After months of setbacks, Wisconsin’s Rock Aqua Jays win 23rd national water skiing title

Janesville’s high-flying water ski show team earned its 23rd national title after facing months of high waters on the Rock River. 

The Rock Aqua Jays Water ski show team recently took the top spot at the Division 1 Show Ski Nationals in Indiana after a season full of cancellations. 

President of the Rock Aqua Jays, Tim Cullen, said the ski team’s national win is its second consecutive title and the latest example of the team’s storied success.

“Winning 23 out of 49 national competitions is a tribute to the dedication and devotion of our organization members, past and present, who have made this enormous feat possible,” he told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” 

Cullen said the water ski team, which performs in Traxler Park, saw 18 of 28 shows get canceled this summer because severe weather caused the Rock River to rise above flood stage. 

“We did the first couple shows, and then Mother Nature took over and said, ‘Well, we’re going to put you on the sideline for a while,’” he said.

This meant the team had to travel hundreds of miles to get time on the water, Cullen said.

“You name it, we probably skied there,” he said.“ With a team our size, it’s not really logistically easy to move an operation that has six boats, multiple docks and two trucks of equipment.”

Tim’s brother, Brian Cullen, announces for the Rock Aqua Jays, and he told “Wisconsin Today” that two months of show cancellations led community members to believe the 63-year-old team ended its reign.

That is until the ski show team returned to the lake Aug. 7.

“Before the show started, people were coming up and saying, ‘We’re just glad to be here,” Brian Cullen said. “It was awesome, and the whole team felt it.”

Brian Cullen said he remembers watching the Rock Aqua Jays perform when he was a kid. It was in 1977 at age 12 that he joined the team with his dad. Then, in 1986, he turned to announcing. He has loved it ever since.  

“Here we are, 40-plus years later,” he said. “And it’s still fun.” 

Cullen said the volunteer-based team appreciates putting smiles on people’s faces and creating a family friendly environment. Children may volunteer, and parents or adults may also help by driving boats or running concessions. 

The Cullen brothers said this season’s performance is based on the 1984 classic movie, “Ghostbusters,” after recent versions of the movie have come out.

“We have the bad ghost, the good people, and we try to work to defeat the ghost and have a lot of fun along the way and showcase some great skiing in it,” Brian Cullen said. 

Tim Cullen said performances function similarly to a Broadway show as they require “a lot of coordination” because building a pyramid on water means there might be 44 people behind one boat. That means organizing just as many ropes.

“What they’re building on the water was actually practiced hundreds of times on land in an indoor gymnastics facility throughout the winter,” he said. 

Tim Cullen said show cancellations have led the team’s finances to be “pinched” this year.

“It could leak into next year, making next year a challenge for us,” he said. “But we have a great membership. We have some good board members that will help us navigate this tough time.”

The Rock Aqua Jays are set to finish their season Sunday, Sept. 1.