Sunday on the Bay: Waterskiing

PALMETTO -- Water Skiing is yet another previous pastime that our family participated in. How can one not be drawn to a recreational sport that was invented out of sheer boredom by an 18-year-old and allows the participant to soar at frightening speeds on top of the water?

Bonne' Sutton slaloming

I first learned how to ski on our jon boat in Terra Ceia Bay. I remember the day well. The bay was flat and as smooth as glass. My mom got in the water with me and set me up in the right position -- knees up, tops of skis even and arms out, slightly bent at the elbow.  Then she gave my Dad a thumb up, said "hit it" and off I went. I did a face-first summersault, but it is hard to get hurt when you’re skiing off a 15 horse power motor.

Once we got the hang of it, my brother and I looked like we were having so much fun -- my mom said she wanted to go next.

”Are you crazy? You can’t get up on 15 horse power. I’d put $100 on it,“ my dad said.

”Sure I can. Not only will I get up, I’ll slalom. “ she replied.

The bet was on. My mother squeezed her tiny foot into the children’s ski and got in the water ready to go.  When she was set, my dad gassed the engine and off we went. She was a little shaky getting up, but as soon as she was standing she had no problem skiing around the bay.  

Then she tried to drop a ski, but the shoe was so small she couldn’t get it off easily. As she balanced on one foot, she was vigorously shaking the other in the air to try to get it loose. In the midst of the commotion, the top of her bikini fell off. She wasn’t about to surrender just yet. She kept right on skiing and finally dropped a ski just before letting  go of the rope and gliding gracefully on the water before finally falling in. We had to retrieve the other ski and the bikini before picking her up.

Water skiing was actually invented by Ralph W. Samuelson, an 18-year-old daredevil in Minnesota. Apparently utter boredom can supply creativity, because during the summer of 1922 he decided he’d get resourceful and have his brother pull him behind the boat on various concoctions in order t ski on the water like he did on snow.

For five days, Ralph and his brother experimented with different positions and materials. They finally figured out how to lean slightly backwards in order to keep the tip of the skis on top of the water. He built waters-skis from barrel staves, and then tried using snow skis before finally settling for tow boards with the fronts bent upward. When Ralph moved to Florida to get into the boat business, his water skis were introduced to the area.

Shortly after that, Cypress Gardens opened in 1936. Over the years, it became one of the biggest attractions in Florida, known for its water ski shows.

Keith Sutton barefooting

I grew up in a family of skiers. My grandmother, Alice Sutton, used to tell me about the time when she and Dot Mills skied all the way from Fort Hamer to Regatta Point without falling once. My uncles used to ski barefoot, although they preferred wearing Converse sneakers, because doing it would make their feet really sore.

They mastered "barefooting" not long after it’s invention. Barefoot water skiing originated in Cypress Gardens, Florida. Richard Downing "Dick" Pope Jr., on March 6, 1947, was the first recorded person to ever barefoot, stepping off of his skis on a training boom alongside the boat. In 1950, the first barefoot competition was held in Cypress Gardens, with Pope and Mexican competitor Emilio Zamudio as the only two bare footers in the world at the time.

Since those golden days, waterskiing has taken a hit in popularity because of all kinds of various contraptions that are pulled behind boats. However, it is still a great sport to partake in on the bay and even more fun on the Manatee River.