Pamela Denney Guthrie won the 2015 Kentucky State Slalom Ski Championship for the 28th year and qualifies for the U.S. Nationals competition at West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Kentucky State Water Ski Championship was held on July 11, 2015 at Paducah, Kentucky. Pam won the Women’s II Division making two buoys at 28 feet off the standard 75 foot rope at 32 mph.

The 2015 U.S. Nationals Water Ski Championship was held August 11, 2015 at West Palm Beach, Florida. Water skiers from across the nation competed in slalom, jumps and tricks. Close to 1,000 skiers competed from age five to 85 in their age divisions.

Pam placed ninth in the nation in the Women’s V division skiing around three buoys at 28 feet off the rope. In slalom competition, the speed is increased by two mph with each complete pass of six buoys until the maximum boat speed is reached, which for Pam was 32 mph.

Some events are 36 mph. The rope is then shortened from standard 75 foot rope at designated lengths, 15 feet off, 22 feet off, 28 feet off, etc., up to a record breaking 43 feet off. So whoever skis around the most buoys with the shortest rope wins. You have a chance to ski until you fall or miss a buoy, then swim to shore.

Pam also won first place in the Women’s V division in Arizona at Santon Lakeside and Buchli Ski tournaments. Pam said she feels blessed every day to be able to enjoy the sport she loves.

Pam is a traveling registered nurse who works in Phoenix, Arizona in the winter months and lives on her houseboat on Lake Cumberland in the summer.