History
USA Water Ski established its hall of fame in 1982. There are currently four categories: Pioneers, competitive water skiers, water skiing officials, and show skiing.
Pioneers are those who have made major contributions to the sport of water skiing in general. Competitors include those who have taken part in ski racing, barefoot skiing, or any other form of competitive water skiing recognized by USA Water Ski. To be eligible, a candidate must have competed in the U. S. Nationals or U. S. Open in at least five years, with three of those in the Open Division or the U. S. Open. A competitor is eligible only after being retired from competition for five years, or after reaching the age of 50.
The "officials" category includes those who who have made contributions of national or international significance as judges, drivers, scorers, officers, or adminstrators. Although it's not strictly required, candidates are generally expected to have at least 15 years of service and to be at least 50 years old.
Show skiing is basically a team event and teams aren't eligible for the hall of fame. However, individual team members are eligible, provided they made major contributions to the overall sport of water skiing.
Any member of the Hall of Fame Committee or the American Water Ski Educational Foundation can nominate a candidate. The nomination must include a written rationale for the candidacy. The Hall of Fame Committee researches each nominee before voting. To be elected, a candidate must receive votes from eight of the ten committee members.
Only seven new members can be elected in any given year. If more than seven candidates receive eight or more votes, the candidates with the most votes are elected. If that procedure still results in more than the maximum, additional balloting takes place to break the ties.