Vintage Water Skiing (1974) - Marine Stadium in Long Beach

[Horton]

This video will not embed but follow the link to some old SoCal Skiing. I know the place but nothing about the skiers. Cool old video.

https://youtu.be/3SkSPpTtYw4 

[Cooper_Trelawney]

If you remember Pink Floyd, waterbeds, rotary phones and being able to toss your slalom in the back of a Datsun pickup truck without worrying about the fin, etc. - this video is for you!

[BKistler]

It’s a wonder that microbus could pull that boat out of the water.  Rated towing capacity of zilch. 
 

Liked the gnarly rope. 
 

 

[ALPJr]

Great stuff @Horton! That was basically what my buddies and I did growing up skiing around the creeks and coves of south Jersey shore back in the day, with a fast little outboard, a CompX2,  pair a tricks, kneeboard, step offs and some scary rope. Prolly had the same tunes going on the beach 😁

[dbutcher]

Those skiers were really pretty talented.  They must now be 70ish.  I hope they are still skiing.  The video almost validates the stereotype of what the rest of the country thought southern California was like in the 70's.  That's a good thing I think.

[cruznski]

This video just knocked me out. I grew up back east, and came to CA in late 1978 - Long Beach- as I was  out of college and after a year or two ski bumming in CO I got a job at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach. I lived in Naples area of Long Beach , anyway there was a ski club there- Long Beach Golden West water ski Club and the marine stadium was the first place I ever water skied in CA.  I know there are you out there who recall that place- we used to hold tournaments there (it's salt water).  

To their credit that's some awesome skiing behind an outboard. Anyone done a back barefoot step off lately? I liked the Boat O on the tricks too.  At the very beginning there's a drag speed boat idling around- the Marine Stadium was a famous venue for boat racing (and speed skiing) back in the day, 

 

thanks for posting. 

[jcamp]

Can you still ski at the marine stadium? Is there a course? On google satellite it looks awesome. 

[skibrain]

I have no idea if anyone has ever dropped a course in there.  I remember it as about 3/4 mile long, maybe 150’ wide. Most of the perimeter is rock rip rap, so it was easily churned up and stayed pretty rolly with boat traffic the one time I skied there nearly 40 yrs ago. 

[Terry Winter]

Those dudes could ride their skis. No hardshells, no fin adjustments - just balance and feel.