Only in Wisconsin might freestyle water-skiing and free sweet corn be highlights of the same event. This past August, I found myself sitting on a bench overlooking Lake Mary, watching a national champion on a single ski launch a massive back mobius flip off a jump while I munched on my third ear of sweet corn. Or maybe my fourth. On a hot summer afternoon, nothing tastes better than free Wisconsin corn. And the kid stuck the landing.

The location is the village of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, population 6,363. The venue is Lance Park, home of Aquanut Water Shows, the local water-ski show team. The event is TL Summer Nights, a competitive showcase featuring freestyle water-ski jumping, trick skiing, kneeboarding, and shoe skiing with, as a grand finale, the combined evening performance of the Aquanuts, the Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team and the Muskego ­Waterbugs. Plus free sweet corn! All this crammed into a Friday evening and a full day on Saturday.

The backstory to TL Summer Nights is a long tale, best told by the event organizer, Danny “Dano the Mano” Amir, best known as the ­energetic announcer for pro-level tow-sports events and, with his girlfriend, Jayne Levy, the impresario behind Touch of the North Events (TOTN Events), which promotes TL Summer Nights and a number of other tow-sports events around the country. Amir, now all of 42 years old, first got started in tow sports as a junior Aquanut.

“I grew up in northern Illinois and learned to ski when I was 7 or 8 years old, on Eagle Lake near Kansasville, Wisconsin,” Amir recalls. “I was first exposed to show skiing when my family watched a performance of the Browns Lake Aquaducks and I was captivated by the scene. When I was 11 years old, I tried out for the Aquanuts. You had to be able to do a deepwater start on a slalom ski. Making the team was very competitive, and you started on the junior squad. When you were 14, you were eligible to advance or try out for the senior team.”

Wisconsin is the epicenter of show skiing in North America. According to Aaron Schoelzel, president of the Wisconsin Water Ski Federation, there are about 40 water-ski show teams in the state, more teams than all other states combined, and nobody really seems to know why. Schoelzel thinks that after World War II, lakefront resorts in northern Wisconsin started organizing water-ski exhibitions to entertain guests, and the complexity of these shows grew as the performers sought to compete with neighboring teams. The Tommy Bartlett Show, which combined show skiing with powerboat stunts and acrobatic stage acts, was another huge influence. Formed as a professional traveling act in 1952, the show found a permanent home on Lake Delton in Wisconsin Dells in 1953 and became an institution that fueled the development of what is today a $1.2 billion tourist ­industry in that community. Throughout its 67-year history, more than 30 million visitors watched one of its more than 18,700 daily shows, including, it seems, almost every resident of Wisconsin. The Tommy Bartlett Ski, Sky and Stage show closed permanently in 2020, an economic victim of the pandemic and rising waterfront property values.

The sport of competitive show skiing started in 1967 with the first Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament, organized with the vision of Wisconsin Rapids native Jack Lukes at Red Sands Beach on Lake Wazeecha. The Wisconsin tournament established rules for judging show-ski competitions that are still in use today. That first tournament featured seven teams. Today the Wisconsin Championships, which attracts 30 teams and thousands of people to Lake Wazeecha, is the largest tournament of its kind in the world, and the most competitive within the sport. The Wisconsin title is considered more prestigious than the national championship.

Founded in 1972 and ­featuring multitime state and national champions, Aquanut Water Shows have 50 senior team skiers, 30 junior skiers, and about 40 nonskiing members who include boat drivers, a show director, and members of various committees—more than 120 people in total. Aquanut Water Shows is nonprofit, and every member pays an annual fee to be on the team. Fundraising and sponsorships add to an annual budget that tops $100,000. The team owns five specialized tow boats, two pickup boats, a ramp, and docks. Portable barges are used to stage skiers away from the show area, which is a terraced section of a city park overlooking the water. In addition to training for tournaments, show-ski teams typically perform for a local audience twice a week, forming pyramids and ballet lines, demonstrating trick skiing and jumping, all with flair that combines the circus with a Las ­Vegas review. The Aquanuts also host the Aquanut Adaptive ­Aquatics clinics program for individuals of varying disabilities, with 150 participants each summer over eight total clinic days.

This is the milieu that Amir joined when he made the Aquanuts team in 1993, an environment that combined competition and entertainment. As Amir progressed with the team, he became one of the top show trick skiers in the state, winning the Mark Black ­Memorial Award three times for being the outstanding trick skier.

“I graduated from high school in 2000, went to work at Munson Ski & Marine, and saved $20,000,” Amir says. “The idea was I would move to Florida and ski every day and find a way to make a living. So I moved in with my friend Erik Ruck, who is from Twin Lakes and was an Aquanut, and Parks Bonifay, who started show skiing with his parents as a baby at Cypress Gardens. Erik and Parks, of course, both ­became ­wakeboard champs and hall of ­famers. I burned through that 20 grand in a few months, but I skied for 700 days in a row. I aspired to show-ski professionally, but was humbled pretty quickly in the mecca of pro watersports.”

