As I sat here at my desk a few months ago drafting a proposal to create the NCWSA Hall of Fame, I could not help but to wonder to myself who would be inducted first, and sat in awe about what an amazing honor this would be for some very selfless, dedicated, and deserving people. One of the first names that came to mind, of course, was none other than Dave Clark.
I am sure you have all heard the name, but might not have seen the face. That’s because Dave is the man who created WSTIMS, a program which we STILL use today, back in 1989 – he is also the man who developed the computer based NCWSA team scoring extensions, the NCWSA team management and entry tools, and has been either Chief or Assistant Chief Scorer at every MCWSA Collegiate Regionals from 1988 – 2017 and every NCWSA nationals except for three over that same period of time. Dave’s water ski resume reads like a Costco receipt – it seems to go on for ages. If I listed them all right now, we would all be able to complete our 5th year of undergrad before we finish reading!
Dave has selflessly committed himself to behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure our tournaments, and our sport in general, run smoothly to provide the best possible experience for skiers, officials, and spectators alike. To say “we wouldn’t be where we are today without Dave Clark” would be the understatement of the century and does not nearly do justice to the hard work and dedication of the man who we have all grown to know and love.
“the level of excitement and electricity in the air at any NCWSA event is far and away the biggest draw” — Dave Clark
Dave’s favorite part about NCWSA is hard to pinpoint, but if he had to pick something, he said that “the level of excitement and electricity in the air at any NCWSA event is far and away the biggest draw for me. All coming from the team oriented framework. It’s not about the individual glory, but instead its about groups of young people working together towards a common goal, and supporting and encouraging one another along the way. The spirit that dynamic creates is just phenomenal. The deeper you get involved and contribute to an activity like this, you’ll find you get back at least double what you put in. So all you participants out there – – what are you waiting for??”.
Dave’s love story starts back in 1980, when he attended his first tournament. As you can see in his narrative below, it did not take him long to dive in head first and start making waves that are sure to leave an everlasting effect on the water ski community. “My first exposure to organized water ski competition came in 1980, when I was 35 years old. And as a novice men skier, I was struggling to make it through a slalom course at 26 mph. At the first tournaments I participated in, I noted a small group of folks with clipboards and radios here and there, and those folks seemed very harried and busy. Encountered one sitting still for a moment, introduced myself, and told them I was completely new to the sport, but they seemed very overworked, and I was bored between rounds, and was there anything that a newcomer like me could do to help out?… 15 minutes later I was dock starting. And the rest is history. Given my quantitative orientation and occupational background, a couple of years later I was helping with scoring. I was surprised to see that all the scoring was done manually, paper and pencil and adding machines. How archaic, I was already using the newly introduced personal computer in my work life at that time. By 1985 I had come up with a rudimentary PC program to do scoring. In 1986 we played with it locally and checked it out. By 1987 we used it at the AWSA Midwest Regionals, with great success. The chief scorer of the 1988 AWSA Nationals heard about what we were doing in the Midwest, and asked if we could do the 1988 Nationals on computer, and so we did with great success there too.”
I will end this article with a quick ask from you, the readers, the skiers, the alumni of the NCWSA. First, a quick backstory. Our beloved Dave is very sadly unable to attend his induction at the Connelly Skis 2018 NCWSA Nationals to receive this honor in person, as he has been struggling with a condition called Multiple Myeloma, a form of blood-borne cancer of the bone marrow. By the time this is published, Dave will have completed his last treatment, and will be in recovery during the ceremony. “So if you are going to be at the banquet in Texas, please extend my great thank you for this honor, and tell the folks how great it makes me feel for my largely behind-the-scenes participation, to get this kind of recognition. I am eager to get past this current speed bump in my health journey – and perhaps even resume my pursuit of @4 ball in the slalom course! While you may not realize it, Mike, the last time I rode a water ski in a tournament, you were my driver. It was at the Waterhawks site two years ago. At that time I was already starting to experience breathlessness from increasing anemia, resulting from the myeloma disease that I’d actually had for at least a couple of years – although we did not finally diagnose exactly what the underlying cause of that decline was, until this past April 2018. But since… this year, I’ve been working hard on kicking this disease into remission, so that I can get back into these fun NCWSA activities once again.”
So here is my request: If you have a quick moment, pray for Dave on his road to recovery. Pray for all of the officials, participants, spectators, site-owners, and all stakeholders who have made this incredible journey through collegiate water skiing available to us. Without them, none of this would be possible – we created this HOF to recognize these people and their sacrifices.
Next time you are at a tournament and see someone running around with a frenzied look on their face screaming into a walkie-talkie, remind them how thankful you are for what they are doing. Whether it be through a simple “thank you”, an offer to help, or a reminder to breathe, it will be appreciated beyond words.
Dave, congratulations on your induction – I cannot think of anyone more deserving than you and the rest of your induction class. Cheers and beers to good health, six buoys, and always hitting the red.
Story by Michael Testa, Photos gathered by Adam Koehler
- NCWSA Hall of Fame – Class of 2019: Regina Jaquess - October 9, 2019
- NCWSA Hall of Fame: Class of 2018 – Dave Clark - October 10, 2018
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