By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Chuck McLaughlin and the Lake City Skiers are thrilled about the news that emanated from Down Under Sunday when it was announced that Warsaw will host the 2027 World Show Ski championship.
The announcement was made by the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation at the end of an international tournament in Australia on Sunday. The world tournament is held in association with the International Olympic Committee.
McLaughlin, a longtime member of the Lake City Skiers, said he knew about the decision ahead of time and had trouble suppressing his excitement.
“When I first learned about it, I was pretty excited. The hardest part was not saying anything,” McLaughlin said with a chuckle.
The announcement in Australia on Sunday was captured on video and shared on the Lake City Skiers Facebook page by an unidentified official with the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation.
“At the end of the day, there can only be one place where we are going to run the next Worlds,” the official said. “So we’re proud to announce the next Worlds will be at Lake City Warsaw, Ind.,” drawing loud cheers from the audience.
The four-day event will take place Sept. 15-19, 2027, with the skiing competition starting on the 17th.
Warsaw City Council Member Juergen Voss, whose family has been involved with Lake city Skiers for two dedaces, called the event “The grand daddy of them all” and the Olympics of water skiing.
“We never dreamed that we could possibly host the world tournament, but things started coming together two years ago,” Voss said.
Some of the teams are expected to arrive in Warsaw upward of two weeks ahead to prepare.
Exactly how many teams will participate remains unclear, but McLaughlin offered an idea of who to expect.
“We’re talking about China, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Canada — It’s a multi-cultural event which is really cool because each team brings its own culture to the show,” he said.
McLaughlin said the World Tournament is something beyond what Warsaw has ever seen.
“It’s a lot of fanfare,” he said.
Warsaw was believed to have been among at least two other communities in the United States vying to host the International event. McLaughlin said he could not identify cities across the globe that also sought the role.
Warsaw has gained recognition in recent years after hosting several regional and national tournaments at Hidden Lake located in a secluded area southwest of the US 30 and Ind. 15 interchange.
Interest in the idea dates back to 2016 when they hosted a Central Region tournament that involved competing teams from five states vying to go to the national tournament, McLaughlin said.
“They talked to me and told me, you guys should be hosting Division 1, you should be hosting Worlds Tournament — this is the perfect site for it — it’s the perfect setting,” he said.
He said they felt as if they were in a good position last year to submit a bid for the tournament and credited support from the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in preparing the application.
He said that among the contributing factors that worked in their favor was the number of available hotel rooms in the area, three of which were constructed in recent years.
He described the bidding process as intense and detailed.
“When they look at the bid package, they also look at what amenities does Warsaw offer for these teams that are coming in?” he said.
Hidden Lake has upgraded its seating in recent years to accommodate large crowds that have surpassed 2,000 people at some top events. Much of that financial support has come from the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau which derives money from the local innkeepers tax.
Opening and closing ceremonies are traditionally similar to the pageantry seen at Olympic events and dignitaries from other countries are expected to attend, McLaughlin said.
Cory Humes, executive director of Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau, appreciates how the local ski team has once again helped put Warsaw on the map.
“It’s going to be amazing. We’re excited for them – and excited for tourism,” Humes said.
Humes said the three hotels constructed in Warsaw in the past five years have helped set the table for increased opportunities.
County-wide, there are now nearly 900 rooms available, she said.
“Having that number has greatly impacted being able to host bigger events like this in Kosciusko County without going to like an outside community,” Humes said.
Organizers have 30 months to plan for the event and McLaughlin said they’ll need lots of support from the city of Warsaw, Kosciusko County and local businesses.
“We want to offer an experience for the competing teams that will be an unforgettable experience in Warsaw, Indiana,” McLaughlin added.