There are currently only a handful of professional ski shows in the world—Legoland Florida Resort (formerly Cypress Gardens), Sea World San Antonio and a show team in Singapore—so opportunities for show skiers are limited.

“By 2003, I was working at ­Performance Ski & Surf in ­Orlando and was interacting with skiers and boarders every day,” Amir says. “The dismissive attitude each camp had for the other really bothered me, and I tried to find ways to bring all the sides together. Bridging the gap across all aspects of towed watersports became an obsession.”

In 2005, Amir’s career took a turn when he was invited to be the announcer for the World Wake Association National Wakeboard Championships. Already starting to make a name for himself around the industry in the persona of Dano the Mano, Amir injected a new level of energy to the event, bringing a unique voice to the sport that mixed his knowledge of all tow sports with a rather hyperbolic emcee style that took cues from pro wrestling. He quit his day job in 2007 to exclusively announce tow-sports events, often commentating at more than 35 events a year. Today, he ­continues announcing select events—such as the Nautique Regattas, Nautique Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament and, most recently, Red Bull Wake the City—and is also a sales representative for ­Roswell  ­Marine.

Stick with me. This story is ­gradually working its way around to TL Summer Nights. In Florida, Amir socialized with pro wakeboarders who would let him trick-ski behind their boat when they were done with a board session. As a bit of a goof, in 2005, Amir and a group of prominent riders proposed a barefoot contest for wakeboarders only that they called Feet on Fire.

“We did this in the middle of the week, and it was just these pro wakeboarders trying to barefoot and see who could go the longest,” Amir says. “Maybe 150 people showed up to watch, just friends and family. It was a party. Later that summer, I went back to Twin Lakes, connected with my buddy and show-skiing mentor, Kenny Meyer, and started Feet on Fire North, with eight Aquanuts and eight Aquanut alumni. And we did this for a few years.”

In 2015, Amir returned to the Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament and was disappointed to learn that the Mark Black Memorial Award had been discontinued for lack of a sponsor.

“So I went back to Twin Lakes and partnered with Kenny’s son, Jarad, to organize an informal trick-skiing contest for 15 competitors,” Amir says. “To attract a little crowd and just for fun, we came up with the idea of free sweet corn. We gave away 150 ears of corn and raised $300 to sponsor the Mark Black award. In 2016, we came back and combined the trick-skiing ­contest with Feet on Fire, and we had 32 barefooters show up and more than 200 spectators, and gave away 500 ears of corn.”

Then Jayne stepped in.

“She pointed out that I was working pretty hard to organize these events but not breaking even,” Amir says. “She has a background in franchising, so she brings the business mindset and organizational skills, and I bring the ideas and relationships. We started working together, with Jayne managing the overall ­operations and marketing.”

Amir remained focused on finding ways to bring together different elements of the tow-sports community. In 2017, he organized a slalom contest on Lake Mary at the home of Kenny Meyer. Thirty-three athletes signed up, and 30 of them had never skied on a slalom course.

“We thought if we set out the slalom course at dusk the night before, nobody would notice, but of course, the local water patrol caught us dropping buoys,” Amir says. “We had to get a permit. So the next day, I went to see the city president, and he gave us permission on the condition that in the future we had to ­follow the rules.”

Thus was born the Twin Lakes ­CornFest, a one-day event in ­August 2018 at the Aquanut’s Lance Park venue that featured freestyle trick skiing and jumping, ­endurance barefooting, and swivel ­skiing—with free corn. Admission was charged, the Twin Lakes Chamber of Commerce secured a permit to sell beer, and multiple sponsors set up displays at the site. The event was a big success, and in 2019, the Twin Lakes CornFest expanded its length to two days, adding wakeboarding, ­long-distance jumping, and kids tow-sports competition.

The Twin Lakes CornFest competition differs from a traditional three-event tournament in that the judging is purely subjective.

“In a pro trick-skiing tournament, for example, the judging is objective,” Amir explains. “Each trick has specific points, and the skier needs to build a routine that crams as many points into each run as possible. A show trick skier is concerned only with entertaining the audience, by  throwing some impressive tricks, but also by engaging with the crowd. At our event, we judge the trick, but also the style. A pro ski jumper is going only for distance. In our Ramp Master Superstar LD Jump event, we put a pin 125 feet from the ramp—an unimpressive distance for a pro jumper. The point being to see who can come closest to landing on the pin while also showing some style and showmanship that the judges consider. We level the playing field between pros, semipros and amateurs, and make it easier for those new to the sport to understand and be engaged.”

This approach seems to make the event a lot of fun for all of the ­competitors.

