Rock Aqua Jays

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Rock Aqua Jays doing a five-high pyramid

The Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Team of Janesville, Wisconsin is a successful amateur water ski club. They hold practice on the Rock River at Traxler Park in Janesville twice weekly during the summer months. Their shows are also (usually) twice weekly, on Sundays and Wednesdays at 7pm (6:30 in August). The shows at Traxler park are free and run between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They include an entertaining theme, announcer(s)/characters, music, multiple boats, and a variety of acts including: jumping, swiveling, ballet line, barefooting, doubles, wakeboarding, pyramids, and more. The club generally has around 150 members.

Rock Aqua Jays 44-person pyramid

The Rock Aqua Jays originated the national tournament, through the National Show Ski Association, and have hosted it in Janesville 22 of 32 times. They have won the national tournament a record 15 times, and placed either first or second in the event 26 of 32 times. The tournament has expanded from nine teams its first year to a national qualifying process open to all member teams, now over 55 (twenty of which are based in Wisconsin). The Aqua Jays have also won the Wisconsin State regional qualifier a record 12 times.

They were the first amateur American ski team to perform in the Peoples Republic of China. They are also the first amateur team to build the three-high pyramid (1974), the four-high pyramid (1981), and the five-high pyramid (1993). They hold the record for the largest pyramid in competition: 44 people (2003) [1].