ski bylaws, proper steps will be taken to investigate the situation. USA Water Ski has zero tolerance regarding acts of impropriety or unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of any of its members. It is of paramount importance that ALL information be collected and that we have a full understanding of the severity of this incident - looking not only at this tournament, but all tournaments held at this site - and that we understand who all are involved.

[martho]

Here is www.schnitzskis.com statement

The controversy here at the Malibu Open in Dousman – Oconomowoc Wisconsin this weekend is the beginning and ending of a story that began years ago.  The ending is that of a house of smoke and mirrors that began with a tie of a national record and ended yesterday.  The beginning is of a new era of understanding, a new era of restrictions, a new era of forgiveness and finally, a thank you.  The ending of the smoke and mirrors is the magical, multi-dimensional slalom course that is now in question along with the formerly approved National Records which have been set on it time and time again.  These new beginnings allow us to move forward.  To free our minds and body’s from the effects of the smoke, from the effects of the mirrors.  These new beginnings cannot help but bring us more and more suffocating rules and restrictions regarding slalom course certification.  These new beginnings challenge us to open our hearts to a man who so wanted to join the water-skiing elite that he sacrificed everything towards that goal.  A man who became caught up in something other than the truth and was carried away by the ever growing, self perpetuating snowball that followed and finally a thank you.  A thank you for pushing us all to be more, to be better skiers, to work harder towards our goals.  Thank you for pushing us harder and further then we had gone before.  Thank you for opening our eyes to finding other ways of accomplishing our goals.  Thank you for teaching us about internal and external strength.  Thank you for helping us become more than we ever thought possible.  Thank you for helping to expand our minds and our understanding of this sport that rips the flesh from our bones yet we chase it with an unparalleled passion.    And thank you for having the courage to step forward in this time of great discontent with the truth. 

[skisix@38]

Schnitz was probably the guy who in charge of moving the bouys, and gave the "moving course design" to the Dr..

He is the one with the loudest voice where the Dr. is concerned.

[mlange]

Huh? I think I need an interpreter to understand what Schnitz is trying to say.

[WakeGirl]

Huh?  I think I need an interpreter to understand what Schnitz is trying to say.

Totally agree. Do people really talk like that?

[mbwagoner]

uh... what happened? I missed something.

[Sunsetter95]

Huh?  I think I need an interpreter to understand what Schnitz is trying to say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Totally agree. Do people really talk like that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They only talk that way when they want to say something and be heard without giving any relevent information out

[LakeOneSkier]

I think he was pretty clear...

"...Thank you for opening our eyes to finding other ways of accomplishing our goals."

Edited June 28, 2005 by Clay

[reggie]

I am with you.....I really don't understand who he is Thanking????

Confused....

Reggie

[doughickey]

As Whoopee Goldburg said in Jumpin' Jack Flash: "Speak English Mick!"

If Schinitz is serious, what a load of BS. Thanks for finding creative ways to cheat so that we can guard against cheaters??? Hugh?

If he's trying to use sarcasm.... this is not the time to speak double-talk.

When people have the podium.... people we look to for leadership, I expect total clarity and honesty.

[JohnDoe]

I don't know much about Schnitz, but I can tell a lot about simply by his failure to speak out and criticize anyone who would consider cheating to gain an edge. After re-reading his statement, it sure seems that he has a tone that is critical of people complaining of this ridiculous incident. He's complaining about new rules? WTH? If thats what it takes to keep people from cheating Steve, then there needs to be new RULES. Thats what they're there for! They're not there to be nice simple guideposts, they're the freakin' rules, and if people won't abide by them then they have no business in the sport.

Edited June 28, 2005 by wakebrdgod

[CarveItUp]

"And thank you for having the courage to step forward in this time of great discontent with the truth. "

I don't remember anyone stepping forward with the truth. Did I miss something? Silence from Dr. Michaels, silence from his supporters, silence from AWSA (except for the non-announcement announcement), and silence from WWSP.

It's got to be difficult for Mr. Schnitz to be in this position after all of the support he's given to Dr. Michaels. It looks like he's trying to make sense of how this could come to be and that he is still a strong believer in Dr. Michaels as a person. Not knowing either of them, I have to admire Mr. Schnitz's loyalty to Dr. Michaels. The easy way out would be to abandon Dr. Michaels. He is fortunate to have such a good friend.