“We bring a variety of disciplines and skill levels together—pros, competitive college skiers, barefooters, wakeboarders, wakeskaters, show skiers and more—in an event that pays tribute and respect to tradition while adding a fun, new-school twist. A community-focused event like Twin Lakes CornFest, with the free all-you-can-eat corn, may draw someone in for the food, but they stay for the entertainment on the water,” Amir says.

By 2023, a three-day Twin Lakes CornFest event drew a crowd of 3,000 spectators and more than 130 competitors and featured a performance by 75 show skiers. Multiple pro athletes participated in the contests or supported with judging and on-water logistics, including pro wakeboarders Mike Dowdy and JB O’Neill, as well as pro water-skiers Jon Travers and Natallia Berdinkava and pro wakeboarder/trick skier Erika Lang. To keep the event fresh and avoid conflict with the biannual Show Ski Worlds, Dan and Jayne decided to make Twin Lakes CornFest an every-other-year deal but were persuaded by the community to host a smaller event in 2024: TL Summer Nights. Full-blown Twin Lakes CornFest will be back August 14-16, 2025.

Read Next: The History of Ski Nautique

At TL Summer Nights, the crowd and number of competitors were smaller than at TL CornFest, but there were still some impressive performances. At the top of my list is Kailey Koehler, a 28-year-old special-education teacher from East Troy, Wisconsin, who joined the Aquanuts at age 6 and went on to become a state-, national- and world-champion show skier, a ­national- and world-champion barefoot competitor, and the only three-time winner of the Willa Cook Award, presented to the best female performer at the National Water Ski Show Tournament. At TL Summer Nights, Koehler bested 23 entries in the barefoot competition with the longest distance of about 1.25 laps around a quarter-mile course, a run that lasted 55.28 seconds—an impressive feat considering that the choppy conditions were the same you’d find on any busy lake in the summer. The fact that she did this while barefooting backward, and that she dock-started backward, added a significant degree of difficulty. Koehler also won the head-to-head barefoot contest. Other barefooters won awards for dressed to impress, slowest speed, and best crash, which gives you an idea of the flavor of the event. Everyone is competing but also having fun. Winners were presented with refinished-wood water skis provided by ­industry legend Larry Meddock.

More fun: There was the Corn Cob Shoe Line—eight show skiers clad in costumes alternating an ear of corn and a stick of butter. There was Dan Emerson trying to start his barefoot run by standing on a canoe paddle. Collin Barber was crowned King of Shoes for landing a front flip on shoe skis and starting his run with a skit impersonating late celebrity painter Bob Ross. Ethan Shulda, Sarah Fiedorowicz and Dallas Hovda won Gangsters of Flight’s first-ever GOF Invitational freestyle water-ski jump competition, introducing a fresh format to the sport.

And there was corn. Wisconsin Style Barbecue used a giant portable pizza oven to roast 4,000 ears of corn, which was sourced locally through Rubber Ducky Country Market and from Reynold’s Farm. That works out to about 2.6 ears per attendee. I guess I got more than my share.

Ski-Show Team Names

A tradition among Wisconsin ski-show teams is coming up with a clever name. These are some of our favorites:

• Min-Aqua Bats of Minoqua, Wisconsin
• Webfooters of Fremont, Wisconsin
• Beaverland Must-Skis of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
• Aquaducks of Burlington, Wisconsin
• Kwahamots of Tomahawk, Wisconsin
• Chain Skimmers of Conover, Wisconsin
• Badwater Ski-Ters of Spread Eagle, Wisconsin

The post Soaking Up Tow-Sports Fun at TL Summer Nights appeared first on Boating Mag.

The story of the specialized ski and wake category in boating begins with an idea inspired by a problem. Today, we take for granted specialized boats for watersports enthusiasts, providing perfectly shaped wakes, ample engine power, and accurate speeds down to 0.1 mph. However, this wasn’t always the case.

Leo Bentz, who celebrated his 100th birthday this past July, and Correct Craft significantly impacted the boating world. Their intertwined stories mark the origins of a new boating category.

In the mid-1950s, Bentz and his wife, Mary, owned and operated the Lee Water Ski School along the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Miami Beach, Florida. As a passionate water-skier and coach, Bentz was dissatisfied with the boats they used, such as the wooden Higgins or Century Resorter, which cast too large a wake and required constant maintenance.

In 1957, Bentz decided to ­design a boat specifically for water-­skiing. He chose fiberglass, then rare in boatbuilding, for its low maintenance, seeing it as the future of boat manufacturing. He ­outsourced the mold-making to a Miami boatbuilder, using the hull of an 18-foot Higgins as a base. He designed a wider hull to produce a smaller wake. Additionally, he equipped the boat with an 8-cylinder 215 hp Interceptor direct-drive inboard engine placed amidships to provide water-skiers with ample power. Additional features included a ski pylon placed just forward of the engine, a ski mirror, and a larger dash for gauges, including a speedometer.

