TODAY’S DAUGHTERS
May/June American Spirit Magazine
Full Speed Ahead
Meet the Florida Daughter who holds multiple world titles and records in water skiing
What does Regina Jaquess love most about water skiing? It is not the feeling she gets when she nails a jump that sends her nearly 200 feet through the air. It is not the 14 gold medals she has won at the Pan American Games and the Water Ski World Championships. It is not even that she holds the women’s world record for slalom skiing. What she loves most about the sport is the community.
Ms. Jaquess, who is a professional water skier, holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and owns Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Water skiing has helped keep her tight-knit family close, she said. She has formed and maintained close friendships with water skiers all over the world, said the member of the West Florida Chapter, Destin, Fla.
SMITH, JAQUESS WIN TITLES AT SWISS PRO SLALOM
By Scott N. Atkinson | May 02, 2021, 6:43 p.m. (ET)
U.S. water ski athletes Nate Smith and Regina Jaquess won respective slalom titles on Sunday at the 2021 Swiss Pro Slalom at the Swiss Waterski Resort in Clermont, Fla.
Jaquess won the women’s title at the Swiss Pro Slalom for the seventh consecutive year, scoring 4-1/4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off in the finals. She earned the top seed after scoring 2 buoys at 41 feet off in the first two rounds. She was the only women’s athlete to run the 39-1/2 off pass. Canada’s Jaimee Bull finished second (4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off) and Australia’s Vennesa Vieke placed third (2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off). France’s Manon Costard (3-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off) and U.S. athlete Chelsea Mills (1-1/2 buoys at 38 feet off) rounded out the top-five placements.
Smith won the men’s slalom title for the first time since 2018 after a four-way runoff. Smith, Great Britain’s Freddie Winter, Great Britain’s Will Asher and Canada’s Cole McCormick each scored 3 buoys at 41 feet off in the finals. In the subsequent runoff, Smith clinched the title with a score of 1 buoy at 43 feet off, followed by Winter (3 buoys at 41 feet off), Asher (2 buoys at 41 feet off) and McCormick (3-1/2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off).
THE IWWF HONORS ATHLETES OF THE DECADE & QUARTER CENTURY
By USA Water Ski & Wake Sports | April 29, 2021, 10:50 a.m. (ET)
In consideration of the current global pandemic, the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation Bureau made the decision that it would not be appropriate to have the 2020 IWWF Skiers, Riders and Athletes of the Year Awards. In light of 2021 being the 75th Anniversary of the IWWF, it was decided that each sport division council should choose their Skiers and Riders of the Decade 2010–2019. Further, each Council could select their Female and Male Skiers and Riders of the past 25 years, if appropriate.
U.S. athletes honored with Female and Male Skiers/Riders of the Decade were: Raimi Merritt (Wakeboard Boat) and Freddy Krueger (Water Ski).
U.S. athletes honored with Female and Male Skiers/Riders of the Quarter Century were: Katie Mawby (Disabled), Todd Haig (Water Ski Racing), Cathy Luiting (Show Ski) and Regina Jaquess (Water Ski).
The IWWF also announced the 2021 IWWF International Hall of Fame inductees would be announced in May.
Regina claims 6-peat at Swiss Pro Slalom
Published October 7, 2020
Make it six for six. Regina Jaquess topped the Women’s slalom field at Sunday’s Swiss Pro Slalom to win her sixth-consecutive title at the event and remain the only female winner in the event’s history.
Regina put up scores of 2 at 41, 2 at 41 and 3 at 41 to earn the win, topping second-place finisher Manon Costard and Jaime Bull in third place. Team GOODE’s Chelsea Mills and Alice Bagnoli finished fifth and eight, respectively.
On the Men’s side, Thomas Degasperi took third in his first-ever Swiss pro, finishing behind champion Freddie Winter and Nate Smith. Team GOODE’s Adam Sedlmajer finished fifth.
'Such a thrill:' 40 of the world's best waterskiers showcased skills in Oconomowoc in weekend tourney
Published August 16, 2020
By Lily Zhao FOX 6 Now Milwaukee
OCONOMOWOC - If you break it down into its most basic form, water skiing is just that, skiing on water, but the sport is way more complex. Some of the world's best skiers came together in Oconomowoc for a weekend tournament -- the first in the COVID era.
"I mean, it's pretty wild," said Tony Drake, director of the Stillwaters Pro Team Challenge. "You're seeing the best of the best. We have people jumping over 200 feet, so they're literally taking off like an airplane. You see them doing flips and all these tote tricks, so it's really exciting," said Nate Smith, world record holder in men's slalom skiing.
