North Webster Ski Bees Officers

THE WEBSTER LAKE SKI CLUB WAS ORIGINALLY ORGANIZED IN 1953 AND REORGANIZED IN 1956.  CURRENT LONG TIME MEMBER AND BOAT DRIVER, TOM COLLINS HAS THE HONOR OF HOLDING CARD #1 FOR 1956.  THE CLUB WAS ACTUALLY INCORPORATED AS THE WEBSTER SKI-BEES IN JUNE OF 1963 WITH THE LATE JUDGE ARTHUR OSBORN GRACIOUSLY HANDLING THE PAPERWORK.  SOME OF THOSE ORIGINAL CLUB MEMBERS, NOW WITH CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF THEIR OWN, ARE STILL INVOLVED IN CLUB ACTIVITIES.  FOR MANY YEARS THE CLUB HAD NO PERMANENT HOME, PRESENTING SHOWS AT VARIOUS SITES (YELLOW BANKSHOTEL & THE WEBSTER TOWN PIER) BEFORE FINALLY SETTLING IN SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT DIXIE HAVEN WHICH HAS RECENTLY BECOME OUR TOWN PARK AND BEACH.

 

WHEN THE CLUB FIRST STARTED, THE LARGEST OUTBOARD ON THE LAKE WAS A 40 HP AND THERE WERE NO INBOARDS!  THE ACTS PRESENTED IN SHOWS WERE SIMPLE BY TODAY'S STANDARDS AND CONSISTED OF SLALOM, JUMP AND A HOMEMADE DISC.

 

THE FIRST JUMP WAS BUILT IN 1956 WITH FUNDS RAISED THROUGH A DOOR-TO-DOOR CAMPAIGN.

COMPETITION HAS ALWAYS PLAYED A PART IN SKI-BEE HISTORY, PRODUCING A NUMBER OF STATE, REGIONAL & NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, SOME OF WHOM HAVE GONE ON TO PROFESSIONAL STATUS.  HOWEVER, THE MAJOR EMPHASIS HAS BEEN ON PROMOTING WATER SKIING AS A FAMILY SPORT AND ENTERTAINING THE HOME TOWN CROWD.  EACH YEAR NORTH WEBSTER HOSTS THE WEEKLONG MERMAID FESTIVAL WHICH DRAWS THOUSANDS TO OUR SMALL COMMUNITY.  THE SKI-BEES HAVE PUT

ON SHOWS FOR THIS EVENT SINCE 1956.  THE SKI-BEES ALSO HOSTS ANNUAL OUTINGS AND CLINICS TO PROMOTE THE SPORT OF WATER SKIING AND BOATING SAFETY.

 

THE WEBSTER SKI-BEES HAVE MANY PEOPLE TO THANK FOR THEIR OVER 50+ YEARS OF EXISTENCE.  THE TOWN MERCHANTS WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GENEROUS WHEN HELP WAS NEEDED, THE PARK BOARD FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THEIR FACILITIES, LOCAL CONSERVATION & LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO WORK WITH US, OUR WONDERFUL SPECTATORS WHO COME BACK TIME AND AGAIN & OF COURSE, THE MANY DEDICATED, HARD WORKING MEMBERS BOTH PAST AND

PRESENT WHO HAVE DONATED SO MUCH OF THEIR PRECIOUS FREE TIME TO MAKE OUR CLUB A LASTING SUCCESS.