BallOfSpray

 Ray was born to a waterski family fifty years ago in Melbourne. With two brothers and a sister, his father Noel was a competition judge and was an important part of Australia’s spectacular annual Moomba Masters. It was natural for Ray to want to be involved. Following an upholstery apprenticeship in 1980, he headed for Mike Suyderhoud’s Waterski School in California to try his luck. He quickly became a 50m jumper and was fascinated with the various techniques and product designs in the sport. From there he moved to Pat Kennelly’s ski school in Sacramento in 1987.  By default it resulted in one of his links to Europe. Carl Cautley from Ireland’s Golden Falls Waterski Club had just arrived at Kennelly’s on a job organized by Des Burke-Kennedy and when he returned to Golden Falls, he never stopped talking about this impressive young guy called Ray! One year later, Ray was invited to coach at Golden Falls and for the following 20 years, this became an annual routine and a Club highlight.

 

 The next milestone for Ray was when he had developed his Waterski coaching techniques and was at the time coaching Emma and Curtis Sheers. They both hit the world headlines with their entirely new Ray Stokes Jump technique. Some thought these techniques were dangerous. How wrong they were. This was followed with his entirely new Stokes Skis design with the now famous cut-away Stokes Tip based on the shape of the leading edge of an aircraft. The fact that he had also taken up Skydiving to relax, just added to his expertise and understanding of aerodynamics. Ray Stokes quickly became an international name to be respected.

 

He was so much in demand that securing a booking with Ray was the new challenge! The World now recognized his extraordinary talent. He made Waterski history by becoming the Team Coach for Ireland, Denmark, Korea, Australia and England. The Danish team hired Ray as their head coach in the summer of 98 and he lifted the team to world class level. In fact, he coached nearly every top professional Waterskier in the IWWF Rankings over the past decade.  Sue Lippelgoes, Bruce & Toni Neville, Brett Thurley, Jim Clunie, June Fladborg, Thomas Asher, Will Asher, Sarah and Ryan Green, Jesper and Klaus Cassoe are just a few of Ray’s list of highly successful Jumpers and Slalom Skiers.

 

Ray was always being innovative and constantly finding ways to help amateur and professional skiers progress to another level.  Rays intuitive knowledge of the sport and its needs got him thinking about the gear used by skiers and how it could be better.  Stokes skis was the brain child of Rays thinking.  He wanted the best on the market, emphasising higher quality gear for all facets of waterskiing.  He developed new jump skis with the now famous stokes tips, different edges and bevels.  He came up with the protective hump for jump suits to protect against upper back injuries.  The stokes brand was a way to put all the visionary ideas in Rays head out their for everyone. The products he designed and devloped were carefully thought out with only the best material to be used in each product.  Ray never settled and constantly sought the best for Stokesskis just like he did for all the skiers and people he has ever helped through the years.

 

‘And that was Ray’s secret. He was not just a Waterski Coach. Travelling 36 times around the World, somehow every person he taught regarded him as their own best friend. This was highlighted when in Hospital he opened up a CaringBridge Web page so that friends could leave occasional messages for him. When he finally passed away in December, there were an incredible 30,163 individual messages on his page ! It is hard to imagine how one person could have made such a positive impact on so many people in a relatively short life – but what a testament to a truly unique person.

 

Ray left behind his two loving sons John and Fred. Everyones support and donations has gone into a trust for them later in their lives. Ray was absolutely amazed at the support from everyone and was relieved knowing his sons would have help and support in their future.

 

Ray’s memorial gathering in Healesville, just north of Melbourne, on December 8th 2011 on a beautiful warm and sunny day, was not a sad occasion. There were too may good memories by so many real friends who travelled from far and wide to share the moment. The happiest part of his final year was his relationship with Denmark’s June Fladborg and spending quality time with his two boys, John and Fred. June had achieved almost everything with Ray’s Coaching on the water; National Titles and Records, International Titles, World Cup Titles, etc., - up to one year ago. However, she had not succeeded in breaking the elusive World Jump Record. She and her Coach Ray hoped that some day June would finally succeed. As fate would have it, June actually achieved her extraordinary ambition with a distance of 57.1m at Cray Valley in England. Ray was there to share the experience and this made it all the more special. Words cannot express what this meant to both. In his final days, June spent long days and nights in the Hospital with Ray and caringly nursed him through the awful treatments which are part of the Cancer story. The very close bond developed through his Coaching was as strong as ever, right to the end. What June did to ease his journey was truly exceptional. What an extraordinary journey and we were all blessed to have known Australia’s Ray Stokes. May he rest in peace.