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New!
Jack Beane:
Pool-Finish Stains Tarnish the Entire Industry!
Jack Beane — who started out creating plaster-cleaning potions for friends and relatives who owned backyard pools — is the founder and president of Jack's Magic Products, a Largo, Fla.-based manufacturer of substances that prevent pool finishes from becoming stained and discolored, and that remediate finishes that have already been damaged. WaterShapes spoke with Beane about his passionate advocacy on this subject.
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Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith:
Building the Playboy Mansion Pool
Part Two: One of the best-known projects by Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith is the famous swimming pool and grotto at the Playboy Mansion West. How did the couple get the assignment to design and build the installation? What was it like to work for Hugh Hefner? Read the second part of this interview to find out.
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Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith:
Watershapers From Outer Space
Part One: For some five decades, Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith of The Dirsmith Group have designed imaginative structures and environments that incorporate waterfeatures and other natural elements. In the first installment of this two-part interview, the Dirsmiths tell why they claim they're from another planet when working with new clients.
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Steve Sandalis:
Watershaping for the Rich and Famous
Steve Sandalis has built his company, Mystic Water Gardens in Encino, Calif., largely by creating extravagant ponds, streams and other waterfeatures for Los Angeles' wealthy elite. Their virtually limitless budgets enable his creativity to flow freely — but what are these extremely well-heeled clients really like to work for? Sandalis gives you the inside story in this very special interview.
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Judith Corona:
Understanding Watershaping's Color Palette
Judith Corona leads a colorful life: Among other things, she teaches color theory and application for UCLA Extension, as well as a 20-hour course on the subject for the Genesis 3 Design Group. In this far-ranging interview, Corona discuses the importance of color in pool design, plus various factors to consider when creating a color palette for a backyard watershape.
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David Knox:
Bringing Shimmering Glass to Watershaping
David Knox, founder of Lightstreams Glass Tile, talks about how and why he went from designing lasers for some of the nation's biggest technology powerhouses to creating and manufacturing small, shimmering works of art out of glass for watershapes. To Knox, it has been nothing less than a life-changing aesthetic and spiritual quest.
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Randy Beard:
His Remarkable Journey in Watershaping
Randy Beard, owner of Pure Water Pools in Costa Mesa, Calif., has built some of the most spectacular watershapes in Orange County — including the #1 Extreme Pool on HGTV's "Big Splash." Not bad for a guy who started out as a pool service technician at the age of 19. The story behind his success is both inspiring and instructive.
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Dave Garton:
Changing Your Approach in Difficult Times
Dave Garton, owner of Lawnchair Watershapes in Denver, is both an expert pond and stream builder and an in-demand business coach. In this timely conversation, Garton looks at how watershapers should adjust their approach to potential clients during the current economic situation — plus how watershapers themselves can deal with the emotional toll of today's tough business environment.
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Dr. Tom Lachocki:
Fostering Research into the Benefits of Swimming
Dr. Tom Lachocki, CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, talks about his organization's support for research on the health benefits of swimming — as well as efforts to eliminate drownings, diving accidents and suction-entrapment incidents. How well does Dr. Lachocki think the watershaping industry is doing at spreading the word on both fronts?
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Skip Phillips:
How Pool Builders Can Avoid Being Sued
Skip Phillips — owner of Questar Pools in Escondido, Calif., and one of the founders of The Genesis 3 Design Group — has served as an expert witness in more than 300 lawsuits involving pool construction. With that vast experience under his belt, Phillips reveals how pool builders can lower the risk of winding up in court.
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Greg Wittstock:
Turning a Hobby into a Multimillion-Dollar Business
Greg "The Pond Guy" Wittstock discusses the growth of Aquascape, the phenomenally successful waterfeatures company (approximately $60 million in annual revenues) that he founded in 1991— plus his business philosophy and how people react to his larger-than-life persona.
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Bruce Zaretsky:
Taking Sustainability Beyond the Buzzword
Sustainability is a hot buzzword in the world of landscaping these days, but Bruce Zaretsky — owner of Zaretsky and Associates, a landscape design, installation and consulting firm near Rochester, N.Y. — is no Johnny-come-lately to the subject. Zaretsky talks about his long-standing passion for sustainable landscaping.
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