USA WATER SKI AND WAKE SPORTS
HALL OF FAME

By  Mike Miller November 11, 2025

The USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Hall of Fame, formerly the American Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum, moved from its long-time home in Polk City, Florida to Davenport, Florida in 2020.

It honors the pioneers of water skiing and preserves the sport's 100-year history through artifacts and stories. It covers nine disciplines, from slalom to wakeboarding.

There are exhibits on innovations and champions including vintage skis, photos, videos of Cypress Gardens shows and other record winning news reels. 

USA Water Ski and Wake Sports Hall of Fame

Ralph Samuelson invented water skiing in 1922 on Lake Pepin, Minnesota by using curved planks to glide behind a boat.

The sport spread south in the 1930s, and Florida's "golden age" of water skiing began. This period was when the sport exploded from a niche activity into a major tourist draw and cultural phenomenon.

It was largely centered in Central Florida's Polk County. Water skiing was a very big deal in Florida, especially after Dick Pope opened Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven in 1936.

It became Florida's first theme park and water ski showcase. Performer Willa McGuire Cook co-created the swivel ski there.

Cypress Gardens teams formed human pyramids of three, four, and five tiers, setting world records. They hosted the first televised ski show in 1950. 

The park drew films, TV shows, and celebrities. Esther Williams starred in the movie Easy to Love at the site in 1953.

Polk County hosted state, national, and world championships. Athletes set records on the local lakes. The Hall of Fame was founded in 1980 by the USA Water Ski Foundation.

The hall inducted 63 members from 1982 to 2012 across various categories. Winter Haven’s annual Chain of Records event had competitions in 2015, 2017 and 2021 that set Guinness World Records. 

For example, the record for the most water skiers towed behind a single boat (shoe skiing) is 16, achieved by Chain of Records 2021. 

Cypress Gardens Water Skiing Pyramid

These feats demonstrate Florida's prominence in hosting large-scale water-skiing events.  Over 300 world records have originated in Polk County waters. 

Many of them are celebrated here at the Museum. The museum building itself may not be historic, but the exhibits it houses are. 

The museum is inside the Visit Central Florida Welcome Center at 101 Adventure Court, Davenport, FL 33837. It's off I-4, exit 55, near U.S. 27.

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission. Allow 30 to 60 minutes to tour the compact space. Start at the welcome center for maps and Florida orange juice samples.

One of the great exhibits at the Museum is the original pair of curved barrel-stave planks that Samuelson used to invent water skiing. Parking is in the lot out front.

USA WATER SKI AND WAKE SPORTS
HALL OF FAME WEBSITE

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