Michael Bullock skied for Purdue University (Facebook | Website), and most people knew him as “Unicorn.”
Favorite Event: Slalom, usually
Favorite Tournament:
Midwest Collegiate Regionals. This tournament super competitive, you get to see all your friends from the whole region, and there are so many skiers you get an extra day to hang out!
Describe your ski team experience:
Joining the ski team was the best thing that ever happened to me. At first it was overwhelming meeting a group of people that were so close and had so much fun together, but I knew I wanted to be in the group! Getting to know everyone and joining such a tight knit community of lifelong friends is something I hope everyone gets to experience. Hanging out on the lake while other students are in class is one of the best feelings in the world! Camping at tournaments with hundreds of other college kids makes for the absolute best weekends I will never forget.
What are you doing now?
Currently I run a water ski school at Swerve Watersports Center in Tennessee. It is great to help kids and current college teams get time on the water, improve their skiing, and experience all the fun stuff that makes up 3 event water skiing!
What stands out when you think about your collegiate skiing career?
When I think about skiing what comes to mind is the people. I’ve made so many life long friends from all over the world. We can visit each other, share memories and ski on beautiful lakes everywhere. The community of water skiers is so welcoming and nice to everyone, you go to a competition and everyone wants you to do the very best you can.
Favorite memory:
Collegiate nationals my freshman year in Bakersfield: from the flight there to the test I failed at 7 a.m. on Monday morning 3 hours after getting back to campus. It was the best week of my life. Just hanging out with the best team on an awesome vacation.
What advice do you have for current collegiate skiers?
Have fun! Take advantage of any time you have on the water. Don’t worry if you don’t improve in a set or even a whole summer, progress comes when you least expect it. And just keep skiing. I know so many people that just got out of the habit of looking for a place to ski, and they end up not skiing for years before they realize they really miss it.
How can we get more college students involved in the sport?
In order to get more college students involved, we need more new teams. There are a lot of people willing to provide practice sites and help you get a team started at NCWSA. All you need to do is ask and recruit a friend or two. As soon as they go to the first tournament they will be hooked and will start to grow your team.
Thanks to Michael for sharing his collegiate experience! If you would like to be featured in our next Alumni Spotlight, email alumni@ncwsa.com!
- Spring Break 2018! - April 6, 2018
- Alumni Spotlight: Cole Kalkbrenner - February 23, 2018
- Auburn Volunteers at Storybrook Farm - January 30, 2018
You must be logged in to post a comment.