Still, if the current thinking turns out to be true, it's sad that the farce was able to be perpetuated to this level. Hopefully we can avoid a repeat in the future!

[WakeGirl]

"And thank you for having the courage to step forward in this time of great discontent with the truth. "

I don't remember anyone stepping forward with the truth. Did I miss something? Silence from Dr. Michaels, silence from his supporters, silence from AWSA (except for the non-announcement announcement), and silence from WWSP.

It's got to be difficult for Mr. Schnitz to be in this position after all of the support he's given to Dr. Michaels. It looks like he's trying to make sense of how this could come to be and that he is still a strong believer in Dr. Michaels as a person. Not knowing either of them, I have to admire Mr. Schnitz's loyalty to Dr. Michaels. The easy way out would be to abandon Dr. Michaels. He is fortunate to have such a good friend.

Still, if the current thinking turns out to be true, it's sad that the farce was able to be perpetuated to this level. Hopefully we can avoid a repeat in the future!

Well said Mike. If it's true (let's face it, it would take a really incredible explanation at this point for it to turn out to be false), Schnitz has got egg on his face for sure. As for the "truth" comment, I read somewhere that Dr. JM admitted to having a system that would move the buoys, so I have to assume that he's referring to that admission. Now whether he admitted to using it during his run....I don't know.

[Chauncemaster]

Man I love a good scandal. Its a shame that slalom is such a niche sport or the mainstream media would be all over this. Imagine a team in the NBA was found to be using bigger baskets.

As backwards as it sounds, this scandal will probably do more to help the sport than hurt it. Many people who used to be only casually interested in competitve waterskiing are interested to find out what is going on now and it will very likely help the sport to grow.

And before I go, just to incite some arguments, I am going to point out that nobody has ever been caught cheating in order to win a wakeboard tourney

[WakeGirl]

And before I go, just to incite some arguments, I am going to point out that nobody has ever been caught cheating in order to win a wakeboard tourney 

That's so funny, I've been thinking about this. How would it happen? It would have to be a payoff of the judges, or maybe of the driver to not drive as well for the other riders (drive a bad double up, or something like that).

Totally agree that it will actually help grow the sport. As Mike said in another thread, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[reggie]

At Dr. J's lake he holds and annual wakeboard tourney.....some of his family members compete and have won the tourney over the years....they have now found a ramp foil being dragged behind the boat which further enhances the wake for his child.....that's how they get higher then the other competitors.....I can't believe the wakeboard world has yet to hear about this.....won't be long!!!

Reggie

[doughickey]

"And thank you for having the courage to step forward in this time of great discontent with the truth. "

I don't remember anyone stepping forward with the truth. Did I miss something? Silence from Dr. Michaels, silence from his supporters, silence from AWSA (except for the non-announcement announcement), and silence from WWSP.

It's got to be difficult for Mr. Schnitz to be in this position after all of the support he's given to Dr. Michaels. It looks like he's trying to make sense of how this could come to be and that he is still a strong believer in Dr. Michaels as a person. Not knowing either of them, I have to admire Mr. Schnitz's loyalty to Dr. Michaels. The easy way out would be to abandon Dr. Michaels. He is fortunate to have such a good friend.

Still, if the current thinking turns out to be true, it's sad that the farce was able to be perpetuated to this level. Hopefully we can avoid a repeat in the future!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said Mike. If it's true (let's face it, it would take a really incredible explanation at this point for it to turn out to be false), Schnitz has got egg on his face for sure. As for the "truth" comment, I read somewhere that Dr. JM admitted to having a system that would move the buoys, so I have to assume that he's referring to that admission. Now whether he admitted to using it during his run....I don't know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If all this is true..... is Schinitz really being loyal to Dr. Jim, or is he just retroactively defending his own support of the good Dr. Mini? In other words, he's just defending his own prior judgement. I don't know if I buy the "deep loyalty" thing. Cozy thought.... but I don't know.