The Stillwaters Pro Team Challenge featured 40 of the world's best waterskiers in Oconomowoc Aug. 14-16.
"It's such a thrill and honor," said Drake. "To have them right here in Wisconsin is a sure treat."
"It's really exciting," said Smith. "It's really fun to come watch as a spectator."
As much of a treat as it was for fans, it was equally as exciting for the athletes themselves.
"With the pandemic, we haven't really been able to have many tournaments," said Regina Jaquess, world record holder in women's slalom skiing. "Pro events haven't really been going on. This is our first pro event of the 2020 season. I love coming up to Wisconsin."
Jaquess was among the many talented waterskiers in attendance. She took home wins in the slalom, jump and overall on Sunday afternoon, and also set a world record in the overall."It's been incredible to get a first pro win under the belt," said Jaquess. "It's late in the season, but this is our first pro event, so I'll take the win."
So what does waterskiing consist of? There's the slalom, where you ski around a six-buoy course, the jump, where the furthest jump wins and the trick event, where waterskiers have two 20-second passes to complete a variety of tricks.
"For the athletes who are doing all three, slalom, trick and jump, three very different disciplines, so it's really tough because they really have to train, in essence, in three different sports," said Drake.
While there's still competition among the waterskiers, at the end of the day, there's also a big sense of camaraderie.
"All the skiers, we're all friendly and approachable," said Smith. "Same thing with outsiders and spectators."
As the sport continues to gain exposure, this weekend event also helped out the younger waterskiers.
"You see the juniors that they had here, see the kids get out on the water," said Jaquess. "They just love it, and that's our future of our sport."
NCWSA Hall of Fame – Class of 2019: Regina Jaquess
Published October 9, 2019
By Michael Testa, AWSA
If you’ve ever walked through the front door of East Coast Compounding Pharmacy in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, you’ve likely had the pleasure of interacting with their amazing staff. Amongst the staff, one might run into the owner and head pharmacist, Regina Jaquess. Upon meeting Regina, it doesn’t take too long to recognize that she’s not so average… intelligent, caring, quick-witted, and passionate about her career and her patients. Additionally, she’s casually a professional athlete who is consistently at the top of her sport, no big deal.
Regina earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) in 2009, and has been practicing in Florida ever since. While school culminated in a Doctorate of Pharmacy she started off at the University of Louisiana Monroe in 2002 after earning a full athletic scholarship to water ski at ULM. During her first four years of school, Regina competed on ULM’s 3-event water ski team and set the collegiate world on fire from 2002 through 2005. During her collegiate skiing career, she was the ULM captain from 2002 through 2005 and she helped carry the team to two NCWSA National Championship tournament victories in 2002 and 2004 while claiming many event and overall titles across her collegiate career. Aside from her team titles, Regina somehow managed to take it about 30 steps further.
The Extra Mile or Thirty
Regina was chosen as an All-American skier four years in a row in all three events. She competed in the World University Championships, where she was the slalom, trick, jump, and overall champion (yes that is a clean sweep). During her collegiate career she held the slalom, trick, and jump records for both NCWSA and FISU World University, and to this day she is the only athlete to ever hold NCWSA slalom, trick, and jump records simultaneously. In her final year of eligibility, 2005, she won the award for NCWSA Female Athlete of the Year. As a final feather in the cap of her collegiate skiing career, she graces our NCWSA logo with her jump silhouette.
Beyond the Water
Regina’s excellence extended beyond the water as well. After finishing her eligibility at University of Louisiana Monroe, Regina was the ULM advisor and coach for two years. During that tenure ULM won two more national championships. Regina helped officiate many NCWSA events as a highly rated judge in all three events. To top it off she sat on the NCWSA Board for the South Central Region from 2003 through 2005.
Proven and Sustained Success
Regina has proven through her successful skiing and pharmaceutical careers that she is no ordinary individual (let alone skier). She is consistently in the top of her class at everything she does, and dedicates herself to her personal and professional development. How does she find time to do all of this, you ask? Good question – we don’t know either. Regina continues to spend her time promoting the sport and ensuring that it lives on for generations to come. At tournaments, you can find her either prepping herself to ski, cheering on one of the thousands of aspiring skiers that she has coached, or in the boat/a tower, judging.
A Role Model We Strive To Be
Regina perfectly exemplifies everything that we aspire for collegiate skiers to be – their time spent as an NCWSA athlete fosters personal and professional growth, which creates a passionate individual who is dedicated to their career, their sport, and themselves. Regina, your professionalism and passion, both on the water and off, is an inspiration to thousands of fans across the globe – thank you for doing what you do and striving to be the best that you can be every single day. The example you’ve set is just one of the many reasons you were selected for this honor, and no one is more deserving than you.