The boat needed a name, which came fortuitously in September 1959 when Leo and Mary traveled to the French Riviera after attending the Water Ski World ­Championship in Milan, Italy. There, they saw signs for “L’ecole de Ski ­Nautique” (water-ski school) and decided that Ski Nautique would be a perfect name.

By 1960, they showcased the Ski Nautique at tournaments in Miami and central Florida, where its fiberglass construction, smaller wake, and powerful engine intrigued water-skiers, leading to sales. Bentz sold several, but with a successful water-ski school and a family, he did not envision becoming a full-fledged boat manufacturer. In spring 1961, Bentz decided to sell the Ski Nautique and ­traveled to Pine Castle, Florida (near ­Orlando), to sell it to Correct Craft.

Initially, Correct Craft rejected his $10,000 offer for the mold and name. However, several months later, influenced by water-skiers’ praise for the Ski Nautique, Walt Meloon Sr. and Walt Meloon Jr. of Correct Craft traveled to ­Miami Beach to meet with Bentz. Instead of offering him $10,000, the Meloons offered him one Ski Nautique per year for three years and servicing for the Ski Nautique boats he had already sold. Wanting out of the boatbuilding business, Bentz accepted the offer.

Read Next: Celebrating the Birth of Water-Skiing

Correct Craft marketed the Ski Nautique to a wide audience. Success brought competition from the MasterCraft ski boat in 1968, and later, Ski Supreme.

Today, the Ski Nautique is in its 8th generation, significantly evolved from Bentz’s original design 65 years ago. As Bentz and Correct Craft celebrate their milestones, their shared legacy is undeniable. The Ski Nautique became a global phenomenon, used in tournaments and by water-skiers on every continent except ­Antarctica, and Bentz’s vision continues to shape the way we enjoy the sports experienced behind a boat.

The post The History of Ski Nautique appeared first on Boating Mag.

When you first learn to get up on water skis or a wakeboard, it’s an exhilarating experience. The feeling is euphoric when you let go of the handle and surf behind the boat for the first time. But once you’ve mastered getting up and following the boat on skis, kneeboard, wakeboard or wakesurfer, you might ask yourself, “What’s next?”

It’s human nature always to want more. Once we accomplish a goal, we’re ready for the next step.

When you’re ready to move past just following the boat, there are two keys to work on. The first is to direct the ski or board away from a straight path. Water-skiers and wakeboard riders do this by crossing the boat’s wake back and forth. Wakesurfers do so by carving the board up and down the wave.

The second key is to execute a 180- or 360-degree rotation on a wakeboard, wakesurfer, kneeboard, or trick ski. By moving past merely following the boat, you can improve your skill level and ­develop a long list of tricks.

The first golden rule to understand is that the lower body does the work when crossing from side to side or when doing rotations. The upper body follows the lower body. Many incorrectly use the upper body to create movement ­either across the boat’s wake or when initiating a rotation.

Crossing the Wake

In water-­skiing and wakeboarding, because the skier or rider is holding the handle, the tendency is to lean away from the boat, and that pull on the upper body causes the skier or rider to pull even more against the handle to initiate movement. That’s why it is imperative that you ski or ride over the center of the ski or board to eliminate the feeling of pull on the upper body.

Instead of thinking that you are crossing the wake, think of the ski or board as leading the way and your upper body follows. To have the ski or board lead the way, focus on using the strength in your feet and legs to direct the ski or board in the desired direction. By doing so, you are putting the ski or board on edge to get direction either to your right or left.

Rotation

When you turn a wakeboard, wakesurfer, kneeboard, or trick ski around, the board needs to lead the rotation. Focus on using the strength in your hips, legs, and feet to rotate the board either on the surface of the water or when getting air time by using the boat’s wake.

On YouTube, watch a super-­slow-motion video of Olympic figure skaters doing triple or quad rotations in midair. The skater lifts from the ice and gets rotation in the air by using leg strength. As the figure skater begins the rotation, the arms and hands draw close to the body, and the upper body ­follows the lower body. 

Read Next: Three Keys for Tow-Sports Safety

Control Your Eyes

Your eyes play a crucial role when it comes to crossing the wake, carving the wake on a wakesurfer, or executing any rotation. When crossing the wake, most people are looking down at the water ahead of them. This leads to your upper body breaking at your waist, resulting in leading with your upper body. Instead, keep your back and head upright and focus on the horizon. This technique will allow you to lead with the ski or board.

When performing a rotation, it is common to lead the turn with your eyes. However, when initiating a rotation, look at the boat just above the boat’s windshield. This technique will enable you to turn the board while keeping the upper body quiet.

Understanding these techniques will allow you to go beyond just following the boat and expanding what you can do, and you will have more fun with your favorite new tow sport.

The post Take Your Tow-Sports Skills to the Next Level appeared first on Boating Mag.

In my nearly half-century as an enthusiast, coach, and competitive water-ski and wake-sports athlete, I have observed first-hand how recreational and competitive athletes evolve and excel. 

