Road Warrior: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding
13: ROAD WARRIOR
The 1980s were a whirlwind of shows, competitions, photo shoots, and all the craziness that comes with being single and on the road.
Rick Skinner, the Midwest rep for HO, took me on a 10-day tour of Michigan and Wisconsin, don’t you know.
We hit the road to call on Rick’s dealers over the region. […]
Aerialist: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding
11: AERIALIST
In 1986 Herb O’Brien decided it was time for HO Sports to make their first kneeboard. He asked me to design it, and I excitedly agreed.
The first step to develop a new design is to create a test board out of foam and fiberglass. I didn’t have any personal experience in hand shaping boards, […]
Magic Time: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding
8: MAGIC TIME
O’Brien was another company that went after Hydroslide’s huge market share., leading the way with their foam-filled board called the Bullfrog. But the lackluster design was antiquated, and the graphics were something a kid might go for: an all green board with a giant bullfrog sitting on the nose.
O’Brien’s Entry into the Kneeboarding […]
Ski Master: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeboarding
7: SKI MASTER
The popular water ski manufacturer Ski Master wanted to grab a piece of the kneeboard pie in the early 1980s. They bought Tunnel Board in 1981, who was still hanging around in a distant second place to Hydroslide. Ski Master kept the original thin profile high performance board, and expanded the line with […]
Kneed for Speed: Adventures in Water Skiing, Kneeeboarding
5: KNEED FOR SPEED
In 1978, at the Endo’s International Speed Skiing Championships, I witnessed kneeboarding insanity.
The site was the Long Beach Marine Stadium. I only remember the kneeboarder by his nickname, Dumbdee. He was a Long Beach local who talked the promoters into letting him have a speed run on his Tunnel Board. Just to […]