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Water Ski Weekend at Obexer’s a splashing success

Warren Fallet/Community submitted photo
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TAHOMA, Calif. and#8212; The sport of water skiing is only 88 years old. Tahomaand#8217;s Les Bartlett is 75 years old. The two got together along with 20-somethings and others to put on a show for the Tahoe Maritime Museumand#8217;s first-ever on-the-water water skiing exhibition. Septuagenarian Bartlett demonstrated how and#8220;not to learn to water skiand#8221; by skiing hunched over, dropping his derriere repeatedly into the water. A crowd of 100-plus watched the July 23 morning precedings from Obexerand#8217;s Marina pier. Another 70 or so crowded into 17 boats to survey the demonstrations of slalom skiing, wakeboarding, wakeskating, kneeboarding, trick skiing, double skiing, wakesurfing and aquaplaning. Ten-year old Amanda Shepherd of Homewood concluded the dayand#8217;s exhibition on an aquaplane by being the youngest and#8220;skierand#8221; on the oldest piece of equipment: the 1940s aquaplane.

Event coordinator Warren Fallat called the Water Ski Weekend and#8220;a great successand#8221; and said he hopes the event can be held on an annual basis. and#8220;We really were happy with the response to the on-the-water show as the Obexerand#8217;s pier was packed with people and the boats were blaring their horns as different skiers or boarders went by.and#8221; Fallat also remarked two of the three raffle prizes were won by children. and#8220;We had a 10-year-old win our first prize (a half-dayand#8217;s paddleboard rental from West Shore Sports in Homewood) and an 11-year-old win the $500 wakeboard. The look on their faces was great,and#8221; Fallat said.

The lineup of demonstration skiing/boarding went as follows: Wakeboarding and Wakeskating, Jeff Stoike; Slalom Water Skiing, Lee Schmidt; Kneeboarding, Robert Dawson; Trick Skiing, Warren Fallat; Double Skis, how not to water ski, Les Bartlett; Wakesurfing, Greg Felsch; Aquaplaning, Amanda Shepherd. And a special and#8220;Air Chairand#8221; exhibition by Ron Rupp.



Two North Lake Tahoe seniors recorded the event and expect to have postings to youtube shortly. Please contact the Tahoe Maritime Museum at 525-9253 if you would like more information on photos or video of the Water Ski Weekend.

and#8212; Submitted to the Sun via aedgett@sierrasun.com


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