Water ski and wakeboard enthusiasts are hoping to bring the annual Water Ski Carnival back to the West Shore and are hoping to drum up interest by hosting festivities in Homewood next week including a water ski and wakeboarding exhibition, at a roundtable talk and exhibit at the Tahoe Maritime Museum. Water skiing was invented in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson of Lake City, Minnesota, but it didn’t take hold on the West Coast until the 1930s. The first water ski exposition was held at Lake Tahoe in 1940, with the Tahoe Yacht Club organizing the first Water Ski Carnival at Chamber’s Landing in 1953.
The carnival featured water skiing, slalom skiing, trick skiing and aquaplane competitions, according to Warren Fallat, an organizer for this year’s Water Ski Weekend. Aquaplanes were popular in the 40s, and were basically a board a skier would stand on while holding two ropes being pulled behind a boat. In the 1970s, the carnival expanded to include Delta Wing Kites, with a water skier skiing behind a boat with a kite, which looks like a hang glider.
The skier would compete with the kites in a slalom course. Today, the sport has evolved to include wakeboarding and wakeskating.
The skier would compete with the kites in a slalom course. Today, the sport has evolved to include wakeboarding and wakeskating. The Water Ski Carnival continued on the West Shore, usually at Chamber’s or in Homewood, through the late 90s, before it ended, Fallat said, due to operating costs and the lack of an organizing group. Now, water ski enthusiasts are hoping to the return the Carnival to the West Shore in the coming years.
“Most of the water ski history is from the West Shore because it’s ideally suited for water skiing,” Fallat said, because of weather conditions. With high winds on the East and North shores, the coves of the West Shore provide better conditions for water skiing.
The roundtable on July 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maritime Museum will feature local water skiing experts including Lee Schmidt of High Sierra Water Ski School; Randy Walker, a founder of the Water Ski Carnival; Les Bartlett, who operated one of the first water ski schools on the North Shore in the 1950s; Ron Rupp, who also ran a water ski school in the 50s; and Mary Jo Miller Shepherd, a renowned water skier. Admission to the talk is $8 and free to museum members and children under 12. There will be refreshments served at 5 p.m.
On July 23, the museum hosts the On-the-Water Exhibition from 8 to 10 a.m. in Homewood off Obexer’s Marina with trick skiing, double skiing, slalom skiing, wakeboarding and wakeskating demonstrations. There will be an announcer for the event, and spectators can watch from the beach or pier at Obexer’s, or may come by boat.
On July 24, visitors can enjoy free admission to the Maritime Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Living History Day. There also will be a temporary water ski exhibit in the parking lot with a Ski Nautique and other historical items for the day.
There will be free activities for kids with face painting and more. And, enjoy guided tours at noon and 2 p.m.
There also will be a raffle at all three events to benefit the museum with prizes including a Standup Paddleboard rental, a wakeboard and a tubing setup. Tickets are available at the museum. Call (530) 525-9523.
Organizers hope the weekend generates interest to bring the carnival back.
“It’s not necessarily on the table, but it’s certainly on the wish list,” Fallat says.
(Photo: Warren Fallat. Historic photo: Tahoe Maritime Museum)
