What with wakeboarding, barefoot, all the other great new water sports and equipment things are a lot different today than they were back in the 70s. I doubt that John at Hyperactive Sports, formerly Chestermere Landing, will be renting homemade plywood discs or pairs of wooden skis for a ‘wild’ ride behind a 1967 Johnson Reveller!
It is fun to look back at the history of motorized water sports on Chestermere Lake. The Chestermere Water Ski Club was formed in 1974 by the Pallesen family, and sponsored by the Chestermere Cabin Owner’s Association. It was registered with the Canadian Water Ski Association in 1975 and held many competitions on Chestermere Lake such as the Alberta Open in 1976. We had lots of local champions too, such as Trevor Kunkel, Bruce Brinker, Kim Reid, and Ray Porter. The club also held ski and jump training sessions.
Photos are courtesy of the Kunkel family, one showing the jump ramp that was anchored in the water north of the bridge and a great shot of Trevor Kunkel on his skis, 1979. Want to read more? Chestermere a Home for All Seasons tells you the full story, available for $48 from www.chestermerehistory.org ( Contact Us link), or pick up a copy at the Town of Chestermere Public Library.
