Frankie Dees to be Honored with 2018 Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award
Polk City, Fla. - (PRWEB) October 10, 2017 -- 31-time National Overall Champion Frankie Dees has contributed to the great sport of water skiing for more than 60 years as a competitor and a coach. Dees first learned to water ski in 1964 at the age of four, won his first trophy at age seven and by age 16 he had been pictured in Life Magazine and honored by Sports Illustrated. Dees broke the junior boys record at age 11 and 12. In 1968 he became the youngest skier to win the coveted overall Masters Title. The following year at the 1969 Masters, he won slalom title. Dees skied in the open division from age 14 to age 37 and won overall national titles in every division. Winning jump national titles more than 40 times, Dees set the Mens 5 jump record in 2008 which he still holds to this day. Throughout his career Dees racked up 49 gold medals at the National Championships. Dees worked at Cypress Gardens for 15 years as a show skier, and coached at the Chuck Dees Ski School for more than 40 years. Dees also did a lot of research and development work in the 1980’s and 90’s with various boat companies while running water ski promo programs for MB boats, Ski Centurion and Malibu Boats. During Dee’s skiing career, he also had the opportunity to ski twice in both the Moomba Masters and the European Masters.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes longevity in the sport. The award goes to those individuals who have been actively involved in one or more of the USA Water Ski Sport Disciplines of towed water sports for a minimum of 50 years. Whether they are competitors, coaches or behind the scenes tireless promoters and administrators, these individuals have spent at least a half a century in the sport.
Dees will be recognized at the 2018 Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 28th at the Water Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Walt Disney’s grand Fantasia Ballroom at the Contemporary Resort.
Tracy Mattes, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation, http://www.waterskihalloffame.com, +1 863-324-2472, [email protected]
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