About Me

Date of Birth:  June, 1984    Atlanta (Duluth), Georgia, USA

Pronunciation: Jaquess (JAY-KWESS)...no "c"

Pharmacist, Santa Rosa Pharmacy

Pharmacist & Part Owner: Emerald Coast Compounding Pharmacy

University of Louisiana at Monroe, Doctor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy (Graduated:  May, 2009)

Former member ULM Water Ski Team

Collegiate All American, Team Captain (2002,2003,2004,2005)

Ski Instructor, Pickos Ski Resort, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Pan American Judge; AWSA Senior Judge;  Level II Instructor

Click Here for My Current Water Ski Resume

And if you want even more...click below:

Sister:  Renee, my best friend and the wind beneath my wings for a long time

Favorite Cuisine:  Mexican

Least Favorite Food:  Hamburgers

Favorite Restaurants:  Red Bar in Grayton Beach, FL is a great one!  So is Louis-Louis in Santa Rosa Beach, along with Johnny McTighe's in Blue Mountain Beach.  Louisiana Lagniappe in Destin is really good too.  Pompano Joe's on the beach in Destin-- great view.  Fleming's in Miramar Beach!  Can not leave Cantina Laredo in Miramar Beach out- gourmet Mexican cuisine!

Favorite Restaurant & Blues Club:  Red Bar, Grayton Beach, Florida.  Owned by Ollie & Kyle Petit.  Kyle used to be a cook at the Pickos Ski Resort!  I used to work at the Red Bar gift shop when I was in high school.

Favorite Beach:  Beaches of South Walton, FL (Destin)

Best Vehicle:  Corvette Convertible or Cadillac CTS V Coupe...take your pick!

Best Ski Boat:  Malibu Response LXi

Best Place to Live:  Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Favorite Ski Events:  Slalom, Tricks, Jump & Overall

Factoids:  

World Slalom Record 1 1/2 @ 10.25m (41' Off), 2010

World Overall Record, 2010

Established total of six World Records as of March, 2010

Set 48 United States National Records as of March, 2010.  

Awarded 102 medals (79 Gold) in International Competition since 1998

Inducted into Georgia Water Ski Hall of Fame (2008) (So was my Dad!)

Graduated from Freeport High School, Freeport, Florida

Star point guard on Freeport Varsity Basketball team

Prom Queen, Freeport High

Gave up competitive gymnastics when 9 years old to concentrate on water skiing

Youngest person to capture US Open Overall Title (16yrs)

Youngest person to compete in US Open (12yrs); Placed 3rd in Tricks

Never Been:

Never been to Spain, but really want to go.  Ricardo Botas, who pulled me to my first World Championship tricks title in Recetto, Italy in September, 2001, has invited me to ski at his site just South of Madrid!  I can't wait!  My dad loves Spain.....he has been many times.....but I have NEVER been.  

Stepan & Gabriella Bardizbanian-- they were former members and coaches of the Bulgarian team that had immigrated to Milledgeville, GA thanks to help from Ralph Meloon, E.D. and Carole Walker.  We all skied at Lake Walmead at the time.  They were fantastic trick coaches and taught me many of the basics that helped me learn more difficult tricks.  One of the things that they reinforced was getting comfortable in the reverse toe position--- going all the way down the length of the slalom course holding a reverse toe back at 7 years old was not an easy task.  But it sure helped me develop my confidence. 

Cory Pickos-- I moved to Santa Rosa Beach, FL at the end of my Freshman year of High School and became part of the Pickos family.  Cory and Rose welcomed me into their home where I lived for the next three years.  I can not say enough about Cory's ability to motivate students and help them improve.  It would have been difficult for me to capture the World Trick title at sixteen without Cory--- and become World Overall Champion two years later.  Many thanks to Javier Julio for helping me in all three events.  Alan Atkins has been special--- he is the best pin person on the planet!

