This year’s honorary starter of the Catalina Water Ski Race began helping to organize ski races in 1970. He was the race director for the Anacapa ski race (from Oxnard to Anacapa Island and back).
In his first Catalina ski race as a driver he was 8th overall with a junior boy. The very next year he was 4th overall with the same skier but in Intermediate men’s. When he drove his first Catalina race he set a Junior Boys record – Intermediate Mens the next year. And the skier later on became the first American man to win a World Championship – he was …Kirk Book, the 1993 Men’s World Water Ski Racing Champion.
This year’s honorary starter was a big part in bringing back the annual “Special Needs Children’s” event after a small Hiatus.
This person closed his business down for a month before the Catalina Ski Race just to set up final arrangements for the event (business would close 1 month prior to the event for 9 years.)
This person was International chairman for the USA for several years. He arranged for three boats to be shipped to South Africa in 1989. (His boat was part of the three.) He was also part of the Long Beach Sports Council.
The Honorary starter of the 60th Catalina Water Ski Race is:
Mr Skip Vaughan
.
