George Athans George's Results

George Athans learned some valuable lessons from his numerous triumphs in international water skiing, skills he would use to develop a successful career in television. ''Winning those world titles taught me a lot about hard work, time management, setting and reaching personal goals and also a sense of fair play,'' said Athans. ''Those are things I use daily in my career today. '' Athans became famous in Canada in the early 1970's earning the overall titles at the 1971 and 1973 world water skiing championships, the first Canadian world champion in the sport since Charles Blackwell in 1953 and only the third ever, at the time, to win consecutive world crowns. He was bestowed with awards and honours soon afterwards including induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1971, Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 and received the Order of Canada, also in 1974. He was on the national team from 1966 to 1974. He broke 28 Canadian records in his career and won 10 consecutive national titles. Athans says that being among the first inductees into Water Ski & Wakeboard Canada's Hall of Fame is a thrill. ''I'm honored to be recognized among such a select group of outstanding Canadian skiers,'' he said. ''I'm amazed at how well Canada has done in world competition. Few sports have achieved so much success. If I have inspired any of those skiers that followed me then I'm very proud.'' Since his retirement, Athans has managed a successful television career. He kept a high public profile as a sports reporter for CBC Television in Montreal for many years. He still works in the TV business today as an award-winning producer and director.

Charles Blackwell Charles' Results

The late Charles Blackwell was Canada's first water skiing world champion. And he did it in style earning the men's slalom gold on home waters in Toronto in 1953. The Ontario capital was the first Canadian city to host the water skiing worlds. Blackwell started water skiing rather late at age 17 in 1948 but within two years he was winning tournaments on a consistent basis including the world crown and three Canadian titles. At Expo '67 in Montreal, he was awarded a special gold medal for his world triumph. He worked 33 years for Kodak of Canada then purchased and operated Pointe au Baril Marina near his cottage at Harris Lake, Ont. His wife Mary Lou pre-deceased him in 1991 and Charles Blackwell passed away in 1994. They had four daughters including twins. ''Dad was always proud of everything he did,'' said his youngest daughter Sandra Blackwell. ''Water skiing gave him some wonderful adventures, though he was never into boasting about his accomplishments. He taught us all to ski but never pushed, just taught."

Jeremy Kovak Jeremy's Results

Jeremy Kovak is a pioneer in wakeboarding, which is regarded today as one of the world's fastest growing water sports. Now only 30-years-old, he enjoyed a stellar career on the pro circuit and was a responsible for the maple leaf flying highest at competitions around the world. In 1993, Kovak became the first Canadian to win a world wakeboard title (which he repeated in 1997) and in 1997 captured the World Cup crown as well. He has also triumphed at Masters, the X-Games and the World Extreme Cup. He posted more than 30 wins on the Pro Tour. During those years he had a heated and popular rivalry with American Darren Shapiro. ''Wakeboarding is in an exciting period right now and sometimes I wish I was still competing,'' said Kovak. ''It's just getting bigger and bigger. I think the appeal for the youngsters is that it's an extreme sport and has so many variables. They're really into the sport and are also real fans of the sport. I got involved initially because I loved doing flips and doing acrobatics in general.'' Kovak was also a star on the Canadian junior water ski team from 1988 to 1991 earning the world junior crown in 1990. He still holds Canadian water ski records. After retiring in 2000, he wrote an instructional wakeboard book, which he is currently promoting and selling.

Beth Leboff Beth's Results

Beth Leboff is the only Canadian to win a world elite title in barefoot water skiing. She accomplished this in 1992 at Thurrock, England placing first in women's jump soaring 13.7 metres, which was a Canadian record. She helped Canada to the team bronze and was also seventh overall. Leboff grew up in Montreal and her family had a home on a lake in the Laurentian Mountains. ''All I ever wanted to do was water ski,'' she said. ''I learned to barefoot initially with some friends and I found it exciting and challenging. My parents hooked me up with a proper coach so I would be safe.'' She won the national slalom title in 1991 and swept gold in overall, jump, slalom and tricks at the 1992 nationals. She was the Quebec Water Ski Federation's athlete of the year in 1991 and 1992. After the 1992 worlds she went to law school and today is a practicing attorney in Fort Lauderdale. She and her husband Scott McCullough have two young children.

Joel McClintock Joel's Results

Joel McClintock has been successful in water skiing as a competitor, coach, author, television commentator and businessman. In competition, McClintock was part of the world's most successful family in the sport, which included his sister Judy, who'll also be one of the first seven inductees into the Water Ski & Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame. He learned to water ski at age three, competed for the first time at five and won his first national title at 11. The highlight of his senior level career was winning the overall title at the world championships in 1979. He competed at five worlds in total. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. ''Winning the world title was a huge deal for me because the sport was my whole life up to that point,'' he said. ''That was my focus from the time I was 12-years-old. Nothing else mattered. Fortunately for me many other wonderful things happened to me afterwards including my involvement with the national team as a coach.'' As a coach, McClintock guided Canada to the world team title in 1991 and 1993 and was a three-time winner of the Coaching Association of Canada's Excellence Award. In addition, he authored The Complete Instructional Book of Waterskiing, produced an instructional videotape on the sport, was host of Watersports World, a nationally syndicated TV program for three years and provided expert analysis on TV for major events such as the Masters. He currently operates Palm Beach Water Sports, a water skiing school in Florida.

Judy McClintock-Messer Judy's Results

Judy McClintock-Messer's numbers speak for themselves. She won world titles 10 years apart (1985 in tricks and 1995 in overall and tricks), broke Canadian records 48 times and still holds the tricks mark today, was on the national team for 17 years (1979-1995) and competed at every world championships during those years-.an international record. She also won 30 national crowns and claimed four Masters titles. Incredibly, when she retired in 1996 she was only 33-years-old. ''Water skiing was a big activity in our family spearheaded by my parents,'' recalled McClintock-Messer, the youngest of five children and the only girl. Three of her brothers were on the national team as well. ''We were lucky enough to have competitive water skiers living close by, so we got involved in that. By the time I was nine I won my first national title. I was geared towards competition right from the start.'' Of course with such a record, you would think McClintock-Messer ate, slept and drank water skiing. However she married Perry John Messer at age 22 in 1985 and they launched successful fitness business in Northampton, Massachusetts and started a family. That didn't slow McClintock-Messer at all. She kept winning in water skiing, the business thrived and they had three children. McClintock-Messer and her brother Joel McClintock were the first siblings to win world titles and they also helped end the American's 40-year-reign in the team event at the 1991 worlds. Today McClintock-Messer is an avid runner and in April will race in the Boston Marathon.

Pat Messner Pat's Results

Pat Messner has the distinction of being Canada's only Olympic medallist in water skiing. That happened at the 1972 Games where water skiing was on the program as a demonstration sport. She won the bronze in women's slalom, an achievement that launched a successful international career. ''Being at the Olympics was an amazing experience,'' said Messner, who was coached by her father Joe Messner, a 15-time national champion. They currently run Mesle Canada Water Ski School in Ottawa. ''I wish it could have been granted official status but unfortunately it didn't work out. Still, water skiing remains extremely popular at the participation and that in large parts explains Canada's continued success.'' After the Olympics, Messner ran off a string of firsts for a Canadian woman. She won four world championship medals including the gold in women's slalom in 1979. She was the first Canadian woman to win gold at the Masters Tournament finishing first in slalom in 1978. Messner collected 18 national titles- the first in 1964- and broke Canadian records 19 times. She was on the national team in 1972 and from 1975-80.