Michael Woodgate (Woody) was a Yorkshire-born gentleman and a dear friend to all who knew him. He was passionate and resilient, giving every ounce of energy he could to sport.

When strategy struck, Woody was out taking a break from his everyday life, keeping healthy on his bike and probably taking some time for himself, which like many of us, he didn’t often do. Woody’s philosophy was all about others and how he can help them find joy in waterskiing, whether that was through coaching a starting youngster, capturing a cherished moment from his camera or finding a way to provide a scholarship for an athlete at University-level and so much more.

I can only imagine the deep pain his family feels at this time, but I hope his family find solace in the overwhelming support, visible across social media today, and in knowing how much we all deeply cared for him too. With the weight of everything else going on in the world, from Lockdown 2.0 to the US elections, we have all chosen to instead focus on sharing our memories with Woody – and how much he meant to this world.

Some of us have already had a beer for Woody, and we would like to continue to honour his memory in many more ways.

Money will not fill the hole left in Michael's family and the waterski community, but we have created this page in hopes of reducing any financial burden on the family in regard to medical, repatriation and funeral costs. We will also speak with his family regarding any additional funds that are raised and potentially see this go into a Woodgate memorial fund. Woody's energy will not match any funds we make, but we would like to leave something in his memory that will continue to help the sport.