Robert Rhyne III entered the world of NCWSA as a skier in 1994 and as an official in 1996. He has been a driving force behind the scenes ever since.
As an official, Rob has been apart of tournaments from the conference level to the world level across three continents. Every now and then we catch him at a AWSA event, but it is usually because there is a large group of current NCWSA skiers and alumni there.
If Rob is not an appointed official at Nationals or All-Stars you can bet he will still be in attendance to make sure that the teams are taken care of and fairly represented, acting as the Eastern Region Manager.
Rob is a 3-event Regular Judge and Senior Scorer who stepped up to become the Chief Scorer in the region when long-time scorers moved on from skiing.
During Rob’s tenure he implemented the South Atlantic Conference website (sacskiing.com) and created an online tournament registration system five years before NCWSA. The website has every A Team (non-national tournament score) since 1997, PB’s for each skier and live All-Star Team selection for the SAC/East!
Rob is selfless and is truly a collegiate skier at heart who wants everyone to have fun on and off the water. His dedication to the SAC, East, and NCWSA has allowed for major growth of skiing in not only the conference, but also on a regional and national level. He has been instrumental in creating a positive environment and experience for collegiate skiing to continue.
Aaron Curmi (Alabama Alumnus) said it best when he heard the news of Rob’s nomination to the Hall of Fame. “You deserve it, Rob! Your hard work at every tournament was the glue that held them together! Congratulations, dude, you’ve earned it!”
When asked about Rob’s nomination Jeff Surdej (NCWSA President) stated, “I would just say he served as a great Vice Chairman under me for many many years, while at the same time as being Treasurer and Eastern Region Chairman. This guy loves college waterskiing and through his passion he is now treasurer of AWSA and USA Water Ski.”
I got to catch up with Rob to learn a little more about his NCWSA experience.
What has kept you involved and passionate all these years?
Honestly, the people asking me to help. That is how all this started. The radios wouldn’t work at a site so I sat in the grass relaying the radios from towers and boats to the scorers – the scorers said you should get your rating.
What was your first NCWSA Experience?
In 1994 I took German classes at UNC Charlotte and they had a team and it all started. I skied at one tournament last minute as B-Team just because Lyman had his new MasterCraft and I wanted to see how it skiied. I had never been on a course before, I laughed all the way down the lake!
Most memorable NCWSA experience?
The first time I heard days of the week!
I have also been on 3 continents supporting NCWSA skiers and wouldn’t trade a minute of it! (good or bad) The friends I have made are priceless.
How does it feel to be honored as apart of the the first class of NCWSA Hall of Fame members?
An Honor that I NEVER thought would happen to me in my lifetime!
What is your favorite thing about being part of NCWSA?
Meeting all the new people each year, but that also brings the worst part out at the final collegiate tournament of the year, NCWSA All Stars, when you realize you will likely never see these folks again.
You recently stepped down from the NCWSA board as the Eastern Region Chair. What would you like to continue to see with the sport as it moves into the future?
I want us to continue to see both sides of every issue and make judgments using the information from both sides while remembering that this is a fun sport and making sure everyone has a great time is the first priority. Fun sells our sport!
Rob has gone above and beyond what is called upon him at tournaments to ensure all the teams have a great experience. Over the past 22 years, there were many tournaments that would not have occurred without Rob’s officiating capabilities. His dedication and willingness to volunteer is shown through his tournament work record along with only missing a handful of tournaments over the years.
The actions of volunteers involved in our sport is thankless and sometimes goes without notice. Rob, this is our thank you from all the skiers – past, present, and future.Thank you for your years of dedication and passion. Your guidance and friendship is felt across all regions. The East, just gets to have fun with you the most! You have supported, inspired, and helped so many people to become better skiers, teammates, and officials. Above all, you have helped us become better people.
Notable Positions & Accomplishments
| NCWSA Board of Directors | 1999-2001 & 2004-2007 |
| NCWSA Board East Chair | 2005-2017 |
| NCWSA Board East Vice Chair | 2017 |
| NCWSA Treasurer | 2010 – present |
| Eastern Region Board of Directors | 2005 – present |
| Eastern Region Treasurer | 2007 – present |
| SAC Board of Directors | |
| Member | 1998 – 2000 |
| Chair | 2001 – 2008 |
| Treasurer | 2000 – present |
| IAC Committee Member | |
| Nationals Appointed Official | Chief Scorer 2008, 2010, 2015 |
| All-Stars Appointed Official | 2017 (Judge) & Chief Scorer Once |
| USA Team Manager University Worlds | Chile 2012 |
- 2019 Award Winner: Outstanding Leader – Ashley Stevens - January 22, 2020
- NCWSA Hall of Fame – Class of 2019: Marcus Brown - October 17, 2019
- Malibu Open – Auburn Edition - September 30, 2019
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