Smart approaches lead to success on the water, while missteps can land you in a frustrating rut with unnecessary falls and potential injuries. Through decades of observation, I have developed a five-step strategy for success.

1. Seek Guidance from the Start

“Just do it” might be an excellent marketing slogan for Nike, but it’s not the ideal strategy for learning and making progress. Instead of adopting a “let me try it” approach, which often results in trial and error, opt for coaching from the outset. Learning through trial and error prolongs your path to success and increases the risk of acquiring bad habits. When you receive guidance, you not only grasp the basics and mechanics of tow sports, but also gain a better understanding of how each maneuver is done. This knowledge enables you to replicate success consistently.

2. Find a Positive Role Model

When aspiring to master a specific maneuver, look for a positive role model who excels in executing the maneuver flawlessly with optimal technique. This role model can be a live, in-person mentor or even someone ­featured in videos. You can recognize ­optimal technique when someone executes a maneuver effortlessly and consistently. Watch this pro perform the maneuver repeatedly to instill a positive image in your mind, affirming that you can achieve the same level. Watching people with poor technique can create bad habits.

3. Equip Yourself for Success

Your choice of equipment plays a key role in your progress. Proper equipment can accelerate your learning curve ­significantly. For example, lighter skis and boards offer ease of use, while comfortable, supportive and lightweight bindings enhance your control over the board or skis. Furthermore, the type of line you select is specific to your tow sport of choice. Low-stretch lines excel in wakeboarding and barefooting, while lines with some stretch are ideal for slalom skiing.

4. Utilize Goals for Direction

Goals should guide you, not consume you. Instead of fixating on the end result, use goals to set your course. An exclusive focus on the goal can lead to an ­impatient mindset, making you believe you should master the maneuver quickly. This impatience can trigger muscle tension, wasting your energy and directing effort in the wrong areas.

To overcome this, employ goals to establish your direction. Discipline your thinking to focus on the basics to achieving the goal. Every maneuver has its basics and mechanical nuances for optimal technique. Developing this disciplined mindset will not only accelerate your progress but also increase your understanding of each ­maneuver’s mechanics.

5. Expand Your Horizons

While many enthusiasts stick with their first tow sport, venturing into other tow sports can enhance your enjoyment and overall ­understanding. Embracing variety within tow sports not only amplifies the fun but also improves your awareness of key fundamentals, such as body position. Each tow sport shares similarities yet offers subtle differences. For instance, wakesurfing eliminates the need for a towline, allowing you to learn how to control the board by applying pressure through specific points in your feet. Wakeboarding and trick skiing teach you how to do rotations, while slalom skiing teaches you how to use the ski’s edge to cross boat wakes and make turns. Barefooting hones your precision and body positioning due to the limited surface area of your feet.

With a strategic approach to learning, coupled with increased body awareness and technical finesse, your progress in water-­skiing and wake sports will be faster and immensely gratifying. This added layer of satisfaction deepens the already exhilarating experience of participating in tow sports.

The post Five Steps to Watersports Success appeared first on Boating Mag.

Water-skiing, wakesurfing and wakeboarding are all fun ways to enjoy a day on the water. The first step, of course, is getting up on your skis, board or wakesurfer. Each sport is unique, but they share certain characteristics. Understanding them will make your starts easy and consistent.

The Power Comes From Your Legs

These tow sports are lower-body sports, which means your leg strength is what gets you on top of the water. Start by drawing your knees to your chest and flexing your ankles inward to bring the ski or board close to your chest. Your skis should be vertical, with the ski tip well above the water. The board on a wakeboard or wakesurfer is typically sideways or parallel to the transom prior to starting in the water.

As the boat accelerates, keep your knees and ankles tucked into your chest. The pressure of the water will lift you up. As your ski or board rises to the surface, raise your seat up as if you were standing from a chair. As you raise your seat and hips, keep an ample bend in your knees and ankles. This position provides the best balance and control. As you complete the start, use your feet and legs to turn the board facing forward.

Relaxed Upper Body

With your lower body working to get you on top of the water, your hands, arms, shoulders and chest should be relaxed, and the handle held palms down. The purpose of the line and handle is to tow you, but they should not support your weight. Apprehensive beginners can carry tension in the upper body; the remedy is to exhale just before the boat accelerates. This releases upper-body tension, allowing your arms and shoulders to relax into a natural position. Relaxing the upper body allows you to use your leg strength during the start.

Read Next: How to Choose the Right Tow Tower

Tips for Quicker Learning

Several techniques can model a proper starting position before you start behind the boat. In shallow water, have someone tow you while you maintain a ­proper starting position. If the ski or board wobbles from side to side, concentrate on using your ­lower body. If you can keep the ski or board still and close to your chest, you understand how to get up. Next, do the same exercise behind the boat while the driver tows you at idle speed. When you maintain a tucked body position following the boat, you are ready for your start.

