Wanna pee in a cup?....

...me neither!

Olympian.  Olympics.

Olympism! - No, its not an illness, its a real word.  Its something often talked about at the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) level.  Its serious business.

2010 is an Olympic year.  The Olympics are serious business.  Since a child I, like many others, dreamed of being in the Olympics,…being an Olympian….winning a gold medal for my COUNTRY!  The Olympics have always been the "Ultimate" in sports.  The best of the best.  Simply the greatest show of Athleticism on Earth.

Well, the Olympics are not so simple.  The olympics aren't pure sport.  The Olympic movement is very commercial, an enterprise, a money maker, an industry, political, etc, etc, etc,…..

WATER SKIING IS NOT AN OLYMPIC SPORT!!!!!!!  Why?  I don't know.

Here are 3 reasons I've been given my whole life:

The mechanical boat - Mechanized tow vehicle is not acceptable.  Really?

A list of Machines used in other "Olympic Sports":

Bicycle

Sailboat

Gun

Bobsled

Luge

The human element - Boat requires a driver….not acceptable.  Despite water skiing's evolution to a GPS based speed control, virtually eliminating all human element, the sport is still far from Olympic acceptance.  However, I know when I ski, its me and the board….and the buoys I have to get around.  Nothing else.  There is no boat.  There is no human element I worry about.  Figure skating, ice dancing, gymnastics, boxing, diving & synchronized swimming surely have NO human elements, do they?  Nothing but fair and balanced judging.  Right?  Hmmmmm…..Must be why they are Olympic Sports.

The lack of participation - Not enough people do it.  Again, Really??   Oh oh, and Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, and CURLING are well participated.  Come on.  People go to the lake all the time.  Many make vacations out of it.  Most people have been on the water at some point in their life.  However, I can't remember the last time I heard of a family vacation to the pond for some Curling…..or to the track with the $18,000 sled for a little good old fashioned Griswald family fun in the bobsled for new years. Please, if there are any people out there passionate about the sports listed above and feel they have more Olympic entitlement than the next sport, comment or contact me so we all know you're out there….and so I can apologize, if need be. 

I'm now going to Multiply by (-1) and turn this negative rant into something more educational.

A Pan American sport recognized by the USOC and IOC (International Olympic Committee), but not included in the Olympics, Water Skiing is in this category with many other POPULAR sports…most notably:

Air Sports (WTF?)

Bandy (?)

Basque Pelota

Billiard Sports (Color of Money anyone?)

Boules

Bridge (huh?)

Chess (where's Bobby Fischer?)

DanceSport (Patrick Swayze would be proud)

FloorBall (Don't they mean Dodgeball?)

Korfball

Lifesaving (ya Pamela)

Netball

Roller Sports

Wushu

& last but not least, Tug of War.

Can you believe that list?  Yeah, well the top water skiers in the world used to receive funding and support from the USOC.  Seems like a pretty fair consolation prize right?  Five or so years ago, the USOC restructured.  Water Skiing no longer gets support….no longer gets much of anything from the USOC.  I am an Athlete Rep for water sports at the USOC level.  I have had a few first hand encounters with the "Olympic Machine".

After what I have seen I am OK with Water Skiing being a non-olympic sport.

JUST QUIT HOLDING US TO OLYMPIC STANDARDS unless you let us in!!!

I don't want to tell the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) where I will be, every hour of every day of every month of my LIFE!!  Right now we all do.  I Don't Do Drugs!  Its evident…..look at me, 162 lbs with all my ski gear wet!  Leave us alone!  And for that matter, leave our sport alone until you have something to offer in return for asking me and every other athlete our whereabouts and our every move.  Does USADA seriously go around the country testing Chess players and Korfballers??

I have silently held these feelings for a few years now.  They are probably the reason I was delinquent on two other occasions where it was apparently required that I fill out the Athlete Location Forms on time.  I didn't.  It wasn't a priority.  I don't have that OLYMPIC GOLD calling my name.

I now have 2 strikes on my record for nothing other than disagreeing with USOC standards imposed upon a non-olympic sport.  1 more strike and I am apparently banned from competition. (a strike can be as simple as going to get groceries and having Mr Drug Tester show at your house....viola, instant failure)

Is this baseball now??  I don't swing bats or catch balls.  I water ski.  If its not good enough, don't bother knocking on my door so I can piss in your cup.

What a joke

MB