Water skiing is a sport that is enjoyed by a number of people who love the water. In this sport, a person is towed behind a boat while riding on one, two, or even no skis at all. The surface area of the skis keeps the person skimming across the water at a moderate speed. This sport was first developed in 1922, by a man named Ralph Samuelson from Minnesota. He used a clothes line and two boards to ski on Lake Pepin. Since that time, water skiing has become a competition as well as a favorite past time.
Arizona and California water ski clubs began racing and competing against each other in the 1940s. There are basically two types of water skiing races. One type is a dash from one point to another and the other is a timed event that goes on a circular course. While most contestants don’t compete at speeds that are more than seventy miles per hour, other more extreme athletes race at speeds of up to one hundred miles per hour. In any water skiing competitions, racers must wear personal safety equipment such as neck braces and protective head gear.
A more radical form of water ski competitions is the bare footing event. This form of skiing is done without the use of skis, just bare feet. Bare footing began in the 1940s as a recreational activity in Florida. In these competitions, competitors perform a variety of tricks and jumps within a short amount of time.
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