Tory Baggiano had always said that he wanted to retire from competitive water skiing while he was still on top. It would seem that he would be taking a serious risk of failing to do so when he had a competitive career of some two decades including competition in five World Championships. Nevertheless, when he announced his retirement in 1998, he was, in fact, still at the top among a highly competitive group of trick skiing specialists.

 

In the World Championships Tory took home two medals in tricks: a bronze in 1987 and the coveted gold in 1993. He set World records in 1990 and 1991, with his record in 1990 making him the first skier to exceed 11,000 points. The year 1990 proved to be a high point in Tory’s career: a year in which he also won his first U.S. Masters and the Pan American Championships title while a member of the U.S. team. Also in 1990 Tory was honored by the United States Olympic Committee as water skiing’s male athlete of the year.

 

I am pleased to announce the induction into the International Hall of Fame of one of the finest trick skiers of the 1980s and 1990s: Tory Baggiano.