"A great tool that water skiers should have in their toolbox of skiing knowledge. I know of no other book that covers such a wide range of skiing events with such accuracy."
Freddy Krueger Professional water skier and instructor 2-Time Pro Tour Champion
"Complete Guide to Water Skiing is a great training guide with informative and easy-to-read sections on the mental, physical, and technical aspects of water skiing. A must for any avid water skier."
Sherri Slone Professional water skier World Champion/World Record Holder in the Women’s Jump
Ben Favret, a nationally known water ski professional and instructor, began skiing at the age of four. By the time he was 13, he was skiing in local tournaments; soon he moved up to the regional and national level, winning the 1994 Open National Slalom Championship in 1994.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama in 1987, Favret worked in sales and marketing. Leaving his job to pursue his professional skiing career, he worked the pro tour circuit and became an American Water Ski Association (AWSA) Level I instructor and the head coach at Bennett’s Water Ski School in Zachary, Louisiana. He has coached the U.S. Junior team as well as teams from Germany, New Zealand, and Japan. Favret writes extensively for Water Ski, The Water Skier, Water Ski Illustrated, and Ski Nautique. On the AWSA Board of Directors and member of the Professional Association of Slalom Skiers, Favret continues to live in Zachary, where he enjoys playing basketball, golf, and tennis.
David Benzel has been involved with water skiing for more than 25 years as an athlete, coach, author, business owner, and parent of young champions.
A six-time national champion and five-time record holder, Benzel is the former coach of the World Champion U.S. Water Ski Team. As a motivational speaker, Benzel applies coaching concepts to the workplace, speaking to business organizations on topics such as personal peak performance, leadership, and team building. Author of the book Psyching For Slalom, he also writes a monthly column entitled "Head Coach" for Water Ski Magazine.
Benzel founded the Benzel Skiing Center, which opened in 1985. He is chairman of the board for the American Water Ski Education Foundation and is on the AWSA’s Board of Directors. He has organized several water skiing clinics and symposiums, including the Junior Develop national and regional clinics, the National Coaching Symposiums, and the water skiing "Super Seminar" at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Benzel also provides color commentary for water skiing events on ESPN.
He and his wife, Cynthia, live in Groveland, Florida, with their two children--Tarah, already a 5-time champion at age 12, and Tyler, who started competing at the age of 6. When he’s not water skiing, Benzel enjoys in-line skating, playing baseball with his children, biking, and reading.
