Staff Spotlight - Megan Allen
Megan Allen is a ROW Coordinator and Document Supervisor in the Oklahoma City Operations department. She is also a competitive water skier, and in 2023, she placed fourth in the nation at the AWSA (American Water Ski Association) National Competition.
Megan competes in the slalom event, which consists of the boat running straight down a course made of buoys, at a designated MPH (for Megan, it’s 34 MPH), and the skier has to make it through a set of entrance and exit buoys, then around six buoys that are crisscrossed outside of the course the boat travels. If the skier makes it through both sets of gates and around all six buoys, they drop at the farthest end of the course, the boat crew shortens the rope at specific lengths after each pass, and the skier then gets to make another attempt at the course. You continue until you fall or miss a buoy.
“The part that I think everyone gets excited about is at the point where the skier crosses the wakes to enter the course or go to the next buoy, the skier is going 2x as fast as the boat. So, when I hit the wakes, I’m going about 70 mph. I love it.,” Megan said.
Megan comes from a long line of water skiers, and she has been competitive since she was eight years old. In fact, she wasn’t the only one in her family to compete at Nationals. Her dad, sister and nephew were also competitors!
Megan ran three buoys at 32 off, which means, she made it around 3 buoys, and there was 32 feet taken away from a 75-foot rope. This placed her in a runoff for fourth place, which she won, officially placing fourth at nationals.
Megan’s favorite part about water skiing is the time she gets to spend with her family.
“That’s where we truly connect and get to spend quality time together,” she said. “My second favorite part…it doesn’t hurt that it involves sunshine and a body of water. That’s my happy place. Surprised? Now, let me have an adrenaline rush at my happy place…that’s perfection.
This year, the national competition is in Arvin, California. We are anxious to see how well Megan and her family do. All of us at Coates will be rooting for you, Megan!