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WATER SKI COMPANY HISTORY

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WATER SKI COMPANIES

 I've put together this unique and comprehensive list of entities that manufactured water skis.  I was the Product Development Director at Cypress Gardens Skis and knew many of the creators and managers of these water ski companies.  - Don C. Thomson

 

  1. Adolph Kiefer (Kiefer & Associates LLC, founded 1947

  2. Ajax

  3. Aluma Craft     

  4. AMF Voit

  5. Argo (Jackson Heights, NY)

  6. Apco Skis (Brooklyn, NY) Sea Glide

  7. Aqua Sport (Cove Craft Mfg., Laconia, N.H., Larry Brown).

  8. Atlas Skis (Stilley Plywood Co Inc., Conway, S.C.)

  9. Bassett Skis ( Paul Bassett 714-630-7999 or Jame Presson, Greenbush, Mich.)

  10. Bob Lew Skis  (Bob Sligh & Lew Withey, Bob-Lew Water Ski  Co.              

  11. Bob White Skis (Tampa, Florida) (see 5/17/16 E-mail)

  12. Bruce Parker Skis by Apco (Bruce Parker & Charlie Tilger)

  13. CarbonWerx *

  14. Cascade Skis

  15. Catalina Skis,  Distributed by Outboard Mfg. Co. (OMC)  

  16. Challenger skis, 1970's  

  17. Chisnel Skis

  18. Churchill Skis (Danny Churchill)

  19. Classic Skis (Don Buffa) *

  20. Composite Structures Corp. (EP)(Roger Teeter & Bill Featherstone)

  21. Connelly Skis (Budd Co.), etc. *

  22. Dave Craig trick skis, Miami, FL 1950's to 1960

  23. Cypress Garden Skis & Great American Skis (Cypress Gardens, Inc., Bagley Co., Ero Ind., etc.)

  24. D3 Skis *

  25. Don Thomson Custom Hand-Made Skis *

  26. Duvall Skis

  27. KD Skis*

  28. Kidder Skis*

  29. Daclin Skis

  30. Dixie Clipper Skis

  31. Dolphin Aqua Skis (by Fred Waller)

  32. Dura-Flex Skis

  33. Duvall Water Skis

  34. Endos Water Ski and Wakeboard Werx in Long Beach sold  Reflex and other brands of skis. 

  35. Excel Skis

  36. Flagg Skis

  37. Flecky-Snyder Skis

  38. Goode Skis *(Dave Goode and Bill Chisnell)

  39. Great American (Cypress Gardens Trade Name)

  40. Gull Skis (Bob Herman in Kalamazoo, MI)

  41. Handley Skis, Lakeland, FL

  42. Healthways Aquaflight Water Champ (1957), Los Angeles

  43. Hexel Skis * (name now owned by HO Skis)

  44. HO Skis*

  45. Hop - Smith Mfg. Co., Newton, NC.

  46. Hydro Flite Skis (Hedlund Mfg. Co. - Nokomis, Ill.)

  47. Iconn (Power Carve).

  48. Javelin combo pair (Sold By Outboard Motor Corp. (OMC)

  49. J.C.Higgins Skis (Sears)(private labeled)

  50. Jet Ski Manufacturing (Grand Rapids, MI)

  51. Jobe Sports International (The Netherlands)  *Jobesports.com (Jeff Jobe)

  52. Joe Mueller Skis (Texas Toothpick &Tiny Texans)

  53. Ka Huna Skis (In 2001 Hobie Alder hooked up with Nash skis to produce the “Hobie Kahuna” ski.

  54. Kidder Skis

  55. Kimball-Schmidt K-Glass Skis

  56. K-2 Skis

  57. La Point Skis

  58. Lake Region Skis

  59. Leonard’s Metals Co. (Aluminum skis, St. Charles, MO).

  60. Lowell Skis

  61. Lund Ski Company (C.A. Lund Co., Hastings, MN

  62. Maharajah Skis*  Bob Maher

  63. Mapple Skis (Andy Mapple)

