The Birthplace of Water Skiing
1922
In 1922, local teen Ralph Samuelson took a homemade pair of skis and his daredevil determination and got behind a boat on Lake Pepin to make history. After three days of no success, Ralph decided to keep the ski tips above the water and the rest is history. He went from sitting in the water to skiing on top of it.
An Instant Sensation
Ralph started drawing crowds and attention. Town officials started paying for the fuel for his boats and Ralph started adding tricks. Samuelson then went on exhibition tours around Minnesota to showcase his talents, inspiring others to try the water sport. Soon he was wowing crowds around the world.
Ralph Samuelson was pulled by a WWI seaplane for some of his performances. Ralph gave a pair of his first skis to the Minnesota Historical Society. They are on exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul. Replica skis are in the mini-museum located in the Lake City Marina administration building as well as in the Chamber of Commerce office.
Water skiing came into vogue in the 1950’s and 60’s, sparking enjoyment the world over. Show teams and stunt skiers became well-known sensations, and formal sport competitions were established.
Take a "Selfie with Ralphie"
In 2022, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ralph’s invention, Lake City erected a life-sized bronze sculpture in the park where the magic happened. With a gorgeous view of Lake Pepin as a backdrop, no trip to Lake City is complete without snapping a “Selfie with Ralphie”!
Learn more about Ralph’s storied life and career with this locally produced documentary by filmmaker Ben Threinen.
Learn to Water Ski in Lake City
Learn the ropes on the lake where this global sport began!
Champion skiers sponsored by USA Water Ski and Wake Sports hold a free water ski clinic in Lake City each June during Water Ski Days. Availability is limited, click here to register.
Lessons are also available all summer long with Lake City Boat Club and Rentals.
Water Ski Days
Each June Lake City celebrates its history as the Birthplace of Water Skiing with this quintessential Minnesota festival.
The 52nd Annual Water Ski Days is going to be another big celebration! Come to Lake City for our annual summer party, June 27th-30th, and be treated to live concerts, an arts and crafts fair, a gravity-defying water-ski show, a grand parade, a classic car show, and much, much more.
Fun Facts
- In 1966, after much debate around the world about who, when, and where water skiing originated, it was officially declared by the American Water Ski Association and accepted by other worldwide water ski organizations that it was indeed Ralph Samuelson, July 2, 1922, in Lake City, Minnesota who invented water skiing. No one has been able to predate any claim to that fact.
- In addition to being the first person ever to ski on water, Ralph also was the first to be pulled behind an airplane and at the then mind-boggling speed of 80 mph, thus the fastest man on water skis for who knows how long? He first skied behind an airplane in August of 1925.
- Ralph never wore a life vest while water skiing [not smart, but true].
- It’s estimated that when being pulled behind the airplane, Ralph would jump the wake and sometimes fly as much as 50 feet in the air.
- Ralph performed many water skiing exhibitions here in Lake City for which the City would charge an admission fee. Ralph was never paid any money for his Lake City Exhibitions and insisted the money be used to buy land which is now Marina Point, Ohuta Park, and the site of the Lake City Marina.
- Ralph was also the first to jump off of a floating water ski jump and land on water.
- Ralph was the first water skier to ever ski on one ski.
- There are millions of water skiing specific enthusiasts around the world, and today, more than 20 million people in the US alone call themselves towed water sports enthusiasts.
- In 2022 Lake City celebrated the 50th year of the Water Ski Days festival and 100 years as “The Birthplace of Water Skiing” with 4 days of fun, featuring Water Ski 100 programming presented by Hearth and Home Technologies.
- Also in 2022, Lake City commemorated the 100th anniversary of Ralph’s invention with a bronze monument in Ohuta Park. Another public sculpture, ‘The Wave’, erected in 1976, is currently being stored, awaiting restoration.
- In 2024, the USA Water Ski and Wake Sport Foundation announced the Ralph Samuelson Commemorative Boys 3 Scholarship. Funded by “Destination Lake City, the Birthplace of Water Skiing,“ the Boys 3 Scholarship is awarded to the National Overall Title winner at the AWSA National Water Ski Championships each year.
Partnerships Formed
In recent years Lake City has developed a strong partnership with the USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation, sharing information, collaborating on events, and supporting each other’s efforts to advance the sport and its history.
In 2022, this collaboration resulted in a temporary Water Ski Hall of Fame exhibition held in Lake City, as well as the birth of the ‘Get on the Water’ clinics held during Water Ski Days. Together with local non-profit Destination Lake City, dreams of a permanent Hall of Fame and museum dedicated to water skiing and the Lake Pepin area are beginning to take shape for our region.
*Content for this page was provided by the Lake City Historical Society, Lake City Chamber of Commerce, and The USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Foundation.
