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58 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 2, 2004 Brian Moore makes his fourth consecutive trip to the American Water Ski Association national championships in West Palm Beach, Fla., but it�s the first time he comes in with the Western Region Men�s 2 slalom crown. Moore, 29, will compete next week in th Water Rush Brian Moore takes his love of water-skiing to the national stage in Florida next week By FRANK SILOW Mail Tribune Brian Moore is an addict. And the 29-year-old Rogue Valley native has been one for most his life. As a youngster, Moore’s parents got him started with water-skiing. He’s been obsessive ever since. "Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I didn’t ski," says Moore. "It’s an incredible adrenaline rush I can’t get anywhere else." Moore and his wife, Erin, leave Wednesday for the American Waterski Association national championships in West Palm Beach, Fla. Advertisement This is Moore’s fourth consecutive trip to nationals, but it’s the first time he comes in with the Western Region Men’s 2 slalom title, which he won July 23 at Bakersfield, Calif. The west region covers 13 states and is one of four in the country. Moore will compete Friday in the 25-35-year-old age bracket — usually the most difficult division — while Erin, who qualified for the first time, takes to the water Thursday. Last year the top two finishers at nationals in Moore’s division came from the west region. "This is the first time I’m actually going to be competitive as far as medaling," says Moore, whose best finish at nationals was 10th in 2002. "We’ve recently leased a private ski lake in Redding. This is the only way to be competitive. There is perfect water conditions and you can ski as long as you want. There are no other boats or diversions." For about seven months of the year beginning in April, Moore and his wife, his parents and friends Mike and Kim Budreau spend just about every weekend at the private lake in Redding, Calif. The only exception is when skiing in tournaments . "It consumes every bit of my life except going to work," says Moore, who is a self-employed finish carpenter. "All our extra time and money goes to water-skiing." And this is how it’s been most of his life. Moore’s parents, Steve and Cindy, began hauling Moore and his older sister to Irongate Lake in northern California since they were tikes. Moore learned to ski when he was 4 years old. The family camped every summer weekend at Mirror Cove on the lake 10 miles east of Hornbrook. They purchased an existing slalom course on the lake and formed a club with other group enthusiasts. "After I got married I bought a boat and skied for fun on the lake," says Steve Moore, who followed his father as a competitive skier. "It was just something I loved to do and we took the family." As Moore and his sister Christy became teenagers, they continued to join their parents for the weekend excursions at Irongate, a one-hour drive from Medford. "We took their friends with us and didn’t have to worry where they were," says Steve Moore, 49. "Every Saturday night we’d sit around the campfire talking about what we’ve done during the day. "The sport gave us something we never really intended by keeping the family so close." About this time, Steve Moore realized his son had a knack for the sport. "When it started out I was his coach for quite a few years," he says. "Eventually he got above my abilities and he turned into my coach." Some of Brian Moore’s earliest childhood memories are sleeping on a blanket in the bow of the boat while his parents were skiing. "If it wasn’t for my parents there is no way I’d be involved in this sport," says Moore. "By the time I was a young kid I was pretty good at it and I wanted to ski every chance I could." Moore began skiing competitively at 16, but was placing in the lower end at tournaments. "It’s impossible to become competitive skiing on a public lake," says Moore, a 1993 Crater High graduate. "I always wanted to take it to another level, but I didn’t have the opportunity. At tournaments, people used to give us a hard time by calling us ‘weekend warriors.’ " Moore credits lots of practice at Sunrise Landing Lake in Redding and strength training as key factors for his success. He estimates he makes 1,000 practice passes a year on the 800-foot long slalom course. He uses a D-3 custom carbon graphite ski, which costs about $1,000 and another $700 for bindings. The D-3 is one of the most expensive and popular skies used at the top level. Budreau met Moore at Irongate Lake in 1997 and has become part of their extended family. The Budreaus and Moores practice and ski in tournaments together. "Brian is just a nice humble guy," says Budreau. "One of the most amazing things about Brian is he has a job and can only ski on the weekends. Most people competing in tournaments live on a private lake or have daily access to one." At nationals, Moore will be competing against about 45 others in his division. The course is set up with six turn buoys — three on each side. The skier is pulled by a boat that goes down the center of the course between a set of guided balls. The skier begins at the entrance gate and must go around each buoy then through an exit gate. The boat travels at 36 mph, but the skier can go as high as 70 mph crossing the wakes. "The skier has to make up a lot more time than the boat because you’re going around buoys while the boat is going straight," explains Moore. "I just think about what I want to do entering the first gate. That dictates your whole course. If you don’t set the right rhythm, you won’t have a chance." The skier has to complete the course without falling or missing a buoy with a selected amount shortened off the 75-foot tow rope. Moore will typically begin with 28 feet shortened off the rope. He will then move up to increments of 32 to 35 to 38 then 39½ feet. Whichever skier gets the most buoys off the shorter rope wins. "In regionals or nationals you get one shot," says Moore. "Once you miss a buoy, you’re on your way home. You should start two or three passes from your hardest. That way you get warmed up but not warn out for your peak performance." Moore’s competition at nationals will not last more than 10 minutes. The top performance by Moore in a tournament is four buoys with 38-feet off. In practice, Moore’s best is three buoys with 39½ off. "Simply put you want to create a lot of angle and gain speed through the wake," says Moore, whose 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame is advantageous. "Then decelerate at the buoy so you can make a turn. You can’t make a turn at 70 mph." Competing in the slalom provides a challenge for Moore, but another goal is to have a private ski lake locally. "We would love to promote the sport in the Rogue Valley," says Moore. "I know for certain if more people had an opportunity to get into a slalom course, they would get just as addictive as I am." 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