If you’ve listened to this week’s episode of The Okoboji Project, you know it’s packed with stories: homemade skis, lake rats, trick shows, and the wild evolution of wake sports in the Iowa Great Lakes. But unlike family photo albums, this history didn’t always get documented. Water skiing and wakeboarding don’t exactly lend themselves to steady snapshots. So while we don’t have tons of photos, we do have some fantastic video gems that bring the story to life.
The earliest comes from this British news reel, which captured aquaplaning in the 1920s, an early predecessor to wakeboarding and skiing. It’s a grainy, joyful look at people clinging to wooden planks behind a seaplane. (Does anyone still do this?) No spotters. No bindings. Just guts and grins.
episode info
If you’ve listened to this week’s episode of The Okoboji Project, you know it’s packed with stories: homemade skis, lake rats, trick shows, and the wild evolution of wake sports in the Iowa Great Lakes. But unlike family photo albums, this history didn’t always get documented. Water skiing and wakeboarding don’t exactly lend themselves to steady snapshots. So while we don’t have tons of photos, we do have some fantastic video gems that bring the story to life.
The earliest comes from this British news reel, which captured aquaplaning in the 1920s, an early predecessor to wakeboarding and skiing. It’s a grainy, joyful look at people clinging to wooden planks behind a seaplane. (Does anyone still do this?) No spotters. No bindings. Just guts and grins.
episode info
And finally, we land in 2019 with a slick highlight reel from our friends at Mau Marine, showing off the newest chapter in wake sports: wake surfing. It’s smooth, stylish, and still carries the same spirit as those early thrill-seekers, just with a lot more rope tech and board design.
Jump ahead to 1991. The vibe has changed, but the adventure and joy is the same. This promo from the University of Okoboji Water Ski Club showcases a full-blown show team performing in front of Arnolds Park: jumps, pyramids, and big hair included. You may need to click here to watch the full 45 minutes on YouTube.
Jump ahead to 1991. The vibe has changed, but the adventure and joy is the same. This promo from the University of Okoboji Water Ski Club showcases a full-blown show team performing in front of Arnolds Park: jumps, pyramids, and big hair included. You may need to click here to watch the full 45 minutes on YouTube.
And finally, we land in 2019 with a slick highlight reel from our friends at Mau Marine, showing off the newest chapter in wake sports: wake surfing. It’s smooth, stylish, and still carries the same spirit as those early thrill-seekers, just with a lot more rope tech and board design.
It's amazing to see how far we’ve come and how much of the original magic still rides in every wake.
It's amazing to see how far we’ve come and how much of the original magic still rides in every wake.
