2017 - Backwater State University

Show Director: Tagen Tipton with assistants Scott Allender & Randy Thompson

Central Regional Tournament: 2nd place

National Tournament: 6th place

Team President: Gene Hast

In 2017 Mother Nature was not as kind to us as in 2016. Water conditions on most days were choppy, or there was a fast current or high water. In June we competed in the Mercury Open Tournament in Janesville, WI and placed 4th. We placed 2nd at the Central Regional tournament in Loves Park, IL, and then our season came to a screeching halt with near record flooding. We missed nearly 3 weeks of practices and shows between Regionals and Nationals. The flood waters got so high and powerful that our main stationary dock was knocked loose and turned at a 45 degree angle to shore, and the legs of the dock were missing for some time. It took a great deal of looking and some scuba diving to retrieve them so that we could put the dock back together in order to ski just a few days prior to competing at Nationals. Despite that, we still managed to finish in 6th place at the National Tournament in Loves Park, IL. Our team maintained its large size with around 150 members. The show director was Tagen Tipton with assistants Scott Allender & Randy Thompson.