World’s Largest Water Ski Show Tournament returns to Wisconsin Rapids for 60th year

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The World’s Largest Water Ski Show Tournament will return to Wisconsin Rapids in one week, and Director Katie Ness says the 60th annual championship won’t disappoint. Recognized as the largest and longest-running water ski show tournament in the world, the Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Championships will welcome 24 of Wisconsin’s premier show ski teams and 72 individual competitors from July 16-19 at Red Sands Beach on Lake Wazeecha.
For Ness, this milestone event is the culmination of a deep commitment that reaches far beyond her professional life.
While Ness works full time elsewhere as a project manager, her love for water skiing is lifelong.
Her connection to water skiing started at age five with recreational skiing at her grandparents’ cabin. It wasn’t until her early 20s, upon moving to Wisconsin, that she discovered the state’s vibrant show skiing scene. Although she had seen a Tommy Bartlett show during her childhood, she was amazed to discover a widespread community of more than 24 show ski teams across Wisconsin.
Driven by curiosity, Ness tried show skiing at age 26 by joining a team in Milwaukee. She immediately enjoyed the teamwork, the excitement of building pyramids and the dynamic nature of the sport. After a period skiing with the Chetek Hydroflites, she eventually relocated to central Wisconsin, where she joined the Aqua Skiers in 2016 and has remained with them ever since.

Although she’s experienced when it comes to competing, hosting the Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Championships is still relatively new to Ness. This is the fourth year she will work as director, and the first without her former co-director Jordan Moon. However, the Aqua Skiers maintain a team attitude on and off the water, meaning Ness still has support.
“I’m lucky enough to be able to work with the Wisconsin Water Ski Federation (WWSF),” she said. “The Aqua Skiers have members that are part of that board and working with them in order to pull the teams together when it comes to team paperwork, submissions, individual competitions — the WWSF is a really good partnership in that.”
The Wisconsin Rapids community may be small, but its neighborly attitude welcomes teams of all sizes.
“We, as the Aqua Skiers, try to hone in on making sure the tournament and everything the tournament needs is running smoothly,” Ness explained, noting that “the WWSF really helps bridge that gap.”
Reflecting on the event’s scale, she added, “It’s gratifying to see so many competitors and teams come together, and we’re really such a small knit community, even though we’re from all over the state. We are by no means a large team in the state. There are many teams that are much larger than us. We are quite small, so our little team being able to put on such a grand four day tournament, it’s a very proud feeling.”
This deep-seated team pride fuels their desire to welcome newcomers into the fold, turning the tournament into more than just a competition.
“If you’re a new fan, come experience the weekend,” Ness said. “Everyone is there because they want to see the best performances and best showmanship. And the ski community is really such a small, close-knit family type of unit that I think new fans just need to come experience it.”
Despite being a small team, the Aqua Skiers take great pride in organizing this major four-day event in the tight-knit Wisconsin Rapids community. Ness considers it a rewarding experience to bring together competitors from all over the state. Extending an invitation to newcomers, she encourages new fans to come out and witness the exceptional showmanship, calling the tournament a true hidden gem of the local community.