Water Skiing

Lake City represented at water ski hall of fame induction event

Apr 19, 2023

A delegation from Lake City was invited to attend and present at The USA Water Ski and Wake Sport Foundation’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 15 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Fla. Mayor Mark Nichols, Planning Commissioner and Destination Lake City board member, Marco Molinari,...

Waterskiing centennial makes Reader’s Digest

Sep 14, 2022

Ralph Samuelson’s invention of water skiing in 1922 was included in “A Celebration of 100th Birthdays,” part of a regular feature called 13 Things that appeared in the September Issue of Reader’s Digest Magazine. Other notable 100th birthdays this year, included the companies Jaguar, Belle Tires,...

Water skiing celebration brings locals to St. Paul Saints game

Aug 3, 2022

Baseball may be America’s pastime, but on Sunday in St. Paul, it shared it with water skiing. About 8,166 people attended the minor league baseball game between the St. Paul Saints and the Iowa Cubs, and more than 50 of those fans were from Lake City and were there cheering on Lake City, the “...

Free water skiing clinic on June 24 celebrates sport’s invention here a century ago

Jun 8, 2022

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sport of water skiing, USA Water Ski and Wake Sports and the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Hall of Fame will host a free learn to water ski event in Lake City open to participants of all ages and abilities, presented by Radar Skis. As part of the USA Water...

Who was Ralph Samuelson?

May 4, 2022

Now that Lake City is about to pay tribute to the inventor of water skiing, and commemorate Lake City as the “Birthplace of Water Skiing,” it’s important that we get to know Ralph Samuelson a little better and the history of water skiing. In recent months, I’ve talked to a lot of people here in...

Big plans for big water skis

Jul 25, 2018

A committee operating under the Lake City Chamber of Commerce, has been meeting for several months on a project aimed at generating significant publicity for Lake City. In 1922 Ralph Samuelson strapped a pair of 8-feet-long-by-9-inch-wide pine boards with curved tips to his feet, and with a rope...

TV segment on Samuelson skis airs April 26

Apr 24, 2018

A film crew from the television show “Mysteries of the Museum” sets up in the City Hall Ballroom in Lake City to film a segment about Ralph Samuelson’s water skis last December. Samuelson invented the sport of water skiing on Lake Pepin in 1922. The segment will air tonight (Thursday, April 26) at...

Torch: How to water ski

Nov 30, 2016

Water skiing is a hobby you either really enjoy or would rather not even try. What better place to water ski than Lake City, the birthplace of water skiing. Some people just simply don’t know how to do it and have horrible stories of their first attempt that left them never wanting to try again...

Waterskiing Santa

Nov 23, 2016

Santa Claus on water skis will be one of the holiday sights in downtown Lake City this season, thanks to a crew of volunteers decorating the vacant lot at Center Street and Lakeshsore Drive. Kevin Liffrig, John Brinkman, John Hutchinson, Linda Hoellbacher, Dave Dueholm and Jil Garry met at Pat...