Stillwater Woman Continues Tradition of Family Water Ski Shows

For as long as she can remember, Stillwater native Kristi Skillings has loved waterskiing. She took up the sport at the age of 4, under the guidance of parents whose passion for waterskiing eventually led to the creation of The Midwest Ski Otters Water Ski Team.

The Ski Otters recently launched their 17th year of ski performances in White Bear Lake with their newest show, “Skivenge of the Nerds.” They perform the free show at 6 p.m. every Sunday night through August at Little Goose Lake.

“Skivenge of the Nerds” is the retelling of the classic jocks versus nerds scenario. “It has something for everybody,” said Kathryn Marget, whose family has been involved with the Ski Otters for years.

“Skivenge of the Nerds” features everything from a fully costumed show with a storyline, to dancing, silly humor, and “high quality athletic prowess,” Marget said.

Skillings was waterskiing professionally at the Wisconsin Dells in 1995 when she teamed up with friends in White Bear Lake to start up a weekly ski show at a home site. “We had no idea how popular it would become,” Skillings said. “We hoped it would get big but we had no idea to what extent.”

The Ski Otters now have 135 skiers and attract crowds of up to 1,000 people at each of their summer shows.

For members of the team, skiing with the Ski Otters offers more than just an opportunity to improve their skills and perform. It also provides them with a great sense of community.

Brock Carlson, 15, has been waterskiing his entire life and joined the Ski Otters 4 years ago.  “It’s a really great family thing,” he said. “It has really helped my family connect.”

Carlson, an only child from Lake Elmo, said that he has made many good friends through skiing with the Ski Otters and looks forward to seeing his college friends every summer when they return to White Bear Lake to ski.

Although skiing with the Ski Otters has great rewards, it comes with its fair share of challenges. Both Skillings and Carlson agree that the intense practice schedule is the most difficult part of being a member of the Ski Otters. Skillings said it is always hard to organize the team members’ summer schedules to find adequate time to practice.

Both the junior and senior teams practice two nights a week, and Carlson, who practices with both teams, estimates he spends between 15 to 20 hours on the lake each week.

But, for Skillings, the hard work pays off. “My favorite part is definitely the reaction from the crowd,” she said. “You just hear the crowd in complete awe or amazement.”

According to the Ski Otters’ mission statement, they are “devoted to providing direction to the young and the young-at-heart through the positive learning environment of waterskiing, [and are] … dedicated to bringing the Twin Cities Metro Area the top in wholesome family entertainment.”

According to Carlson, they have achieved just that. “A family that skis together stays together,” he said.