American Water Ski Educational Foundation Award of Distinction 2001

Inducted into the Florida Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame 2003

Inducted into the American Water Ski Educational Foundation Hall of Fame 2009

Lynn Novakofski of Winter Haven received the Award of Distinction in 2001, and was inducted into the American Water Ski Educational Foundation’s Water Ski Hall of Fame in 2009. He is a former show director at Cypress Gardens, where he was a skier from 1969 through 1991. He also served as show director at Sea World of California from 1995-2000. He was a member of the Min-Aqua Bats Water Ski Club from 1959-1966 and the Greater Miami Ski Club in 1968-1969. During his time as show director at Cypress Gardens, the skiers developed the four-tier pyramid, strap doubles, 360 swivel, freestyle jumping and other innovations. He drew from his experience and interest in ice-skating and dance to refine doubles and swivel. He estimates that during his water skiing career he went over the jump ramp well more than 100,000 times. Lynn also was an accomplished tournament skier, one of the few at the time who was a member of the 150-foot jumping club. He was an early president of the National Show Ski Association and is responsible for many of the show skiing rules that are used today. He has retired from competitive and show water skiing and is a graphic designer for USA Water Ski.