It is helpful to have an experienced skier or rider next to you and holding you in position. This is especially helpful for young novices, who usually feel more comfortable with someone next to them.

Driving Tips

A driver familiar with tow sports is crucial to quick success. The driver should put the boat in idle while the line stretches out. Just before the line is taut, the driver should put the throttle in neutral and wait for the skier or rider to get in the proper starting position.

The driver should wait for the commands “in gear” and “hit it” from the skier or rider, then put the throttle in gear and accelerate smoothly to the appropriate speed for the ­skier’s size, experience and specific tow sport. Optimal speed for water-skiing on two skis is 15 to 25 mph, 20 to 30 mph for slalom-skiing, 15 to 20 mph for wakeboarding, and 10 to 12 mph for wakesurfing.

The post Getting Up on Your Skis or Board appeared first on Boating Mag.

On July 2, 1922, an 18-year-old daredevil named Ralph Samuelson gave birth to the sport of water-skiing on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota.

His inspiration for water-skiing came in winter, when Samuelson would ski down the bluffs around Lake Pepin. Skiing on snow led him to wonder whether he could ski on water too. Samuelson built his first pair of water skis from 8-foot-long pine planks. His older brother, Ben, towed him behind a 20-foot workboat. Samuelson got on top of the water and started the sport loved by millions.

Samuelson went on to do one-man water-ski shows in Minnesota, Florida and Michigan. He did things such as water-ski over a 4-foot-high ramp, inventing water-ski jumping. What else did Samuelson do? He skied at 80 mph behind a World War I Curtiss flying boat. During a ski show in Palm Beach, Florida, in the 1920s, Samuelson was water-skiing and lost one of his skis. He kept skiing on a single ski, accidentally inventing slalom skiing.

From there, the sport kept growing. In 1939, the first national championship for water-skiing was held at Jones Beach, New York. The trick ski came into being in 1941. It was shorter and finless, which allowed the water-skier to do 180- and 360-degree turns behind the boat.

During World War II, Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida, began staging water-ski shows to entertain servicemen. After the war, Cypress Gardens’ founder, Dick Pope Sr., made the show a daily event. This led to skiers inventing new tricks, such as doing a 360-degree helicopter spin from the jump ramp and skiing on small skis called shoe skis. Riding shoe skis behind faster boats led to the amazing feat of barefoot water-skiing in 1947. 

In 1959, the first boat built specifically for water-skiing, the Ski Nautique, made its debut. The Ski Nautique was made of fiberglass and featured a tow pylon, a mirror, and a hull design that created smaller wakes for smoother skiing. Fiberglass skis soon followed.

In the mid-1980s, the blending of water-skiing and surfing led to the Skurfer, a smaller surflike board with straps for your feet positioned for a sideways stance. The Skurfer evolved into the wakeboard in 1991, which made getting up and doing tricks easier. Ski-boat manufacturers started designing boats specifically for wakeboarding, with towers for an elevated tow point and hulls to cast a large wake.

Centurion then created boats that produced a tall wake resembling an ocean wave. As wakesurfing took off, Hyperlite debuted its Landlock wakesurfer in 2003, and the wakesurfing craze exploded.

So, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of water-skiing this summer, we celebrate not only Samuelson’s accomplishment, but also the innovators on the water and the manufacturing side who gave us these incredible ways to enjoy our boats. We look forward to what new innovations will come from the next generation.

The post Celebrating the Birth of Water-Skiing appeared first on Boating Mag.

One summer morning in northern Michigan, I sat on the back deck of a lakeside cottage, watching the sun rise over the glassy water.

Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate, and my coffee cup on top of an end table started shaking. Was it the warning signs of an earthquake, or the footsteps of a ginormous dinosaur a la the famous scene in Jurassic Park? No, a group of teenagers had entered the quiet cove aboard a wakeboard boat, and they had the stereo set to “annihilate.”

While I would applaud this group of kids for waking up before dawn to pursue their passion, their ear-splitting music made me instantly dislike them. They had violated one of the unwritten rules of watersports: Keep your stereo at a reasonable volume. Most of today’s tow boats come equipped with incredible sound systems capable of overtaking any other noise on a given body of water. But just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should. In fact, if you want to maintain any sort of camaraderie with other boaters and property owners on the lake, you really shouldn’t.

With the rise in wakesurfing bringing watersports to new heights, and with more boaters in general, there is more interaction between everyone on and around the water, especially when you factor in the old standbys, such as tubing, wakeboarding, skiing and kneeboarding, along with newer toys like foiling. And while there are definitive written rules for tow sports in every state—such as having spotters and wearing life jackets—there are also the unwritten ones, such as turning down the music. We’ve covered a few of these in the past, but with more people on the water than ever, they’re worth repeating. Here are a few more unwritten rules of watersports.

