Mike Hazelwood (water skier)
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Mike Hazelwood was a British water skier and a two-time world overall champion (1977 and '79) .
[edit] Career
In 1980 Mike Hazelwood set his first World Record in the jump event with 59.4 metres. He went on to break the World record twice more. In 1981 Britain hosted World Tournament Championships and Mike Hazelwood won the gold in Jump. He competed as a member of the British team in eight consecutive World Championships, the longest competitive record at that level of anyone who has ever won a World Overall Championship. During that period, from 1973 to 1987, Mike won three gold medals, including the one in 1977 for overall, five silver medals, and two bronze medals. As one of the most successful competitors of his long era, he was honored by the British Crown with the title MBE, "Member of the British Empire"
Jumping was always Mike's strongest event, which he demonstrated by setting three world records between 1980 and 1986. As the World record in jumping now approaches 65 meters, we recall that Mike was the first to jump 60 meters. Mike was the dominant skier in Europe for over a decade, winning the European Overall Championship eight times between 1976 and 1986.
[edit] Retirement
Off exit 67 along Interstate 75 near Ocala, Florida, one of the greatest water skiers ever now manages a truck stop. "Some skiers have come in and been surprised to see me," says two-time world overall champion (1977 and '79) Mike Hazelwood. Anyone who remembers Hazelwood simply doesn't expect to see the guy who made the WaterSki cover in 1985 after being voted the world's top jumper, away from the water.
Hazelwood, now in his 40's, initially stayed with water skiing after his retirement in 1988. He ran a ski school in Winter Haven, Florida, until 1996, when he moved with his wife Rene, son Daniel and daughter Roxanne to Ocala. Hazelwood still contends with the bad back that forced him to retire even though he was still arguably among the top five jumpers in the world at that time. He was diagnosed with two stress fractures in his lower back when he was 16. Instead of skiing, Hazelwood bikes about 100 miles a week for exercise.
