History of the “Every Ride” List
It all started as a birthday stunt in 2004 inspired by my grandmother, Mary Murphy. She rode her hydrofoil to Catalina Island and back, a distance of 52 miles across open ocean, to celebrate her birthdays from age 79-88.
When it came time for my 40th birthday I decided to try […]
YOU’RE FIRED
The partnership between Bob Woolley and Mike Murphy at Air Chair was always a strained one. That was unfortunate because each man had a set of skills the other did not have, and together they had what it took to run a successful business.
Mike was the star and front man. He was already a […]
FLIGHT HYDROFOILING NEWSLETTER
I travelled the world as a water skier for well over two decades. Living out of a suitcase meant hundreds of restaurant meals with friends and business associates. Ever since I could remember I was a fan of simple magic tricks, brain teasers, and visual oddities that you could do at a table. […]
WELCOME TO MY WORLDS
I was impatient for hydrofoiling competitions. Most people recognized me as the top all around rider in the sport since my coming out party at the first Fly-In in 1994, and I wanted to prove it.
Usually when you want something done, you have to do it yourself, and this was no exception. […]
FLY-IN’
The first Fly-In was coming up soon, and I wanted to be ready with even more new tricks. Next on my list was a gainer in the flats. Mike claimed this trick first, but all of the attempts that I saw him do were something shy of a true gainer. His was more of a […]
TIE HIGH
Uncle Mike always had a thing for loop around the boats. He did them for years on everything from the kneeboard and slalom ski to trick skis and the hydrofoil. The loop around the boat became the standard way to turn around during Mike’s runs on the backwaters of Canyon Lake. He even spiced […]
Here’s a little experiment…
You are free to repost these water skiing memes near or far.
I have no idea of whether or not this is gonna work, but I sure had fun making them.
Enjoy! -TK
KNEEBOARD HYDROFOIL > AIR CHAIR (1983-1991)
It was the early summer of 1983, and I found myself in the midst of all the action while working full time for Mike at his “Ski Shop” on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River. Uncle Mike’s collection of rental equipment became the fodder for the next big breakthrough in foiling. […]
FIRST FLIGHT > STAND UP HYDROFOILS (1906-1989)
The first record of using a hydrofoil on a boat belongs to the Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini in 1906. Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin improved upon Forlanini’s design in 1919, and their hydrofoil boat, the Hydrodrom-4, set a speed record of 60 knots, which lasted into the 1960s. There have […]
19: THIS IS THE END – OR IS IT?
The golden days of kneeboarding ended when it got dropped from the Pro Tour. Gone was the industry backing with big cash tournaments, and the spotlight of TV and constant magazine coverage. Without those incentives , there was little reason for riders to advance the sport. After […]
