Labor Day weekend means the end to many summer activities.
That includes the end to the Lake City Skiers' season. Their last performance is at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Hidden Lake.
The nationally ranked, award-winning show ski team is inviting their VIPs and the public to come out to the free event.
"We represent good family entertainment," said team member Sam Hayes. "When you come see Lake City Skiers, you're making more of an investment in the community than your NetFlix membership. It's been a great season participating in and hosting tournaments."
The season started with a smaller number of team members, she said. By season's end, the team boasted about 56 members, of which 28 were skiers. The age of team members ranges from about 6 to 60.
The first tournament the team participated in was the Great Lakes Tournament during Father's Day weekend. Of the four teams in the tournament, the LCS placed third."For us, it was a good showing, but we were not at our peak," Hayes said.
Central Region Tournament was July 11-12.
"It's the tournament we get to host every three years. It's the qualifying tournament for nationals. There were eight teams from six states, including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri and Kansas. We placed fifth out of eight," said Hayes.
That was good enough to send the LCS to Division 2 Nationals, again hosted by the Warsaw-based team.
While preparing for nationals, 15 to 20 new members joined the ski team.
"We had 20 members at nationals who never skied nationals before," said Hayes.
Lake City Skiers placed second out of five teams this year.
"I think it was pretty good with the team we had," she said.
At Division 2 Nationals, LCS team members also won some category awards. Nick Wilson won best overall male. The award for highest scoring act and highest barefoot act went to Chris Wilson for circling the show site five times barefoot.
Other awards included best tow boat driving, best dock and equipment, and best pickup boat crew.
The show theme this year was "Base Ski Ventura: When Skiers Call".
Helping the ski team succeed were the business sponsors. To show their thanks to the sponsors, Hayes said the LCS's last show Sunday is their first annual VIP show.
"We couldn't do this without the support of our sponsors," said Hayes.
A sports marketing consultant for USA Waterski estimated that the two smaller tournaments LCS hosted this year provided a $2 million impact to the community, Hayes said. The larger tournament provided a $1.5 million impact.
"It's significant to us to thank the business people who support us," she said.
In addition to the last ski show Sunday, featuring the VIP, the ski club also plans to host a "Learn to Ski" night. Any person of any age and any ski level is invited. For $10 per person, the LCS will teach participants how to ski. The event is scheduled for Sept. 8, with registration beginning at 5 p.m.
LCS President Randy Patrick said the team often picks up new members at the "Learn to Ski" nights. Hayes said a person doesn't need to ski to be a part of the team. They can help build sets and props, make costumes or be on the deck.
The ski club has existed since 1989, and has performed on Hidden Lake since then, according to Hayes. The team performs approximately 26 shows a summer, and participates in at least three tournaments.
Currently, the club officers are Randy Patrick, president; John Good, vice president; Brenna Gossert, secretary; Brett Patrick, treasurer; and Keaton Patrick, show director.
Show skiing combines components of all water ski disciplines. Water ski shows are an aquatic musical, featuring several water ski acts choreographed to music and built around a theme that tells a story.
Unique to show skiing are ballet and swivel skiing, adagio doubles, freestyle jumping and human pyramids. Ski show exhibitions or shows involve amateur clubs, which usually have 30 or more members. Some clubs have more than 200 members.
Water skiers have been performing amateur and professional ski shows since the 1940s.
For more information on the Lake City Skiers, visit online at www.lakecityskiers.org
