For my son's birthday I always try to do something different, particularly something he has never done. I bring a few of his friends along. My son calls it his extreme birthday. We have gone to Cedar Point, raced go-carts, and gone paintballing to name a few. But the best birthday we had was when we went waterskiing with Ryan. None of the boys had ever been waterskiing before. Ryan was a very patient and effective teacher. It was a beautiful summer morning and we had the river to ourselves. Ryan had all the equipment and his boat was awesome. They all got up on skis and wakeboards. Those boys still talk about it 2 years later.

Jon Calland M.D.
New Albany, Ohio
Season: 2005

My wife and I and a couple of friends went out with Ryan last season and had a terrific time. I was a bit apprehensive, as I didn't have much success at waterskiing in the past. To my surprise, I was up and skiing on my second attempt!!!!! My wife and friends enjoyed equal success. Going with someone who truly knows what he is doing made a world of difference. This season we are going to attempt wakeboarding!

Pete Wang M.D.
Dublin, Ohio
Season: 2006

I am a 40 something mother of two. Ryan has the rare ability to connect to children and adults alike. His teaching manner was nothing short of incredible. He was just as excited to teach us how to ski as we were to learn! Water safety is very important to my family as we enjoy summer water activities. Ryan not only focuses on how to ski but also talked with my children about boat safety. I would recommend Midwest Ski School to anyone who has a boat, who is near water, or who wants to show their children the afternoon of a lifetime. It's December and my children are STILL talking about skiing with Ryan last summer...which is exactly why Santa will be bringing them Midwest Ski School Gift Certificates in their stockings this year!

Tracey Conforti
Pickerington, Ohio
Season: 2008

Ryan is the best waterski coach I have had in the 20+ years I have been skiing since I was a little kid. He has a superb eye for each individual's style and coaches directly to your specific needs and strengths on the water. His equipment and boat is excellent and he draws upon the talent of other local waterski and wakeboard experts to provide support in the boat and at the wheel, as well as inspiration on the water. One of Ryan's strongest attributes is his ability to connect and coach well with both adults and children. He has coached and provided many hours of great, safe fun on the water for all 5 members of my family. I recommend him without reservation.

Karen Hough
CEO/Founder ImprovEdge, Inc
Powell, Ohio
Seasons: 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010

Dear Ryan,
I Just wanted to send you a note to thank you for the great insruction you gave Riley(my niece) and I this past summer. She landed her very first 180 with you, and you taught me the wake-to-wake jump. More importantly, you taught me to wakesurf, and i do that almost every day now. I am landing 360's and some fun air moves, and I probably never would have tried to surf if you didn't show me! Thanks again! If i am back in Ohio this summer, I will definately call you for more instruction. Riley is still talking about it! Thanks, Ryan! I attached 2 photos of me wakesurfing.

Monica Small
Naples, FL
Season: 2008

There are very few organizations which I feel are so exceptional to warrant a glowing personal recommendation. Midwest Water Ski and Wakeboarding School is precisely such an organization. I first met Ryan Clifton at a summer camp fair and was intrigued by the program offered. Admittedly, I was, and still am, overly protective of my grandchildren and was highly concerned letting them attend a camp which seemed so unique and outside of what they had experienced or I understood. I decided to purchase a few hours of individualized training so that our family could attend with them to see the operation in action. During our initial hours, as well as all the subsequent, Ryan Clifton consistently proved himself a highly experienced professional, dedicated to providing safe water sports experiences, and a truly patient, knowledgeable and effective instructor. It took very little time to conclude he was a stellar individual dedicated to making safe, positive and fun experiences for his students of all ages. Since those first few experiences, my grandchildren have attended the week long programs and continue to return each season for instructions to learn more ‘moves’. Ryan encourages and facilitates the joy of the accomplishments of each individual participant. He led the rousing cheers from all on the boat when my daughter-in-law first was able to finally get up on skis, and when my eight year old granddaughter completed her first surface 180 on a wakeboard. One day, when I rode along with one of the camp days, the face of a nine year old boy building up the courage and then ultimately being able to cross the wake on his skis for his first time was an accomplishment we all felt with him, his pride absolutely exploded on his face! Everyone needs more of those kind of moments in life. What is the downside of the program offered? Simple, this program has raised the bar so far, the best any of the other summer camp experiences can hope to be is second place.

