“They’re amazing,” said Stefani Havel, the MC of the show.
“This is really fun entertainment and it’s so nice to be outside on a summer day,” said Kristi Jacobson, who skis for the team.
This group puts on a dazzling show every Thursday at 7 pm in the warm weather months. Their act is chock full of daring jumps, tricks and other magic as they perform on a liquid stage.
If you’re looking for a bargain this is the perfect place to go. The show garners many cheers and smiles, and it is free.
“We’re the oldest water ski team in the state of Minnesota,” Jacobson said. “Both of the water skis shows got a start in 1950. We are still having so much fun.”
“All of our members are volunteers,” Havel said. “We always say ‘they love to water ski, they love to perform.’ ”
“Main attraction in Centerville”
The 500 or so fans who show up at the lakeshore to see these water wizards are treated to some spectacular routines.
Said Havel: “We like to believe we’re the main attraction in Centerville.”
The skiers turn the lake into their own personal playground.
“We do doubles, trios, jumps, knee boards, trick skis, pyramids,” said Tyler Herzog, who skis in the show.
“We’ve got everything from pyramids with the guys basing and the girls climbing, to girls pyramid where it’s all women out on the water,” Jacobson said. “We’ve got ballet, we’ve got jumpers, barefooters, the whole variety.”
“They’re really talented,” Havel said. “We practice all year long. We usually rent out a gymnasium so we can practice all of our acrobats in the winter months so that we are ready to hit the water when show season starts.”
The age range on this water ski team runs the gamut.
Said Jacobson: “We have team members from age 5 all the way up to 55 plus.”
Multi-talented
The popularity of the Bald Eagle Water Ski team extends beyond the Twin Cities. On some weekends they travel to local town festivals and carnivals throughout Minnesota and draw crowds between 3 and 5,000.
When this team puts on their blades and cuts through the lake, they are showcasing their multi-talented abilities.
“It’s extremely entertaining,” Havel said. “You’ll hear the roars of the crowd. We like to get people clapping, standing on their feet. They just really come out for a fun experience.”
“This is like the best of all worlds with theater, music, dancing, acting and costumes and also the athletics,” Jacobson said. “We spend six months a year together and we start in about February in the gym and then we hit the water as soon as we can get the dock in in May.”
The natural setting at Centerville Lake is a slice of Americana. This is good, clean fun with a widespread appeal.
