Water skiing

Water skiing is a sport and recreational activity invented in Lake City, Minnesota in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson and is popular in many countries around the world where appropriate conditions exist - an expanse of water unaffected by wave motion. Rivers, lakes, and sheltered bays are all popular for water skiing.

Related Topics:
Lake City, Minnesota - 1922 - Ralph Samuelson - Water - River - Lake

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Standard water skis were originally made of wood but now are usually constructed out of fibreglass-based composites. They are of similar length to downhill snow skis but are somewhat wider. Instead of a rigid binding, they have rubber molded binding, in which the skier's feet are placed. Skiers are pulled along by a rope with a handle fitted at one end and attached to a powerboat at the other.

Related Topics:
Ski - Fibreglass - Composites

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Recreational skiers usually learn to ski with a ski on each foot, but as they improve usually progress to using a single ski, placing the other foot into another binding behind the main one. Beginners on two skis are usually pulled along at around 25-35 kilometers per hour, whereas more advanced social skiers travel at between 40 and 55 kilometers per hour - once confidence is gained it is actually easier to travel faster than at slower speeds because of the greater lift and stability. Some even go without skis at all in a feat called "barefoot skiing."

Related Topics:
Foot - Barefoot skiing

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Within the confines of being pulled along by the boat, skiers can control their direction by balancing their weight on different sides of their ski. This is used to zip back and forth behind the boat.

Related Topics:
Balancing - Boat

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A variation of the sport, barefoot skiing, as the name suggests involves water skiing without the aid of skis. Since the feet of the skier serve as the platform to lift the skier out of the water, the boat is required to pull the skier at a dramatically faster speed. Barefoot skiing is done at speeds between 60 and 100 kilometers per hour.

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Several new sports have been invented that involve being towed behind a boat. They include wakeboarding and kneeboarding.

Related Topics:
Wakeboarding - Kneeboarding

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