Rock Aqua Jays

The Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show Team is an amateur water ski club in Janesville, Wisconsin. The club participates in show skiing, which involves water ski acts that are choreographed to music and built around a theme that tells a story. The Rock Aqua Jays has about 150 members.

History

Rock Aqua Jays Stadium in Janesville, Wisconsin

The Rock Aqua Jays ski club was formed in 1960.^[1] That same year it was one of four founding member groups of the Wisconsin Water Ski Federation. In 1961, the club assumed the name "Rock Aqua Jays".^[1] The club practices on the Rock River at Traxler Park in Janesville, where they hold twice weekly shows between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Rock Aqua Jays initiated the first national tournament of the National Show Ski Association, the Show Ski National Championships, which were held in August, 1975.^[2] In 2025, they are set to host the 50th Annual National Show Ski Championships. The Rock Aqua Jays have hosted the national tournament in Janesville over 26 of the 49 times it has been held. In 2012 they hosted the first ever World Water Ski Show Tournament, and repeated hosting in 2014. ^[3]^[1]^[4]

The club was the first amateur team to build the three-high pyramid (1974), the four-high pyramid (1981), and the five-high pyramid (1993).^[4]^[1]^[5] They hold the record for the largest pyramid in competition: 44 people (2003).^[1] They were the first amateur American ski team to perform in the People's Republic of China, in 1999.^[1]^[6] In 2012, in collaboration with the Chinese Water Ski Team, the Aqua Jays set a Guinness World Record for the number of humans to water ski in a pyramid: 55.^[7] They have won the national show ski tournament a record 23 times, and placed second in the event 12 times. The Aqua Jays have also won the Wisconsin State Show Tournament a record 15 times. They have taken the triple crown of show skiing 11 times,^[1] and were named the National Show Ski Association Team of the Year 6 times.^[8]

Honors and awards

Sources: ^[9]^[10]^[1]^[11]

Rock Aqua Jays' 44-person pyramid

2014

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament^[12]
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament^[13]
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament^[14]

2013

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2012

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2011

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2010

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2009

2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2008

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

2007

1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2006

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2005

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2004

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament

2003

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2002

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
2nd - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2001

2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2000

2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament

1999

National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
2nd - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1998

1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1997

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1996

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1995

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1994

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1993

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1992

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1991

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1990

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1989

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1988

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1987

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1986

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament

1985

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1984

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1983

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1982

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1981

Triple Crown:

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1980

1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1979

1st - U.S. National Show Tournament

1977

2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1975

1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Rock Aqua Jays History
^ USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association: A Brief History of Show Skiing". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ "Waterskiers flock to Janesville for World Water Ski Show Tournament", Channel3000.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ ^a ^b Karla Nagy, "Janesville’s Rock Aqua Jays Host World Tournament", Northwest Quarterly, Summer 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ "Amateur water-ski team hits new heights", The Milwaukee Journal, August 23, 1993. Retrieved August 11, 2013. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Lisa Schmelz."Walking on Water" Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, At the Lake Magazine, Summer 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ "Two Ski Broncs visit China to help set world record", Rockford Register Star, January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association Team of the Year". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ USA WaterSki. "Tournament Results: D1 Nationals (1975-2012)". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ "Honors and Awards". Rock Aqua Jays. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
^ Wisconsin Water Ski Federation. "Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament History" Archived 2013-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
^ USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win Show Ski Nationals".
^ Mark Massoglia. "Aqua Skiers grab second place in Division". Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, July 20, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
^ USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win 2014 Mercury Open".

External links

Rock Aqua Jays website
The Greatest Show on Skis - WaterSki magazine, July 2003
It's a Long Way to the Top - WaterSki magazine, June 2001
USA Waterski
A Brief History of Show Skiing

[history-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Rock Aqua Jays History

[2] USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association: A Brief History of Show Skiing". Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[3] "Waterskiers flock to Janesville for World Water Ski Show Tournament", Channel3000.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[onq-4] Karla Nagy, "Janesville’s Rock Aqua Jays Host World Tournament", Northwest Quarterly, Summer 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[5] "Amateur water-ski team hits new heights", The Milwaukee Journal, August 23, 1993. Retrieved August 11, 2013. ^{[dead link‍]}

[6] Lisa Schmelz."Walking on Water" Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, At the Lake Magazine, Summer 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[7] "Two Ski Broncs visit China to help set world record", Rockford Register Star, January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013. ^{[dead link‍]}

[8] USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association Team of the Year". Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[9] USA WaterSki. "Tournament Results: D1 Nationals (1975-2012)". Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[10] "Honors and Awards". Rock Aqua Jays. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2008-09-26.

[11] Wisconsin Water Ski Federation. "Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament History" Archived 2013-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 11, 2013.

[12] USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win Show Ski Nationals".

[13] Mark Massoglia. "Aqua Skiers grab second place in Division". Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, July 20, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.

[14] USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win 2014 Mercury Open".

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