Go Deep

The No. 1 complaint I hear about watersports—even more than playing music too loud—is when boaters throw big wakes toward the shore, knocking around boats in their slips and slamming into lakefront shorelines. The solution is to go out into the middle of the lake so that whatever wake you throw has time to dissipate before it reaches the shoreline. For wakesurfing, you need a depth of at least 9 to 10 feet to build a proper wave anyway, so it’s a no-brainer. For other sports where glassy water is preferred, it might be tempting to take over that quiet cove. But be considerate of how your wake might impact other boats and structure onshore.

Give Way

If you’re engaged in a tow sport, it’s on you to be mindful of other boats in the area, especially those at anchor or adrift while fishing. Think of the impact your passing in close proximity could have on their day, either by rocking their boat while at rest or scaring away any fish in the area. While having a spotter keep eyes on who you’re towing is mandatory, it’s a good idea to have a second person keep an eye out for boat traffic and possible obstructions to avoid in the water.

Read Next: Right-of-Way Rules for Boaters

Communicate

Some states require skiers and other tow-sports enthusiasts to keep an orange or red flag on board and fly it when a rider is down in the water to alert other boaters. Even if this is not required where you live, it’s a great idea so you can signal to other boaters that there’s a person floating in the water and they should give you a wide berth.

The post Unwritten Rules to Follow When Water Skiing, Wakeboarding or Wakesurfing appeared first on Boating Mag.

All good tow-boat drivers know the basics: Always designate a spotter. Make sure the rider and spotter understand hand signals to communicate. Choose a safe path, maintain a safe speed, and avoid hazards that could endanger your crew. Keep a downed rider in view at all times by approaching on the driver’s side.

Always turn off an outboard or sterndrive, or make certain an inboard is in neutral, before a rider approaches the stern. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

With experience, the game gets upped. As long as the rider indicates they’re OK, slow to neutral after a fall, then return at idle to avoid kicking up rollers. Focus on the water ahead, but keep a roving eye on speed and the rearview mirror. Should a rider bobble, slow down to allow them time to recover before resuming your normal speed.

The best watersports boat drivers, however, take it up yet another notch by tailoring their driving to each discipline. Here’s a few of their insider tips.

Tubing

For a fun, safe ride, watch your speed. A mere 8 mph is best for children, and 15 to 18 mph is plenty for adults. To send the inflatable skidding outside the wake, initiate a series of controlled S-turns to push the tube over the wakes in each direction. Avoid cranking random sharp turns at high speed; in addition to a chaotic, potentially dangerous ride, the towrope will often go slack, then jerk riders as it snaps taut.

Whips can be fun, but proceed with care. Even when under 20 mph, a tube can accelerate to far greater speeds, increasing the chance of injury. Never punch the throttle, and be prepared to back off the speed and turn should the tube accelerate too much. Apply the same thought process to wakes; gentle can be fun, but large at high speed can be dangerous.

Water-Skiing and Wakeboarding

Skiers and board riders appreciate smooth water, straight passes, a steady speed, and clean, symmetrical wakes.

Drive in a pattern that will dissipate your rollers. Make a straight pass in one direction, a smooth turn at the end of the run, and retrace your original path. For riders who like to roam, break a curving shoreline into longer, straighter segments with brief turns. Use a visual target onshore to maintain as straight a path as possible.

Use speed control if available. If not, keep a gentle hand on the throttle and make small adjustments while watching the tach or speedo. Vary your acceleration to the rider’s size and choice of ski or board during deepwater starts. Wakeboards don’t need aggressive acceleration thanks to their larger surface area; a child on two skis requires less force than an adult on a slalom ski.

For both disciplines, anticipate the pull a rider can exert, such as a slalom skier accelerating out of a turn or a wakeboarder progressively cutting toward the wake. Be ready to throttle up ever so slightly to compensate for the pull, then back off as the skier sets up for the next turn or the rider gets airborne.

Read Next: How To Pick Up A Downed Waterskier, Wakesurfer, Wakeboard Rider or Tuber

Wakesurfing

A gradual, smooth acceleration is all that’s needed to pull a wakesurfer atop the water. Once at the target speed (10 to 11 mph), let speed control take over if possible. Nonplaning speeds, significant ballast loads and wake-enhancing hardware can make it challenging to maintain speed manually. Be prepared for significant bow rise; raise the helm seat, flip up a seat bolster or add seat cushions to ensure you maintain good visibility forward, and stay on the alert for boat traffic or other obstructions.

Underway, run a straight path. Deep water is preferable; shallow water can decrease the wake size.

Because wakes can be massive, stay well away from the shoreline and other boats, and be careful when turning back for a downed rider. Shift to neutral, allow wakes to spread, then turn tightly and proceed back toward the rider at idle to avoid swamping the bow or taking water over the gunwales.

The post How to Drive a Boat for Wake Sports appeared first on Boating Mag.