Yes, Dr. Jim brought some good to the sport. That was before... not now. (That's the same as everyone has a little bit of both good and bad in them. Got it.) But to praise the doctor for such a maniacle interest in the sport that he would find creative ways to excell..... man, that's a stretch. Excuse me, it's called cheating and lieing. Not worth praise right now. It's not a little kid we're talking about.... not an adolescent going through a spurt of hormones trying to find there way in life. The doctor (rich and successful) bore a tremendous responsibility when he decided (key word is decided) to become so "center stage" with his skiing. Not good enough to cheat on his own to make himself feel good, he had to try and hoodwink the world. And shame shame shame to anyone else who may have helped him along the way.

So, is Steve being loyal? Maybe. I think he's more protecting his own credibility trying to be a "spin-doctor" himself. Turn bad into good kind of thing. I don't buy it.

(He's being hard to understand regardless.)

[JohnDoe]

And before I go, just to incite some arguments, I am going to point out that nobody has ever been caught cheating in order to win a wakeboard tourney 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, except for judges who are better friends with some riders. I mean, thats not really cheating, but is certainly not fair for a lot of guys who go kill it and are beings scored by people that ride all week long with others in the finals.

Edited June 28, 2005 by wakebrdgod

[WakeGirl]

LOL, it's probably pretty fair as long as there aren't any French judges....

[superjet]

That's a lot of shizzle out of Schnitz.

[responselx03]

there is something i have difficulty to understand, since it was the Malibu Open ... how come No official statement has been made from them. i'm Very disappointed, My views are they should have step up and talk about the incident... when thing happen like that you need to inform the community. and from my point of view they've missed a good opportunity to demonstrate how open they are with their costumer!!!

[mlange]

I originally agreed that Malibu should have said something, but I now believe they have taken the correct stance by staying out of it so far.

While it's unfortunate that we probably know how the investigation will turn out, Malibu is not the governing body here, AWSA is. Correct?

I would, however, expect Malibu to issue a statement after AWSA comes back with their findings, be it good or bad.

Mike

[maliboo]

there is something i have difficulty to understand, since it was the Malibu Open ... how come No official statement has been made from them. i'm Very disappointed, My views are they should have step up and talk about the incident... when thing happen like that you need to inform the community. and from my point of view they've missed a good opportunity to demonstrate how open they are with their costumer!!!

I wouldn't go this far yet! I do hope after the dust settles, they give an official statement, but not yet.

Malibu is only the name and the money behind the tourney. WWSP was the brains and marketing. USA Water Ski and the IWSF are the only ones that should issuing any kind of statements at this point.

I think that Malibu is trying to support the athletes and WWSP.

From what I heard it was the best location and the best organized Malibu Open so far. To bad the site will never be used for any kind of tournament again.

[Rod S]

All I know is that I want a switch on our course so I can run 36 off.

[HOskier313]

My interpretation of everyone's "statements" or lack there of...

Schnitz - This guy has been an avid Dr. J supporter for the past year to year and a half. He has embraced the Dr's style of skiing known as "coordinates" (in hindsight - "coordinates" really just means moving your intended target closer so you don't have to ski as far). Schnitz has taken a lot of flack from the hard core slalom boys, but has stood by his beliefs in the Doctor. During this time, he has abandoned the people who believed in him. (not to mention his ski reviews have become a crock of S*** and almost pointless). He's trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and really could go down in flames with the Dr. if he's not careful. This is why he has put this philosophical statement on his site that no one can interpret but himself. This way when he knows what happens in the end, he can say "this is what it means"

USA WS - they are responsible as the governing body of our sport to find out what happened and who is to blame. Like any other "investigation" they make a statement, but won't reveal anything until they know for sure what happenend. Although we'd all love to hear from them, this will take some time.

Malibu - if anything, we'll hear a statement similar to USA WS saying they'll cooperate with any ongoing investigations, etc., etc, etc. They surely don't want this cheating scandal associated with them more than it already is (meaning, it happened at their tournament).

Dr Jim - a man with a butt load of money who has really screwed up. If he goes down, he may take some people with him. This is why so many are being quiet. This man can hire any lawyer he wants. Its pretty apparent he'll most likely have A.) all records removed skied on his site and B.) Banned from any USA WS tournament for the next 5 years. Both A & B can be taken to court in a civil suit. (if I'm not mistaken). Any charge brought by him will be defimation of character (what little left he has).