Water Skiing

Water skiing is a fun summer sport. The skier wears long skis on their feet. A fast boat pulls them across the top of the water. They hold onto a rope and try to stay standing up. It feels like flying across the lake.

How to Start

A beginner starts by sitting in the water with their skis on. The boat slowly pulls them up to a standing position. They bend their knees and lean back a little. Soon they are skimming across the water. It takes practice to get good at it.

Kinds of Water Skiing

There are different kinds of water skiing. Slalom skiing uses just one ski and tight turns. Trick skiing has skiers doing spins and flips. Ski jumping uses ramps to fly through the air. There is even a version for young kids with training skis.

Fun Facts

• Water skiing was invented in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson.
• Samuelson was only 18 years old when he tried it.
• Water skiing was shown at the Olympics in 1972 as a demo sport.

Did You Know?

A team of water skiers once set a record by having 145 people water ski behind one boat at the same time.