THE WATER SKIER, THE\nDICTATOR AND THE POP STAR<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Summery:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What once was my favorite story\nfrom my career as a professional water skier has little to do with waterskiing.\nIt was my favorite story, in part, because it did not make any sense. The event\nwas a complete mystery to me, those who experienced it with me and everyone to\nwhom I told the story. What happened could well be described as a Forrest\nGump-type moment; an unwitting chance-encounter with a historical figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June of 2013, along with a small\ninternational group of athletes – water skiers, jet skiers, and flyboarders \u2013 I\ntraveled to Awaza; a beach resort town on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.\nIt was here that we met Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. He is known by the people\nin his country as the “backbone of the nation,” the “leader of\nthe fair state,” the “dear son of the Turkman people” or simply\nas “the president.” But for those who do not fear him, he is known as\nthe totalitarian dictator of Turkmenistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This story will try and make sense\nof this bizarre set of circumstances that landed me face to face with the\ndictator and Jennifer Lopez. The three of us come from opposite sides of the\nglobe, but this geographical distance does not seem far enough to account for\nhow estranges our worlds are from one another. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the only similarity between\nTurkmenistan and the waterskiing world is their eccentricity, and despite this\neccentricity, both have, few exceptions, stayed out of the mainstream media\nspotlight and remain mysterious to most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lopez, on the other hand, lives at\nthe centre of the mainstream spotlight. As one of the most famous faces of the\nlast couple decades, everything from her music to her films and her personal\nlife is on public display, save but one thing: her dealing with some of the\nvilest dictators and crooks on the planet. Lopez is not the only famous\nmusician to be lured by millions of ill-gotten dollars. However, this part of\nthe music industry operates primarily in secret. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This story will lift the veil on\nthese three worlds, track their histories and explain how they came to collide\non a beach in Central Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although this is the story of a\nbizarre waterski show and concert and how it happened, it is also a commentary\non the strange relationship the western world has with isolated dictatorships\nand its moral indifference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intended impact of the story: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several ways I hope this\nstory will impact the audience. Firstly, it is an adventure story. The\nfoundation of this story that sets up all the other elements is this strange\nand exciting trip to an unknown country by a small group of waterskiers. The\nstory will create an element of suspense and intrigue that draws the reader in.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, it is a history story\nabout three unexplored worlds – Berdymukhammedov’s (Turkmenistan), Lopez’s\n(music industry that deals with dictators) and mine (waterskiing) – and how\nthey came to meet in June of 2013. This story will provide the reader with an\neducation in these three topics which are rarely written about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, this story is about the end\nof innocence. This story will be about the shattering of my own naivety to the\nevils and injustices of authoritarianism, and in the process, challenge the\naudience to question why we are so complacent to this injustice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My aim is to make the story\nexciting, educational, and leave the reader a little bit uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Journalistic significance:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the events of this story\ntake place back in 2013, the stories major theme of authoritarianism is more\nrelevant and significant today. Back in 2013, liberal democracy had appeared to\nbe on the rise for several decades and was accelerating with the beginning of\nthe Arab Spring. However, lingering conflicts in the area have led some say we\nare now in the Arab Winter. Not only in the Middle East has liberal democracy\nseen a reversal of fortunes, but all over the world, there has been a\nsurprising revival of authoritarian leadership. This includes several European\nnations who have seen the rise of nationalism – and also in the United States\nwith the election of Donald Trump. Some\nhistorian worry that this trend is the result of this generation of people\ngrowing up never experiencing or seeing the horrors of authoritarianism as the\nprevious generation had in World War II. It is important as a journalist to\nexpose the evils of authoritarianism and remind a younger generation of its\nperils. To accomplish this, my story\nwill draw parallels between Berdymukhammedov’s regime and the Third Reich and\nreference the works of George Orwell and Hannah Arendt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Story Structure:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opening Scene:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open in the change room in\n Awaza, Turkmenistan<\/li>
The ski team is preparing for\n the show and looks out the window at the special guest that the show is\n for<\/li>
A long precession on cars\n arrives, the last being a black Porsche Cayenne with gold trim, which pulls\n up in front of a long green carpet that one person may walk upon<\/li>
Withhold identity to increase\n suspense <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Nut graph:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should capture the major\n themes of the story:
The collision of these estranged\n worlds <\/li>
