FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New England Water Ski Collective Launches 2026 Adaptive Ski Season with June 9 Kickoff on Glen Echo Lake

CHARLTON, MA, June 2, 2026 — The New England Water Ski Collective will officially kick off its 2026 Adaptive Ski season on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, with its first event of the summer at Glen Echo Lake in Charlton.

The event will welcome 15 participants with a range of disabilities for an opportunity to learn how to water ski in a safe, supportive, and fully inclusive environment. Assisting throughout the day will be a team of volunteers made up of lake residents, community members, members of the New England Water Ski Collective, and friends from the Aqua Riders of Holland Show Ski Team.

This season marks the seventh year the New England Water Ski Collective, formerly known as the Webster Water Ski Collective, has hosted adaptive ski events. What began with just one event in 2020 has grown each year into a full summer schedule that now includes six major adaptive events as well as weekly sessions for more advanced adaptive skiers.

In addition to the June 9 event at Glen Echo Lake, the Collective will host adaptive ski events this season on Hamilton Reservoir in Holland, Webster Lake, the Mohawk River in Scotia, New York, and at its annual Veterans event at the Donahue Rowing Center on Lake Quinsigamond.

Beyond its adaptive programming, the New England Water Ski Collective is also a fully recreational water ski team, with weekly skiing based on Webster Lake and Glen Echo Lake in Charlton. The organization also has a growing competition team that competes in the Northeast Slalom Series championships across the East Coast and will serve as the host club for the Massachusetts State Slalom Championships this July at Buffumville Lake on the Charlton-Oxford line.

“This is a very exciting time for the Collective as we continue building on past successes to bring more people onto the water and promote the sport of water skiing,” said Ryan DesRoches, Director of Adaptive Skiing. “Through partnerships with teams like the Aqua Riders of Holland, the Electric City Show Ski Team in New York, and others throughout the Northeast Slalom Series, we are showing just how much fun this sport can be and how diverse and welcoming it is for anyone looking for a great time on the water in the summer.”

A major part of the Collective’s mission is also to give back to the community and help make local communities more adaptive-friendly. This season, the Collective is donating approximately $8,000 worth of accessible mats to local lakes and ponds in an effort to make beaches and waterways more accessible for individuals with mobility challenges.

“Our waterways are one of our biggest resources, and anything we can do to make them more accessible for everyone to enjoy is one of our core missions,” said DesRoches. “We are just happy to be in a position where we can start giving back to the communities that have welcomed us and our skiers.”

Donations and sponsorships have played a major role in building the team and expanding its programs, and the New England Water Ski Collective is actively seeking additional support as it looks ahead to 2027. The organization’s long-term goal is to host weekly adaptive ski events and significantly expand its programming to serve even more participants and families across the region.

Those interested in supporting the Collective’s mission can contact the New England Water Ski Collective at adaptive@newenglandwaterski.org. A full list of events and registration information is available at NewEnglandWaterSki.org.

About the New England Water Ski Collective
The New England Water Ski Collective is a community-based water ski organization dedicated to growing the sport of water skiing through adaptive, recreational, and competitive programming. Formerly known as the Webster Water Ski Collective, the organization hosts adaptive ski events throughout the summer, provides weekly opportunities for recreational and advanced adaptive skiers, supports competitive athletes across the Northeast, and works to make local waterways more accessible and inclusive for all.