Jeanette Van Akelijen Awarded 2025 Distinguished Service Award

Congratulations Jeanette Van Akeilijen on this year’s Distinguished Service Award.  Jeanette grew up water skiing on the Ohio River as a weekend Wally. In 1995 during a job interview there was a picture on the wall of a slalom skier laying out a big spray. Being a skier, she asked the interviewer if he skied as well.
​Little did she know that simple question would begin a 30 year journey filled with passion and love for this sport. The interviewer said he skied and if she got the job, he’d take her out to “my” lake. She wondered “My lake?”  Well, she got the job and the following year had her own boat – a 1995 purple Nautique – dubbed the Barney Barge. She joined Hidden Lake in Morrow, OH and has been chasing buoys ever since.
Her slalom accomplishments include many Ohio State championships, several Midwest Regional championships, a 3rd place finish at US Nationals in 2024 and a 5th place finish at the Senior Worlds in Spain in 2024. She currently holds the W6 Ohio State Championship slalom record 1@32 mph/35 off and the W6 Ohio tournament record 3@32mph/35 off. You might even catch her on a trick ski now and then.
She has spent the last 3 decades giving back to the sport. Those involved know that these tournaments don’t run themselves. She has been a senior slalom judge and a senior 3 event scorer for many years. Since returning to Ohio 10 years ago, she has been the chief scorer for the Ohio State championships and many other tournaments including collegiate tournaments. 

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