Interesting Stuff:

My mom and dad were three event skiers and attended the McCormick Ski School (then at Lake Dexter in Winter Haven) back in 1975.  My dad was Georgia State Trick and Overall Champion for several years, but my mom never received any titles for some reason...:)

Cale Burdick and I trained together at Cory's.  His dad and my mom went to the same high school in Evansville, Indiana... Reitz High School.  Cale was on the Purdue University Ski Team, along with Abbey Schmidt.  Abbey's parents and my parents used to ski together when everyone lived in Southern Indiana!

Reitz High School in Evansville, IN:  Lots of Jaquess's passed through this school on Reitz Hill overlooking the Ohio River.  My Great Grandfather Col. Fletcher Jaquess was a teacher there before going into the Armed Forces.  My Grandfather John Jaquess went there and so did his two sisters, my Great Aunts Jerry and Jackie.  Both of them were Prom Queens!  All of their children also went to Reitz.  My Mother not only graduated from Reitz, she also taught there for a few years right out of college.  Both of my Aunts....Renee and Regina....also went to Reitz.  Now, that is more than you really wanted to know about Reitz, eh?

Yes.....my sister Renee and I were named after our Aunts Renee and Regina!

My Great Grandfather Col. Fletcher P. Jaquess was a professor at Purdue University.  He has an academic scholarship named in his honor.  He actually had the original Orville Redenbacher (the popcorn guy) as a student.  Both worked on hybrid strains of popcorn.  Orville sold his to General Mills, the rest is history.

COLONEL FLETCHER P. JAQUESS SCHOLARSHIP at Purdue University

More Interesting Stuff:

You would not believe how many people ask where the Jaquess name originated.  Here is the story in a nutshell....Jonathan Jaquess, Sr. imigrated to the Colonies (New Jersey) in 1720.  Prior to that, the Jaquess family lived in England, near Wales, but prior to that...they lived in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France or Germany...depending on who won the most recent war...somewhere along the line the spelling was changed from the French....Jacques...yep, we dropped a "c" and added one more "s" at the end....now is that not the coolest story you have ever heard?

I am a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  My ancestor Jonathan Jaquess was a minuteman of the revolution and fought under the command of George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, where Britain's Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the American Revolutionary Forces.  More specifically, he was Private Jonathan Jaquess, Jr., 2nd New Jersey Regiment, Fifth Troop, Light House Brigade.  He enlisted at Woodbridge, NJ on January 25, 1777 and was discharged from service on March 4, 1779.

Great Great Great Uncle Col. James F. Jaquess was an officer in the Union Army (Co. F, 73rd Illinois Infantry) during the Civil War.  Prior to the war, he knew both Abe Lincoln and Jeff Davis.  They all lived within 100 miles of each other at one time, Jeff having grown up near Hopkinsville, KY and Abe and Col. James in Southern Indiana.  Using his personal acquaintances with both leaders, he tried to negotiate an early end to the Civil War.  Jeff Davis declined to accept the terms of surrender and the war went on for six more months until final surrender at Appomattox.

One of my other Great Great Great Great Uncles, John L. Jaquess, was in Co. K, 17th Tennessee Infantry.  Obviously, he had a serious disagreement with Colonel James, his cousin.

As you can see, the Jaquess side of my family has been into the military....my dad is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and Sons of Confederate Veterans.

My Great Grandfather, Col. Fletcher P. Jaquess (mentioned above) was in the U.S. Air Force (Army Air Corps before the Air Force existed) and served in the Pacific during WWII and Europe during WWI.  His brother (my Great Great Uncle), was killed in action in France.

Both of my Grandfathers served in the Pacific theater during WWII...Grandpa Charles H. Byrd was in the Marines and spent a lot of time driving tanks around China between 1944 and 1946.  He participated in action at Peleliu, Palau Islands; Okinawa; Ryukyus Islands and was stationed in China after the war until 1946.  

Grandfather John R. Jaquess was in the Army and saw action at Luzon, Philippine Islands during WWII.  He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy, Purple Heart, and three Bronze Stars....and he was only 18 years old at the time.