Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns water skiing

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns water ski
Founded1988 (1988)[1]
LeagueNCWSA
Based inLafayette, Louisiana
ColorsVermilion and white
Head coachRyan Gonzales
Championships10 (1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
WebsiteRagin' Cajuns water ski

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns water ski program is a co-ed collegiate water ski team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the National Collegiate Water Ski Association. It is one of the two most successful college programs in the sport's history, having won 10 national championships – in 1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.[1][2][3] Since 1993, it has finished no lower than third place at any national championships.[4]

As of November 2023, it has not lost a competition since 2019.[5]

History

The team's primary rival is the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the only squad with more national titles than the Ragin' Cajuns. Between 1993 and 2013, the two Louisiana schools split 29 of the 30 national championships awarded.[6] (The 2020 championship was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) The sole non-Louisiana champion in that span was Arizona State, in 2001.[6]

Water skiing is not a sport organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), so Louisiana's squad operates as a club sport, within the National Collegiate Water Ski Association and USA Water Ski & Wake Sports.[7] The team's head coach since 2011 is Ryan Gonzales, a native of New Iberia, Louisiana.[8]

The team draws recruits internationally and is one of the few universities to offer scholarships for water skiers.[9] Its 2023 national championship team included members from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[5] In the 2021 IWWF World Waterski Championships, nearly one-sixth of all competitors were either current or former Ragin' Cajuns skiers.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team earns seventh national title". KATC News. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  2. ^ Renard, Brady (27 October 2015). "UL Lafayette water ski team reclaims national title". KPLC TV. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. ^ "UL Lafayette's Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team Achieves Fourth Consecutive National Title". HOT 107.9. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Home – Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team". Ragin' Cajuns Water. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team wins fourth national title in a row, 10th overall | University of Louisiana at Lafayette". louisiana.edu. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Collegiate – National Team Champions". www.usawaterski.org. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  7. ^ "National Collegiate Water Ski Association". National Collegiate Water Ski Association. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  8. ^ Milford, Aidan (11 October 2023). "Gearing up for another win: UL Lafayette Waterski team breaks down their past and present". The Daily Iberian. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Scholarships – Ragin' Cajuns Water Ski Team". Ragin' Cajuns Water. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Cajuns Water Ski Team members win big at World Championships". KATC News. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2023.