Aerosmith and Slalom on Lake Sunapee

[cragginshred]

I just got through reading Joe Perry's book. It was written really well and in it he mentions growing up swimming and spending summers in Lake Sunapee in NH. Late in the book he mentions water skiing there as he and Steven Tyler have roots there, met there and currently own homes there. I thought that was cool but later in the book Joe mentions getting better in the slalom course on Sunapee. Just wondering if any Ballers have been there? Looks like an amazing an amazing east coast summer spot!

[parkerc2112]

Old Ski buddy many years ago was a driver at a Ski school in Florida. Said he’d pulled joe perry a couple times.

[jerrym]

I skied behind a jet ski for the first time on Sunapee. A buddy owned a summer cabin on the north shore, across from Tyler's compound. It's a beautiful lake and a great place for a summer home. My buddy sold the cabin for way more than it was worth, but then immediately regretted it.

[Dobrodan]

We go to Sunapee for a week or so every summer. It's a beautiful lake with lots of inboards, classic to new. I haven't found a course yet but there are always a lot of free skiers out early before the insanity sets in. It's the cleanest natural lake in New England. Make sure to bring a chart - there are lots of rocks.

[Jmoski]

It’s a pristine lake with a small ski mountain behind it that’s 2 hours from Boston. Hence crazy expensive real estate.

 

I’ve been on it a few times and found it’s not great for skiing outside of early AM runs. The main reason being the skiable sections of the lake consist of either 3 roundish sections connected by channels, or narrow ways with lots of traffic, so once the non skiers are out they tow in circles which completely chops up the lake.

 

Used to be a couple who ran a ski school on the lake but I believe they went out of business or stopped a decade ago. If you ever saw a yellow ski boat with a checkerboard pattern - that was the ski school.

 

Unsure if there is a course on it.

[JWebSki]

There is a course on lake sunapee but it’s submersible so you’d never know it was there unless someone was skiing on it

[Garn]

Was at Wade Cox clinic a couple of years ago and he was telling this incredible story of meeting Joe Perry and skiing with him. He kept everybody in stitches.

[Edbrazil]

In the early 1970s, we had a slalom course on Lake Sunapee, in the arm that extends to Georges Mills. And, to the side and inside a layer of rocks. That was before we first moved to Lake Coniston, and later to Palazzi Pond. Where we hosted maybe 20+ sanctioned tournaments from 1973 to 1979. Before I first moved to Florida. The anchors for that course are probably still there, and subbuoyed. Course was put in through the ice during Winter.

 

As an aside, well before Aerosmith became famous, I think they played at a barn/club in Georges Mills. Back when I was a college student in the mid-1960s.

[bishop8950]

Seems like I recall a mention in waterski mag many years ago that talked about Joe Perry Waterskiing???

[gcam4]

@bishop8950 I remember that as well. I kinda remember it being Sammy Duvall? They exchanged signed guitar/ski if I remember correctly.

[powbmps]

Don't see glass on Sunapee very often. There is still a course in Georges Mills, but as previously mentioned, it is submersible. Crew of regulars gets out there quite a bit early mornings. Not sure about Perry, but Tyler still has a house in Sunapee Harbor. Beautiful lake, but there is a cleaner (and flatter) one close by ;).

[storm34]

We booked Aerosmith for a corporate gig a few years back. Steven noticed my dad's Ski Nautique sunglasses holder right away when talking before the show. He was more interested in talking boats and skiing than that night's performance. It was refreshing to have a down to earth conversation with such a high profile personality.

[Stickman]

If I remember correctly, I believe it was Carl Roberge that presented Joe with a pink Kidder (or KD?). Joe gifted Carl with a pink Gibson Les Paul. That was around the time Aerosmith has released "9 Lives" which featured the song "Pink". Why do I remember this stuff?

[Peter_B]

Really late to the party here, but thought I'd throw this out there. A fellow that Ed knows from his Palazzi Pond days is still going strong in Georges Mills, and every weekend morning (and some evenings) you'll find him and anywhere between 5 and 10 other ski boats lined up running the course. They float it and sink it for use. Sunapee is often a wild lake with wind across the center, and for that reason it's amazing how many skiers there are on it.

 

It's the one place in New England, that I'm aware of, that regularly converts wakeboarders into skiers. The skiers ski, the skiers kids ski, and therefore the skiers kids friends....

 

You started something a long time ago Ed, and it's still going.

 

pb

[powbmps]

It can be a little rough getting around in a ski boat, but you'll usually see a few at the sand bar.

[cragginshred]

Great info guys. A Californian usually has the misconception of that that whole area of the country as being under 3' of ice 10 months out of the year -ha! It really looks amazing.

 

Even though I live with a view off my deck that stretches 10 miles across the Sierras (same county as Yosemite), I ski in a mud hole in dry and arid cattle land. The public lake closer to home is more scenic but nothing like the sites you guys post from back east which all look so lush and green!

[MrJones]

Believe that's correct on the Roberge-Perry article in WSM back in the day.

[powbmps]

 

[Edbrazil]

Another key player there was Guy Lavigne. He owned a ski shop and then a marina in Sunapee harbor. We even put on a ski show in the harbor once. Yup, Winter can be brutal; I remember it wasn't until Memorial Day that the ice fully cleared out. Good to see that the slalom course is still being used. I had a house in New London from 1972 to 1980, before moving to FL.

[VTskier]

I grew up on Lake Sunapee and worked at Osborne's Marine in the summer. We free skied regularly with a host of great folks. Tyler came in once with a pair of tired cutoffs, bandana and a pistol stuck in his beltline and a few friends. Friendly enough despite the badass appearance. Lake Sunapee Waterski club owns a submersible in Georges Mills.

 

[beerleagueskier]

Sunapee is stunning. I've been to lakes all over the country. Sunapee and Torch are number 1 and 2.

 

I own a boat slip at the same club as Guy Lavigne.

[Ocnlivn]

I skied with Ed Brazil for Guy Lavigne and earlier Frank Morse. Also grew up with Joe and Steven

[epnault]

I read that book last year too and it was awesome

[pcmcon729]

A number of years ago, I bought a used boat lift from a guy in Georges Mills. There is a small lake on the north side of Sunapee called Otter Pond. I skied the course there. Not sure if Otter is connected by a channel to Sunapee. The boat lift was in an offshoot of Otter Pond that was dug for its sand for Rt 89. The guy I bought the lift from had hopes of further excavating this 800' sandy shore pond for a semi-private ski site. He unfortunately died suddenly before this came to fruition.

[Daveharvey]

Yes I remember All of those stories I was the boat driver for Carl Roberge back then David Harvey

[lpskier]

@Daveharvey Big Dave! I used to ski with you when you drove for Carl and then Wade. John Wilkins Lake Placid NY

[Woodybc62]

I have the article from waterski mag. Definitely Carl

[rawly]

Post a pic from the article if you can. Would be cool addition to this thread.