"You're wearing a helmet, a padded wetsuit and a pair of what looks like over-sized snow skis. You're gliding behind a boat that's headed right for a giant red cheese wedge. It just misses the giant object, but you don't. You brace yourself as you slide up, keeping your eyes on the horizon and praying that you'll land right side up." This is senior Jac Stocks', captain of the UW Water Ski Team, description of a jump event.

The club has seven members who range from very experienced to novice. Some members, like senior Josh Rusk and junior Cameron Hartman, have water skied their entire lives, but it is the first time they've skied competitively. Whatever skill level, the club is supportive and open to new members.

"We don't care if you're a good water skier," said Stocks. "We just want you to come out to the water and ski with us."

The team was in place a long time before, said Stocks, but the club lost leadership. Stocks and friend, senior Sara Vannortwick, were encouraged to start the team up several years ago by former team captain, Brock Laughlin.

The team participates in tournaments governed by the National Collegiate Water Ski Association, a sub-body of USA Water Ski -- the national governing body for organized water skiing. Individual schools in the Western region -- Washington, California, Oregon and Arizona -- bid in order to participate in the tournaments, Stock said. So far this academic year, the team has competed in three spring tournaments -- the Season Opener tournament hosted by UC-Davis, the Borderline tournament hosted by Western Washington University and the All-Star Qualifier hosted by UC-Santa Barbara and Cal-Poly. UW skiers placed in all three tournaments.

Vannortwick, the team president, and Stocks have performed so well they will be going to an all-star tournament May 21 and 22 at Beaver Lake in Ahoskie, N.C. To qualify for the all stars you must participate in two fall and two spring tournaments. Those rules have been suspended for the UW team because it's just getting off the ground.

"It's going to bump the chances of the Western Region winning All-Stars," said Stocks.

Fall tournaments will begin mid-September.

"If people show up, we're going to do really well," said Rusk, one of the team's newer members.

The team meets in the HUB Tuesdays before every tournament and on a need-to-need basis. Although there's no weekly commitment for being a member, the team makes an effort to practice weekly.

Practices are often held at state water ski clubs Bow Hill Lake and Winlock Waters, and with Western Washington's team on Lake Samish. If possible, the team will practice a little closer to home.

"We start morning practices next week sometime," said Hartman. "If we can get a boat, we'll practice on Lake Washington."

Tournaments involve three events: men and women's jump, trick and slalom. These terms may be foreign to anyone who is not a water skier, but to those familiar with the sport they're everyday concepts. The slalom event involves weaving in and out through a course and the goal is speed. Trick, as you'd expect, involves doing tricks.

"You can ride backwards with one foot, you can jump and spin ... you can spin on the water without leaving the water and you can ride sideways. The pros do inverted flips and stuff," said Hartman.

Jump involves skiing off a five-foot wedge and the goal is distance.

Rusk went to his first tournament with the UW team recently.

"It was really cool -- a little nerve racking having people watch you who know a lot about the sport watching you, but it was fun to be there," he said.

Stocks encourages people to join the team.

"There's nothing better than getting together with friends and hanging out at the lake together," she says. The team not only hangs out at the lake; camping, spaghetti feeds, dances on the dock and 18-hour motor home rides have also taken place.

Rusk has enjoyed skiing with good friends and the opportunity to get out on the water.

"College kids don't usually have boats," he pointed out.

"It's all about having fun," said Hartman, and the speed, as he admits he especially likes that aspect. "I'm kind of a speed freak, I guess."

The UW team may be small, but Stocks said they remain strong.

"We're making waves in the Western region," she said.