#NCWSASpirit Dominates at the Syndicate Waterskis 2019 NCWSA National Championship

noun

/ˈsindikət/

a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote some common interest.

NCWSA Spirit is about one thing: bringing people together to celebrate loving the crap out of water skiing. The Syndicate Waterskis 2019 NCWSA Collegiate Water Ski National Championship brought the best out to Bell Acqua Waterski Lakes. Our partner HO Sports graciously sponsored the tournament and made sure that the webcast, as well as live performance, was extra epic with the added element of team spirit.  24 teams competed for the coveted title of NCWSA Most Spirited.

The Criteria:

• 3 days of consistent/growing spirit
• Team Cohesiveness
• Creativity
• Special Sauce (and make it SPICY!)

The Judges: 

• Appointed Officials, as well as the HO Sports representatives, were the ones to impress. From the judges’ tower to the safety shores, teams brought their best and boldest to the lake.  

The Prize:

1. Grand Prize: HO Sports Banner, Spirit Award Banner (Along with your school colors on next year’s award), Syndicate Banner, Syndicate Waterski Package, Syndicate Sticker Pack, Rope & Handle Package, 15 HO Syndicate Hats, 4 Ponchowels.
2. Runner Up: HO Sports Banner, Spirit Award Banner, Syndicate Banner, Syndicate Sticker Pack, Rope & Handle Package.
   • Marcus Brown ended up throwing in an Omega ski to sweeten the deal even more, as the runnings were so close.

The Competition

You could feel the buzz Wednesday morning as teams rolled into Rio Linda, California for site familiarization. Teams from across the country got to see their inter-regional friends with a huge smile, big hug, and some catching up. Thursday morning came quickly, and suddenly we were live. The crisp morning air and anticipation of skiing in the biggest NCWSA tournament of the year called for a morning ramp-up.

In matching “Natty Bound” shirts and new school swimsuits, everyone got into the groove. Voices and bodies warmed up for cheering. As the temperature rose, so did the energy. Tents were pitched as teams built their HQ for the weekend. Those not on the water or setting up camp were subjected to the bottles of acrylic paint in the hands of team leaders. Posters and bodies were painted, pom-poms distributed. Skiers were performing well on the first day, leading to PB-tackles on both lakes. 

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In the early competition, it was hard to tell who was a top contender. We asked ourselves: What school has the best poster? Where has the full team committed to body paint? Who can sustain the full weekend? Do we need more cowbell?

Smells Like Team Spirit

Day 2 the heroes emerged. Consistency is key, and first off the dock, we had piles of teams gathered. The 24 schools had acclimated to the environment and knew the task at hand. 

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Themes across the board were amped, with the University of Texas dripping burnt orange and Miami University in Mustaches as they pow-wowed for each skier. Texas A&M University ran for the incumbent seat, rocking jorts, neon, and marooned-out, with their trademark hat & boots all weekend. 

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Clemson had a strategy – they made sure to position themselves near the docks, in the immediate view of the judges and officials who would later be voting. The tearaway pants made their annual appearance, as well as the body paint and bows as the team showed off their line dance grooves.

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Looking to turn up the heat, the Aztecs stopped messing around. It was hammer time. They visited the local hardware store Friday to build the Aztec Litter – a device to honor their warriors after battle, presenting them to the community after buoys were slain. Up and down the lake you could hear the tribal chants of “SD on the grass, SD on the grass”

All that glitters is gold

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Michigan fought their way into the competition, upping their body-paint game day after day. What started as light painting turned into full body-head-to-toe drenched maize and blue. From the dock to the volleyball court, UofM twinkled in the sun from their glitter showers. ASU had us all shouting (and barking) “USA” over the weekend, while the ‘Bama skiers were a solid unit in cheering for their team members on the water.

Top contenders: the four finalists were Miami University, University of Michigan, San Diego State University, and Clemson University. 

The runnings were close, as Saturday teams brought their best. Clemson was on the dock, and SDSU was on the shore cheering their teams. With hardly a voice remaining, schools were still attempting to yell across the lake to support their teammates.

The appointed officials and HO Sports representatives voted to decide who was most deserving of the grand prize. Edging out San Diego State by a single vote to win the HO Sports 2019 NCWSA Spirit Award, Clemson Tigers took the competition! Carrying their spirit through to the banquet, the winners stormed the stage to recieve their prizes.

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Don’t Forget: The HO Sports Video contest is accepting submissions through 12/2, eligible for even MORE HO Sports prizes. 

Thinking Fast

Throughout the tournament, the announcing team ran a Trivia Competition, as NCWSA history questions were dispersed across both lakes. Teams ran to the officials’ towers to see if they had the brains to go with their brute. After 12 questions, SDSU took home the grand prize – 10 69Slam swimsuits. Loving the energy, Jodi Fisher was generous enough to share even more love, passing out socks, briefs, and stickers to let the full team chose their flavor.

Shout out to our sponsors:

Thank you to all who donated their time, resources, and energy for making the event possible. We thrive on the partnerships of Industry members and local businesses. 

• Syndicate Waterskis (HO Sports) | Title Sponsor
• MasterCraft Boat Company (NorCal MasterCraft) | Banquet Sponsor
• Radar Skis | Officials Appreciation Sponsor
• Bennett’s Water Ski & Wakeboard School, Bennett’s Boat & Ski | Officials Appreciation Sponsor
• Dutch Bros. Coffee (Dutch Bros Sacramento) | Gasoline Sponsor
• Dolphin Wetsuits

In Memorium: 

• Ragin’ the Cajun Pepper was lost in transit from Lafayette to Rio Linda. We ask the community to take a moment of silence to remember our stolen spice. 
• Keep skiing for Steve