Did You Know This Popular Indiana Theme Park Once Had an Incredible Water-Skiing Show?

It's amazing how much Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana has changed over the years. Growing bigger and better each year, adding creative rides and attractions that are cooler, faster, and create lifelong memories for folks who visit from all over the world.

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The park's entertainment offers a variety of shows each season including choreographed drones in the sky, singing and dancing revues, wild & wacky magicians, and the show I remember most as a kid, the high-dive! The skill and bravery it must take to do those death-defying tricks in front of huge crowds is so impressive.

Speaking of impressive, did you know that Holiday World used to have another epic water show? The Willie Bartley Water Ski Show was super popular in the 1950s and 60s with incredible acrobatic stunts on Lake Rudolph. The women wore cute costumes and the synchronized maneuvers looked like magic as the athletes performed at high speeds.  Spectators gathered in the area where the Raven is now.

Speed boats, paragliders, and performers did tricks on a big ramp in the middle of the lake. Flipping and flying through the air. In a vintage commercial, you can see a man skiing with no skis! Just staying afloat making huge sprays of water only on one foot. How about the man-woman duo gliding on one ski together? He is holding her up in the air as she contorts into flexible poses! One of my favorite routines has to be the human pyramid.

How amazing would it be if they brought this show back? I don't know that it could capture the nostalgic factor of this video, but it would be such an exciting thing to experience in person!

Source: Holiday World Holiblog