For more Polk County sports, check out Roy's work at theledger.com.  

Rick joined Mark Jackson and Jack Cormier on a recent broadcast of Sports Central, which can be viewed on the Polk County Government page on Facebook or YouTube.  

Joining us are Catapult's Kitchen Director, Maggie Leach, and the owners of Pinoy Cravings, Hyun Dobrea and Josephine Colorina.

Today, while the theme park shows are mostly history, clubs around the world keep the sport alive. 

When the best show water skiers in the world gather in Winter Haven, Florida from Oct. 19-23 to compete as both teams and individuals in the 2022 IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament, things will be a little different.

Long time water ski broadcaster Mark Jackson and Joel Shapiro, the President of the National Show Ski Association, are here to give you the ins and outs of scoring an international competition.

For more information, go to visitcentralflorida.com or worldwaterskishow.com.

Topics included Ken Riley and the NFL Hall of Fame, Pete Rose, and the upcoming IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament, to be held on Lake Silver in Winter Haven Oct. 18 to 23.

For more information on the World Water Ski Show Tournament, visit worldwaterskishow.com.

For more on Central Florida’s Sweetest Spot, Polk County, visit www.visitcentralflorida.org.

Having spent a lot of time with Norm up to his enshrinement in the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame, we felt that re-releasing what might be his last interview was the least we could do.

Quick witted with a sharp sense of humor, Norm will be missed.  

In Haines City, Terrell Griffin and Ryan Ritchie use a mix of attractors and activities to not only infuse their city with visitors, but to shape the future of Polk's northeast corridor. 

STOL stands for Short Takeoff and Landing, and its the hottest aviation competition category going. 

Joining us is Anitra Goddard of the National Stol Series to talk about the Central Florida Classic STOL Competition going on in Lakeland Dec. 3 and 4 as part of the Sun N Fun Holiday Fly-In and Car Show. 

Josh Hicks has been there since the doors opened and shares the town's vision for their future.

We talk food, her YouTube channel and more on this episode of the Polk Experience.  

It became an RV resort

And in just a few months, Cabana Club will finish its transformation into Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Cabana Cabins in Auburndale. The hospitality brand, named after the Jimmy Buffett beach bum classic, is known around the world.

Less known are the Cabana Cabins. More tiny house than rustic abode, these charming overnight options allow we who don’t RV to enjoy this amenity package destination.

Giving us our tour today are Alexa Russo and Beth Wiley, their marketing department’s dynamic duo.

We visit the Cookie Jar, Rafal Natural, the LB Brown House and the Netflix-featured, Wonder House. 

We talk to Brandon Scharaga of the IBLA to learn more about the sport and what to expect this weekend.

Gerald comes to use from First Tee Lakeland, where he used golf as an outreach to area youth. 

Alex Dry comes to use from IMG in Bradenton and has an extensive background in the sport and business of baseball. 

Mrs. Benn spent 48 years at Florida Southern as a faculty member in the school’s physical education department and was instrumental in organizing the school’s women’s athletic program. She was their first coach in women’s basketball, volleyball and tennis.

Mr. Benn was the head women’s basketball coach from 1985-97. He led the Lady Moccasins to five SSC regular season titles, six SSC Tournament titles, and the team’s only South Region Championship and Elite Eight appearance.  

He's a 2020 Polk County Sports Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greatest scholar athletes ever from Polk County.

A legend in the sport, she is a former professional player and USF Sports Hall of Fame member. She talks to us about growing up in Gibsonton, her journey through professional sports and her return to coaching at Florida Southern.

We speak with Wheels of Steel Chairman Lt. Tony Allaire of the Polk County Sheriff's Office and co-chair Jason Hallman, owner of Cycle Stop USA, about the event that benefits the Early Learning Coalition of Polk County.  

Come along with us as we learn about Dan's journey from college diver to Disney whiz kid to garage inventor and, finally, taking the helm of one of nationally acclaimed Theatre Winter Haven.  

For Rob Sitz, the president of RussMatt Baseball, it meant pivoting during one of the nation's largest collegiate baseball tournaments. 

Rob also shared his journey from being a player and, later, the pitching coach at Rollins College to being part of the multifaceted company, DS Sport Ventures. 

LB Brown went from slave to prominent businessman. The home he built in Bartow, Florida, stands today as a memorial to the human spirit, thanks to the contributions of Clifton Lewis.

Just minutes away in Winter Haven is the historic town of Pughsville. Russell Burney strives to keep the memory of his hometown alive for future generations. We talk Pughsville, Winter Haven, Cypress Gardens and the Boston Red Sox.

In the first segment, we speak with his brother-in-law, Elijah Armstrong, and his lifelong friend, Bartow City Commissioner Leo Longworth, about Ken's legacy.

Longtime NFL sports writer Pat Zier joins us in the second segment to talk about Riley's NFL career, his demeanor on the field, and why he has yet to have a bust in Canton, Ohio. 

After that, we chat with Joel Rodriguez, one half of the Ovations ownership team. With restaurants in Davenport, Winter Haven and Lakeland, the community-minded Rodriguez brothers have mixed their love of family with their love of upscale barbecue.