by Linda Salisbury

Three-year-old Corey Vaughn stood on a sandy beach at Lake Gaston, North Carolina, his feet secure in the binding of small skis, his hands gripping the ski rope handle. The boat gently pulled him off the sand into shallow – then deeper – water, “and off I went,” he recalled. His large family of hobby skiers cheered him on.

This was the beginning of Vaughn’s lifelong joy of skiing that led, in 2024, to winning a pro tour stop at age 38. His competitors were slalom ski professionals from around the world who competed at night at the Oxfordshire Pro Am in Wallingford, England. This first pro title for Vaughn, of Bumpass, was a dream come true, and he made history as the oldest skier to do so. In the quiet moments leading up to the finals, Vaughn thought about his childhood, and especially his grandfather, who was the boat driver of that first ski ride. 

In 1994 when he was eight years old, Vaughn won his first competition in his age category, and then he went on to win the Virginia state championship. His mother and grandfather also won that year in their age divisions. Vaughn attended Clemson University where he studied political science and philosophy and was a member of their water ski team.

In the summer, he returned to Lake Gaston to ski with his family, building fond memories. But Vaughn wasn’t sure what to do after graduation. The prospect of these carefree summers coming to an end as the “real world beckoned” haunted him. 

Vaughn credits his grandfather, Arell Weaver, for being his role model. Their close relationship developed because Vaughn lived with his grandparents most of his life. Vaughn and his grandfather became inseparable.

Weaver was also an avid sportsman and the administrator of the computer procurement program at NASA and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He was always proud of Vaughn and very encouraging toward his grandson. So when Vaughn’s grandmother Margaret developed Alzheimer’s, Vaughn helped his grandfather take care of her while continuing to enjoy his favorite summer pastime.

Then came a “twist of fate.” The Whitlock family of Mineral were impressed by Vaughn when he taught their children at a summer camp. The Whitlocks offered Vaughn the opportunity to live on their Bumpass land, which contained a private ski lake and a farmhouse from the late 1800s. This move gave Vaughn more than a pass to evade internships and make money as a coach, and it also offered him the opportunity to train on private water­. This was a huge upgrade from his roots on Lake Gaston.

Whitlake is located near Lake Anna. At 2,000 feet long and up to 350 feet wide, it is ideal for competition-style slalom skiing. Vaughn reaches speeds of over 60 mph when skiing. Thus, the calm water and lack of boat traffic are essential for him and his students. Lake Anna and other public waterways are often too busy with recreational boating and skiing in the warm months for Vaughn and others to practice high-level slalom skiing.

“I had to pinch myself to prove I wasn’t dreaming,” Vaughn recalled thinking when he first viewed the property. “It was perfect, and I knew I wanted to be here as long as I could.”

After two seasons as the Whitlock family’s coach – and having graduated from Clemson – the real world became inevitable. Vaughn’s free spirit did not last long in an office environment. Though his decision now seems obvious, leaving a steady job in 2009 for the dream of becoming a pro water skier was no safe bet. Vaughn would have a “mountain to climb” to become a competitive skier at the elite level.“The fear of failure was nearly paralyzing,” he explained.

Taking the risk, Vaughn decided to pursue his childhood fantasy. He qualified for the Pro Tour that summer, but Vaughn soon learned that autumn in Virginia was a problem. “The first year as a pro showed me I had a long way to go, and I needed to train,” he said.

Vaughn packed up his life and rented a room in Boynton Beach, Fla., for the winter – or perhaps indefinitely. Then came another good twist of fate. John Whitlock proposed that Vaughn create a business plan and open a ski school on Whitlake in Bumpass.

“I could hardly believe what I was hearing,” Vaughn recalled. “I jumped at the opportunity.”

John Whitlock was excited to have the opportunity to work with Vaughn. “Corey was a part of the ski community that my older kids grew up in,” he said. “It’s a close-knit group of good people. We were looking for someone to help coach my kids, and Corey started doing that. He was good with my kids, and his values and good character were quite evident. He had a passion for the sport and for helping others. He also had a vision for our lake that exceeded my own and took care of our property probably better than we would. It has been a rewarding relationship for both sides, and we are so excited to see his success with his business and on the water.”

“The ski school started with a small number of students, four or five a day, but now conducts up to 20 lessons a day,” Vaughn added. Students come from numerous states and other countries. Some are national-level competitors coming for coaching, while others are just learning the sport.

In fact, Ellie Whitlock went on to win a national championship under Vaughn’s tutelage. The median age, Vaughn said, is 60, with even a 90-year-old taking lessons. He has opened a pro shop and runs a guest house and ski cabin on the property.

In 2018, a chance meeting at a Maryland music festival between two strangers, Corey Vaughn and Amelia Thomas, resulted in marriage. They had made eye contact, and Vaughn explained that, “in my typically timid fashion, [I] quickly looked away.” That could have been the end of it, but she walked closer. They talked and talked but had no pens or papers to write down contact information. They decided to look up each other on Facebook, and Amelia contacted him. It was literally love at first sight. She has learned to water ski and is his world-class boat driver.

“I am proud to be a part of Corey’s skiing career and the legacy of the ski school,” Amelia emphasized. “Learning how to drive the boat for him has been a humbling process, and it is a role that I take seriously.”

A natural artist, Amelia creates images for t-shirts, hats, jackets, and other merchandise featuring Corey’s personal motto, “Peace, Love & Waterskiing.” It’s a message he shared around the world, disseminating bumper stickers and merchandise.

In addition to her help with the ski school, Amelia is the mother of their three-year-old son Seth and is the director of fiscal data infrastructure with the Children’s Project, a national non-profit organization.

Vaughn admits there have been professional low points in his life and career; 2022 was difficult. Thus, he developed a three-year plan to change his life and conclude in a “soft” retirement. The plan involved quitting alcohol, supercharging his nutrition, undertaking specialized workouts, developing optimal sleep habits, and seeing a sports psychologist. The efforts bore fruit, as he saw higher scores in tournaments in 2023.

In 2024, Vaughn was on a “hot streak” by winning the Oxford Pro Tour stop, claiming the U.S. National Championship, and finishing the season third on the world ranking list. “2024 marks 30 years of competitive waterskiing for me, with half of those being on the pro tour,” he said. “I’m not sure when I first held the belief that I could be a pro event champion, but the goal has been decades in the making.

“To win in Oxford and then again at the U.S. Nationals validated the belief in myself that I could do it and all of the hard work it took to get there. Quite honestly, the two emotions that overwhelmed me were gratitude and relief.”

While his business has been booming, Vaughn also developed community events such as “Buoyfest.” The seventh annual shindig is scheduled for June 7 at Whitlake and features family fun activities, live music, and waterskiing.

The words and memories from Vaughn’s grandfather, Arell, are always in his heart. Late in life, Arell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Thus, he thought his waterskiing days were well behind him. After coming to live with Vaughn for the last 3.5 years of his life, the pair became even closer. Arell took to the water after a seven-year hiatus and started slalom skiing again. Even after he lost the ability to walk, Vaughn assisted him up onto his ski. Arell could then slalom on his own and became an inspiration to others who are disabled.

Though Arell died in 2015, family traditions continue. At two, Vaughn’s son Seth wanted to waterski like his parents. Seth slipped his feet into small skis on a beach and felt the ski rope gently tug him in shallow, then deeper water. He was on the path to believing in himself, just as his great-grandfather had taught his dad.

For more information about Vaughn or his school, contact him via www.peaceloveandwaterskiing.com.