February 2008 Table of Contents

Dec. 19, 2007, is a day that will go down in the annals of aquatics history Read more

Each spring at pools across the country, aquatics administrators begin to hire lifeguards Read more

In a move sure to have long-lasting implications for the aquatics industry, President George W. Bush has signed the first-ever federal pool and spa safety legislation Read more

Former Aquatics International owner, publisher and industry pioneer Jules Field died Feb. 9 of pneumonia in Orange County, Calif. Read more

Dr. Doolittle would be proud Read more

Hoping to give aquatics operators faster data about recreational water illness outbreaks and curb the spread of those outbreaks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta will launch an electronic RWI reporting system this spring. Read more

Hyperventilation, breath-holding, shallow-water blackout and hypoxic training are terms that can be confusing, especially when trying to determine which safety policies to follow. Read more

For four years running, we’ve kept you up to date on the latest movers and shakers in the industry with our annual Power 25 issue. Read more

As an undergraduate at the University of Illinois, Tom Sheehan worked five seasons as a ride mechanic at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill. So you might say the amusement industry got into his blood. Read more

Though Jeffrey Sloan is not a pool operator, he probably knows more about chlorine than you do. Read more

Dec. 19, 2007, was a monumental day for the aquatics industry, thanks in large part to U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). Read more

Here’s one for the irony files: Dr. Linda J. Quan, one of the industry’s leading drowning prevention advocates and researchers for the past 30 years, was raised by nonswimming parents who were afraid to go in water above their knees. Read more

His name may not be familiar, but his work probably is. Bill Ryan, vice president/ COO at Architectural Design Consultants, was responsible for developing the initial concept prototype design for the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Read more

Without David Sangree, today’s indoor waterpark resort industry might look very different. Read more

Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Trump — these are some of the biggest names in the hospitality industry, and Nelson Migdal has had a hand in some of their most high-profile projects. Read more

When Charles Otto was awarded swimming and lifesaving merit badges from the Boy Scouts of America as a youngster, he couldn’t have known that a few years later he would put those skills to use rescuing a young child. Read more

As national counsel and consultant for a number of waterparks, theme parks and other entertainment venues and industry trade groups, perhaps no one is a bigger advocate for the waterpark industry than attorney and author R. Wayne Pierce. Read more

When PK Data President Bil Kennedy and his team completed its first Commercial Pool Industry Statistics Report in 1998, there was so little data on the industry that they had to start from scratch. Read more

Is there a link between swimming and childhood asthma? Millions of dollars in potential liability and facility retrofits hang on this one question. And a key person leading the charge for answers is Dr. Judy LaKind. Read more

When Walt Disney was planning to develop his first theme park, he turned to Buzz Price for help in creating an economic model that would solidify the business plan. Read more

Alot has changed since the 1970s, when attorney Ron Gilbert began litigating aquatics-related injury cases — but not his passion for aquatic safety. Read more

What do your patrons know about healthy pools? Perhaps more than you might think, thanks to Linda Golodner, president emeritus of the National Consumers League. Read more

A landscape architect by training, Mark Hatchel stumbled into working with the aquatics industry almost by chance. Read more

Blue may be the color of choice in the industry, but if Rick Fedrizzi, has anything to do with it, aquatics professionals may be seeing a lot more green Read more

You may not see an obvious connection between roller-skating and aquatics, but Doug Flora, senior producer at Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, found one Read more

Michael Conaghan may have left the lifeguard stands and starting blocks behind him a long time ago, but he is making more waves in the aquatics industry than ever Read more

Think of Bob Craycraft as a sort of missing link between resorts and aquatics Read more

Talk about starting from the bottom. Rick D’Aprile, who heads one of the largest insurance firms in the industry, spent several summers at the Lake Compounce Family Theme Park in Bristol, Conn., where he did everything from ride operator to concessi Read more

Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) spends a considerable amount of time away from the Southern California beaches he lifeguarded in his youth, but he still has water in his veins Read more

Back when Ernest “Chip” R. Blatchley III was a lifeguard and competitive swimmer, he was probably didn’t give much thought to the disinfection byproducts he was inhaling Read more

Big money is the name of the game for Curt Caffey Read more

James Amburgey has always loved water, but he also knows how dangerous it can be without proper water quality management Read more

Though Craig Barker never worked as a lifesaver, that’s exactly what he’s become Read more

In 1999, a large flower and consumer show was held in the Netherlands. One vendor set up several display spas. Read more

Imagine a woman with severe kyphosis (excessive outward curvature of the spine) who enters a physical therapy clinic. In what position should the therapist place her to be able to work on her complaints? Read more