Minnesotans' love of water skiing, by the numbers

June 17, 2019 at 2:59PM
August 20, 1947 Experts on the Boards - The Timothy Quinns are pioneers in water skiing, They's shown here at Lake Minnetonka, in the wake of a speed boat driven by Milan McCarthy, Mrs. Quinn's brother, who made his first pair of water skis six years ago. August 19, 1947 Minneapolis Star Tribune
August 20, 1947 The Timothy Quinns are pioneers in water skiing, They're shown here at Lake Minnetonka. (RPA - Minneapolis Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

If you ask us, a perfect summer day starts with a lake like glass — ideal for cutting across a wake and slaloming around buoys. Wake boarding is hip, but water skiing has our hearts.

1922
The year Minnesotan Ralph Samuelson, above, just shy of his 19th birthday, strapped pine boards to his feet and skied on Lake Pepin — the first person in the world to do so.

80
Number of people in the world's largest water-ski pyramid, performed last summer in Janesville, Wis.

36
Percent of water-ski injuries that affect the lower body. Wakeboard and tubing injuries most often involve the head and neck.

254
Distance, in feet, that a Canadian traveled off a 6-foot jump in 2017 before landing back on the water — an international record.

Sources: Guinness World Records, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation

about the writer

about the writer

C.J. Sinner

Director of Graphics & Data Visuals

C.J. Sinner is the Director of Graphics and Data Visuals at the Star Tribune, managing a small team that works at the intersection of data and design to help enhance storytelling on all platforms through charts, maps and diagrams. 

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