Congratulations to the Wonder Lake Water Ski Team for finishing in fifth at the NSSA Division 1 National Water Ski Show Tournament in Rockford, Illinois! The competitive ski team has placed among the top five teams at nationals every year throughout the past 15 years!

The team draws a large audience to their Friday performances during the summer, and they spend most weekends traveling across the state to water ski competitions. They are also known in the community for their community service, including their work with Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association.

The WLWSST has won the national title four times since 1996 at the Show Ski National Championships! With the most recent win in 2010, the group has qualified for nationals and placed in the top five each year.

This year, the team qualified for the national championship after they placed first against 14 other teams. Starting off the beginning of the season with a win against seven other teams, they had a very successful competition year to follow.

The water ski routines are critiqued by judges based on their execution, skill difficulty, spectator appeal and overall flow of the routine.  Each year, their routine involves jumping, bare-footing, forming pyramids and executing ballets.

The next upcoming event and last performance of the summer for the Wonder Lake Water Ski team is this weekend, September 6! The Labor Day Ski Show will be at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Bring your chairs and blankets and watch from the beach, or come join the fans by boat and be a part of the boat audience!

For more information on the Wonder Lake Water Ski Show Team, which is proudly supported by our own Roger Gerstad, visit www.WonderLakeSkiTeam.org.