Officials encourage community to come forward
By Jason Arndt
Editor
For the Twin Lakes Aquanuts, the 2017 season marks a year of growth, and the organization is in search of new members to join the squad.
The search of new members, including non skiing staff, comes after some members experienced changes in their lives.
“This is kind of our growing year,” said organization president Cindy Amore. “A couple years ago, we were much a bigger team, but as individuals lives changed, numbers got lower.”
Amore said life changes include skiers who have gone to college, started a family or decided to take on another job.
“I have been with the Aquanuts for 20-25 consecutive years and we have the tendency to peak and valley,” she said. “We tend to be a team that attracts young high schoolers. But some of them go off to college and get jobs.”
While the organization notes a shortage of skiers, Amore said it is typical of show skiing, and states it is no a significant concern to the organization.
“We kind of dip for a year or two, and then it comes back,” she said. “It is not a concern that show skiing has gone out of favor, it is kind of an evolution of how ski teams go.”
Meanwhile, the evolution presents an opportunity for the community, which can serve several roles in the organization.
Roles include riding the boat, post-show cleanup, operating the sound system and participating on the squads ballet line.
To take on any of the roles, Amore encourages the community to attend twice weekly practices, 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Lance Park.
“If they would like to come down and talk to our show director, we would be happy to explain the roles,” Amore said.
Like Amore, show director Eric Fauth said positions are plentiful, but noted the team is in need of more men on the water and along the docks.
“We got so many positions we can fill, skiing and non skiing, we can have people ride the boats,” Fauth said. “Mostly we are looking for what we call the utility guy. The utility guy can ski on two skis and are on the stronger side to carry the girls on the pyramid.”
Skill requirements for men include the ability to use two skis on the lake, he said.
While the Aquanuts seek versatile men, they are always looking for new members along the ballet line, which are at a reported 25 this season.
Previously, the ballet line had more than 30, and saw its peak about two years ago when 32 women were involved.
“In the last couple of years, we have had over 30,” Fauth said. “I think two years, we had about 32 girls on our ballet line.”
Gymnastics skills are an ideal skill set for the ballet line, he noted.
Along with showing up to practice for a tryout, prospective members need to enroll with two organizations, the USA Water Ski Federation and Wisconsin State Water Ski Federation.
“Those come with dues, depending on whether you are skiing or non-skiing member, there is different costs involved,” Fauth said. “There is also team dues of $100 that pays for our gas, insurance, costuming and equipment.”
For more information, contact Fauth at (262) 206-1302.