Biography

Vital Statistics:

Birthdate:  February 19, 1971         Birth place: Native Californian

Current Residence:                        Oroville, California

Height: 6'1"                                     Weight: 180 lbs

Occupation:                                    Water Ski Instructor, Snow Ski Instructor for DSUSA Winter program at

                                                        Alpine Meadows,  Lake Tahoe, CA

                                                        Current Student at Chico State, Getting Credential in Physical Education

                                                         and Adaptive Physical Education. Minor in Coaching

Began Skiing:  4                             Began Competing: 18

Events:  Trick, Slalom

Division:  MP3 Division (Multi Plegic – Level 3 – lowest level of injury - unable to stand to ski) uses a sit ski.  Paralyzed in auto accident at age of 15.

Sponsors: Butch's Board Shop, Hot H2O 
    Hughes Ski Hut , Trucker, Liquid Force Wakeboards

Hobbies:  Snow skiing, golf, waterSkiing, aspiring Poker Player, enjoying life

Career Highlights

• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at ’03 World Championships in Florida (USA)
• Individual Gold Medal in Tricks
• Set a World Record in Tricks 1200 points
• 2003 National Champion Tricks
• 2003 National Champion Slalom
• Set pending World Record (Slalom) in August, 2001
• Silver Medal as US TEAM Member at ’01 World Championships in Australia
• 2000 Set World Record in Tricks, only sit skier on planet to complete a flip
• 2000 National Tricks Champion
• 1999 National Tricks Champion
• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at ’95 Worlds in Australia
• Individual Bronze Medal for Tricks at ’95 Worlds
• Owns/operates “Obie’s Ski School”, teaching able bodied and physically challenged
• Graduate of Chico State with Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, emphasis in marketing
• Former member of the Delta Psi Delta Fraternity
• Volunteer at “Ability First” a summer camp for DisAbled youth aged 5-15, offering waterSkiing, tennis, track/field, basketball, wall climbing, and independence
• Visits the newly injured in hospitals, explaining of hope and life after hospitals
• Speaks at schools on disability awareness together with Royce Andes, the quadriplegic developer of the sit ski
• Volunteer for DisAbled Sports USA (DSUSA)
• Exposes and encourages others with disabilities to try waterSkiing

Best Performance   Slalom: 2 @ 35mph  Tricks: 1200 points

Records

World Record Trick Skiing 2000

World Record Slalom Skiing 2001

New National Record 2006

Pending World Record 2006

Ski Club Affiliation

Team Ridge

Future Career Plans

Most fun skiing experience 

1995 World Championships in Australia

People I look up to or who have helped me

My parents for all their guidance and support

Matt believes a physical challenge requires one to adapt to the situation.  Matt has proven a man of his words - adapting to his physical challenge and setting a  world record in TRICKS at the 2000 US DisAbled Nationals!  Matt is the only known DisAbled person to complete a FLIP on a trick ski.  (There's that weird DisAbled word again - he does a flip and he's disabled??)

That's Matt and very dear friend, Garen Molatore, at a TEAM dinner at the Kilgour Estate Winery in Australia with the city of Melbourne across the bay.  Matt performed his famous flip at the 2001Worlds . . . only to live a skier's worst nightmare . . . he lost the handle. Site conditions were rough, to say the least; officials considered using two boats to run the Trick event.  The first boat was to create a smoother path for the second boat towing the skier.  Officials opted not to use the second boat and just let the skiers do what they could.  

During our AUSSIE trip, Garen, KeNyA and Spanky  got to swim with free (also called wild) dolphins and seals out in the Bay. 

Matt learned to ski at the age of 4, skiing was "a family deal" as Matt puts it.  At the age of 15 Matt was in a car accident that changed his life, paralyzing him with what's considered a low level of injury (MP3).  While still in the hospital after his injury Matt complained to his Mom that the worst part was that he'd never be able to ski or play ball again.  Well, Matt's Mom is a Mom Extraordinaire . . . she started researching DisAbled sports, and wrote to "Kan-Ski".  Matt was out skiing the next summer:)

That next summer (1987) Matt skied a little, a tournament/clinic now and again, then in 1989 he got "serious" about waterSkiing. Matt was 3rd overall at his first World event in 1995.  Matt suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of competition for a few years, but Jeez did he come back with a splash!  A World Record in Tricks and he is primed for World competition.

Although Matt plays basketball, tennis, golf and lifts weights, waterSkiing is his love.  He explains that being in a wheelchair means you have a little less ability than able bodied - waterSkiing gives complete freedom.  Freedom to do something of equal value is how Matt terms it.

Matt lives in Chico, CA, operating a ski school (Obie's Ski School) and graduated from Chico State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (emphasis on marketing).  He was a member of the Delta Psi Delta Fraternity.

As if that weren't enough Matt visits the newly injured at local hospitals offering hope and life after a spinal cord injury.  For over 3 years he volunteered with the Ability First Camp, a summer camp for DisAbled youth (5-15) offering waterSkiing, tennis, track/field, basketball, wall climbing, basically teaching independence from parents. (Even those with a physical challenge must leave the nest.)

Five years ago I spoke with Matt who shared his then dream of building a private ski lake and operating a ski school.  Today Matt lives on a private lake, docking his boat right outside his home, and operates a Ski School for able bodied and disabled.  Matt has generously donated his time to US TEAM Member Kerri McMurtry and former US TEAM Member Steve Poulin, coaching both prior to the 2000 US Nationals.  I guess that kind of proves the old theory about what goes around, comes around.  Matt's been giving of himself for years, now life is giving back!

  Here's Matt half way around in his flip at the 2003 Western Regionals!