This page is
part of the Watertown Riverfest 2007 website
Saturday and Sunday
August 4 and 5
1:30, 4 and 6 p.m.
The Beaverland Must-Skis water ski
show team will be making a return splash in the Rock River when they perform
for two days during the Watertown Riverfest
celebration.
The Must-Skis were formed about 12 years ago when Erich Zellmer, formerly of Watertown, and four other skiing
enthusiasts got together at a marina in Beaver Dam. “We all had a common
interest in skiing and an interest in show skiing and decided it would be a
good place to start a team,” Zellmer said.
The ski show team is based in Beaver Dam with Tahoe Park on
Beaver Dam Lake their home base.
Zellmer is one of the original organizers of
the group that was formed in 1995. “About five of us got together at a marina
in Beaver Dam and we all have a common interest in skiing,” he said.
“We usually do two off site locations a year,” Zellmer said. The Must-Skis perform anywhere from 16 to 20
shows a season, he added.
The group performed at the 1998 Riverfest
Celebration at Riverside Park, Zellmer said. “We have
definitely grown and are a much better team,” he added.
Last year the team was named the Division II Wisconsin State
Champions following competition in Wisconsin Rapids. The members participated
in a world record 48 person pyramid at the competition
in September of 2006.
The year before, in 2005, the club finished second at the
competition, Zellmer said. “We are on an upward
climb,” he added.
For the competition, the Must-Skis performed its theme show
within 60 minutes, which included its best 13 acts, he added. “Last year we
skied almost flawless,” Zellmer said. “We had a few
falls in the pyramid acts, but it was a clean show and that is what it takes,”
he added.
This year’s theme is “Monty Skithon
and the Quest for the Holy Grail.” It is based on a Monty Python movie,” Zellmer said.
The performances will include pyramids, barefoot acts, and
double skiing, Zellmer said. The show includes about
five different acts. The performance begins and concludes with a pyramid, he
said. “We also plan to bring a jump this year and perform from that,” he added.
“We will set up a main dock, or stage near the
Zellmer is familiar with the Riverside Park
as he was raised just down the street from the park. “I grew up 200 yards from
the park,” Zellmer said. “My parents live on
The team is composed of about 50 skiing members and 40
non-skiing support members and parents, Zellmer, who
is a boat driver for the team, said. “Our skiing members range in age from 7 to
52,” he said. “That really shows skiing is a family sport,” he said.
Most of the skiers begin between the ages of 7 and 10 and
continue with the show through high school and college. The team practices
three times a week.
The Riverfest performances will be
between 30 and 40 minutes each, depending if there is a fall and if there will
be a rerun of an act, he added.
The performances are set for
Adam Tobias of the Watertown Daily Times staff