Young skiers learn from the best

By Todd Taylor

Danville June 21, 2007 07:46 pm

— Local native Cale Burdick should probably get used to having a fan base. When the two-time national collegiate slalom champion signed autographs during a break at the Indiana Water Ski Association (IWSA) Junior Development Camp he instructed at Hawthorne Lake this week, he seemed a bit surprised.
“That was weird,” Burdick said. “I’ve never done that before.”
Burdick will have a shot at his third collegiate slalom championship as a senior at Purdue next fall, and among his accomplishments, he earned the top score at the Can Am Challenge in 2005, and has won slalom titles at the Men’s 1 National in ‘04 and the Pan American Water Ski Championships in ‘06.
So who better to instruct young water skiers from around the state than Burdick? The IWSA camp provided 22 children from ages 4-14 a chance to learn from Burdick on the pristine waters of Hawthorne Lake — located, literally — in Burdick’s backyard. His parents and partners built the lake roughly a decade ago.
“This is the third time I’ve instructed the camp,” Burdick said. “Growing up in Indiana, I used to be one of the kids in the clinic. Now I’m good friends with the organizers, and a few years ago they said, ‘why don’t you teach it?’”
The camp took place Wednesday and Thursday, and the young skiers were able to work on whatever skills they wanted to improve on, whether it is slalom, jumping, or tricks. New this year, skiers were able to receive instruction from Burdick while they were in the water skiing.
“The kids are wearing helmets with earpieces,” said Carla Stornetta of IWSA. “Cale can tell them what they need to do differently as they’re skiing.”
It is a six-day weekend of sorts on Hawthorne Lake. The Junior Development Camp ran Wednesday and Thursday, a jump clinic runs today, a three-event tournament for skiers to get ratings will be held Saturday and Sunday, and a trick clinic will wrap things up on Monday.
When Burdick returns for his senior year at Purdue in the fall, he will look to become one of the only collegiate skiers to be a three-time national collegiate slalom champion.
“It’s pretty great to have won it twice, I’m totally satisfied with that,” he said. “But I’d love to get a third.”
Burdick is also focused on his academics and is a student in the School of Pharmacy at Purdue. While he has every intention of becoming a professional skier following his collegiate career, he also strives to hold down a more orthodox occupation.
“I want to be able to go to work, come home, and get my ski training in before dark,” Burdick said. “It’s not even about a second income — it’s just always been a dream.”

todd.taylor@flyergroup.com

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