Based on a decision made at the 2019 IWWF Congress in Malaysia, all athletes wishing to register for Ranking List (RL)/Record Capability (RC) competitions must hold an IWWF License in the future. The introduction of the IWWF License will begin with the Barefooting, Cable Skiing, Wakeboarding Boat, Wakeboarding Cable and Water Skiing disciplines as of 2021. The disciplines of Disabled, Water Ski Racing, Show Skiing and Wakesurfing will follow in 2022.
Also, from 2021 U.S. skiers in non three-event competitions will use the IWWF system for registration and scoring which may require an active EMS account. Manual registration is not available in the IWWF system so please reach out to discipline (Barefooting, Cable Skiing, Wakeboarding Boat, Wakeboarding Cable and Water Skiing) coordinators for details and information. The EMS registration system will be required for events outside the U.S. for all competitors and will necessitate active EMS accounts. Examples of such events would include Moomba, Sesena's International Slalom, VII San Gervasio Pro Am or other international non-title events.
Overall Concept
The IWWF License is valid for the duration of a calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
The “IWWF Order License” will be activated in the IWWF Event Management System (EMS) on January 4, 2021 (first working day of the year for our IT-Provider).
An athlete will only be permitted to participate in an IWWF Ranking List event if he/she is in possession of an IWWF License, valid for the year of the competition (USD25.00 for a Yearly Unlimited License or USD7.00 for a Single Competition License).
He will order his IWWF License in the IWWF EMS through the “Purchase IWWF Licenses” button on the Public Athletes menu item and pay by credit card in US Dollars or Euros. The process is quick, easy and user-friendly.
Federations will be able to order Yearly Unlimited Licenses in bulk for their respective National Teams (one single payment for several Licenses). Families and Clubs will also be able to order their Licenses in bulk with one single The Licenses will be designated for a specific Athlete and credited to his account in EMS. Licenses will not be transferable to another Athlete. EMS will issue email confirmations/receipts.
The USD25.00 Yearly Unlimited License will be non-refundable.
The USD7.00 Single Competition License will be flexible and not linked to a specific competition. It will be sold in the form of “tickets” through the “Purchase IWWF Licenses” function (see above). If the competition is cancelled or the Athlete is rejected, he will be credited with a ticket on his EMS “License Account” to use for a future competition.
Plastic License cards will be NOT be issued: in case of control, the Athlete will easily be able to prove to be in possession of a valid License by showing his EMS “License Account” on his smartphone.
The License gives the right to participate in competitions of all disciplines.
Why an IWWF License?
During the 2019 IWWF Congress held in Malaysia, it was decided to launch an IWWF License to help finance/reduce costs for organizers to host future IWWF World Titled events, in particular the IWWF World Open Waterski Championships, which includes the hosting of the IWWF The International Hall of Fame ceremonies, held at the respective IWWF World Championships of each sport discipline, also needs to be financed.
This would result in there being more interested parties wishing to bid and host for this event so the IWWF can select event venues with the best conditions so athletes can perform to the best of their abilities.
Most International Sports Federations practice a licensing system to finance their operations, some up to USD130.00 for a yearly License! The IWWF License, for a modest fee, will help improve the quality of our services to our Athletes and National Federations.
The IWWF Executive Board is counting on the support of all National Federations and Sports Division Councils to achieve this goal because it is in the best interest of our Athletes and Sport.
Will the IWWF License be mandatory for all Athletes participating in a RL or RC competition?
YES, it will concern ALL Athletes participating in a Ranking List competition (and not only the Athletes who want to have their names listed on the Ranking List!). This is not a License for those who want to be on the Ranking List but a License for those who want to PARTICIPATE in a Ranking List competition from 2021 onwards.
An Athlete may not be interested to be part of the World Ranking List but will appreciate participating in a Ranking List event which guarantees a high level of competition: good event venue, good skiing/riding conditions, experienced & competent technical officials (judges/drivers), first-class technical equipment (cableway, obstacles, homologated slalom course and jump ramp, video, tow boats), publicity (live streaming, public relations, social media, ), professional infrastructure and the motivating factor of competing together with high profile Athletes. It would be only fair that ALL Athletes participating in the same quality competition pay for a License.
* IWWF License required for competitions based on Homologation Codes: – Barefoot/Waterski: Record Capability, Ranking List. – Cableski: Record Capability, Normal. – Wakeboard Boat/Wakeboard Cable: 3 to 6 Stars (Wakeboard Cable will be integrated in the EMS system during the 1st quarter of 2021)