With the entry deadline for the 2024 Water Artisans of the Year contest (Nov. 30, 2024) on the horizon, POND Trade magazine has finalized its panel of six judges from around the pond and water-feature industry to rate and rank this year’s submissions.
The “Supreme Stream Court” is stacked each year with a unique, well rounded cross section of the pond world and always includes select winners from previous contests. This year, the POND Trade Editorial Committee nominated two winners from our 2023 contest, two award-winning designers and two high-profile representatives from pond-product manufacturers.
“We are really thrilled to have so much talent and expertise on our team of judges this year,” says POND Trade publisher, Lora Lee Gelles. “We’re bringing back three of our most popular categories — Best Pondless, Most Naturalistic and Best Fountains & Formal Features — and introducing an exciting new category, Recreational Ponds.”
This year’s panel is composed of the following esteemed professionals, in alphabetical order:
Bradley Blocksom is a 2023 contest winner in the Best Under $20k category and one of our youngest winners to date. Under the guidance and direction of his father Dave Blocksom, who started Pondscapes of Charlotte in 2002, Bradley has helped grow the company and plans to transition to an ownership role in the near future. Bradley enjoys building water features and loves being part of a team of motivated young individuals.
Paul Cole is the president and chief executive officer of EasyPro Pond Products. He has a strong passion for the future of the water-feature industry and a deep appreciation for the incredible design work and water features that talented contractors are able to create. When Paul isn’t working, he enjoys hunting, fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.
James Lavery has been with Atlantic-Oase for 14 years, during which time he has enjoyed a front-row seat to the company’s exceptional growth. Now the national sales manager, James was involved in the recent Atlantic-Oase corporate merger, which reshaped the industry. He seeks to set a new standard within the industry by working among an exceptional team.
B.J. Linger is known for his highly detailed, out-of-the-box water feature designs. He has more than 20 years of experience in the pond world and was the inaugural Aquascape Water Feature Artist of the Year in 2011. He is the co-owner of Outdoor Network Services, a website design and marketing company that has launched hundreds of websites and marketing strategies for pond and landscape contractors and retailers all over the United States.
Thomas VanAmerongen won in the Most Naturalistic category in 2023. He is the owner of Niagara Waterscapes in Ontario, Canada, which he founded in 2022. With a passion for natural stone, he has fallen in love with the creativity of visualizing and placing each stone with a purpose. He specializes in creating natural ponds, waterfalls and fountains to bring out the natural beauty on any property and believes that every water feature project is a new opportunity to create something completely unique.
Tim Wood, a three-time contest winner and veteran of the Supreme Stream Court, started Aquatic Edge in 2010 and has over 20 years of experience in the pond industry. Tim and his team are Master Certified Aquascape Contractors, 2016, 2017 and 2021 Water Artisans of the Year Award recipients, 2020 Aquascape Inc. Artist of the Year, and 2023 Aquascape Conservationist of the Year. Aquatic Edge is a full-service water garden design, repair and installation company in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
Each project entry is $25, with all proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Eligible projects must be completed between Nov. 1, 2023, and Nov. 1, 2024. There is no limit on the number of separate, distinct project submissions; however, each project may only be entered into one single category. Winners will be featured in the March/April 2025 issue of POND Trade magazine.
