1983 - No Theme

Show Director: none

Regionals: did not compete

Nationals: did not compete

In 1983 we built a 3-tier pyramid. Skiers paid $2 for each practice. Donations helped but didn't pay the bills. We had two Ski Nautiques and one Show Nautique for twenty club members, but all boats were privately owned. Brint and Susan Burrill bought a new boat the skiers basically wore out. Gene Hast bought his first Hydrodyne twin rig, Dennis Heggen and John Pauley also brought their boats down and helped build the foundation of our club.

We moved to our twenty two acre ski facility on the Rock River at 44th Street in Rock Island, IL with the help of Neil Neilson, Jack Fogel, Mayor James Davis and the City Council. Actual picture below shows the ski site before the work began to create the best ski site in the Midwest. Yes, this is our ski site the way it was before we cut down trees, put in the road and created a beach. John Pauley and Randy Heggen arrived by boat at the site with a lawn mower, a sickle, chain saw, clippers and the work began. Coming to the ski site was only possible by boat. It was several weeks before we could make the journey down 44th street with a truck. Brandt Construction allowed us to use bulldozers, backhoes and excavators to accomplish the work that required heavy equipment. Many long weeks passed without skiing.