VOLUME 11, NO. 3     FEBRUARY 1998

Waterskiing at WPI?

by Geoff Hassard

hen you think of WPI athletes, you may think of field hockey players, basketball players or football players. You would never even consider water-skiers. The following story is about just such an athlete who, along with two other WPI students, competes collegiately and has for four years.

Nick DiMasi of Natick, Mass., graduated in December; he is hoping to find a job in Florida as a mechanical engineer and pursue a sport he loves, waterskiing. How does a guy from Natick become involved in waterskiing? Living next door to a family that has a boat, that's how.

"I went waterskiing for the first time when I was 14," says DiMasi. "My neighbor had a boat and I went along for a ride just to try something different. I then convinced my parents to buy a boat.

Being a water-skier and attending WPI is not an uncommon occurrence. The man who got DiMasi involved in collegiate water skiing is Lex Carroll, WPI class of '51. Carroll, who is also a member of Alpha Tau Omega, is "the man" when it comes to waterskiing in the Northeast. He owns four acres of land and a pond in the western part of the state and has held tournaments there for years. "Lex is really the one responsible for my involvement in waterskiing," says DiMasi. "I don't know if I could ever thank him enough. He's the one who contacted me in the first place to tell me about these tournaments. I will always be grateful for his kindness."

Another alum, Jennifer Lambert '90, who was a four-year letter-winner for the swim team, holds the Northeast Region women's collegiate record for the slalom event.

Waterskiing is an expensive sport involving a training boat and precision equipment. DiMasi is a self-funded skier. He tried to organize a club at WPI, but was told there would be no funding available for a few years. So he competes during the spring, summer and fall and trains seven days a week during the summer on Lake Cochituate in Natick.

He recently brought two more WPI students on board: junior Steve Raymond and senior Brendan Smith. They have competed in two tournaments; in October they finished third. DiMasi had his best day, winning the overall men's championship. It was a significant win for DiMasi because it was the last tournament as a collegian. His best scores are in the tricks and jump, two of the three waterskiing events (the third is the slalom).

DiMasi's involvement in skiing has carried over to his studies at WPI. His Major Qualifying Project was the design of wakeboard bindings. He designed bindings that are safer, more durable and easier to enter. A wakeboard is to waterskiing as a snowboard is to alpine skiing. "I guess I could have my design patented," said DiMasi.

Unless you're a professional, there's no money to be made. "At the collegiate and amateur levels there is no money at all," says DiMasi. "At the professional level, even though there is money, there's not enough to make a living at skiing full time."

"The next level for me is amateur," says DiMasi. "Right now I'm interviewing for some jobs in Florida where I can train and compete year-round. Maybe someday if my skills get better I may be able to compete as a pro."

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