DISABLED ATHLETES OF THE YEAR 2005

Bill Furbish (MP1 - USA)
The MP1 category is for quadriplegics who ski the three events of slalom, tricks and jump under rules very similar to tournament. However, since the athletes do not have functioning hand grip muscles, they must hold the ski handle with their wrists. These skiers use the inner course in slalom.

Bill won gold (slalom) and silver (tricks) medals at the recent World Championships in his two events, was the only American skier to set a World Record at worlds (in slalom) and contributed more team points than any other skier to the U.S. team effort even though he only skied in two events. He also set a pending world record in tricks in Belgium by tying Mexico's Jorge Font's current record of 740. The point value was lowered upon review so the record did not stand. Finally, he set a world record at the U.S. Nationals. Both of those slalom world records have been approved and broke a record set 12 years ago by a total of two passes and two buoys (14 buoys). In addition, USA Water Ski selected Bill as its Male Athlete of the Month for September, a rare occurrence for a disabled athlete. Because opportunities are limited, Bill only participated in those two tournaments this year. He holds the current world record in jump but was unable to jump at worlds due to upcoming surgery.


Adaline Fahey (MP3 - GBR)
The MP3 category is for paraplegics who ski the three events of slalom, tricks and jump under rules very similar to tournament. The very elite athletes such as Adaline are now slaloming on the outer, able-body course.

In 2005, Adaline was undefeated in the MP3 category, and her performance at the World Championships was a fitting culmination to her entire ski season. Skiing in the largest and most competitive women's division, she was unbeatable and excelled all six times she hit the water, garnering the top score each time. She won all three individual events and overall, the only slalom skier in her division to complete a pass on the outer course (versus the inner course still used by many in her division even at the world level), and the only trick skier to exceed 1000 pts. As if that were not enough, she was the only skier, male or female, to exceed the world record standard in all three events. To achieve that, she set two world slalom records and one world jump record, all three now approved, so that she now holds the world record in all three events. She also ran two world trick record scores in Schoten which were both downgraded to scores below the record she currently holds.

Leading up to the Worlds, she skied in four tournaments. In two of them, she equaled her then slalom world record, in a third she was a buoy below it and in the fourth, she exceeded it by one. She also surpassed her current world record in tricks twice while equaling it in a third tournament. Finally, she exceeded the then world record in jump (not hers at the time) twice and equaled it once. Unfortunately, most of her events were not homologated as world record so there were few record submissions, and the one submitted in jump was reduced upon review. However, leaving no doubt, she certainly proved that her summer of victories was no fluke through her stellar, record setting and dominating performance at the season ending World Championships.