Weekend at the Lake
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 29, 2001 9:00 p.m.
Matt Scott pulls a fellow water ski team member
behind the boat during a practice run. First-year student
Eddie Grenier skis the slalom course at Horton
Lake. Former team president Scott and current
president Mike Bonino oversee UCLA’s first
ever water ski tournament. Linda Disney, left,
Scott’s mother, serves breakfast to water ski team members
Becky Donnelly and Chris McKown.
The water ski team served 35 large pizzas out of the back of
Scott’s truck Saturday night for the 99 skiers and volunteers
who participated in the tournament.
On April 21 and 22, the UCLA water ski team hosted its first
ever water ski tournament at Horton Lakes near Barstow, Calif.
There are over 20 members on the water ski team now, but it was
just four years ago that senior Matt Scott went to his first
meeting and was handed a binder full of rules.
“It was only me and another guy at first, and it just
started getting boring after a while,” Scott said.
Seeing the potential for a competitive squad, Scott began to
recruit more members by bringing boats on campus and passing out
flyers. Soon current president Mike Bonino and former treasurer
Becky Donnelly joined Scott and the team grew into the competitive
squad that it is today.
UCLA competes in the western region of the National Collegiate
Water Ski Association against schools from California, Washington,
Oregon, Arizona and Nevada.
The Bruins often find themselves skiing against schools that can
afford to give their teams significantly more money than the $1,300
UCLA allots for the water ski team each year. Dues and fund-raising
make up the majority of money the team needs to fund practices and
pay for the eight tournaments they compete in each year.
But hosting a tournament has been the dream of Scott since he
became president of the team.
“That was the one thing he wanted to do before he
graduated,” Bonino said. “He pulled it off this
weekend.”
Ninety-nine skiiers from such schools as UC San Diego, UC Santa
Barbara, UC Davis, Cal State Chico and Arizona State competed. UCLA
placed fifth out of the 12 schools that competed, their highest
showing in a tournament yet. They were led by second-year medical
student Mike Leonardi who placed third overall in the men’s
division.
“I think we did really well for hosting our first
tournament,” Bonino said. “The most important thing is
that everyone had a good time.”
UCLA relied on the help of volunteers to pull off the
tournament. All of the judges and drivers braved the cold weather
and were only paid in hot dogs and hamburgers from the concession
stand. Scott’s parents were on hand in their motor home to
help out and feed the team as well.
“My parents were such a huge help,” Scott said.
“They were up before anyone making coffee and getting
breakfast ready.”
With Scott graduating in June, he knows the team is in a much
better position than it was four years ago.
“There is such a good balance between skiing and having
fun,” Scott said. “Everyone involved just wants to have
fun, ski and hang out at the lake.”
