History

History of BDWSA
Compiled by Robin Nichols

An article of this kind can only highlight some of the major events that have taken place during the growth of the B.D.W.S.A. and sadly credit cannot be given to all the hundreds of people who have contributed to its success. Like so much of British Water Ski, its foundations were laid by the elite band of skiers who initially formed the Ruislip and Princes Water Ski clubs.

The first exploratory meeting was organised by the late David Nations when he invited all those interested in skiing by people with disabilities to attend a training course at Ruislip water ski Club on 1st July 1978. At that time barefoot training booms were already being used, there were a number of amputee skiers and blind skiers were regularly skiing. It was obvious that a new organisation would be able to concentrate on promoting further development of the sport and luckily the right man, Tony Edge, had attended and was willing to get it all going.

As is well known, Tony Edge lost a leg in a flying accident during World War II and spent several years slowly learning to mono water ski without a prosthesis. As an early member of Princes Club he already knew the structure of the water skiing world. He was convinced that there were quicker ways to learn the sport and was dedicated to helping others. During the winter of 1978 he single handidly produced a constitution and initiated the process of getting the infant organization accepted as a registered charity.

The first official committee meeting of the B.D.W.S.A was held at Kirtons Farm on on 4th. April 1979 and those present were Mike Bayford, Tony Edge, Mike Hammond, Robin Nichols and British Water Ski Federation representative, George Hill. A key part in the development of the Association was Tony Edge's carefully constructed constitution which ensured that people with disabilities would always retain ultimate control of the Association that was set up for their benefit. Tony became the first chairman, David nations O.B.E., the first president, and Sandy Grey the first secretary. After a year the secretary became Tony's wife Maeve who continued until the organisation became too large for her resources. Maeve continues as a much loved vice president of the B.D.W.S.A. The B.D.W.S.A. logo of a heron standing on one leg was again one of Tony's ideas.

The B.D.W.S.A was then on its way and there followed a series of courses at friendly ski clubs and the first residential course in July 1979 at Storrs Hall on Lake Windermere. Technical development of aids to make learning easier was a priority and the accumulation of equipment necessitated the construction of a special trailer to carry it all to the various courses. Amongst the first success's was Tony's own design of a "Triple Bar". This innovative idea immediately showed that teaching time for physically disabled people able to stand up, could be drastically reduced. The "Edge Triple Bar" is not patented and it has been used all over the world. Although the idea of three handles slotting together is simple it does depend for its success on construction with the correct grades of stainless steel and aluminium and a pair of strong instructors. Another device that has proved its success over the years was the "Delger Sling" for single handed skiers. It was named after its designer, Ray Delger , a well known B.W.S.F. coach. Mark Addicott was an early user of the sling and went on to develop the design for tournament use and even better, to marry Marion, one of Tony Edges three devoted daughters.

In the early years of the B.D.W.S.A. most skiing was done by blind and amputee members. The position has now radically changed and a major part of the skiing is that by done by seated skiers. The first seated skis used by the B.D.W.S.A were "Sitzskis" made by Frank Jespers and imported from his furniture factory in Belgium. Subsequently various fibreglass surf canoes and specialist skis have been used and development is very much an on going priority. Early tournament "KanSkis" were imported from America but for the last the 3 years Scottish development engineer Nick Mathews has been able to produce tournament skis in Britain for the first time since the days of Kathrow, Gilcraft, and Chippendale.

After a year the B.D.W.S.A was steadily strengthening and Tony's wife Maeve, became the secretary. Gerald Price, who had already been a blind skier on lake Windermere for some years, joined the committee. Gerald went on to organise a number of courses at the Sale Water ski club in Manchester. The second residential course took place at Holme Pierrepont on the main 2 kilometre rowing course during July 1980 and this tradition has carried on without interruption and is now probably the largest novice water skiing course anywhere in the world organised solely for people with disabilities. For the first few years this was organised by the B.D.W.S.A. National committee including but as the B.D.W.S.A. grew stronger, local committees emerged and since 1987 the courses have been run with ever increasing success by the Yorkshire and Central Region.