Regina, congratulations on being inducted to the NCWSA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019!
Regina Jaquess wins a pair of golds, claims her fourth consecutive jumping title
Published July 30, 2019
By Kendra Hansey, Team USA
Regina Jaquess’ father just might have to buy another trophy case.
The five-time Pan American Games veteran and now 16-time medalist upgraded from her silver-medal finish in slalom in Toronto 2015 and defended her jumping crown for the fourth consecutive Games.
With her first jump, Jaquess sealed the title.
The 35-year-old water skier didn’t even remember that it was her fourth gold medal in a row in jumping. The bewildered look on her face was immediately replaced with sheer joy and excitement at the realization.
“This is like an Olympic medal for us,” Jaquess said. “That’s as big as we get. It’s always every four years… being able to stay healthy and compete and jump for the fourth consecutive one is humbling. That’s kind of crazy – that’s a lot of years.”
Having competed in the Pan American Games for 16 years now, garnering eight golds, four silvers and three bronzes, she’s kept the tradition of framing all of her medals at her father’s house, since she was living with him when she first embarked on her Pan American Games journey.
With each gold-medal win, perspective has changed for Jaquess, realizing now how many people put the time and effort into each win, making the significance of capturing gold even greater for her.
“Your first one is like, ‘This is great,’” Jacquess said. “By the time you get to where you are now, you realize how much your family puts into seeing that achieved for you. It’s more of a medal that everybody is involved in. You respect it more because you realize how much people have put into you – that kind of makes them more special than the first one.”
She doesn’t let the target on her back phase her in competition. Acknowledging that it’s a lot of pressure, Jaquess tries not to ponder over it and instead focuses on competing against herself and on her key points.
After the Games, the focus for Jaquess will be on world championships in three weeks. The competitions in Lima also serve as a gauge for what areas she needs to focus on and practice.
“This is a great time and setup to be working toward and going through the mechanics of what you do in a water ski tournament,” coach Jay Bennett said. “It’s given us a great opportunity to be fine tuning things that we need to for the world championships. Where she is right now with all three of her events is a nice situation and pace that she needs to be in.”
Team USA finished the day with six medals with Taylor Garcia earning gold in men’s jumping, Adam Pickos bronze in tricks and Erika Lang grabbing silver in women’s tricks. Mary Morgan Howell claimed silver in the Pan American Games debut of women’s wakeboard.
On Tuesday, Team USA will compete in the waterski overall final and the men’s wakeboard final.
Regina sets new world record
Published July 30, 2019
By Malibu Boats
Malibu’s water ski athlete, Regina Jaquess, has set a new standard in the world of water skiing once again. On Saturday July 6th, 2019, Regina headed to the water behind a new Malibu TXi Response to try out the new Malibu Monsoon M6Di Engine. We are excited to announce that Regina, the current IWWF Women’s World Waterski Champion ran 4.5 buoys @ 41' off at Lymand Land USA Duncansville, Alabama, setting a new world record.
“My ability to achieve these records is a direct result of Malibu Boats always pushing the limits. The 2020 Malibu TXi powered by the Malibu Monsoon M6Di is an incredible combination...”REGINA JAQUESS//MALIBU ATHELETE
“I am very excited about the new world record. My ability to achieve these records is a direct result of Malibu Boats always pushing the limits. The 2020 Malibu TXi powered by the Malibu Monsoon M6Di is an incredible combination. And this was my first set behind it. The new combination gives me the time and release I need to push the record even further. I’m looking forward to setting new records even further with the 2020 Malibu TXI,” stated Regina Jaquess.
The original Malibu Response TXi is a legendary ski boat, pulling pro riders to 13 world records. With the release of the new Malibu Monsoon engines, the TXi has the perfect combination of power and reliability to create soft, flat wakes consistently for what every record-setter skier needs. There’s no better duo than a Malibu Response TXi and a world record-setting skier!
Regina Jaquess has broken the last four world records. It started in 2012 when she ran 3 buoys at 41' off, followed by 3.25 buoys at 41' off two years later. Pacing another two years, she ran 3.5 buoys at 41' off then broke the record again in 2018 with 4 buoys at 41' off. The Malibu Boats family could not be more proud of elite athlete, Regina, and all that she has been able to accomplish breaking and setting this new world record. We look forward to the ways she will continue to disrupt the world of water skiing behind the Malibu Response TXi powered by the Malibu Monsoon Engine and maybe even set another new world record.