Birthplace of Waterskiing
This is a photo from our book, Lake City, Our Historical Journey showing Ralph Samuelson standing by a sea plane with his skis in 1924. Samuelson's skis are displayed in the Lake City Marina building.
Waterski Days
Every year local citizens and many visitors gather on the last full weekend of June to remember an event that occurred on June 28, 1922. That was when the 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson strapped two pine boards of his own manufacture to his feet, ventured into Lake Pepin behind a motorboat, yelled to his brother Ben to 'hit it' and rose to ride the water on skis 8 feet long and nine inches wide.
Samuelson going over a ski jump in 1924
Birthplace of Waterskiing
Because of Samuelson's pioneering efforts in the sport of waterskiing, the American Water Ski Assocation officially recognized Lake City as the Birthplace of waterskiing in 1966.