Everyone wanted a National Centre and a lake of our own and in those days as much as now, finding water to ski on was difficult. Credit for aquiring Heron Lake must go to the efforts of Sue and Robin Nichols whose prayers where answered when Ready Mixed Concrete allowed the B.D.W.S.A to use one of its recently dug gravel pits near Staines for water skiing. Help and guidance during the negotiations were given by the sadly missed first secretary of the B.W.S.F., Tony Richardson. After the usual planning applications were granted, skiing started in June 1983, using a Mastercraft borrowed from Mark Addicott and David Roelants. There were 33 skis on the first day at a site with no facilities whatsoever. The lake had no name and so from the outset the B.D.W.S.A logo was used to give Heron Lake an identity.

In September 1983 Tony Edge was sadly forced to resign as chairman because of the onset of cancer that he was to die from a few months later. He was happily able to see the beginnings of a National Centre, that is now named in his memory.
Peter Felix then took over the chairmanship which he held with distinction for the next 12 years. Peter had very good relations with the International officials of Water skiing and was instrumental in persuading them to accept disabled water skiing as a separate council within the International Water Ski Federation. Peter was chairman throughout the years of the greatest expansion of the B.D.W.S.A from a small group of enthusiasts into a National governing body with six regions and the Tony Edge National Centre. After his retirement as chairman, he was awarded the O.B.E. in recognition of his services to water skiing and the disabled in particular. Subsequent chairmen have been Robin Nichols, Alan Pettigrew, David Musgrove and currenly David Sell.

Development of Heron Lake into its present form has been the result of many persons very hard work over 18 years. Yes there have been substantial grants but they have had initially to been matched by the Associations own efforts. An early fund raising initiative was a channel crossing by blind water skiers Gerald Price and Nigel Verbeek in 1981. It set a precedent for a much larger fund raising project when able bodied instructor Geoff king led a team consisting of Wendy Mason, Chris Mairs, Mark Addicott and Denise Smith O.B.E., in a mass channel crossing in September 1988. The long drive to find funds for the present National Centre building was largely driven by Sylvia Nicholl and amongst her major efforts were the Ski Scotland rally when disabled skiers were allowed to negotiate the Caledonian canal and cross Scotland and the first of the 24 hour ski marathon at Heron Lake.

The continuing main task of the B.D.W.S.A is to teach disabled beginners to water ski but a great deal of the publicity goes to the small band of highly motivated skiers who compete both Nationally and Internationally. There have now been 19 British National Disabled Water Ski Championships, mostly at Heron lake but also in the regions at Ivy lake in Hampshire, Town Loch, the Scottish National Centre, and Whitworth near Rochdale in the North West. The foundation for World competition was set at Heron Lake in July 1987 with the holding of the first World Trophy for the Disabled. At that stage there were an insufficient number of countries involved for the I.W.S.F. to allow the tournament to be called a "World Championship" but nevertheless that is what it effectively was. It was a resounding success with a most memorable opening when Richard Branson, who was then president of the B.D.W.S.A started the proceedings by skiing around Heron Lake in a 1900's style swim suit accompanied by lovely one legged skiers Wendy Mason and Debbie Simms. Fund raising for the event was led by Peter Luck Hille who later served as the B.D.W.S.A. chairman. The publicity for the event has never been equalled and that was due to Marion Edge who used her professional training and skills to such effect that she received National recognition.

Although less publicised, the work of the B.D.W.S.A regions has grown to be a major part of the organisation. The first branch to be formed was in Yorkshire were Rex Brunneye led the development of disabled skiing starting from a small club near Kingston. The Whitworth Ski Centre near Rochdale has always been an excellent site for disabled skiing and its managers who have contributed to its development have been John Bingley, Steve Butterworth and now Andy Knowles and his wife Flo. The South West Region based at the Ivy Lake Ski Club near Ringwood Hampshire has steadily developed its disabled ski courses. Its former chairman Peter Viney has seen the development of world class tournament skiers Debbie Cummings, Peter Sheath, and Barbara Russell alongside regular novice courses.

Peter Viney was also the extremely hard working organiser behind the superbly successful 1999 World Disabled Championships held at Heron lake in August of that year. Those championships set the bench mark for disabled skiing and it was widely praised as being the best championships ever held.

Only a few of the many people who have helped to develop the B.D.W.S.A have been mentioned but everyone's help has made the B.D.W.S.A the best disabled water skiing organisation in the world.

Registered Charity No - 1063678
The Tony Edge National Centre, Heron Lake, Hythe End Road, Wraysbury, Middlesex, TW19 6HW Tel: 01784 483664, Email: info@bdwsa.org