LBSU water skier going to nationals

Long Beach State sophomore Craig Montgomery can be seen water skiing in the brisk waters of Long Beach during practice as a member of the LBSU water ski team and club.

Montgomery ranks fourth in the West Coast Collegiate water ski division and has qualified for nationals in the slalom event. He will be going to the championships to be held in Orlando, Fla. on
May 13 and 14.

"He is a really good skier," said Hayley Tornquist, president of the LBSU water ski team and club. "We are very excited that he is going to nationals."

Montgomery, a liberal studies major, has also qualified as an alternate for trick skiing.

To qualify for nationals, points are earned at each tournament. The scale system that is used in the scoring depends on the speed of the boat and how many buoys the skier passes, Tornquist said.

Practicing at Marine Stadium in Long Beach, Montgomery demonstrates how to achieve the perfect body position for the slalom race.

"Keep the left foot forward while driving the knees forward. Keep the hips and chest up," Montgomery said.

Teammate Jason Ritchey slowly backs the boat down the beach and it plops gently into the water. With the team's canine mascot, Dixie, at the front, the motor begins to rumble.

Montgomery attaches the ropes to a pylon located in the center of the boat, which allows for the rope to move back and forth.

He puts on his gloves and his red life jacket, then steps onto a platform at the end of the 19-foot tournament water ski boat.

He straps his feet into the water ski and jumps into the water. He readies his grasp on the rope handle and the boat takes off.

Rising into a spray of water, he holds steady as the boat picks up speed. A fan of water engulfs him on each side as he moves to the right or left, along the pseudo-slalom course.

"Water skiing is fun," Montgomery said. "There is a feeling afterward of accomplishment. Water skiing is challenging, yet it is not impossible, so it is rewarding that way."

Montgomery, who grew up in Paso Robles just north of San Luis Obispo, has been water skiing since he was a child on Lake Nacimiento.

He said his family owns a second house in Bakersfield at Adobe Ranch, which is actually used as a catfish farm.

"Every weekend we were over there," Montgomery recalled.

The water ski team, which is funded by LBSU, has more than 15 men and women members. Although the team does not have an official coach, the more advanced people on the team coach and help out, Montgomery said.

The team is trying to raise money to buy a new boat. The current boat they use must be fixed often.

"To earn money, we go to tapings of 'The Late, Late Show,' which pays about $15 per person," Montgomery said. "We also hold fundraisers, car washes and we will have a barbecue on campus."

Montgomery leaves May 12 for Orlando.

"We hope he does well and we wish him good luck," Tornquist said.