skyskier
10-01-2007, 07:58 AM
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/skyskier/mm.jpg
OK, first off, this is an old article on my friend Mary Murphy. You may have seen her on the local LA tv news in 2005, on her 85th birthday she again rode the skyski from Long Beach to Avalon..................AND BACK!!. Sadly, Mary passed away earlier this summer. Saturday I attended her memorial at Long Beach Marine Stadium. I think all would agree, anytime we have to attend one of these "deals" it's for the most part, gonna be a sad crappy day:( I gotta tell you, this one was anything but. We had over 150 "skiers" show up, young ones old ones and older ones. Had 4 tournament boats for ANYBODY that wanted to take a ride, a HUGE bbq setup, EVERYBODY showed up in beach wear (not a suit & tie or a dress one to be found) On the drive home I was thinking to myself how lucky I am to have friends I've known, and still ski with ,after 47 years:eek: Friends that make me still want to get up at daybreak, swallow a handful of advil, put on a drysuit and go skiing in the middle of February, and still try to land a double backflip on the skyski. Mary's son Mike is the inventer of the original "Airchair/Skyski. I started ski racing with Mike in the 13 -15 boy's class in 1960, this was my 1st trip to Parker. Also in attendance were Herb O'Brien, founder of HO waterskis , Danny Churchill, inventer of the "knee-ski" ( originaly the "Hydroslide) and the "Skurfer" ( forerunner of today's Wakeboard) Mike Mack, originator of the "bodyslide" technique of slalom skiing, Bob Brown from ***boat Magazine........ Jesus...........I'm starting to feel REALLY OLD all of a sudden:D
OK, first off, this is an old article on my friend Mary Murphy. You may have seen her on the local LA tv news in 2005, on her 85th birthday she again rode the skyski from Long Beach to Avalon..................AND BACK!!. Sadly, Mary passed away earlier this summer. Saturday I attended her memorial at Long Beach Marine Stadium. I think all would agree, anytime we have to attend one of these "deals" it's for the most part, gonna be a sad crappy day:( I gotta tell you, this one was anything but. We had over 150 "skiers" show up, young ones old ones and older ones. Had 4 tournament boats for ANYBODY that wanted to take a ride, a HUGE bbq setup, EVERYBODY showed up in beach wear (not a suit & tie or a dress one to be found) On the drive home I was thinking to myself how lucky I am to have friends I've known, and still ski with ,after 47 years:eek: Friends that make me still want to get up at daybreak, swallow a handful of advil, put on a drysuit and go skiing in the middle of February, and still try to land a double backflip on the skyski. Mary's son Mike is the inventer of the original "Airchair/Skyski. I started ski racing with Mike in the 13 -15 boy's class in 1960, this was my 1st trip to Parker. Also in attendance were Herb O'Brien, founder of HO waterskis , Danny Churchill, inventer of the "knee-ski" ( originaly the "Hydroslide) and the "Skurfer" ( forerunner of today's Wakeboard) Mike Mack, originator of the "bodyslide" technique of slalom skiing, Bob Brown from ***boat Magazine........ Jesus...........I'm starting to feel REALLY OLD all of a sudden:D