  64. Mastercraft Skis

  65. Medalist Cut & Jump (Medalist Co.)

  66. Montgomery Ward Sea King (Turnabout 54 in. mahogany skis).

  67. Murdock Ski

  68. Northland Ski Mfg. Co.  (LeCenter, MN) & (Laconia, NH), St.Paul, MN, owned by Christian A. Lund)

  69. Nash Skis, Nash mfg.com, Hydroslide Skis, Texas Watercrafters (Charlie Nash)

  70. O’Brien Skis (Coleman Co.), etc. *

  71. Ohio Valley Skis

  72. Quantum Skis, Oakland, FL *

  73. Parkway Water Skis (Reseda, CA)

  74. Penn Craft Spray King Skis

  75. Rainbow Skis (Tom Murphy = 50%)

  76. Rail Skis

  77. Reflex (Ski Tech) http://reflexwaterskiusa.com/

  78. Radar Skis *

  79. Riviera Skis

  80. Saucier Skis (Dave Saucier)

  81. Steve Schnitzer skis, West Palm Beach, FL, 1980's

  82. Sea Craft (Ted Williams endorsement)

  83. Sea Glider

  84. Sears (Sears name near tail)

  85. Ski Craft (model HC-9 Bicentenial Model)

  86. Ski King Skis

  87. Ski Master (Texas Watercrafters, Division of Texas Recreation, Corp. Ski Master trade name expired in 2009

  88. Ski Whizz

  89. Smokers Skis, Smoker Lumber Co., New Paris, IN

  90. Southern Skis

  91. Sports Tech Skis

  92. Stinger Skis (Denny Kidder)

  93. Sundash slalom

  94. Taperflex of America

  95. Terry Skis (Sundancer Model)

  96. Texas Recreation Corp.

  97. Torque Skis (Blaze LeWark)

  98. Tourney Skis (Joe Bridges)

  99. Velmar Ski Co.

  100. Velrob Skis (Velrob Manufacturing Co. Everett, Washington)

  101. Vogue Skis

  102. Voit Skis

  103. Wade Werx Skis

  104. Wally Burr Skis

  105. Water Mocassin Skis

  106. Wave King

  107. Wellington Puritan Skis

  108. Western Wood Skis (Ebonite Co.)

  109. White Bear Ski Co.

  110. Wiley Skis

 

REFERENCES 

http://www.waterskimag.com/features/2001/06/14/the-ski-makers

 

http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/2943/now-defunct-ski-companies-of-the-world

Jason Raser (Velrob Skis) 3/19/2023

Canadian Water Ski Companies

 

  1.  Aqua - Rite, (Montreal Skis, Inc.) 1961 catalog - Mark Coultier  

  2.  Sea Glider, Montreal, Sensor, Standard


 

Australian Water Ski Companies

 

  1.  Bonney Water Skis (Frank Bonney, Perth, West Aust.)   

  2.  Ron Marx Skis     http://www.ronmarks.com/Site/History.html

  3.  Fred Williams Skis Builds skis & ski boats    

            http://www.fredwilliams.com.au/

  1.   Vel Aqua Skis

  2.   Rapid Ski Store in Adelaide (handles many brands of skis)

 

British (European) Water Ski Companies (brand info from Andy Mapple)

 

  1.    Chippendale Skis

  2.    Typhoon Skis

  3.    Mesle

  4.    Kathro

  5.    Freyrie

 

Austrian Water Ski Companies

 

  1.   Kneissl

  2.   Tornado

  3.   Pilot

 

French Water Skis

 

  1.   Sims

  2.   Rogue & Lahuppe (old)

  3.   Reflex

 

Italian Water Skis

 

  1.  Freyrie

 

Swedish Skis

 

  1.   Sandstrome

 

German Skis

 

  1. Mesle (West German)

  2. Warp slalom by Philipp and Matthias Auer (2007)

  3. Fishier (Razor model)o

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