NCWSA Hall of Fame – Class of 2019: Steve Tyler

Article written by Matteo Luzzeri and Joey McNamara. Photos provided by Camille Tyler.

Nowadays, almost everyone believes that collegiate water skiing has the potential of lifting the sport to higher levels of participation. Collegiate skiing has reached its popularity and become the great discipline it is now thanks to early pioneers and passionate people, that through thick and thin, continue to love and support the format.

Steve Tyler was both a pioneer and a loyal supporter of collegiate water skiing. As a young Italian kid who got involved with collegiate skiing in quite the uninformed way, I was puzzled to see Steve at every single collegiate tournament I attended. When I learned that he was bringing his boat for us to compete, I started to realize the generosity of this man. As Nautique’s Regional Promo Coordinator for over 20 years, Steve always made sure that his boat was available for all collegiate tournaments even if he could not attend. He even told his pre-buyers that they could not have the boat until after Collegiate Nationals.

Even more importantly, he made me (and many others) understand the true spirit of collegiate water skiing. For Steve, every ski ride was important. Better, someone making it around two ball for the first time, or landing a jump, or turning that side slide to a full 90°, was more to cherish than a National Record or a jump over 190ft. This is because Steve saw in collegiate water skiing a way to retain skiers in the sport.

Steve chief judged several NCWSA Regional and National Championships in addition to serving as an appointed judge several times including for the 1996 Worlds tournament in Milledgeville, Georgia. His professionalism as a judge was remarkable. This was quite the feat considering he would have, at any random moment, hordes of college-age skiers invading the judges tower asking for explanations, re-rides, results, and a myriad of other questions.

As a huge supporter of every team in his region. If a team didn’t know how to put on a tournament, he’d take it upon himself to teach them. Then, he would call up anyone and everyone to make sure they had a full slate of officials, even on less than a week’s notice.

This calmness and wide open support of all ski levels and teams possibly stemmed from having his own children participate in collegiate skiing at different levels over the years. Steve first discovered collegiate skiing when his son, Rick Tyler, was recruited to ski at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State). He immediately loved how collegiate skiing was ideal for introducing new people to the sport. His oldest daughter Elyse would go on to ski for the University of South Louisiana (now ULL), and Steve’s youngest daughter would go on to ski for Texas A&M, Texas State, and finish up her eligibility at ULL.

Steve Tyler died unexpectedly falling from a ladder while working on his boat lift in Trinity, Texas, just days before he was leaving for the 2014 National Collegiate Water Ski Association Championships. As everyone gathered at NCWSA Nationals in 2014, the whole collegiate water ski world knew that a big piece of the sport was gone. At that tournament, Steve was posthumously awarded the Phil Chase Award that is voted on by appointed nationals officials and is presented to an outstanding NCWSA Nationals official or volunteer. Watching everyone gathering together in his memory by continuing his mission of expanding collegiate water skiing is a testament to his efforts and passion carrying forward.

Five years after his death, Steve’s presence and memory is still felt throughout collegiate water skiing especially in the South Central region. If you attend a South Central collegiate tournament, you see Steve Tyler everywhere. Walking down down the line of trailers, you will see “We Ski For Steve” stickers. The same stickers are on display on team equipment long past its life. The logo with the mustache is on full display on t-shirts worn by kids who were not even in high school when Steve Tyler left us. However, to those who knew Steve Tyler, it’s not the stickers or t-shirt logos that we remember. We remember his unwavering support of collegiate water skiing, his generosity to skiers, beginner or advanced alike, and particularly, his dry humor and sharp wit.

Steve’s determination is why the South Central is a much different region than it was prior to his return in 2007. At times it’s almost like he’s still here, you expect him to step out of a boat wondering where his iced tea is. But upon closer examination, it’s the countless parents, volunteers, alumni, and skiers who carry on his legacy, passing the torch to the next generation of skiers and officials. He would have been proud to see the number of skiers who are working on their officiating ratings, the alumni who have stepped up to take over the leadership of the South Central, the new faces who are discovering water skiing for the first time, but most importantly, he would be proud of the camaraderie between the teams. Skiers from across the globe skiing all united to try to make our sport just a little bit better.

Personally, Steve taught me a lot about tournament organizing, how to be inclusive of skiers of all levels, and how to laugh at my own shortcomings. He would probably give me a big pat on the back if he saw me tearing up as I type this.

Please know that every time you see a first-time landed jump or a jump over 190ft, 10 flips in a row or a successful deep water start on a trick ski, buoys at 39.5′ off or an epic attempt at running the course on a wakeboard, you are watching Steve Tyler’s legacy. I am very thankful that NCWSA preserves this legacy every year. And, very happy to see NCWSA honoring one of those loyal pioneers behind it all.

People often say “Collegiate water skiing is the future of our sport,’ Steve would say it often. But Steve was one of the few individuals to realize the immense power and opportunity of collegiate water skiing and truly lived these words through his dedication and unwavering support of the South Central Region and the National Collegiate Water Ski Association as a whole.  For this reason, Steve Tyler will forever be remembered.

Congratulations to Steve (posthumously) and his family for Steve being inducted to the NCWSA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019!