Extremely popular in the upper Midwest and practiced throughout the nation, show skiing combines components of all traditional (and some not so traditional!) waterski disciplines. Waterski shows feature several waterski acts choreographed to music and built around a theme.
Human Pyramids: Skiers climb on one another's shoulders, creating a pyramid on skis!
Shoe Skiing: Similar to trick skiing, but with even shorter skis. Shoe skiing is typically found in show skiing or as a training device for barefooting.
Barefooting: Skiing with no skis at all! Barefoot waterskiing, invented in the late 1940's, was made possible by higher boat speeds and people daring enough to try it! In order to barefoot, an average adult requires boat speeds of 35-40 mph and typically wears a wetsuit with built-in flotation for protection.
Swivel Skiing: This type of skiing is typically performed by women in ski shows on a wide wooden single ski with a binding that can turn 360 degrees on ball bearings. Swivel skiing allows the skier to turn gracefully while the ski itself remains stationary.
Wakeboarding: Wakeboarding evolved from surfers pulling their boards behind boats. In the mid 1980’s skurfers were marketed, which were essentially minature surfboards with bindings attached. By the early 1990’s the sport and equipment developed into what we know now. Wakeboarding has become the most popular type of waterskiing. Wakeboarders have pushed the sport to the extreme by launching off boat wakes inventing a variety of high-flying tricks!
Hydrofoil: Hydrofoil skiing is commonly known as the “Air Chair” because it looks like the skier is sitting in a chair hovering above the water. The “chair” is attached to a ski and foil similar to a miniature airplane wing that rides under the water, lifting the ski and seat above the surface of the water. The hydrofoil can be launched out of the water for spectacular aerial tricks.
Kneeboarding: Kneeboarding is exactly what is sounds like... a skier kneels on a board and is pulled behind the boat. Skiers, however, have taken it to a high level by inventing a variety of surface and aerial tricks.