Farewell  Dave Wysong

One of our favorite authors says that you will recognize your truest friends in the instant you meet them.  That's the way it was with us and Dave; we connected, almost instantly, on many levels:)

While our family is deeply saddened by the loss of a very cherished friend, we're thankful that we met Dave, and that he accepted us into his heart and his life.

He was a very special human, not fearful of being exactly who he was or saying what he thought.  Sometimes the latter part caused others to take offense and consider him a rebel.  But often times it's the rebel that's remembered for they buck the system, fighting for their own truths and freedoms as well as for others.  That was Dave, the Dave we knew anyway.  He wanted to make a difference in world, and he did.

He introduced folks to waterSkiing, did what he could to make DisAbled skiing grow and had plans for a substantial waterSki project to be shared with others.  But mostly Dave made a difference in the world by being Dave.

We acknowledge that we all know a person differently; our Dave was deeply spiritual and grounded in the basic belief that life is good and so are people.  He spent his last birthday with us in California; we took him to Big Sur, Yosemite and San  Francisco.  (That's a photo of Nev-A-Mom, Dave, Kent and Mark on the north side of the Golden Gate with Alcatraz island in the background.) Dave's greatest thrill of the trip was a man standing on a San Francisco street corner maniacally directing traffic that didn't need directing.  Our greatest thrill was realizing that we were watching the Olympics in our living room with a World Champion that flew 3,000 miles to be us, his friends.  When he left us, he left a sweatshirt, a rash guard, a T-Shirt and his Certificate for Third Place at the 1999 World Championships; knowing our rule that if you leave something it costs you .25 per item to buy it back, .50 the second time/item . . . and if it's way cool we don't have to give it back:)  Kent wore Dave's Billabong sweatshirt and I took his rash guard to the 2001 World DisAbled WaterSki Championships in Australia, not knowing he had died two days before our departure.   We felt him with us then, we feel him with us now.

From the very beginning we talked a lot about life, death, families, friends, and of course waterSkiing with Dave.  He felt blessed to have quality friends and to have truly lived his life, we're blessed a slice of Dave Wysong's life included us.

We didn't have a long friendship but we had a true friendship, one based on mutual respect and love.  Dave Wysong will live forever in the hearts and minds of the TEAM KeNevA family, Kent Sandhagen, Neva Brett, KeNyA Sandhagen, Mark Turner, Tammy Allard, Ross Kersthold and Ryan Kersthold.

Dave Wysong, a member of the 1999 World Champion US DisAbled WaterSki Ski Team, passed from this life during his sleep on March 8, 2001.  We're thankful it was a peaceful, easy journey for our friend.

Dave was 38 years old and an awesome human being.  He served on the Water Skiers with Disabilities Association Board of Directors in 1999 and 2000.  Dave also earned a Bronze Medal  in the MP2  jump event at the 1999 World DisAbled WaterSki Championships in London, England.

Dave was born September 16, 1962 in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1996 he moved to Palm Bay, Florida to waterSki MORE:)  It worked, he made the US DisAbled Ski TEAM, earned a Gold and a Bronze Medal. (I said that already I know, it's worth repeating.)  Dave introduced many to the sport of waterSkiing and made some everlasting friendships along the way.  To the right is Mark Turner, Kent Sandhagen and Dave Wysong at Universal Studios Island Adventure in Florida, a stop during a Level 3 Coaches Clinic.

Dave also like to hunt and fish, he used to race speed boats.  He loved El Capitan in Yosemite Valley as it reminded him of his old rock climbing days.  He had a quick easy smile and maintained his Alabama twang (which we truly loved). He was a man with heart.

Since Dave's passing there's been a new addition to our Pond, a red winged blackbird that loves our boat and ski dock.  The little birdie sits on the windshield, the mirror, the steering wheel, hopping from one to another, then to the dock and back into the boat.  It may not seem so odd to you, but we've be at the pond for 8 years and there has never been a bird act like this one.  Kent calls it Dave, he whistles to it, talks to it and hopes someday to be it's trusted friend.  I know that sounds a bit weird, but hey why not?  It makes us happy, and the bird is happy.

Dave had established a non profit organization for the promotion of the sport of waterSkiing, particularly waterSkiing with a disability.  We hope that although Dave is no longer among us, his dream will live on.  Dave's brother Chris is donating Dave's waterSkis to USA WaterSkis Museum and Hall of Fame!  Dave will continue to expose people to waterSkiers with disabilities forever!!!