Contact: Larry Meddock, Executive Director Water Sports Industry Association info@wsia.net 407-251-9039

Letter from WSIA President Jim Emmons
March 2009

Dear Water Sports Industry,

The WSIA has been busy working for you! The most recent issue has been the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s new rules passed into law by the U.S. legislature that will require all children’s toys to be free of phthalates — a chemical used to soften plastic. Many of our water-sports products are made with this chemical, and the good news is that they can continue to be made without it.

In February of this year the law went into effect, but not without controversy. Several manufacturers knew that this law could potentially harm the production and delivery of their products unless some key questions could be answered and definitions made.

In January 2009, prompted by an urgent call from a member, the WSIA acted to help by passing a vote to authorize $10,000 for legal funds. Through the WSIA an attorney was hired, and we’re pleased to announce that many of the fears and concerns are being dismissed. You can read more about this in Chris Tauber’s cover story in the new issue of WaterSports Retailer, but that’s not the point of my letter.

It seems that almost everywhere I go, I run into someone who says, “What exactly does the WSIA do for me?”
Of course, for those of us fortunate enough to be on the front lines of the WSIA’s efforts, this seems like a ridiculous question. But the truth is, most people in our industry have no idea what the WSIA is really doing.

Imagine a sales year with no products made of plastic — that’s right, everything made of plastic having to be returned to its maker. Well, that almost came true in 2009, but through the actions of key members of the WSIA Board of Directors and the swift authorization of WSIA legal defense funds, we appear to be resolving this issue. That’s just one example of the WSIA in action, working for you!

The WSIA is always working for our industry, whether for waterways rights, achievement awards, safety issues or government relations. The Water Sports Industry Association is doing what none of us could alone — keeping our sports alive and flourishing!

For more information, please explore this website, wsia.net.

Sincerely,

Jim Emmons
WSIA President

We can accomplish together what none of us can do alone.