The western worlds moral indifference\n to the existence of authoritarian regimes <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Three scenes from spring 2013 in the lead up to the event:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am preparing for what would be a busy waterskiing\nseason in Muskoka when I receive a phone call from Australia offering me a\ncontract to ski a show in a country I had never heard of<\/li>
Jennifer Lopez receives the amfAR\u2019s\nHumanitarian Award at a fancy ceremony in New York City just weeks prior to\nflying in a private jet to Turkmenistan
Describe\nthe ballroom, the stage and her dress<\/li><\/ol>
Quote\nfrom her speech: \u201cWhen we all come together, we can change the world. Thank\nyou.\u201d<\/li><\/ol><\/li>
Turkman government officials nervously preparing\nfor the dictators 57th<\/sup> birthday celebration
Explain\nthe danger and fear they must have of the spontaneous political purges through\narbitrary arrests for \u201cpolitical corruption.\u201d<\/li><\/ol>
The\ngovernment official discussing what to get this eccentric dictator that will\ncurry his favour<\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Three history sections:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waterskiing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first waterskier, Ralph Samuelson, amazing his\nneighbours after carving a couple of wood boards into skis and fashioning a toe\nrope from a clothesline and iron ring.<\/li>
The first water ski shows in Cyprus Gardens <\/li>
Raise of international popularity <\/li>
Modern-day water stunt show and the new\ntechnology <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer Lopez:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beginning of her career<\/li>
International popularity <\/li>
Status as one of the world biggest stars and the\nattention it garners <\/li>
History of her accepting contract to preform for\nseedy individuals <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Turkmenistan and Berdymukhammedov:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Description of the Turkmenistan that Berdymukhammedov\nwas born into in 1957 that was controlled by communist Russia<\/li>
Khrushchev’s new policies different from Stalin\u2019s\n<\/li>
Collapse of the Soviet Union <\/li>
Formation of the Turkman state, and the power\nseizure by the Turkman Communist Party and Turkmenbashi<\/li>
Turkmenbashi establishment of an isolated totalitarian\ndictatorship
Oppressive laws<\/li><\/ul>
Personality cult (description of his golden\nstatue that rotates to always face the sun)<\/li><\/ul>
Corrupt elections <\/li><\/ul>
Continuation of a soviet power model<\/li><\/ul>
Political purges, arbitrary arrests and murders <\/li><\/ul><\/li>
Death of Turkmenbashi and raise of his dentist Berdymukhammedov\nto power (only head of state in the world who is a dentist)
\ncontinuation of the authoritarian state and personality cult<\/li><\/ul>
Segway to Berdymukhammedov 57th<\/sup>\nbirthday celebration <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Scenes from the event:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ntrip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flight from Istanbul to Awaza airport. (Description of the portrait of the dictator) <\/li>
Spotless and empty brand-new airport<\/li>
The bus ride through the desert. (Description of\nworkers covered from head to toe so that only a slit for their eyes exposed sweeping\naway every last grain of sand on the spotless highway)<\/li>
Description of the empty Awaza beach town report\n<\/li>
Extreme security measures<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Waterski show practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The viewing area fit for a Roman emperor <\/li>
The scuba divers scoping for bombs <\/li>
The skiing itself<\/li>
Meeting Casper Smart and inviting him to go\nwakeboarding<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Return back and pick up the opening scene of Berdymukhammedov\narrival <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waking down the carpet <\/li>
Sitting in the viewing area<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The water ski show:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything directed towards and preformed for\njust one person: the dictator <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Lopez\u2019s arrival:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Riding in the boat, talking with the skiers,\nect.<\/li>
Quotes from the skiers about Lopez<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The trip home:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unaccounted for plane bookings<\/li>
Suspicions airport security <\/li>
Man trying to jump out of the airplane <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lucky to be able to\n leave Turkmenistan when so many are trapped there and unaware of the outside\n world <\/li>
Wondering who those\n faceless people sweeping of the highway were<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Website: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MRP will also include a multimedia website with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Introductory video that\n combines footage from waterskiing, Jennifer Lopez, music industry, and\n Turkmenistan<\/li>
Short biographies from\n the principal characters in the story<\/li>
Photographs from the\n event <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Bibliography:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peyrouse, S. (2012). Turkmenistan: strategies of power,\ndilemmas of development. New York, NY: M.E. Sharp, Inc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkmenistan’s foreign policy: positive neutrality and the\nconsolidation of the Turkmen regime. New York, NY: Routledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
USA Water Ski Foundation website. www.usa-wwf.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dickinson, J. (2015). Famed Cypress Gardens founder made his\nown splash on skis. https:\/\/www.orlandosentinel.com\/features\/os-flashback-0802-20150802-story.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE WATER SKIER, THE DICTATOR AND THE POP STAR Summery: What once was my favorite story from my career as a professional water skier has little to do with waterskiing. It was my favorite story, in part, because it did not make any sense. The event was a complete mystery to me, those who experienced … <\/p>\n
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