I earned my first gold medal at the 1982 USA Barefoot National Championship. I was 20 years old. In 2021, I won a gold medal in the Open division at the USA Barefoot National Championship.

I was 59 years old. The strategy that has kept me competitive for four decades primarily consists of three elements: a winning mindset, positive health habits and smart training. Improving each element separately complements and adds value to the other two. For example, in March 2021, I put effort into my on-water training and also minimized sugar in my diet even more than usual. I got leaner and lighter, which made my training more effective, helping me win gold. I believe my healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and not consuming alcohol is part of my longevity in the sport.

Winning the gold in the Open division at 59 boosted my confidence and added to my winning mindset. I didn’t view age negatively, instead using my experience to become more focused and disciplined. I have been successful by learning correct technique and focusing on the basics rather than the end result. Practicing with bad technique only makes you good at bad technique. Falls and injuries are signs there is a flaw in your technique or training. Learning by trial and error is not effective. By understanding correct technique and consistently remembering the basics, you will reinforce good habits and not learn undesirable ones. 

I am always working on the basics, whether for barefooting or any of the other wake sports that I do, such as slalom, trick skiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing. How do you know when you have correct technique? It’s when a trick or skill—no matter the level of difficulty—is easy to do on a consistent basis. That is the sign you are on the right track.  

When I compete, I have a goal to do well in competition, but I don’t think about competing against others. I get inspiration from those who are successful and incorporate that into my training. I think of it as a competition against myself and seek to continually raise the bar for my skills.  

During the past four decades, I also have coached water-skiers, from beginners to elite. This has added to my understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and of what leads to success and what leads to getting stuck in a rut or even suffering injuries. Cliches such as “no pain, no gain” and “practice makes perfect” lead you down the wrong path.  

Read Next: Five Tips for Barefooting Beginners

Besides having all the enjoyment and the positive health benefits I get from barefooting and other wake sports, the strategy I have developed allows me to continuously improve my skills. Working on my skills with success increases the enjoyment factor exponentially.  

No matter your skill level, barefooting and other wake sports are great ways to have fun with family and friends and get an excellent workout for your mind and body. Join me and get out on the water today.

The post Enjoying Watersports for Your Entire Life appeared first on Boating Mag.

If you ask someone who can land inverts, they’ll tell you there’s nothing more exciting than landing a flip for the very first time. It’s the ultimate welcome into a world of possibilities.

Growing up in the south of Mexico, with posters of WaterSki magazine plastered on the walls, the first time I saw someone upside down in a photo was Canadian Kreg Llewellyn flipping around a 20-pound neon Skurfer back in the 1980s. But way before the sport of wakeboarding came on the scene with a multitude of inverts, there was trick skiing.

While the first inverts landed in history date back to the times of Cory Pickos and Sammy Duvall, in the sleepy town of Tequesquitengo, Mexico, a handful of trick skiers became obsessed trying to land flips.

One of them was 18-year-old Jorge Font, who landed the flip in his pass and made it into the finals at the 1987 World Waterski Championships in Thorpe Park, England. Inspired by Font, I learned the flip at the age of 15 and landed it at the 1987 Junior World Cup in Sherbrooke, Canada, becoming the first girl in the world to include a back flip in my pass. As fate would have it, there’d be a lot of flips coming my way with the birth of wakeboarding.

A few months after the Worlds at Thorpe Park, Font suffered a spinal-cord injury. Amazingly, he learned to sit-ski as a quadriplegic, and today he holds nine world titles.

Fast-forward to today, and instead of a couple of inverts, trick skiers flip around nonstop, landing a mind-blowing variety of inverts. Just ask Pablo Font, Jorge’s son, who won the Junior Masters Tricks Title at Callaway Gardens in Georgia.

“Our family has been skiing for three generations, starting from my Grandpa Jorge, who broke the tricks world record in 1962 and taught my dad, Jorge, and my uncle Sergio,” Pablo says. “My dad has been the world trick champion nine times in the World Disabled Waterski Championships, and my uncle Sergio has medaled multiple times at the Panamerican Games and is the senior world trick champion.”

Pablo is in good company.

“There are more than 20 skiers tricking over 10,000 points, skiers creating new, different flips, and new younger skiers showing impressive results,” he says. Most of these trailblazers are in their teens.

Pablo explains that these new giant leaps came about because of new technologies. Boats now allow skiers to set their speed and set the wave height using the ballast and trim systems. Also, there are more ski brands and different types of boots in either traditional rubber or new plastic ones that are similar to snow-skiing boots.

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These advances have allowed skiers to gain a bigger margin of movement, achieve more air time than before, and execute with more balance and control.

“The beauty of this sport is that there’s always more to push for,” Pablo explains, “from landing a new trick, making it fit into your run, participating in future tournaments, and being able to compare and learn from others, no matter the age.”

The post The Font Family Helps Trick Skiing Thrive appeared first on Boating Mag.