Rebecca Ribley may only be 21 years old, but her accomplishments on stage show off a seasoned resume. From landing lead roles in “Bus Stop” and “The Vagina Monologues” to starring in three shows on campus as a freshman, Ribley has always had a love and passion for theater.

In addition to performing arts, Ribley enjoys performing on the water. Ribley has been a member of the Chippewa Lake water ski show team since she was six years old. Ribley’s team consists of her parents and siblings as well as others that she now considers family after the bond they’ve shared show skiing.

Starting from scratch, there are a lot of jobs and duties of Ribley and her team members in order to make a performance possible. The team is responsible for writing a script and choosing songs that coincide with the theme of the competition. The team also makes their own props and costumes. Ribley also competes in doubles which she describes as pairs ice skating on water. Her partner in this area of the sport is her dad.

There are three competitions in which Ribley’s show ski team attends each year including: an invitational, regionals and nationals. In the past, Ribley and her dad won nationals two different years. However, that has not been their biggest accomplishment show skiing.The summer following her freshman year at Ashland, Ribley and her dad competed on the USA ski team for a world competition in China. The duo spent two weeks out of the country getting to know and practicing with their teammates they had never met. Ribley, her dad and the USA team took home fi rst place in this competition. Ribley speaks highly of her experience competing in China.

“It was such an amazing experience; I could never replace that with anything,” she said.A lot of preparation is needed for a show ski competition. Ribley and her team practice three to four times a week during the summertime. A little more practice is necessary for doubles competing and training increases to six to seven days per week. Ribley has been very grateful for her experiences show skiing and said it has taught her so much and helped shape her into the person she is today.“I would have to say that water skiing for me was one of the most important things that I have ever done and probably