Water ski tournament makes surprise move to Waseca

The Bayside Water Skiers organization, based in Albert Lea, had been planning to host the regional water ski competition for about the past year, according to tournament manager and Bayside member Brad Belcher.

 

Organizers found out less than 24 hours in advance that they would have to move it to an alternate location.

 

Belcher explains that thanks to recent rains, water levels had been rising in Fountain Lake, where the Bayside group gives water ski performances on Thursday evenings throughout the season, and where the tournament was scheduled to take place beginning around 8 a.m. on Friday, July 25. On Thursday morning, Belcher was contacted by the Freeborn County sheriff and warned water levels had become such that a “no wake” rule might have to be imposed. By Thursday at noon, he was told the tournament could not take place there.

 

By 3 p.m., he shared, he had spoken with the City of Waseca and with Waseca County sheriff Jay Dulas, and a transfer to the Waseca location was already underway.

 

Not that it was easy, but the way was smoothed a bit because Belcher is acquainted with Clear Lake thanks to being a season-long camper at Kiesler’s. Bayside skier Dan Kopischke lives in Waseca.

 

According to Belcher, had the Waseca location not worked out, the tournament might have needed to be moved to the home base of one of the other participating water ski organizations, either in Iowa or near the Twin Cities. Since many tournament participants had long ago booked accommodations in Albert Lea, moving the show so far away would have been problematic.

 

Expected attendance for the tournament, a step on the route to national-level competition, was more than 1,000 people, he explained. 

 

Delaying was not an option either, he said, since national competition for single, pair, and small-group stunts is the first weekend in August and team-level nationals are the weekend after that. Three groups from the July 25 to 27 tournament could earn the right to advance.

 

The quickly completed replacement plan had the registration table, viewing area and judges’ platform located at Sportsman Park, along the north shore of Clear Lake. Vehicles–except for those needed for competitors–were parked at the county fairgrounds, with a shuttle carrying passengers back and forth between the two locations. Delivered to Waseca rather than the shore of Fountain Lake were portable restrooms, sound equipment, concession and souvenir sales, bleachers, specialized docks, the ski jump and a portable base of operations. With them, of course, came the people, boats, vehicles and equipment needed for each type of competition, and many spectators.

 

Thursday’s competitions were for small groups and specialized performance types; they began only an hour later than originally scheduled at 9 a.m. and proceeded into the afternoon.

 

On Saturday, six water ski teams presented hour-long performances. On Sunday, five more teams did the same. Their presentations included highly difficult elements such as “pyramids” with skiers stacked to as many as four levels, barefoot skiing, jumps, “swivels” and much more.

 

Teams had four to six boats in the water at once, pulling skiers in from three large platform docks in turn. Safety crews floated nearby. 

 

Belcher explained a team of judges was seated on a raised platform on shore, adding points to team scores based on the number of moves, the difficulty of the stunts, and the level of success they achieved.

 

He observed the Bayside Skiers had one of the smallest teams, with 55 members. Some groups included over 100.  Not all were skiers, he continued: some manage equipment, some serve on the safety team, and some are part of the group which present an entertaining program on the shore, occupying spectators while the various water-based “acts” are carrying out preparations on the three docks.

 

Each hour-long performance, he added, was expected to have 14 acts.

 

Belcher expressed gratitude to the city and county of Waseca, and to area residents for their patience with the unexpected commotion.

 

“It’s not something I’d ever want to do again,” he said of the high-speed relocation, “but I am really impressed we were able to do it this time.”