Biography

Vital Statistics

Birth date:  March 7, 1963                Birth place:  Brigham City, Utah

Current Residence:                         Sacramento, California

Height:  6'                                      Weight:  170 lbs

Occupation:                                   Program Coordinator 

Began Skiing:  5 then 22                  Began Competing:  24

Events:  Slalom, Tricks, Jump

Division:  MP3 Division (Multi Plegic – Level 3 – lowest level of injury-unable to stand to ski) uses a sit ski.  Paralyzed in motorcycle accident at age of 16.

Sponsors:  Sunrise Medical, Altec Construction, City of Sacramento

Hobbies:  Skiing, basketball, model airplanes, fast cars & fast women

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Gold Medal as US TEAM member at '03 World Championships in Florida (USA)
• Silver Medal as US TEAM Member at ’01 World Championships in Australia
• Individual Gold Medal for Jump ’01 Worlds
• 2000 National Jump Champion
• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at ’99 World Championships in England
• Individual Bronze Medal (Overall) ’99 Worlds
• Individual Silver Medal for Jump ’99 Worlds
• 3 Time World Record Holder
• 6 Time National Champion - Overall
• 6 Time National Jump Champion
• 4 Time National Tricks Champion
• 2 Time National Slalom Champion
• Works for City of Sacramento teaching physical recreation to children & adults with disabilities
• Graduate of Chico State with Bachelors of Art degree in Physical Education – emphasis on adaptive physical education
• Volunteer at “Ability First” a summer camp for DisAbled youth aged 5-15
• Visits the newly injured in hospitals, explaining of hope and life after hospitals
• Volunteers at learn to ski clinics for those with disability
• Director  (Western Region) of the Water Skiers with Disabilities Association (WSDA)
• WSDA - Technical/Rules Committee, and Chair of the Equipment Manufacturer Committee

Best Performance Slalom 4 @ 40kph (outer course)  Tricks 1010 points  Jump 76'

Records  World Record Jump (1991, 1995)  World Record Slalom (1993)

Ski Club Affiliation

Team Ridge, CARDS (Competitive and Recreational DisAbledSkiers)

Future Career Plans

Most fun skiing experience

Skiing at Camp ASCCA with Bill Furbish and friends.  Trained for two summers with Bill there, great fun

People I look up to or who have helped me

Royce Andes, Bill Bowness, Brent & Lynn Dori

Although Steve (Former World Record Holder/World Champion) loves his sport of waterSkiing, he says "I get almost more enjoyment from getting the first time skier up. The smile and exhilaration of someone who didn't think they could do it . . . that's what really makes me happy".

Steve learned to waterSki at the age of 5 (a family deal); he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 16.  It was about that same time that his high school friends had decided there were just too many Steves in their group, so Steve Hornsey became Evets (Steve spelled backwards).  He answers to either.

While attending Chico State back in 1982 Evets volunteered to try out the newly developed sit ski made by Royce Andes.  Since that eventful meeting both Steve and Bill Bowness (former US TEAM Member, multi time World Record Holder/World Champion) have maintained a close relationship with Royce, continuing both research and development for waterSkiers with disabilities. 

Evets, like fellow TEAM member Matt Oberholtz, visits new spinal cord injured patients in hospitals to offer a promising, fulfilling future albeit with a physical challenge. (When Evets was asked how he prefers to be referenced, "disabled", "physically challenged", etc, Evets smiled and replied "World Champion".  His point was well taken.)

Evets graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, with an emphasis on adaptive P.E., degree from Chico State. 

When not skiing or working at his new dream job as Program Coordinator for Access Leisure with the City of Sacramento (teaching an adaptive sports program for kids) Steve enjoys wheelchair basketball, tennis, snow skiing, camping, fishing, computers and writing. (He writes very well I might add:)

That's Steve, flying high and landing far.  Steve holds the Current World Record in jump in his division.  He was, of course, looking to set a new World Record in March at the 2001 Worlds in Australia. Unfortunately water conditions were unsafe to hold the jump finals, so Steve was stuck with his Preliminary round distances.  He took a horrendous jump crash during Prelims that would have sidelined a lesser athlete.  Steve just "cowboy'd up" for the TEAM . . . and ended up with the Gold in Jump, Bronze Overall.

Steve serves on the WaterSkiers with Disabilities (WSDA) Board of Directors as Co-Director of the Western region, is on the Technical/Rules Committee and is Chair of the Equipment Manufacturer Committee.

During the '99 Worlds held in England, a bunch of us were sitting around the lounge area visiting with athletes from all over the World when the Chief Boat Driver crossed the room to our table with a very puzzled look on his face.  He stopped at the edge of our table and said "Those are little pink plastic pigs you're tossing around!  I thought I was seeing things . . . what are you doing!"

We explained we were playing "Pass the Pigs", he'd never heard of it, thought we were "funnin" him.  Just about that time Steve  rolled up and said "WOW- Pass the Pigs, I haven't played that in a while!"  The Boat Driver was speechless.