Mary Taylor RN, LNHA, Esquire
Indian Lake, Ohio
Seasons: 2007, 2008

Having ridden at several wakeboard locations and with various instructors, Ryan at Midwest is easily my favorite. Ryan’s relaxed yet professional approach to instruction makes for a really enjoyable time on the water. Although I’d been wakeboarding for a couple of years, Becky had never tried it. Ryan’s instructional approach and encouragement saw Becky get up first time and her riding quickly progressed over the season. The instruction and the boat are first class and all the other customers I met through the season added to the enjoyment and sociable atmosphere.

Midwest Ski/Wakeboard School makes the whole water sports experience even more fun and I hope the excellent 2008 season will be my first of many with Ryan and his team.

Chris and Becky
Dayton, Ohio
Season: 2008, 2009 & 2010

It was my first time water skiing, and Mr. Clifton made it so easy to learn. He took each step real slow so that I wouldn't mess up or get confused. I thought I wouldn't even be able to get up on the skis, but once Mr. Clifton encouraged me, I got up! (I have the video tape to prove it.) Whether you are an experienced water skier/wakeboarder/whatever or a person who has no clue what a ski is, he will help you the whole way with everything! My sister and I had a great time, along with my parents. It is a great family activity. Especially when you get to see your dad fall straight on his butt in the water and get left behind!

Julia Rizk and Lillian Rizk
Blacklick, Ohio
Seasons: 2007, 2008

"Ryan has been helping me winterize my boat for two years now.  I like the fact that he comes to where my boat is, because taking a boat in and then picking it up again from a marina is a royal pain for me.  We are done in only a few hours, the boat has a fresh oil change, is winterized, the engine is fogged, fluid levels are looked over, and I know exactly what he did, which is not only helpful in learning about proper boat maintenance, but now I know what they are supposed to do at the marina when they charge the exorbitant rates they do.  On top of that, some of the more obvious things that need to be looked after, like the battery, transmission, steering mechanism, etc. can be looked at while you are still there, so you don’t have to spend another lump sum of money at the marina to tell them that you need something else fixed.  It helps to have an impartial 3rd party that does not benefit from you bringing in potential business to take a look.  His system that he has fabricated for winterization is not only ingenious, but environmentally conscious as well.  Boaters have the distinct disadvantage of being on bodies of water that are under constant scrutiny by wildlife and environmental organizations, and therefore have to make certain that the products that they put into and on their boats are environmentally safe.  Ryan has made sure that all of his products are environmentally friendly, and that all waste oil and other solvents are disposed of in accordance with all local and state laws.  Moreover, the antifreeze that is used in your boat will be safe for wildlife, both aquatic and otherwise.  When you combine fast, efficient, knowledgeable, conscientious, and convenient with less expensive than having to take your boat to someplace that you don’t know what they charge you for and may be afraid to ask because you don’t want a tidal wave of suggestions for “improvement,” then you might want to think about having Ryan winterize your boat."

Thanks Ryan.  

Mitch Holdren
Customer since 2007
1998 Malibu Response LX

Ryan,

Hope your summer has gone well. Can't remember for sure, but I think you're about to be a dad....hope that went well & eveyone is happy & healthy!!!

Just wanted to follow-up with a thank-you email in regard to the couple hours we spent together on O'Shaunessy in June.  Not sure if your tips & advice helped with JB's actual slalom skiing or just the additional confidence he gained from your critique of his skills at the time, but he has continued to improve thru the summer!! I do feel your comments have helped him get to that next level & feel that the cost of the lesson was very well justified!!

He's developed a nice back & forth rythum & while down to Dale Hollow this summer we practiced on a slalom course & his skill level & timing are coming together nicely.  He's at the point where he's ready to start to handle the turns one-handed.

Thanks again for your insight & advice....I hope to see the orange MC on the lake in the near future!!

Rich Rowland
Marysville, Ohio
Season: 2009